The Book That Taught the World to Orgasm and Then Disappeared: Shere Hite and the Hite Report

Historian Campbell debuts with a revelatory biography of sex researcher Shere Hite (1942–2020), best known for her 1976 publication, The Hite Report. “The thirtieth bestselling book of all time,” the Report surveyed thousands of women about their sexual experiences and came to the paradigm-shifting conclusion that “70 percent of women could not orgasm from penetrative sex alone.” Campbell shows how Hite’s early life influenced her later interest in sexual dynamics, from her Christian fundamentalist upbringing to her work in porn, but the book captivates most when documenting Hite’s relentless pursuit of her research, including her finagling the National Organization for Women into sending out the anonymous questionnaires covered “with love hearts [and] cupid bows.” Tracing the extraordinary public response to the book’s publication, Campbell unearths a trove of effusive letters to Hite from women expressing that “a cloud of guilt... was completely lifted” and men questioning whether they had been “complete... sexual partner[s].” Campbell also tackles Hite’s blind spots and personal flaws, including a propensity to “fly off the handle,” which played a role in the 1980s backlash against Hite after an incident in which she struck a limo driver. Campbell, however, notes the excessive misogyny in the press’s treatment of Hite (“How many Shere Hites does it take to change a light bulb?” asked the Chicago Tribune). Readers will find this an essential account of an oft-overlooked feminist pioneer. (Apr.)