Product Description

Gene Simmons mega-rock star, businessman, marketing genius and self-proclaimed free spirit follows up his best-selling books Kiss And Make-Up and Sex, Money, Kiss with Ladies of the Night, an examination of the history of prostitution.
Simmons makes the case that men have been stepping out on women since the beginning of time, and that the practice is not about to stop. For that reason alone, Simmons argues that prostitution should be legalized. He argues that prostitution is a victimless crime that could be made safe and become a large source of tax revenues. Simmons, who has never used a lady of the night, believes no one should have to pay for sex, whether it is through prostitutes or marriage.
Regardless of where you stand on the issue, Simmons' book is an arresting, informative, humorous and outrageous exploration of the world's oldest profession, drawing on human nature, history, science and public policy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #615666 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Simmons, the fire-breathing leader of rock icon Kiss—who once bragged that he had bedded more than a thousand women—delivers an entertaining if sometimes simplistic short overview of prostitution. Simmons (Kiss and Make-up) manages to work into his narrative both the Greek philosopher Diogenes and Nevada's Moonlight Bunny Ranch brothel. Other than the occasional sex joke, Simmons is serious about giving his subject its historical due, stating upfront, I am not here to judge women's personal choices or how they choose to empower themselves. The book doesn't cover what Simmons admits is the dark side of prostitution, focusing primarily on one of his favorite issues: money. Since throughout history, women have never had access to power, Simmons argues that prostitution has been a way for women to monetize the only thing that women have ever owned. Using numerous famous illustrations (e.g., William Hogarth's 18th-century painting A Harlot's Progress), Simmons and coauthor McCarron support this argument by adroitly exploring a range of topics: Sumerian goddess of sexuality Ishtar; the adulterous jara and jatini of ancient India; legal prostitution in Amsterdam's toleration zones; and Theodora, wife of Roman emperor Justinian, who Simmons considers the very first prostitution reformer. All this from the man who once wrote a song on the Kiss album Love Gun titled Got Love for Sale. (July)
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Review
PW REVIEW Ladies of the Night: A Historical and Personal Perspective on the Oldest Profession in the World
Simmons, the fire-breathing leader of rock icon Kiss who once bragged that he had bedded more than a thousand women delivers an entertaining if sometimes simplistic short overview of prostitution. Simmons (Kiss and Make-up) manages to work into his narrative both the Greek philosopher Diogenes and Nevada's Moonlight Bunny Ranch brothel. Other than the occasional sex joke, Simmons is serious about giving his subject its historical due, stating upfront, I am not here to judge women's personal choices or how they choose to empower themselves. The book doesn't cover what Simmons admits is the dark side of prostitution, focusing primarily on one of his favorite issues: money. Since throughout history, women have never had access to power, Simmons argues that prostitution has been a way for women to monetize the only thing that women have ever owned. Using numerous famous illustrations (e.g., William Hogarth's 18th-century painting A Harlot's Progress), Simmons and coauthor McCarron support this argument by adroitly exploring a range of topics: Sumerian goddess of sexuality Ishtar; the adulterous jara and jatini of ancient India; legal prostitution in Amsterdam's toleration zones; and Theodora, wife of Roman emperor Justinian, who Simmons considers the very first prostitution reformer. All this from the man who once wrote a song on the Kiss album Love Gun titled Got Love for Sale. --Publishers Weekly

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Customer Reviews

Don't Kiss This Off!
A fun, amusing read with solid scholarly underpinnings that should further galvanize the growing movement to legalize prostitution. Anyone who stands against the exploitation of women must know that removing the fear of criminal prosecution will empower women who wish to earn a living by renting their bodies for sexual recreation, wipe out human-trafficking rings and vicious pimps who clog our criminal justice system -- and add billions of dollars to our national coffers. What this country needs in every neighborhood is an old-fashioned, well-run whorehouse -- the kind with a guy playing piano in the parlor -- and Gene Simmons has made his case with this fascinating potpourri of social history and SEX!

What will Gene come up with next to make money?
Another literary classic from a greedy, egomaniac, over-the-hill rocker, that will never be happy until he's taken every last penny from KISS fans around the world. Simmons argues that prostitution has been a way for women to "monetize" the "only thing that women have ever owned." His book makes prostitution seem glamorous, without bringing up any of the dark side of it. As usual, the only part of it he really relates to is the money.

ENJOYABLE READ
This book is a very easy, fast read. Since it's clear that Gene and his co-author (Julie McCarron) had done their homework, I wish they had included their sources, because I'd love to be able to cite some of the information that was included. Since they chose to omit references, that leaves it an entertaining book, but unfortunately not one that can be used credibly in serious discussions on the topic.

I understand that he wrote this to reach the widest audience possible, but I think it could have easily been written at higher than a third-grade reading level: as most people have graduated high school these days, if not attended at least some college.

Overall, this is still a very beautifully-produced and enjoyable book.