JMF's Naturist Reading Room and Bookstore

For easier browsing of titles and authors only, you may wish to try the new Compact Listing Format which omits jacket photos, descriptions, and other details. (Those details are still a click away for any book!) To try this new layout, click here or use the button:

There are so many books of and about nude photography that it would take too much space to list them, but you can easily search amazon for them with this link. Some books about sexuality or sexual attitudes may be listed, as society's attitudes toward sex often reflect attitudes toward nudity.

Send me your suggestions for more titles! I am especially interested in books about societal attitudes towards nudity, and general books and children's books which portray nudity in a natural, positive way. --JMF

Featured This Month (Mid-May, oops, to June 2001)

Nudity Social Aspects

Beyond Nakedness Paul Ableman ISBN: 0910550565 (Paperback) Ableman addresses many social aspects of nudity: Adam and Eve, Lady Godiva, public baths, nudism, and the influence of missionaries on naked or nearly-naked tribes and cultures (namely, that the now-clothed natives suffered a severe decline in morality, much to the chagrin of the clergymen). Recommended.

[no photo avail.]

Most Popular Choices

1. North American Guide to Nude Recreation, 20th ed.
2. Living Naked and Frugal: A Handbook for Parsimonious Nudity
3. We're All Born Naked: Truths About the Human Animal
4. The Naked Child: Growing Up Without Shame
5. The Body, Childhood and Society

General Nudity and Nudism topics

Nudism Economics Environment	Living Naked and Frugal: A Handbook for Parsimonious Nudity Paul Penhallow, Marilyn Lovell ISBN: 1559501650 (Paperback) A wonderful exposition of nudist philosophy, showing that living full-time in a nudist resort is not only possible but can actually be extremely economical.
Religion Love Human Sexuality	Love and Responsibility Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II), translated by H.T. Willetts ISBN: 0898704456 (Paperback) This book is frequently quoted to refute the idea that nudity and sex must always be related, and/or that naturism is incompatible with religious belief: "Sexual modesty cannot then in any simple way be identified with the use of clothing, nor shamelessness with the absence of clothing and total or partial nakedness... Immodesty is present only when nakedness plays a negative role with regard to the value of the person." More books by (and about) Pope John Paul II	[no photo avail.]
Photography	Naked New York Greg Friedler ISBN: 0393316467 (Paperback) Well, I guess I have at least ONE photography book listed! A unique exploration of "what ordinary people look like under their clothes." Search for other nude photography books.	[no photo avail.]
Human Body Psychology	We're All Born Naked: Over 50 Remarkable Truths about the Human Animal No One Wants to Believe John Larsson ISBN: 158721234X (Paperback)
Nudity History The Nude in Art	The Unfashionable Human Body Bernard Rudofsky Out of Print ISBN: 0442276362	[no photo avail.]
Religion Catholicism	Who Told You That You Were Naked? : Freedom from Judgment, Guilt, and Fear of Punishment John Jacob Raub ISBN: 0824512030 (Paperback)
Psychology Stress Management	Dance Naked in Your Living Room: Handling Stress & Finding Joy Rebecca Radcliffe ISBN: 0963660713 (Paperback)	[no photo avail.]
Nudity Social Aspects	Beyond Nakedness Paul Ableman ISBN: 0910550565 (Paperback)	[no photo avail.]
Clothing Nudism	The Importance of Wearing Clothes Lawrence Langner, Julian Robinson ISBN: 0803834055 (Paperback) An erudite and entertaining history of clothing and its impact on the human condition. --Book News
Nudism	Nudist-Naturist Fact Finder Ed Lange (Editor) ISBN: 1555990320 (Paperback) Search Amazon for more titles by Ed Lange	[no photo avail.]
Male Nudity Society Body Attitudes	The Male Body : A New Look at Men in Public and Private Susan Bordo ISBN: 0374280657 (Hardcover) ISBN: 0374527326 (Paperback) Susan Bordo (who snagged a Pulitzer nomination for 1993's Unbearable Weight) offers a frank, sprightly, and, yes, educational look at the male nude as an index to attitudes about sexuality in the broth of media and pop culture in which, like it or not, we all stew. --Patrizia DiLucchio on amazon.com
Human Body Sociology Children and Teens	The Body, Childhood and Society Alan Prout (Editor) ISBN: 0312221444 (Hardcover)
Topfreedom Nudism and Health	Dressed to Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras Sydney Ross Singer, Soma Grismaijer ISBN: 0895296640 (Paperback)
Religion Judaism Human Body	In My Flesh I See God: A Treasury of Rabbinic Insights About the Human Anatomy Avraham Yaakov Finkel (Editor) ISBN: 1568214251 (Hardcover)	[no photo avail.]
Nudism Child Development	The Naked Child: Growing Up Without Shame Dennis Craig Smith, William Sparks ISBN: 1555990010 If it's out of stock at amazon, you might be able to get it from the AANR.	[no photo avail.]
Nudist Lifestyle	Fun in the Sun : Nudist and Naturist Living Ed Lange ISBN: 0910550514 (Paperback) A pictorial representation of life in naturist settings, by the late Ed Lange, a well-known naturist voice in the U.S. Search Amazon for more titles by Ed Lange	[no photo avail.]
Nudism Research	Alternative Lifestyles Jefferson P. Selth ISBN: 0313247730 (Hardcover) For the serious researcher. A bibliography of special collections and libraries with material on a number of topics (communes, sexual freedom, etc.) including nudism. Should still provide some useful leads though it dates from 1986. More by the same author	[no photo avail.]
Nudity Therapy Mental Health	Therapy, Nudity and Joy Aileen Goodson Out of Print ISBN: 1555990282 ISBN: 1555990258 ISBN: 1555990290 Even the mental health community in the U.S. fears tackling the subject due to American religious taboos, but Goodson, in a well written manner, exposes our true reactions to nudity from ancient times, in developing cultures, and in the modern era... She also shows the role that nudity plays in therapeutic healing. (Excerpt from a reader review on amazon.com)	[no photo avail.]
Nudism History	As Nature Intended Adam Clapham Out of Print ISBN: 0434980269	[no photo avail.]
Nudism Sociology	The Nude Beach Jack D. Douglas Out of Print ISBN: 0803908148 Published field research into the nude beach culture of California (1960's-1970's) done by a Sociology Ph.D. in conjunction with two colleagues. The author examines the daily activities of the nude beach, and changes in attitudes of: the nude beach goers; voyeurs; law enforcement; & the courts. (Excerpt from a reader review on amazon.com)	[no photo avail.]
Nudism History	Nudist Society : The Controversial Study of the Clothes-Free Naturist Movement in America William E. Hartman and others Out of Print ISBN: 155599041X ISBN: 1555990428	[no photo avail.]

