The book is an excellent introduction to a nuanced, and non-moralising, feminist debate about prostitution: Is prostitution a kind of work, and should it be regulated? Readers interested in whether background inequalities can invalidate women's consent to sell sex, and in the effects of different legal prostitution regimes, will want to start with this book.
Anca Gheaus, Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Flanigan and Watson engage in a spirited and rigorous debate. Their arguments combine well-honed ethical reasoning with an impressive knowledge of the relevant laws and empirical studies. This volume will provoke lively discussion in the classroom, and beyond.
Andrew Altman, Georgia State University
This is an excellent book on a deeply important topic. It combines the best social scientific analysis with rigorous, clear philosophical insight. The way governments respond to sex workers and sex buyers has profound effects on the status of sex workers and on public health and safety. Though Flanigan and Watson disagree about the optimal policies regarding sex work, together they demonstrate that complete criminalization-as found throughout most of the United States-is deeply harmful and unjust. This book serves as a model both for how informed policy debates should work.
Jason Brennan, Georgetown University