A classic republished.

Sex and Sex Worship. By O.A. Wall. London: Kegan Paul, 2006, 607 pages. Cloth, $255.

In the first two decades of the twentieth century, the publisher Kegan Paul issued a series of pioneering books dealing with sexuality. Among the 12 were ground-breaking titles such as Sexual Life in Ancient Greece, Sexual Life in Ancient Rome, and the book reviewed here, Sex and Sex Worship (which was originally published in 1919). Although the books in the series were ground-breaking, the contents were a mixed bag. This is particularly true of Wall's book.

Sex and Sex Worship is a potpourri of stories, myths, and religious beliefs, both ancient and contemporary. Included is a historical development of sexual attitudes, a look at Darwin and evolution by natural selection, a brief history of reproduction, and an explanation of cosmogonies, women, anatomy and physiology, sexual relationships of the Gods, animal worship, phallic festivals, prostitution, and a large variety of other topics. Some of the topics are well-documented and interested readers could trace them further. Coverage of many other topics, however, simply consists of collections of notes from a variety of sources, many of which are not mentioned (although some, such as the Greek legends, can be guessed). Wall is somewhat apologetic about this. In his brief bibliography, Wall explains that it is only a partial list of books, etc., "from which information has been obtained" and illustrations gathered. He then adds that there were other works, "but these titles have escaped my memory." Many of Wall's sources are simply listed, such as the "Bible," or the 48 volumes of Appleton's Science Library, Haeckle's works, Milton's Lost Paradise, or the Universal Dictionary, without page numbers or publication information.

There is a vast amount of miscellaneous information here, which is interesting and even helpful, although the index is only a partial one. The chapter headings provide some guide, but Wall often wanders off on tangents in his discussion. In short, it is a fascinating collection of data about sexuality based upon information from literature, "scientific journals," and religious doctrine, and a vast collection of notes that Wall simply reports along with the excuse that he can no longer recall the sources of his data. From my knowledge, Wall's accounts of various mythologies are reasonable, but if one is to use them, reliable sources should be tracked down.

There is a tremendous amount of information, and any reader will find some anecdotes which could be used as illustrations of almost any topic in human sexuality. Information here, however, it should be investigated further rather than assumed to be accurate. Still, it is an interesting book to sample in your spare time.

Reviewed by Vern L. Bullough, Ph.D., D. Sci, R.N., SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus. 3305 Sierra Dr., Westlake Village, CA, 91362-3542; e-mail: [e-mail]