Naturist Site Guidebooks and Travel Books

Naturist Guidebooks	North American Guide to Nude Recreation (20th ed., Jan. 2000) ISBN: 1882033086 (Paperback) Newly updated guide to landed and non-landed AANR clubs in North America. An all-around excellent nudist resource.
Naturist Guidebooks	World Guide to Nude Beaches and Resorts (1997 ed.) Lee Baxandall ISBN: 0934106215 (Paperback) One of the best-known, most respected guides to clothing-optional sites worldwide.
Naturist Guidebooks	Hot Springs and Hot Pools of the Northwest Marjorie Gersh-Young ISBN: 1890880000 (Paperback)
Naturist Guidebooks	Hot Springs and Hot Pools of the Southwest Marjorie Gersh-Young ISBN: 1890880019 (Paperback)
Naturist Guidebooks	Canada Naturally Richard West ISBN: 0963680501 (Paperback)	[no photo avail.]
Naturist Guidebooks	The Canadian Guide to Naturist Resorts and Beaches Paul Ritchi, photographer, David Basford, ed. Stephane Deschenes, ed. Paul Rapoport, ed. ISBN: 096823321X (SpiralBound)
Naturist Guidebooks Western US	Western United States Nudist Park and Resort Guide ISBN: 0962857300 (Paperback)	[no photo avail.]
Naturist Guidebooks Western US	California's Nude Beaches/Plus Hawaii, Oregon, & Washington Dave Patrick ISBN: 0961488034 1994 edition.	[no photo avail.]
Naturist Travel	The Naked Truth About Hedonism II : A Naughty but Nice Guide to Jamaica's All-Inclusive, Very Adult Resort Chris Santilli ISBN: 0966268318 (Paperback) Hedonism II is not strictly a nudist resort, but as a SuperClub with a clothing-optional area, it does attract a fair number of nudists. It has a somewhat wild reputation; this book might help you decide if Hedo matches your own level of open-mindedness.
Naturist Travel Gay Men	Naked Places, A Guide for Gay Men to Nude Recreation and Travel, Third Edition Michael Boyd ISBN: 0965608921 (Paperback)
Naturist Guidebooks	World Naturist Guide 1998-1999 Out of Print ISBN: 906716626X

Legal issues related to Nudism

Nudism Legal Issues	Recreational Nudity and the Law Gordon Gill ISBN: 1887471006 (Hardcover)
Human Body Nudity Legal Issues	Bodies of Law Alan Hyde ISBN: 0691012288 (Paperback) ISBN: 0691012296 (Hardcover) ...[Hyde's] focus [is] on "the way American lawyers talk about the body: the range of metaphors...that cumulatively form a discourse of the body." Hyde teases out buried assumptions revealed by legal texts that define the body as machine or property, grant (or deny) it privacy rights, position reproductive capacity in terms of the market, permit or proscribe display of the body or specific body parts...A bit academic but full of provocative insights. --Booklist
Nudism Legal Issues	Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do: The Absurdity of Consensual Crimes in our Free Country Peter McWilliams ISBN: 0931580587 (Paperback) This book covers the topic of consensual crimes (sometimes commonly called "victimless crimes") in general. While a lot of time is spent on the harmful societal effects of the War on Drugs, there is a pretty good discussion of public nudity on pp. 450-454. If you want to browse the text of this book before purchasing, visit the author's web site.

