Perv: The Sexual Deviant In All Of Us

In this illuminating study of sexual “deviance” by renowned psychologist Jesse Bering, the author takes us on a trip through history, personal experience, psychosexual studies and real-life examples in an attempt to bring us closer to one realisation — we are all the eponymous Perv.

Bering invites the reader to interrogate and overcome our natural aversions to empathise with the sexual other in us all, thereby extending a more humane approach to other sexual deviants.

The result is an enjoyable, humanising look at what he calls “erotic outliers”.

Bering’s signature irreverence makes Perv a joy to read, effortlessly enlivening an extensive study with implication and wit.

However, the fleeting discussion of fascinating case studies in Perv: The Sexual Deviant In All Of Us — including a young woman in love with the Eiffel tower in Paris, Bering’s own first lover obsessed with feet and a young man sexually excited by sneezes — feel wholly unexamined.

The book provides an interesting read that goes a long way towards fulfilling a noble goal.