'The Last Taboo' argues that body hair plays a central role in constructing masculinity and femininity and sexual and cultural identities. It asks how and why any particular issue can become defined as 'self-evidently' too silly or too mad to write about.

Simran likes Tyrone from the moment she spots him in the crowd. He's gorgeous and he won't take no for an answer. There's just one problem. . . Tyrone is black and Simran's not sure how her family will react. Even though her parents were a 'love match' and married each other against the wishes of their families, Simran doesn't think they will approve of her having a black boyfriend, and her nightmare uncles and aunts certainly won't. Like her cousin Ruby says, it's the last taboo. But Simran likes Tyrone too much to walk away, so they face the problems their relationship causes together. But it becomes harder than either of them predicted and when the hatred they encounter escalates into violence, with families and friends turning against each other, Simran and Tyrone are forced to question whether they are strong enough to fight for what they believe in.

Except in schoolboy jokes, the subject of human waste is rarely aired. We talk aboutwater-related diseases when most are sanitation-related - in short, we don‘t mention the shit. A century and a half ago, a long, hot summer reduced the Thames flowing past the UK Houses of Parliament to aGreat Stink thereby inducing MPs to legislate sanitary reform. Today, another sanitary reformation is needed, one that manages to spread cheaper and simpler systems to people everywhere. In the byways of the developing world, much is quietly happening on the excretory frontier. In 2008, the International Year of Sanitation, the authors bring this awkward subject to a wider audience than the world of international filth usually commands. They seek the elimination of theGreat Distaste so that people without political clout or economic muscle can claim their right to a dignified and hygienic place togo. Published with UNICEF

At any given time, three million Canadians are living with some kind of mental illness. But despite its prevalence, the public and even some health practitioners are badly misinformed about its causes and treatment. This book is an essential road map to hope and recovery. It tells the reader where to get help and what pitfalls to avoid. It defines the most common forms of mental illness, discusses the advantages and drawbacks of medication, and tackles the ultimate taboo of suicide. It offers coping strategies for consumers, family members, friends, and employers, and demonstrates how they can all contribute to the recovery of a person with a mental illness. Medication and psychotherapy only go so far – housing, meaningful activity, and friendships are as crucial to recovery as any drug. In The Last Taboo, Scott Simmie recounts his own battle with a serious mental disorder, and his partner, Julia Nunes, provides a care-giver and supporter’s perspective on living with a mentally ill loved-one. Throughout they include the real stories of other Canadians, who give their own perspectives on the successes and failures of the health care system. • In any given year, one in five Canadians will experience symptoms of mental disorder • The Last Taboo provides sympathetic advice and practical information on: the causes of mental disorder/mood disorders, including depression and bipolar affective disorder / anxiety disorders / substance abuse / eating disorders / personality disorders / schizophrenia / where to go for help / giving help / medication / psychotherapy / alternative medicine / stigma / suicide • Includes Appendix, Glossary, Useful Books, and Useful Websites

In a time when almost any gritty topic can be featured in a young adult novel, there is one subject that is avoided by writers and publishers. Faith and belief in God seldom appear in traditional form in novels for teens. The lack of such ideas in mainstream adolescent literature can be interpreted by teens to mean that these matters are not important. Yet a significant part of growing up is struggling with issues of spirituality. The underlying problem, of course, is that there are so few writers who are willing to talk to teenagers about God, even indirectly, or who themselves have the religious literacy for the task. Spirituality in Young Adult Literature: The Last Taboo tackles a subject rarely portrayed in fiction aimed at teens. In this volume, Patty Campbell examines not only realistic fiction, but young adult literature that deals with mysticism, apocalyptical end times, and even YA novels that depict the Divine Encounter. Campbell maintains that fantasy works are inherently spiritual, because the plots nearly always progress toward a showdown between good and evil. As such, the author surmises that the popularity of fantasy among teens may represent their interest in the mystical dimensions of faith and the otherworldly. In this study, Campbell examines works of fiction that express perspectives from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism. Distinguished YA novelist Chris Crowe provides a chapter on Mormon values and Mormon YA authors and how their novels integrate those values into their books. By looking at how spirituality is represented in novels aimed at teens, this book asks what progress, if any, has been made in slaying the taboo. Although most of the books discussed in this study are recent, an appendix lists YA books from 1967 to the present that have dealt with issues of faith. A timely look at an important subject, Spirituality in Young Adult Literature will be of interest to young adult librarians, junior and senior high school teachers, and students and instructors of college courses in adolescent literature, as well as to parents of teens.

