America's War on Sex: The Attack on Law, Lust and Liberty

Author: Marty Klein, Ph.D. — www.SexEd.org

        Hardcover List Price: $29.95

Review by Stephen L. Braveman, LMFT,  DST

(This review has been submitted to CAMFT and AASECT for possible publication.)

“The battle lines have been drawn, and it's not just the think tanks and advocacy groups that have stakes in this war. The sexuality of everyone is at risk, making America's War on Sex a must read for all citizens” says Bill Taverner, M.A. Co-Founding Editor, American Journal of Sexuality Education. Author Michael Castleman reports “America's War on Sex--the title may sound a bit hyped, but it's isn't. It's true: Social conservatives have truly declared war on sex, and no one lays out their agenda better than Marty Klein in this frightening and cogently argued book. Frightening because sexual civil rights are in jeopardy. Klein describes how the forces of sex-negativity are working to set up camp in our bedrooms.

Honored CAMFT member, Dr. Marty Klein is making people angry with his newest book, America’s War On Sex. And rightfully so! Upon delivering this outstanding book the AASECT (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists) Best Book of the Year Award at a sex therapist conference in June, Dr. Joy Davidson stated that she was angry while reading this book and that everyone in America, especially therapist, should be too!

Why be angry while reading Dr. Klein extremely factual, and yet at times humorous, discourse on sex in America today? Because he is right! We, all Americans, are under attack by those who want to robe us of our sexual rights, freedoms and education! In this book Dr. Klein explains with great fines how abstinence only sex education is being promoted and funded by our government despite overwhelming evidence of its failure to deliver the results it has promised, how women’s rights to purchase and own vibrators are being legally denied by an increasing amount of state legislators and how sexual mis-information is deliberately being promoted in an effort to take away rights from the GLBT communities! 

The anger one experiences when reading this book is not limited to sex therapists or the general public either. It is vital that all psychotherapists read and understand the issues addressed in this book. Our clients come into our offices carrying guilt and shame for engaging in healthy sexual practices after being convinced by negative myths promoted to illuminate sex from our society. They struggle with issue around parenting stemming from fear based messages about children’s sexuality. HIV, unwanted pregnancy and the lack of positive sexual expression is the result. We as psychotherapist have an obligation to know the facts about sexuality, to help our clients understand them, to debunk dangerous myths and to support our client’s sexual education, personal development and positive sexuality within couples. That is why I say America’s War On Sex is the most important book in our field today and is a must read by all clinicians!