Mating in Captivity

One of the world's most respected voices on erotic intelligence, Esther Perel offers a bold, provocative new take on intimacy and sex. "Mating in Captivity" invites us to explore the paradoxical union of domesticity and sexual desire, and explains what it takes to bring lust home.

Drawing on more than twenty years of experience as a couples therapist, Perel examines the complexities of sustaining desire. Through case studies and lively discussion, Perel demonstrates how more exciting, playful, and even poetic sex is possible in long-term relationships. Wise, witty, and as revelatory as it is straightforward, "Mating in Captivity" is a sensational book that will transform the way you live and love.

“"Well argued points written with considerable eloquence."”

"As revelatory as it is straightforward...nicely accessible...[Perel] offers the estranged modern couple a unique richness of experience." -- Publishers Weekly

"Perel tells us why intimacy can feel imprisoning and how we can embrace the erotic--without leaving home. Her writing is fresh and provocative, in a class by itself." -- Janis Abrahms Spring, Ph.D., author of After the Affair: Healing the Pain and Rebuilding Trust When a Partner Has Been Unfaithful

"Her advice is refreshingly counterintuitive." -- Salon.com

"Mating in Captivity takes a hard line against one of the most time-honored institutions in human history: the sexless marriage...It reads like a cross between the works of Jacques Lacan and French Women Don't Get Fat." -- The New Yorker

"Mating in Captivity...articulates a poignant and unacknowledged modern crisis for the first time." -- The Evening Standard (London)

"An elegant sociological study, complete with erudite literary and anthropological references." -- Daily Telegraph (London)

"An academic perspective on the deterioration of sex in relationships...Perel offers insightful, progressive theories on how to put the play back into partnerships." -- Daily Record & Sunday Mail

"A charming blend of wit and wisdom...this book will give you a fresh perspective on long-term love." -- Gold Coast Bulletin (Australia)

-- Jerusalem Post

"This is a brave book...refreshing." -- The Times Higher Education Supplement

"So honest it hurts." -- Irish Times

"An excellent book, full of provocative prose and entertaining case illustrations." -- Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy

Esther Perel is a couples and family therapist with a private practice in New York City. She is on the faculty of the International Trauma Studies program at Columbia University, is a member of the American Family Therapy Academy, and has appeared on many television programs, including "The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Day New York, CBS This Morning, " and HBO's "Women Aloud". She lives in New York City with her husband and two children.

One of the world's most respected voices on erotic intelligence, Esther Perel offers a bold, provocative new take on intimacy and sex. Mating in Captivity invites us to explore the paradoxical union of domesticity and sexual desire, and explains what it takes to bring lust home. Drawing on more than twenty years of experience as a couples therapist, Perel examines the complexities of sustaining desire. Through case studies and lively discussion, Perel demonstrates how more exciting, playful, and even poetic sex is possible in long-term relationships. Wise, witty, and as revelatory as it is straightforward, Mating in Captivity is a sensational book that will transform the way you live and love.

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