Let's be clear from the start: this isn't a novel with a plot. It's a sweeping historical survey. The author, writing under the pen name P.L. Jacob, sets out on an almost impossibly ambitious project: to document the role and regulation of prostitution across the globe, from ancient civilizations right up to his own 19th-century present. He moves from the sacred sex workers of Babylonian temples to the state-regulated brothels of ancient Greece and Rome, through the Middle Ages where the church condemned it but towns taxed it, and into the colonial encounters of his own era.

Why You Should Read It

This book is fascinating because it’s so blunt and comprehensive. Jacob doesn't moralize much; he mostly reports, compiling laws, anecdotes, and social observations. You see patterns repeat endlessly: societies banning the trade, then regulating it to control disease or make money, then banning it again in a cycle of hypocrisy. It connects dots between religion, economics, public health, and pure human desire in a way few history books do. Reading it, you realize how debates we think are new are actually centuries old.

Final Verdict

This is a book for the curious, open-minded reader who loves social history with an edge. It’s perfect for anyone who enjoyed books like Guns, Germs, and Steel but wants a grittier, more taboo subject. Be warned: it's a product of its time, so some language and perspectives are outdated. But if you can read it as a historical document itself—a massive, daring attempt to shine a light on the shadows of civilization—it’s absolutely gripping. Not a light read, but one that will stick with you.