In Masters of Sex, critically acclaimed biographer Thomas Maier offers an unprecedented look at Masters and Johnson, their pioneering studies of intimacy, and their lasting impact on the love lives of today's men and women.Masters and Johnson began their secret studies in a small Midwest laboratory working with prostitutes and volunteers who performed more than 10,000 sexual acts in the name of science. They soon became the top experts on sex for more than 40 years, explaining the untold mysteries of orgasm, emotional fulfillment, and sexual dysfunction to millions of Americans. Thousands of patients relied on their highly successful sex therapy, from politicians and Hollywood stars with marital problems to gay men and women seeking "conversion" to heterosexuality. Masters and Johnson were America's ideal couple, but they divorced after 20 years amid a clash of ambitions, betrayal, and jealousies.
Theirs is a classic tale of love, work, and fame against the backdrop of an American sexual revolution which they inspired. Weaving interviews with the notoriously private William Masters and the ambitious Virginia Johnson, who championed the power of female sexuality during her own quest for true love, Maier offers a titillating portrait of the legendary team.
Entertaining, revealing, and beautifully told, the groundbreaking Masters of Sex sheds light on the eternal mysteries of desire, intimacy, and the American psyche.