Richard von Krafft-Ebing (1840–1902)

Reading Psychopathia Sexualis is a fascinating experience – the sheer multitude of forms human sexuality can assume is at once wonderful and grotesque. But aside from the obvious entertainment value of such a work, I was moved by an unexpected feeling of profound pity for Krafft-Ebing's unfortunate subjects, inescapably trapped in an age almost completely intolerant of any deviancy from 'normal' heterosexuality. This was undeniably an important work when first published, yet equally show more undeniable is its continuing relevance today – these 'sexual deviants' still exist, shamefully hiding their bizarre fetishes from a more tolerant yet ever-ridiculing society. Although Krafft-Ebing's explanations may now be outdated, his willingness to simply acknowledge and attempt to understand deviant sexual phenomena is laudable. show less

Gorgeous accounts of the long train-wreck of the human soul. The thinking person's "Cops".

Yet another fine example of how humans have long been deviant, that sexual fetish and anything beyond the missionary position for procreation is not a product of modern society. This will help you realize that everything is "normal".

One of the first books based on scientific evidence, which tries to remove the taboos from sexual behaviours and puts into perspective the concept of perversion by explicitly described case studies.