Why does drinking alcohol increase a woman's sexual desire but reduce a man's ability to perform? Why is the glans not the most sensitive part of the penis? Why is sperm sticky? Can a penis break off? What about all the diseases that torment the hypochondriac? Since 1983 Mels van Driel has come into direct contact with 'tens of thousands of penises and testicles' in his medical practice. He knows his subject intimately. "Manhood" examines the male sexual organ from medical, psychological and cultural-historical, as well as literary, angles. Van Driel admits that over the years his professional work has produced an 'uneasy balance' between these different viewpoints, which is precisely what prompted him to write this book. Van Driel investigates the penis and its functions, from the scrotum to the glans, from inguinal hernia to infertility, from impotence to the speed of ejaculation. Every man seems to suffer in seeming isolation from some inadequacy or affliction, and the author discusses conditions such as deteriorating sperm, undescended testicles and penile lengthening surgery. Psychological factors that have an impact on sexual experience (wandering thoughts, the madonna-whore complex, castration anxiety) and contemporary phenomena, such as computer sex, are given enlightening treatment along the way. With good humor and a lot of insight, Mels van Driel offers diverse and instructive examples - Elvis Presley's apparent preference for fellatio, Isaac Newton's lifelong failure to perform coitus - exploring all aspects of the pain and the pleasure of every man's 'crown jewels'.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)