A Book Called Impotence

If erectile dysfunction fascinates you then this is the book to buy...

A book entitled simply “Impotence” written by Angus McLaren is probably the most comprehensive study of the erectile dysfunction condition that has affected men for thousands of years. Professor McLaren who is based at the University of Victoria in Canada has examined all aspects of impotence from Roman times through to the Middle Ages and up to the modern day with the arrival of the erectile dysfunction drugs Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. If erectile dysfunction fascinates you then this is the book to buy.

Anecdotes are a plenty in this book such as the one about church officials of the Middle Ages making men who were suspected of being impotent to have sex in front of them to dispel the rumours, as well as a lot of speculative comment about the sexual prowess or lack of sexual prowess of many of the Royal Families of Europe and how this politically affected the outcome of many situations. He even suggests that the fact that Louis XVI of France did not immediately consummate his nuptials to his queen Mary Antoinette could have led to the French revolution and that King Charles II being unable to produce an heir to his throne meant that the Hapsburgs lost the kingdom of Spain.

The book also talks about the senator Bob Dole in the United States who is probably almost as famous for promoting the erectile dysfunction medication Viagra as he is for having run for president of the United States of America. The subject of impotence is not nearly as taboo as it was a decade ago largely thanks to the drug companies Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Bayer who have spent millions and millions of pounds promoting erectile dysfunction medications and educating the public about the condition. The fact that so many people talk about erectile dysfunction these days means that more people understand it and men are not so embarrassed to go and see their doctors about the problem.