Book Reviewed: Harlots, Whores & Hackabouts: A History of Sex for Sale by Kate Lister

The journey of a harlot: An historical perception of the sex trade The joy of sex is always an interesting topic to read, and so is the investigation of the sex industry. This industry is generally linked with poverty and coercion of sex-workers. But the illustrations, pictures, and art works that packs this book looks more like a book of pornography that is intended to bring more men to read this book for fun and enjoyment. Much of the illustrative artwork are from the Wellcome Collection, a free museum and library exploring human experience, and each image in this book is printed on thick photographic papers. A scratchy fresco of the god Priapus weighing his own manhood gets one full page, and so is an illustration of a Norwegian heroine waiting for a gynecological screening, and the high platform shoes of Venetian sex workers. This questions the intention of the author. Is she exploiting the sex-workers story for a fast sale of her book, or she is examining the historical facts to come to a reasonable conclusion? The sex-workers profession existed in many cultures in numerous forms and served many different purposes in history. The archives of photographs here do not offer wisdom to the contemporary debates about sexuality and the empowerment of women. The front cover page is a good example to discuss. This is a picture of a woman from the wild west entertaining a gentleman. The ladies of the saloon played an important role in the social scene of the Old West. They were exotic, alluring, pleasant, and helped to create a friendly atmosphere of entertainment and relaxation. Despite the challenges they faced and the negative stereotypes that surrounded them, many saloon girls were able to earn a respectable living and make a place for themselves in a rapidly changing and often dangerous period. Many of them worked for the saloon-owner and helped their employer to promote the saloon business. Most customers who were hard working cowboys liked to enjoy a drink, a conversation and the company of a beautiful lady, and even play a game of pool or poker. Sex for cash was not a pre-requisite in this relationship. In contemporary terms, saloon ladies and dancehall girls are marketing specialists who worked for their employers and helped them in promoting the saloon business. Ambapali (also known as Amrapali) was a courtesan and dancer who lived during the 6th century BCE, at the same time as Buddha, in ancient India. She grew up to be so beautiful and intelligent that princes vied with each other for her hand in marriage. Instead of marrying, she becomes a courtesan and begins to entertain wealthy and influential men in the city of Vaishali. After meeting Buddha and learning his teachings, she becomes one of his devoted followers, and through spiritual practice, becomes an important nun in his order. She finds Buddha’s teachings very spiritual and uplifting since suffering in life follows from all forms of desire, such as for wealth, prosperity, physical appearance, etc. She set herself to free her mind through the direct observation of impermanence. Her insight into impermanence leads to complete liberation of the mind. She wrote several poems, like many other Buddhist nuns (called Bhikkhunis) of her time, that reflect on lives of these women, their former lives, their suffering, their happiness, what they left behind, and the peace they have found in their new lives as nuns. These poems are called “Therīgāthā” in Buddhism. They question their established beliefs, and reflect on their practices, life’s rituals and traditions that dictated them. Therīgāthā has an important dimension to contemporary issues that inspire women and spiritual seekers. The story of Mary Magdalene is another good example, a sex worker in ancient Israel meets Jesus and deeply influenced by his teachings, emerges as one of his closest disciples as illustrated by her gospel about Jesus’s teachings. In fact, she was instructed by him to lead his ministry after his departure. But the copies of her gospels would be destroyed in the third century by the church leaders since it does not agree with the teachings of the four canonized gospels of New Testament, until a copy was discovered in late nineteenth century. These are the fascinating stories of ancient sex-workers who found wisdom and peace in their lives. These are the stories that would be empowering to women.

Book Reviewed: Windows 11 for Seniors in easy steps by Michael Price and Nick Vandome

This book is absolutely for beginners Numerous books are available about the use of Windows 11 with laptops, and this edition offers some useful tips for Windows 11 operating system. I found this book in my local public library, and it is fun to read and learn some basic features. This is for absolute beginners and most things given in this book are very basic operations such as familiarizing with desktop, personalizing your system, browsing the web, classic applications of Microsoft Office; Word, Excel, Outlook, Email, edit photos, and play music. MS applications have become easy to learn by yourself and most questions are answered within the Microsoft system when you are using an application such as web browsing or using a Word document. The photo apps and Windows Media Player were of some use to me when I was trying to rip music from my music CD to my Media Player on the laptop. I suggest you check your local library before you purchase books of this type because they may be available for borrowing.

