This book is a thoughtful examination of some of societies lesser known/practiced kinks. Slow and scholarly, with some excellent moments of social commentary.

However, I did find it a bit heavy on the anecdotal evidence and light on the psychology behind the discussed kinks. And at times I felt like there was too much fluff/filler material.

For anyone in the BDSM community, this book will resonate. For anyone simply curious to learn more, this book will be an eye opener.

I love reading about different kinks, so this book was pretty much made for me. Horn approaches a(n understandably!) sensitive topic with curiosity and respect, but not without good humor, either. Her candor helps shed light on a lot of wildly misunderstood fetishes, and while things are still filtered through her specific perspectives, the book overall is a good intro to certain BDSM and BDSM-adjacent practices and a worthwhile read!

Very insightful book about various kinks and fetishes. Most of these types of books read like textbooks but this is written in a way that can be easily understood. I appreciate that the author used their own real world experience to make the stories more relatable. It's easy to skip around chapters to read what interests you.

I'm afraid this review is not a positive one. Far from it, actually. And perhaps I'm just not open minded enough for something like this.

My first issue with this book is that the marketing made it seem, to me at least, like it would be a bit heavier on the psychology and the science, but it was too anecdotal and informal for me. Nothing wrong with anecdotes when they're sprinkled in between actual real citations and studies.

After I somewhat got over this problem I found another, which is the messaging. Generally speaking, I'm cool with kinky people. I don't believe in kinkshaming most of the time. However, sometimes it is actually quite necessary.

I really dislike Horn's takes on age play and CNC. In fact I heavily disagree with her lengthy chapter on CNC. It is not the solution to rape culture, it isn't even one of the solutions. When you are role-playing being assaulted in bed, you are sexualizing rape. You are looking at sexual assault through a lense of romanticism.

Same with age play. Because yes, actually, wanting to act like a baby while you're being fucked is pedophilia. I'm sorry. That's just how it is.

The cannibalism chapter was pretty iffy too but at least she's not advocating for like.... genuinely eating people.

All in all I really disliked the writing style, lack of scientific support in her points, and her weird attitude towards harmful kink.

I love books about off-beat and undiscovered subjects, but BDSM was just not for me. I had to stop when I got to the part about how to make perfect bruises. Obviously, not my kink.

This book caught my interest because I frequently ask that question. Tina Horn explains with historical and personally relevant content both for each topic which truly answers why are they into it, with respect for all topics

I'm disappointed.
The title gives "evidence based", but this felt much more "from experience". Those aren't mutually exclusive, sure. But I just can't get over how much this felt like a memoir with some facts vs "a cultural investigation".

About halfway through I noticed I was forcing myself to keep reading.

Tina Horn's honesty is refreshing and really helps shed light on an (annoyingly) taboo subject. So maybe I'm hung up because of the title? This had so much potential.

(Thank you NetGalley & publisher for ALC!)

Absolutely love that this book now exists!! A huge fan of the podcast, I'm really excited to share this with my friends. I know the transition from audio medium to writing a wholeass book can be a lot, but Tina killed it!!

Thank you to Hachette Books for the ARC of Why Are People Into That? A Cultural Investigation of Kink via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Written by Tina Horn and based on her popular podcast, Why Are People Into That?!, this book takes us into the world of kink, sexual preferences, and the Why of what sparks interest, desire and need. Based primarily on Horn’s expansive history and experience, each chapter dives into different kinks to add to the dialogue around them, and bring more understanding and nuance to a busy conversation, easily misunderstood. I came into the book completely unfamiliar with Tina Horn’s history, and learned as much about her as the topics being discussed.

Horn knows what she’s talking about, but in some ways this book was unexpected, relying most on those first-hand anecdotes and personal experiences. It was a welcoming and judgment free space and something different. My first foray into non-fiction was successful. For some, Why Are People Into That? might help them understand parts of themselves they’ve yet to fully explore; for others, it’s a fascinating study of human nature. It won’t be for everyone, but it will be for many, and for those it has a vastly important job: to make people feel less alone, to educate, and above all else, to normalize.

Personal preferences are something that shouldn't require explanations, but this book is perfect for people who don't understand that and insist on knowing why. I found Horn's writing to be clear and easy to understand. I'm guessing somewhere, someone ashamed of their kink can read this and understand that they don't have to explain their kink or be ashamed of it.

