Once upon a time sex was a shameful secret; now we know, or think we know, that sex is not the secret but the shroud, within which the most secret parts of the individual are hidden. Germaine Greer is no exception to our post-Freudian era – she has always seen destiny in terms of sexuality, maintaining that women's freedom to reveal their sex or hide it is the rock on which civilizations are built.

From sources as diverse as Spare Rib, Forum, The Spectator and the New York Times, this collection presents a mosaic of stylish and entertaining essays, some of which are appearing for the first time in print. The subjects are as various as John F Kennedy and vaginal deodorants, rape and