Book Reviewed: The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: A Memoir by Paul Newman

Paul This book is based on screenwriter Stewart Stern’s conversation with Paul Newman over six years starting in 1986. Newman was in his sixties, and he wanted to tell his stories, set the record straight, and poke holes in the mythology that's sprung around him. Stern was a family friend who knew about confidential things about Newman’s family. He is known for his screenplay “Rebel Without a Cause,” and also wrote screenplays for several projects of Newman and Woodward. Srewart Stern once asked Joanne Woodward who knows Paul Newman well, and her response was his daughters. The most interesting part of the book is his daughters reflecting on a Hollywood legend who was their father and best friend. It is wonderful to know how much he cared for them, and they have fond memories of him. Newman saw philanthropy as his greatest legacy. With the success of his charitable food company, he launched the “Hole in the Wall Gang Camp,” where kids could escape the fear and isolation of their illness. Later he created the “Serious Fun Children's Network.” In 2005, at eighty, he engaged in another important issue: water. Building on a lifelong commitment to environmental issues, he cofounded the “Safe Water Network.” He led the life of a legend, and he was not only a jack of all trades but in many cases a master of all trades. He was an award-winning actor and a successful racing car driver. Paul Newman wanted another great script to make a movie with Robert Redford, but they could never find a good project to follow box office hits like “The Sting” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” His daughters recall that was a big disappointment to both Newman and Redford. This memoir does not make a good read, and Stern is not illuminating as an author of a book. The conversation pops in and out taking away the interesting facts about Newman. I have read good books about Paul Newman, and this is not one of them.

Book Reviewed: Mean...Moody...Magnificent! Jane Russell and the Marketing of a Hollywood Legend by Christina Rice

Grit and glamor Jane Russell was given a huge break in Hollywood by the eccentric multimillionaire Howard Hughes to co-star in his big-screen production, The Outlaw, a retelling of the legend of outlaw Billy the Kid. The movie was a huge flop, but her career did not end there. Hughes tried to manipulate her career, took advantage of her physical beauty, and forced it upon her. She fought him off and still managed to become a successful brunette in Hollywood. One unique feature of Jane Russell is that in direct contrast to her many smoldering on-screen portrayals, she was a woman of deep religious faith. she proudly and publicly heralded her devotion to the Bible. But she had no trouble managing that contradiction because a successful career in Hollywood enabled her to advocate for something she cared deeply about, the faith and the welfare of orphaned kids. She endured the harrowing pain after her abortion which left deep wounds in her mind and heart. She opened up about this trauma that haunted her entire life. Jane Russel had demons in her life. Her first marriage to professional football player Bob Waterfield was a disaster. It was a pairing rooted largely in animal magnetism, it was fraught with friction, frustration, and physical abuse. She was forthcoming about domestic violence as it happened. Despite many setbacks, she continued to make television appearances, including some on the Trinity Broadcasting Network of TBN Ministries. She identified herself as a Republican, and her beliefs moved further to the right as she got older. In 2003 she did an interview in which she said, “These days I’m a teetotaling, mean-spirited, Rightwing, narrow-minded, conservative, Christian bigot but not a racist.” This book is read effortlessly, it is interesting to note that her life was contrasting to that of Marilyn Monroe, her friend, co-star, and confidante. Incidentally, Howard Hughes played the same tricks with both of them in his sexual exploitation of women who were casted in his movies. If Hughes was alive today, he would have faced numerous lawsuits and possibly criminal charges from women he harassed.

Book Reviewed: Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon by Kate Andersen Brower.

An enduring legacy of Liz Taylor Numerous books are written about Elizabeth Taylor, and so much was published in the media and supermarket tabloids during her days. Is this any different from others? Perhaps not, the author researched numerous unpublished letters, personal diaries, interview transcripts, and had conversations with family members and friends. It took a decade after Taylor’s death in 2011, her family members felt comfortable to trust a journalist. They spent Elizabeth's entire life protecting her from the rabid press to revel in her heartache after eight failed marriages, her weight gain after binges, and her trips to rehab as she battled her demons. The author recalls a conversation with Senator John Warner of Virginia, one of Taylor’s husbands, explained to the author why he loved his wife. She was the first major star to use her fame to change the course of history through her bold and defiant HIV and AIDS activism. She chaired AIDS Project Los Angeles's Commitment to Life fundraiser which was the first major celebrity AIDS fundraiser in the world. Many of her closest friends were gay men, including Rock Hudson, Montgomery Clift, James Dean, and Roddy McDowall. They were a source of friendship and love in her life. She also became an active supporter of Israel and Jewish causes. In 1964, she joined prominent civil rights activists at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's "Freedom TV Spectacular." The nationally televised event commemorated the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision to outlaw the segregation of schools. Death affected for the rest of her life; pneumonia, a broken foot, a twisted colon, three ruptured spinal discs, acute bronchitis, chemical thrombosis, phlebitis, sciatica, a tracheotomy, and three C-sections. She was married eight times to seven men, converted to Judaism, led a fast lifestyle, including the collection of the most expensive jewelry in the world. She was excessively late, always arriving hours after she was supposed to, even to her own funeral. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton honeymooned in Beverly Hills Hotel in California, and as legend has it, their standing room-service order included two bottles of vodka with breakfast, and another two bottles with lunch. By the evening, the room is strewn with alcohol, food and with furniture in disarray. Across interpretative frames, in the current political and social landscapes, Elizabeth Taylor was privileged to the possibilities open to postcolonial whites for mobility, pleasure, social and political agency without the burdens of race. Richard Burton once stated, "They say we generate more business activity than one of the smaller African nations.”