Other books of interest to nudists, or that treat the body and/or nudity in a healthy, positive way

Comedy Essays	Naked David Sedaris ISBN: 0316777730 (Paperback) ISBN: 0316779490 (Hardcover) ISBN: 1570424810 (AudioCassette) A humorous collection of autobiographical essays, one (from which the book draws its title) describing the author's first visit to a nudist resort. Hear the author read excerpts on NPR's Savvy Traveler (RealAudio format). More books by this author
Travel	Pack Lightly, Sleep Naked: The Handbook to Make Travel Easier, Safer, and Sexier Rebecca Harvin ISBN: 0964147734 (Paperback)
Spirituality Poetry	The Prophet Kahlil Gibran ISBN: 0394404289 (Hardcover) A work of amazing depth and beauty, of such timeless truth and majestic voice that it is hard to remember that it was written in the twentieth century. "Forget not that modesty is for a shield against the eye of the unclean/And when the unclean shall be no more, what were modesty but a fetter and a fouling of the mind?" Search for more books by (and about) Kahlil Gibran
Comedy Fiction	The Metaphysics of Nudity Eric James Miller ISBN: 0965216101 (Paperback)

Body-positive Books for Children and Young Adults

Children's Lit Body Acceptance	The Curiosity Book James E. Hunter, Donald Kroitzsh, ed. William E. Davis ISBN: 1886699046 (Paperback)
Children's Lit	In the Night Kitchen Maurice Sendak ISBN: 0060266686 (Hardcover) Past-bedtime adventures by a young boy, mostly nude (and anatomically correct!) 25th Anniversary Edition
Children's Lit Sex Education Sexuality	It's Perfectly Normal : Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health Robie H. Harris, illust. by Michael Emberley ISBN: 1564021599 (Paperback) ISBN: 1564021998 (Hardcover)
Children's Lit	No Clothes Today! Catarina Kruusval ISBN: 9129630746 (Hardcover)	[no photo avail.]
Children's Lit	Bare Naked Book (Annick Toddler Series) Kathy Stinson, illust. by Heather Collins ISBN: 0920303528 (Lib.Binding) ISBN: 0920303536 (Paperback) A book that celebrates the joy of being bare naked as experienced by the youngest of book lovers, THE BARE NAKED BOOK features endearing illustrations by veteran illustrator Heather Collins.--amazon.com The illustrations are wonderful, and they portray a wide array of people: old, young, different colors, some in wheelchairs, some "bare naked" (as the title implies). The unstated message is that bodies are wonderful as a whole, and as a sum of their parts. --excerpt from W. D. Peckenpaugh's review on amazon.com	[no photo avail.]
Children's Lit	Bellybuttons Are Navels (Young Readers Series) Mark Schoen, illust. by M. J. Quay ISBN: 0879755857 (Hardcover) Teaches children the correct names of all of their body parts, with straightforward illustrations.	[no photo avail.]
Human Anatomy Children's Lit	The Children's Atlas of the Human Body : Actual Size Bones, Muscles, and Organs in Full Color (Book and Chart) Richard Walker ISBN: 1562945033 (Lib.Binding) ISBN: 156294732X (Paperback) A thorough, nicely-illustrated pictorial guide to the body aimed at children 9-12, with full-size charts of many organs. It even includes diagrams of how the genitals function during intercourse, which probably fall into the "Parental Guidance Suggested" category.
Children's Lit	No Clothes Daniel Wood, illust. by Carlos Freire ISBN: 1550370898 (Paperback)	[no photo avail.]
Children's Lit	The Emperor's New Underwear Laurence Anholt, illust. by Arthur Robins ISBN: 0881663476 (Paperback)	[no photo avail.]
Children's Lit	Teacher's Secrets: Miss Butterpat Goes Wild Malcolm Yorke, illust. by Margaret Chamberlain Out of Print ISBN: 1564582000 A schoolteacher goes exploring on her vacation and has many exciting adventures, including a visit with a friendly native tribe which wears very little clothing. She unhesitatingly adopts the local manner of dress, and the narration says simply, "Miss Butterpat didn't need her heavy sweater anymore."	[no photo avail.]
Children's Lit	Favorite Mowgli Stories from The Jungle Book Rudyard Kipling, illust. by Inga Moore Out of Print ISBN: 0671792547 Many editions and adaptations of The Jungle Book (especially Disney's!) "cover over" or ignore the fact that Mowgli wore no clothing of any kind prior to his return to civilization. Inga Moore's beautiful drawings treat the lack of clothing simply and honestly.	[no photo avail.]

FastCounter by bCentral

served since June 15, 2000.

stats4all.com