Summary and Reviews of Brothel by Alexa Albert

Brothel by Alexa Albert

Brothel

Mustang Ranch and Its Women

by Alexa Albert
  • Critics' Consensus (3):
  • Readers' Rating (5):
  • First Published:
  • May 1, 2001, 288 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Jun 2002, 288 pages
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About This Book

Book Summary

When Alexa Albert conducted a public-health study at The Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada (where prostitution is legal) she was drawn into the lives of the women and her project evolved into something more intimate and ambitious.

When Harvard medical student Alexa Albert conducted a public-health study at the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada, the only state in the union where prostitution is legal, neither she nor the brothel could have predicted the end result. Having worked with homeless prostitutes in Times Square, Albert was intimate with the human devastation caused by the sex trade, and curious to see if Nevada's brothels offered a less harmful model for a business that will always be with us. The Mustang Ranch has never before given an outsider such access, but fear of AIDS was hurting the business, and the Ranch was eager to get publicity for its rigorous standards of sexual hygiene. Albert was drawn into the lives of the women of the Mustang Ranch, and what began as a public-health project evolved into something more intimate and ambitious, a six-year study of the brothel ecosystem, its lessons and significance.

The women of the Mustang Ranch poured their stories out to Albert: how they came to be there, their surprisingly deep sense of craft and vocation, how they reconciled their profession with life on the outside. Dr. Albert went as far into this world as it is possible to go -- some will say too far -- including sitting in on sessions with customers, and the result is a book that puts an unforgettable face on America's maligned and caricatured subculture.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

Library Journal
Although Albert is clearly sympathetic to the plight of these women, she is careful to present a balanced account of what it means to be a prostitute in a legalized brothel. The tone is engaging, and some sections are a little raunchy. Written for a popular audience, this is highly recommended for sociology, women's studies, and cultural history collections.

Publishers Weekly
Albert convincingly dispels myths about this mysterious world and provides a strong defense for the legalization of prostitution - this engrossing, plainly told account should attract considerable attention.

Kirkus Reviews
An unrevealing glimpse of daily life in the sex trade. There's some news here, particularly on how sex workers can help prevent the spread of disease. But there's not much depth, and readers are likely to respond to Albert's report from the field with a shrug.

Author Blurb M. Joycelyn Elders, M.D.
This well-written, non-judgmental, informative book helps to replace ignorance with understanding concerning the lives and attitudes of women involved in legal prostitution, as well as their customers. It could serve as a light at the end of a very long tunnel, and form the basis of both moral and legal discussions about prostitution in the future.

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