Wolfe has gifted us with a heartfelt and powerfully candid deep dive into her journey around the world, but more importantly through her remarkable life. It’s a bold and unpredictable tribute to radical truth and adventure, weaving threads of memoir, sexological research, and sexual revolution. This work's brazen honesty will inspire you to also live in an extraordinary way.
— Chris Donaghue, PhD, LCSW, CST, certified sex and couples therapist
In a fraught time in history for sex and relationships, a researcher with much academic and lived learning guides us through a sex history—her own—that sheds light on the many options and experiences, not to mention opportunities for pleasure, reflection, and growth, that our sexuality can bring us. It's a document of different times, and a way to think deeply about our own using the tools of anthropology, sociology, and our precious experience.
— Carol Queen, PhD, sexologist, Good Vibrations; co-founder and director, Center for Sex & Culture, San Francisco
Dr. Wolfe’s auto-ethnography is an engaging and very real story. Having lived through the women’s liberation movement in the '60s–'70s and the more recent #MeToo movement, Dr. Wolfe describes the challenges and benefits of being a professional woman who is also a sexually vibrant being. This work is open, inspiring, and a joy to read. I would recommend this not only as an ethnography but also as a case study in gender and sexuality.
— Emily E. Prior, MA, executive director, Center for Positive Sexuality
A delightful romp with sensitivity and insight with an anthropologist's answer to Anaïs Nin, Dorothy Parker, and other female challengers to the social conventions of their times.
— William Jankowiak, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Part uncensored adventure story, part auto-ethnographic research, this genre-bending tale takes you on an honest anthropological journey, complete with erotic stories, historical sidebars, and personal theoretical reflections on concepts we often take for granted, stuff like intimacy, virginity, consent, and monogamy—in short, all the messy elements that make up what we call 'sexuality'. Leanna Wolfe fearlessly shares all her direct participatory experiences—the good and the bad—in stunning cross-cultural portraits of sexuality from around the world—from Thailand to Jamaica to Mexico and more. Undoubtedly, all readers (even conservative folks with slightly less than 177 lovers!) will appreciate Wolfe’s underlaying question that continues to puzzle humanity: Why do people partner with one another? Answer: It’s complicated.
— Michael Mena, PhD, founder, "The Social Life of Language" (YouTube); assistant professor, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York
This is a surprising and astonishingly honest book by a professional sex researcher. Through the revealing lens of her own life story as a woman, Leanna Wolfe explores the meaning of various beliefs about sexual behavior in wildly different cultures and phases of life. This book exemplifies the classic anthropological method of participant observation, interspersed with the results of carefully constructed surveys on the differences between what informants say and what they do about sexuality, including Wolfe herself. There is much treasure and wisdom here.
— Pat Shipman, Pennsylvania State University
Leanna Wolfe tells the story—fearlessly, absorbingly, and without apology—of a young woman’s sexual awakening (her own) and maturation into an uninhibited carnal expert/educator. She travels the world to glean her fascinating perspective, emerging with a well-researched volume of great wisdom and candor.
— Ray Richmond, Author, syndicated entertainment writer/critic and university lecturer
The author's fearlessness and honesty about her love life and her sexual journey throughout her life are truly revolutionary and very refreshing. I especially appreciated the author's ability to convey the 'flavor' and reality of each relationship. Her experience as an anthropologist allows her to provide us with an astute analysis of the sexual mores, relationship styles, and trends of the past half-century. A totally unique book and truly a page-turner!
— Kathy Labriola, counselor, nurse, author of Polyamorous Elders: Aging in Open Relationships
177 Lovers and Counting: My Life as a Sex Researcher is a riveting exploration of love, relationships, and sexuality seen through the lens of an anthropologist and trained sexologist. This book chronicles the author’s personal journey as she studies cultures around the world and navigates through her own experiences with love and relationships.
The author’s unique perspective as an anthropologist allows her to delve deep into the societal constructs that shape our understanding of love and relationships. She challenges traditional norms and expectations, offering a fresh perspective on what it means to form relationships, encouraging readers to explore their own relationships with an open mind.
177 Lovers and Counting is more than just a memoir; it’s a thought-provoking examination of love, relationships, and sexuality. It’s a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of love in the modern world.
From the rituals of remote tribes to the bedrooms of the modern world, the author takes readers on a journey across continents and through time, challenging preconceived notions about what is ‘normal’ and ‘natural’. With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of human nature, she offers a fresh perspective on sexuality that is both enlightening and thought-provoking.
Whether you’re a seasoned scholar or a curious reader, 177 Lovers and Counting promises to broaden your understanding of one of humanity’s most fundamental and fascinating aspects. Prepare to have your beliefs questioned, your knowledge expanded, and your horizons broadened in this journey into the heart of sexology.
— Glen W. Olson, author of Fifty Years of Polyamory in America
Leanna’s 177 Lovers and Counting is a one of a kind and a generous offering. She honestly shares intimate details of her erotic adventures in many different countries and from a cultural anthropologist's perspective. Clearly her body was her laboratory for her extensive sex research, and she has great knowledge to share.
— Annie Sprinkle, PhD, artist and sexologist