The Dangerous Joy of Dr. Sex and Other True Stories [Paperback]

What do Dr. Alex Comfort, author of The Joy of Sex, Amy Smith, director of the International Development Initiative at MIT, and Dr. Gordon Sato, former resident of the Manzanar interment camp in California, all have in common? They, along with the other 9 people profiled in this book, are modern-day pioneers, attempting in their own unique ways to "reinvent this country (and others) as a kinder, sexier, smarter, funnier, or more compassionate place." And as the subjects of Pagan Kennedy's essays, they are all fascinating.

Pagan Kennedy is the writer we all want to write our biography. She has an incredible way of figuring out what makes each person interesting while still allowing that person to tell their own story. None of her subjects are perfect, but she is so obvious in her compassion for them that we can't help but feel it too. I would love to see several of the chapters expanded into books themselves, because Kennedy has infected me with the desire to know these people and their lives.

As an additional treat, the last 3 chapters are personal essays about her own life. Kennedy's writing truly shines in these stories, as she discusses alternative family arrangements, shares a vacation story, and allows us a glimpse of her own family and their quirks. Again, I was left wanting even more. It is always a treat to discover a new author who you can't wait to read again, and Pagan Kennedy certainly falls into that category for me.

If I could describe this book in one phrase, it would be this: Touchingly candid. Whether writing about her own life or those of the odd and eccentric, Kennedy recounts her stories with loving detail and wonder. The people she writes about are truly people to ponder and marvel at. She deals with them all with a level of respect normally not afforded to these quirky trendsetters. Throughout their stories, she captures their brilliance, strength and mostly their humanness.

Among some of these unusual people are the quiet scientist and doctor Alex Comfort, who created a facet of the modern sexual movement by authoring the book The Joy of Sex. An older, shy man, Comfort reinvents himself as a sexual guru who reclassifies sex as a freedom of expression and who even bases the models in the book upon himself and his partner. She chronicles unknown scientists whose inventions just may relieve the economic pressures of third world countries, and sheds light on the brain bank, an organization at Harvard College that studies donor brains in an effort to understand the organic causes of mental illness. She explores people who are scouting new fuel sources and a man who realizes that children are the scientific future and creates an educational fun house for them. We meet one of the strongest women in the world, and a parrot named Alex with an attitude. Even more revealing are her personal essays, touching on topics of scary vacationing encounters and relationships that defy conventional thinking. Kennedy explores all these subjects with venerable compassion and an infectious marvel that highlights the importance of these people's advancements and uniqueness.

I tore through this book, wondering what and who was coming next, and enjoying the exposure to people who would have otherwise been unknown to me. The subjects in this book are fascinating and complex, inspired to make the world sit up and take notice of the unmentionable and unpopular. Some of the stories have hidden glimpses of humor, and some are laugh out loud funny. I particularly enjoyed the story of Vermin Supreme, a quirky and sometimes offensive activist who travels to rallies and protests with a boot strapped to his head, releasing the crowd's tension with his absurdities. The story of the Mystic mechanic, a man who wants all religions to embrace each other and has built a machine to be closer to God, was just as curious as it was humbling.

All in all, this book of stories was refreshingly peculiar and winning. It sparked a part of my interest that I didn't know was there, and made me think about the extraordinary people who are lurking behind their everyday facade. Kennedy's graceful style in addressing these compelling people made this book an admirable read. Highly recommended for those who would like an unusual experience.

This collection of mostly magazine profiles stands up through the transition into a book -- which is saying something. Pagan Kennedy has a good eye and a good ear, and an obvious affinity to creative oddballs who are mostly trying to improve the human condition, whether it's through bringing easier ways to grow and produce food to Third World countries or trying to get the inhibited English and Americans to embrace open marriages and group sex. At times she even ventures into participatory journalism, as when she volunteers to try transcranial direct current stimulation -- with a device she characterizes as "the Ronco Brain-O-Matic of the research world." I liked a lot of these pieces; my favorite might have been a profile of a political activist/jokester who changed his legal name to Vermin Supreme. In a few sentences she captures his character and a lot more besides. "He didn't have answers about his own motives," Kennedy writes. "He didn't seem to know what made him tick. In that way, too, he reminded me of a career politician. His own inner life bores him. He's interested only in his public self."

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