xiii, 278 pages : 23 cm

In the 1970s a group of pioneering feminist entrepreneurs boldly reimagined who sex shops were for and the kinds of spaces they could be. They opened sex-toy stores not just as commercial enterprises, but to provide educational and community resources as well. Comella tells the fascinating history of how these stores raised sexual consciousness, redefined the adult industry, and changed women's lives

Includes bibliographical references and index

Introduction: The making of a market -- The business of masturbation -- Out of the therapist's office, into the vibrator shop -- Living the mission -- Repackaging sex -- The politics of products -- Sexperts and sex talk -- Selling identity -- Profitability and social change -- Conclusion: Grow or die? -- Appendix: Studying sexual culture and commerce

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