*See below for Goodreads review link, posted 5/8/24

3.75✨

Why Are People Into That?: A Cultural Investigation of Kink is actually my first ever nonfiction arc request, so I didn’t have much hope for an approval, but to my surprise I was approved pretty fast, and was excited to check it out!

Author Tina Horn, a former dominatrix, is no stranger to the industry of sex, nor to the medias that seek to encapsulate (and normalize) it; along with other books, Horn produces and hosts a sexuality podcast called Why Are People Into That?!, which in turn serves as the basis to Horn’s latest same name book release.

Why Are People Into That?: A Cultural Investigation of Kink is self-described as “a sex-positive, judgement-free cultural deep-dive into the world of kink” and while most of that is true, I will make a note that the book only covers ~9 areas of kink or sexual preferences, corresponding to chapter, so I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a complete deep dive. You also should consider that much of the content that fills these chapters are coming from the author’s own experiences with or perceiving them, versus a full historical literature study of these areas. Which isn’t a bad thing, necessarily. Horn is an immensely rich resource in this arena, and her perspectives are both comprehensive and interesting, but in terms of nonfiction, it translates into a more memoir or personal essay style of book, versus research-driven documentary.

Each chapter of the book offered different insights, whether from the author’s own experiences, as a participant or viewer, experiences of others, or gleaned from other modern works in this genre, but at its core, Why Are People Into That?: A Cultural Investigation of Kink is an open and free space to explore sex, kink, love, and gender, and how they can all interconnect; whether from a perspective of self-reflection, or simply to gain a better understanding on how people different from you live. Horn is also particularly cognizant of the experiences of women and marginalized communities in these areas.

It took me a few chapters to really get into the flow of reading Why Are People Into That?: A Cultural Investigation of Kink. The first few chapters struggled a bit with maintaining momentum; a topic, like the chapter topic, would be introduced, but instead of getting to the topic, there would be paragraphs of tangent into other somewhat unrelated topics, before moving back into the main discussion. This went on for the first few chapters, so it felt a little less solid structurally as a book; however, Horn seemed to hit her groove after those first few chapters.

There were also numerous instances of editorial mistakes like typos or missing spaces between words, so this could probably use one more good look before official publication.

To end, I would recommend Why Are People Into That?: A Cultural Investigation of Kink to anyone with an interest in learning more about the kink community and all its nuances and facets – Horn is a great, first-hand resource for this – or any reader who likes nonfiction-adjacent type books with a topic that is maybe new to them!

This was great- when telling these stories and doing this type of research I think its absolutely invaluable to have someone with first hand knowledge and community connections and it was a delight to get that perspective in this book.

There's a good mix of history, science, practical application and personal anecdote that felt really balanced and kept me engaged throughout (mostly).

I do think at some points, especially later in the book, there were some things that felt repetitive & dragged a little, but it wasn't enough to put me off too terribly.

The author brings an a wealth of personal professional experience to the book. The book reads as fairly anecdotal and a bit cursory, but you do have an insider take on each kink or fetish being explored. I had a hard time with the style jumps in between pop culture examples, psychological and academic text references, and personal interjections.

Thank you to Hachette Books for an ARC on NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

"At its best, though, BDSM communication is a transformative antechamber that desires pass through on their way to becoming embodied experience."

This book was a unique look through the lens of someone who has been a sex worker and educator with firsthand (no pun intended) experience for years. As someone who, as a teenager, watched Talk Sex With Sue Johanson on television when I couldn't sleep, and who started researching BDSM at probably a bit too young, I found it rather interesting.

I think it would be easy to expect a book being published to be about "palatable" kinks such as bondage or spanking (that is chapter two, however), this one delves deep into some kinks that make me a little uncomfortable, but that I was willing to read because knowledge is power and, of course, if there is consent from all sides, who am I to judge? However, please take note of the chapter titles as it will give you an idea of the basic theme of each chapter and whether or not those are hard passes for you. And although one is listed as cannibalism, she is not advocating eating humans, so please do your research before you go off. I also believe you could easily skip a chapter you couldn't fathom reading without losing anything of value from the book. But do know that just because the chapter title lists a certain item (say, for instance, sploshing), that doesn't mean you're getting a chapter completely and fully about that kink or any kind of "play-by-play" of how to do it. This isn't a how-to manual. This is a thought provoking book that uses specific kinks to explore the minds and try to answer the question: why are people into that?

This book definitely isn't for everyone, and it was a little dry and repetitive at times, but I think if you're interested in sex education, particularly of the kinky variety, it's worth a read.

I loved this book! Such a fun read and thoughtful exploration of kink. The information about the idea of Circlusion really rocked my world and I have incorporated it into my vocabulary immediately. I've already sought out the original essay on the topic and shared it with multiple friends. The cannibalism chapter was such a fun read of "Right?! I've been saying this for years!" in terms of how cannibalistic language has been used to describe (vanilla) desire in mainstream culture for EVER and it's so normalized until it's a kink! I can't wait to add this one to the library collection, and also make my friends read it so we can discuss.

I found this book overall quite interesting and informative. One of the most important aspects, especially regarding it's topic, was it really was judgement free when addressing various kinks that exist. This alone makes it a standout for me. Definitely an interesting read whether you're exploring your own kinks or just curious about something you might have heard about.

This was a revealing (har har) and surprisingly academic (at times) look into kink from a knowledgeable and friendly educator. Tina Horn examines various kinks from the perspective of someone who actively participates within the kink community, and also as a scholar. She strikes a good balance between the two, which made for a good read. The book itself was inclusive, and I appreciated the thoughtful way in which Horn presented concepts, perspectives, and behaviors that some are unaccustomed to even acknowledging or even considering. I didn't feel patronized or talked down to, but welcomed to this exploration.

5 out of 5 stars

Rep: Author is a queer, poly white woman with a background in sex work.

Content warnings: Rape culture; slut-shaming (internal and external); societal misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, fatphobia, and shaming of fetishes; mentions of the impacts of white supremacy, slavery, colonialism, and genocide; cheating; discussions about privilege as a means of oppression; discussions about literal (as opposed to erotic or imagined) cannibalism; bodily fluids; description of a stingray injury. And rather obviously, the entire book is essentially a frank conversation about sex, porn, and BDSM, including mentions of resulting injuries.

I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I do! While I was looking forward to explore the whats and whys of kink, it was an unexpected delight to also learn about so much queer, trans, and sex work history. Tina Horn has an incredibly engaging writing style that feels like catching up with a friend over drinks. Perhaps most admirably, nothing related to sex is off-limits or shamed, including her own sex life. As she notes on one of the first pages, "everyday sex lives can be improved when we talk openly to even our most platonic friends about the hot, the awkward, and the downright weird."

As someone who grew up absolutely doused in purity culture, I feel weird sometimes reading about people who've had more sex than I have -- not because I still hold those beliefs, but because it can make me ruminate on everything I missed out on during my years in the church. But Horn doesn't go about it in brag-y or condescending ways. She focuses instead on sharing her wealth of knowledge, using her experience as a sex worker/educator to help her readers. I love that she takes the time to define each chapter's spotlighted kink rather than assume everyone knows what it is, and to give tips on how it looks in practice. Perhaps even more, I love how she uses studies and logic to tear down the biases people hold regarding some kinks.

This book is a must-read not only for people hoping to dip their toes into the world of kink, but for anyone who loves the social sciences. I learned so much about sex work, fetish culture and communities, queer and trans history, linguistics, the arts, psychology, and even more ways bigots have used pseudoscience to justify oppression. This book made me think about my own biases and made me excited to try things I'd never considered.

**HUGE thank you to Hachette Books for granting me an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!**

This was an interesting book for me. There were parts of it I really enjoyed, mainly because they answer the question stated in the title. The book seemed to ramble and didn’t stay on topic. The extra fluff added seemed to just be the author’s opinion on different sexual kinks and it did not add any additional insight. Maybe a 1/3 of this book was actually something I learned, answering the question as to why I picked up the book, the rest I could have done without. I found this rather unfortunate because I hopped this would have been an enlightening book to add to my library’s collection.

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion as a librarian.

This was such an interesting book, and I loved reading about the author's analysis of the origin of different kinks and other types of sexual deviance.