For fans of Mating in Captivity and Come as You Are, this bold and relatable book redefines fetishes for the 21st century, taking readers on an eye-opening journey through the full spectrum of human desire, offering tools to help individuals understand their longings, overcome shame, and celebrate their authentic self.
Resources for folks with unique desires are scarce and often reinforce the debunked notion that fetishes are best suppressed or kept secret. Sex educator Niki Davis-Fainbloom is here to change the cultural narrative by tackling these tired stereotypes with fascinating stories and new research aimed at understanding a constellation of unconventional desires. You'll learn from a woman whose love of bicycles shaped her romantic life, a man aroused by being wrapped in carpet and stepped on, and many more compelling characters.
FETISH is the first book of its kind, providing practical tools to help individuals understand the biological, cultural, and psychological underpinnings of their unique desires, overcome shame and fear, and navigate modern intimacy and relationships with confidence.
With years of experience as a researcher and sexuality counselor focused on fetishes, Davis-Fainbloom offers a personal, candid, compassionate, and evidence-based exploration of what it means to have a fetish. Within these pages you’ll learn:
● How culture, media, and society shape our desires
● Why fetishes develop (spoiler: it’s not just childhood trauma)
● How they impact romantic relationships and intimacy
● Practical guidance for overcoming shame and building self-acceptance
● How AI and digital exploration of desire are reshaping our brains and our desires
Readers with a fetish will finish the book with a fresh set of strategies for living full, beautiful lives, while readers without a fetish will find themselves surprised and amused at the enormity of human sexual diversity—equipped to be caring partners and strong allies to folks with all types of desires.