This candid memoir traces a life-long path of erotic indulgence that brought the author to the brink of disaster. From his abuse as a child by perverted adults, to his early sexual indoctrination, to his secret adult sex life, you will see a young man influenced by pornographic material through decades until his addition led him to a life of crime. Seeking to tell his side of the story following his arrest and conviction in 2010 for the distribution of child pornography, Tom shares his deeply personal and tragic account of events in this first-of-its-kind autobiography.In an effort to shed light on his addictions to drugs and pornography, he openly discusses his federal crime and the punishment he received. Citing several scholarly books and reports, Tom explains the federal child pornography laws and how they are stricter than state laws are and how major figures in Washington want to see changes for more fair and equitable punishments.With complete candor, Tom talks about his lost friendships due to this crime, the other sex offenders he has met in prison, and the overall incarceration experience. He also discusses the plight of child porn victims and offers advice to parents on keeping their children safe on the internet. In addition, Tom shares the desperate moments that brought him to the Light of God and how the Holy Spirit helped turn his life around.The Last Taboo raises questions that aren't easily answered regarding pornography in America, addiction, and the federal justice system. Regardless of your personal opinion of these topics, this is one book that will have you thinking about the subject long after reading the last page.

'Warm, generous and genuinely useful' - Lynn Enright, author of Vagina: A re-education 'No better person to finally illuminate this last taboo than Luce Brett' - Milli Hill, author of The Positive Birth Book 'A breath of fresh air' - Anna Williamson, presenter, broadcaster and bestselling author of Breaking Mad 'If you have a bladder you should read this. If you work with people with bladders you should definitely read this' - Elaine Miller, Pelvic health physiotherapist and stand-up comedian 'A feminist roar of a health memoir ... a stigma-busting, generous, funny, moving book about an important subject' - David Nicholls, author of One Day ---- When Luce Brett became incontinent at the age of 30, after the birth of her first son, she felt her life had ended. She also felt scared, upset, embarrassed, dirty and shocked. How the hell had she ended up there, the youngest woman in the waiting room at the incontinence clinic? PMSL is her story. A heartfelt, moving and deeply personal account of the decade that followed, told with incredible honesty and wit. Luce has been at the sharp end of a medical issue that affects 1 in 3 women but that remains shrouded in taboo and social stigma. It's sincere, raw and funny - but crucially it is the first memoir to look at incontinence, smashing the stigma and looking at what anyone affected can do to navigate their way through the wet-knickered wilderness.

Author challenges the position of English law that does nothing to recognize the existence of men as victims of rape. He argues across the whole spectrum of abuse cases, identifying possible causes and re-evaluating the threat as a problem for all to face, whatever sex.

A groundbreaking exposé and diagnosis of the silent epidemic of fear afflicting new mothers, and a candid, feminist deep dive into the culture, science, history, and psychology of contemporary motherhood Anxiety among mothers is a growing but largely unrecognized crisis. In the transition to mother­hood and the years that follow, countless women suffer from overwhelming feelings of fear, grief, and obsession that do not fit neatly within the outmoded category of “postpartum depression.” These women soon discover that there is precious little support or time for their care, even as expectations about what mothers should do and be continue to rise. Many struggle to distinguish normal worry from crippling madness in a culture in which their anxiety is often ignored, normalized, or, most dangerously, seen as taboo. Drawing on extensive research, numerous interviews, and the raw particulars of her own experience with anxiety, writer and mother Sarah Menkedick gives us a comprehensive examination of the biology, psychology, history, and societal conditions surrounding the crushing and life-limiting fear that has become the norm for so many. Woven into the stories of women’s lives is an examination of the factors—such as the changing structure of the maternal brain, the ethically problematic ways risk is construed during pregnancy, and the marginalization of motherhood as an identity—that explore how motherhood came to be an experience so dominated by anxiety, and how mothers might reclaim it. Writing with profound empathy, visceral honesty, and deep understanding, Menkedick makes clear how critically we need to expand our awareness of, compassion for, and care for women’s lives.