You won't find too many people willing to talk about this subject openly. I think if people read this book their opinions on prostitution will be much more informed.

The author herself entered her research with the stereotypical view of prostitutes. That they were probably women from bad families who resorted to this profession as a last alternative. Or maybe they were drug addicts or whores who couldn't succeed at anything else. She did find those women. But she also found that they were real human beings too. Most view their job as simply that, a job. They were providing a service to men. They took pride in their work, as most of us do.

Ms. Albert presents a very objective view of the subject. She goes over some of the pros and cons. Did you know since Nevada starting testing for HIV in 1986 there has not been one case of the virus being spread between customers and hookers? And the girls are checked weekly for STD's by a doctor? But she also talks about the men who get addicted to the girls at the brothels. And the social stigmatizm that exists regarding paid sex.

I would have given the book 5 stars but I thought it needed more. More of what, I'm not sure. I would compare this book favorably to Nigger. It is a very interesting read for the open-minded.

This wonderful book is not about prostitution per se. It deals with legalized brothel prostitution and there is a difference...a big difference. But Brothel is even more. Alexa Albert takes us behind the scenes at the once famous Mustang Ranch in Nevada where she actually lived off and on while researcing this book. But, it's more than behind the scenes. Ms. Albert explores the very heart and soul of the women who live and work at the ranch. She becomes part of the family atmosphere and bonds with several of the "working" girls. There are as many stories in the house as there are women. Alexa Albert hears many tales. Were they all true? Were some apocryphal? You'll go behind closed doors with the author as she visits a "party" to observe first hand what's happening. but don't misunderstand. This bookd is not pruient and even the up close and personal is presented in a very clinical manner. If you're looking for porn you're looking in the wrong place. If you want to be truly enlightened, read Alexa Albert's nonpareil book...Brothel: Mustang Ranch and it women.

Alexa Albert's book ``Brothel: Mustang Ranch and its Women'' is a work that was nearly seven years in the making. The reader is the beneficiary of Albert's patience and persistence. What started out as a public health study while Albert was a medical student, has resulted in a compelling, thoughtful report on prostitution. It took Albert nearly three years to get her foot in the door at the country's most notorious brothel - the Mustang Ranch, just outside of Reno, Nev. Over the next four years, Albert would live at the brothel off and on. In that time, Albert was given a rare glimpse into the very private world of legalized prostitution. At the outset, Albert admits that she ``fundamentally believed prostitution was a dehumanizing, objectifying business that did women real damage.'' But by withholding judgement, Albert got to know the women and they were eager to confide in her. What she came to realize was ``knee-jerk moralists speak of prostitutes as flawed characters lacking in values. But no easy formula fit the women I met in Nevada's brothels.'' The stories Albert tell are fascinating. She also intersperses her discussions with the women with perspectives on the history of prostitution in Nevada and legendary brothel owner Joe Conforte. Albert's effort is hardly a clinical, overview of prostitution -- it is a thorough, thoughtful study.