Been There, Done That

A Rousing History of Sex

By: Rachel Feltman

Narrated by: Rachel Feltman

A rollicking, myth-busting history of sex that moves from historical attempts at birth control to Hildegard von Bingen’s treatise on the female orgasm, demystifying plenty of urban legends along the way.

Roman physicians told female patients they should sneeze out as much semen as possible after intercourse to avoid pregnancy. Historical treatments for erectile dysfunction included goat testicle transplants. In this kaleidoscopic compendium of centuries-old erotica, science writer Rachel Feltman shows how much sex has changed—and how much it hasn’t. With unstoppable curiosity, she debunks myths, breaks down stigma, and uses the long, outlandish history of sex to dissect present-day practices and taboos.

Feltman’s mischievous humor dismantles fear and brings scientific literacy to a subject surrounded by misinformation, and indeed, as it gravitates toward the strange, Been There, Done That delivers some sorely needed sex ed. Explorations into age-old questions and bizarre trivia around birth control, aphrodisiacs, STIs, courtship rituals, and more establish that, when it comes to carnal pleasures and procreation, there’s never been a normal, and sex isn’t something to be scared of.

fun read

A fun, funny and open-minded read about sex, history of animals and people, sexuality Kink and queer

Excellent work

Great research and very thorough, informative and realistic. Excellent work could be enticed by anyone

A must read/listen

This book is the pinnacle of entertaining education. Rachel explores everything we ever wanted to know about sex and more in a factual entertaining and amazing way.
You gotta read it.

Must read for everyone!!!

This book was one of the best books i’ve read in a while, and has so many important messages for people of all kinds, and should be a right of passage for adulthood in my opinion. i will definitely be recommending it to everyone, especially because of how funny and interesting she made all of the facts.

p.s. her podcast, the weirdest thing i learned this week, is also fantastic and i highly recommend it

normal is a fluid societal construct

Can't get enough of it and wish it was longer or they had more books to explore!