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9780313329685

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<p> Courtesans, strumpets, harlots, hookers; the colorful vocabulary of the world's oldest profession hasn't garnered the academic treatment accorded lesser subjects-until now. This informative two-volume collection of essays, edited by Ditmore, forms a broad view of prostitution around the world but particularly in the United States. Historical details are abundant, ranging from first-person accounts to entries on ancient Greece, the Bible, and 19th-century New York City. The 341 alphabetically and topically arranged entries, written by an expert panel of contributors, are readable and balanced, with little social commentary. Articles on serious subjects, like soiled doves and rape, contrast with essays on, e.g., Gunsmoke and shoes. Included are a time line, historical accounts, poems, documents, and suggestions for further reading....As an initial attempt to define this topic, the encyclopedia will serve academic libraries well. Public libraries seeking research materials on social i

This two-volume encyclopedia provides a comprehensive overview of prostitution and related areas of interest. Editor Ditmore serves as research consultant at the Sex Workers Project in New York, and the inclusive, nonjudgmental nature of that organization is reflected in this reference work. Its entries are written in an objective, scholarly tone by professionals and academics; a few contributors are sex workers themselves, according to their biographical information. Readers will find many access points to information, including alphabetical and topical lists of entries, and thorough cross-referencing. Appendixes contain various types of documents....The real strength of this reference work is its breadth: entries cover prostitution's relevance in the arts, gender/sexuality studies, history, legal studies, politics, public health, and sociology, all with a global focus. However, this work will most likely be considered for purchase in support of criminology or women's studies collections....Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above. -Choice

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Melissa Hope Ditmore is the coordinator and founder of the Trafficked Persons Rights Project, a consultant on trafficking, and a Research Fellow at the Center for the Study of Women and Society, Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

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