
audiobook
by James Thurber, E. B. (Elwyn Brooks) White
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
IS SEX NECESSARY? OR WHY YOU FEEL THE WAY YOU DO
FOREWORD
PREFACE
CHAPTER I The Nature of the American Male: A Study of Pedestalism
CHAPTER II How to Tell Love from Passion
CHAPTER III A Discussion of Feminine Types
CHAPTER IV The Sexual Revolution: Being a Rather Complete Survey of the Entire Sexual Scene
CHAPTER V The Lilies-and-Bluebird Delusion
CHAPTER VI What Should Children Tell Parents?
A witty, slightly mischievous guide takes a step back from the flood of earnest manuals that have turned sex into a laboratory experiment. By poking fun at the way society has turned a natural impulse into a maze of theories, the authors point out how often the “science” of love is more about style than substance. Their opening observations compare the era’s fixation on flying with an equally inflated obsession with sexual expertise, setting a playful tone for the whole journey.
The narrative drifts through anecdotes, tongue‑in‑cheek sketches, and gentle ribbing of the experts who claim to have cracked the human heart. Listeners will hear the authors ask the same question they ask everyone else: why do we feel the way we do, and why do we complicate something so simple? The result is a light‑hearted, thoughtful listening experience that invites you to laugh while you consider the cultural quirks that still shape our ideas about intimacy.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (162K characters)
Release date
Feb 7, 2026
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1894–1961
A master of American humor, he turned everyday confusion, family chaos, and private daydreams into stories and cartoons that still feel sharp and human. Best known for his work in The New Yorker and for "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," he wrote with wit, warmth, and a sly sense of the absurd.
View all books
1899–1985
Best known for Charlotte's Web, this warm, clear-voiced American writer also helped shape modern nonfiction with essays that felt both thoughtful and wonderfully down-to-earth. His work moved easily between children’s stories, humor, and advice on writing that still speaks to readers today.
View all books
by Royall Tyler

by Abraham Cahan

by Abraham Cahan

by Pauline E. (Pauline Elizabeth) Hopkins

by William Wells Brown

by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

by Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth