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All over the world people are following the journey of their books through BookCrossing, by making an entry you will be helping keep this book's unique history up-to-date.

As part of my never ending battle with Mt. TBR I am trying to register all of my books in order to see how long they visit me on my shelf & where I got them. This was picked up last summer at a thrift store as it just looked interesting, somehow it missed being registered : )

"Second hand books are wild books, homeless books; they have come together in vast flocks of variegated feather, and have a charm which the domesticated volumes of the library lack." --Virginia Woolf

I found this book to be quite facinating. The concept of making your living having sex seems strange to me, but that is exactly what the working women of the Mustang Ranch do everyday.
Alexa Albert's exploration of Nevada's infamous cathouses began as a public-health study into the safe-sex practices of these legal working girls and the effectiveness of condom requirements in preventing sexually transmitted diseases. It took her three years to gain access to the brothels, and when her project was eventually approved by the head of the Nevada Brothel Association, she was surprised to be invited to stay at Mustang Ranch, among the women of the brothel, for the duration of her research.
The book is written in what I felt is a very non-judgemental way from a woman who was actually able to live at the ranch and interact with these women. She talked to them observed them to understand how and why they choose this as their lives. The confidence and yet insecurities that are shown are quite interesting. It is a powerful read regardless of what side you choose to the idea of sex for pay being right or not. In no way does this book glorify or make pretty the jobs that these women do, now does it look down upon them for it. I would reccomend this read and might even make a ring of it...?

and so I am, but as a ray ( my house is overflowing with books and I don't need to hold on to any!!!)
the following people have expressed interest. will work out a shipping order when I get the complete list settled!

GoryDetails from NH-US shipping
goddess-of-fire from MS-US shipping
flossie771 from GA-US shipping
seamonkeyoftvch from CA-US preferred
stacers1973 from OR-US or Canada
Crossing-Guard from Canada-shipping within Canada or US
megami-no-ushi from Canada
kobie03 from Canada- INTL shipping
Vekiki from UK-prefers within UK
PussInBoots from UK- prefers EU shipping ****asked to be skipped****
penelopewanders from Switzerland- prefers within Switz.
marko167 from Switzerland-INTL ok
icila from France- INTL ok
Jujuks from Portugal- prefers EU shipping

another bookcrosser has a stalled ring with this book so will be adding their remaining people to my list!
Brothel

AgnesXNitt from UK (Europe preferred)
frangelle from UK (Europe preferred)
snufkin81 from South Africa (international)
christoffel from Netherlands (international)
okyrhoe from Greece (international)
Supertalya from APO, USA (international)
gnissorckoob from Florida, USA (US only)
BobnJen from South Carolina, USA (US Only)
valerief from New York, USA (International)


How this bookray works:
* Someone will PM you for your address, PM them back and provide your address
* When you receive the book, please make a journal entry letting everyone know that you received it
* Put the book at the top of your TBR pile (under other rings/rays that arrived first)
* Read the book (take your time and enjoy the book, don't feel rushed to finish it but try to pass it on within a month - others are waiting!)
* When the end is in sight, check the book's journal and PM the next person to get their address
* Finish the book, make another journal entry and let everyone know what you thought of the book then send the book to the next person on the list (feel free to use the cheapest shipping method available & delivery confirmation is your choice), make release notes or journal entry to let everyone know that it's in the mail
* END OF THE RAY, The last person on the ray~ it would be great if you try and continue the ray, perhaps a RABCK - look at wish lists, or release it into the wild or pass along to a friend to enjoy!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

off on it's journey, I do hope that it is as interesting a book for you as it was for me.

"A book is a mysterious object, I said, and once it floats out into the world, anything can happen. All kinds of mischief can be caused, and there's not a damned thing you can do about it. For better or worse, it's completely out of your control."
Paul Auster

The book arrived safely in today's mail; many thanks! I should be able to read this one within the next few days, and get it moving along again soon.

I agree with princess-peapod's assessment of this book - a fascinating, non-judgemental look at a subject that could be exceedingly uncomfortable, yet which I read about with great interest. While it was clear that the author's sympathies lay primarily with the women who worked at the Mustang Ranch, I think she was pretty fair-minded in her descriptions of the dark side of things, and the complex sets of motives and reactions that people had, both for working in or paying visits to a brothel.

Some of the things that surprised me: the restrictions placed on the workers and customers of the Mustang Ranch. In addition to the common-sense rules about inspecting customers for possible STDs, the required use of condoms, etc., there were others that I hadn't expected at all: a "no kissing" rule, for one thing. [While I can easily see that a sex worker might not want to kiss a client - in some ways, that can be a more intimate act than the ones that were allowed! - it just seemed strange that it would be actually against the rules.] And that the workers were required to stay on the premises at all times during their stints at the ranch - though this didn't seem quite so bad when I understood that most of them did not stay there for more than a few weeks at a time. [Many of the more draconian rules were in place to protect the staff, but some were there to protect the profits, to help ensure that the women weren't taking advantage of the local clientele to set up dates of their own off-site. I suppose those were logical precautions too, but it still startled me a bit.]

The description of the women's rooms and the supplies they needed - a fairly short passage early in the book - brought home the clinical details of this kind of work; anyone who had any idea of there being any romance involved in prostitution (any "Pretty Woman" fans out there? {wry grin}) should read that section.

But to balance that, there are descriptions of customers who come to the ranch for company more than anything else, including one AIDS patient who didn't even ask for sex, just to have someone who wouldn't pull away from him...

The ping-pong effect continued throughout the book. The author would describe women who were prostituting themselves to support their children or their aging parents - and others who were supporting a man who was, effectively, their pimp. And she'd talk about the rivalries and cliques among the women, including some fairly nasty attempts to sabotage newcomers or steal clients - followed by passages in which all the workers came together to support one of their own in times of trouble.

My own views on prostitution haven't changed much based on this book; that is, I've always figured that adults should be able to - with informed consent - do pretty much whatever they wanted with each other, including choosing to buy or sell sex. However, it seems very, very difficult for people to engage in the sex-for-sale business without running into prejudice, intolerance, and/or guilt - never mind the unrealistic expectations of others. Clients who fell in love with hookers (or thought they had) never realized that the women were only doing their jobs, pretending to be the perfect mate, perfectly satisfied by whatever the men did with them. Prostitutes who fell in love with clients (or thought they had) would believe them when they said that their work wouldn't be an issue - right up 'til the moment when their lovers would get in an argument with them and throw "you're a whore!" in their faces. While some of the women described here did seem to have achieved a satisfactory balance in their lives, taking pride in their work but able to draw clear lines between work and personal lives, most of them had some trouble there. [To be fair, lots of people have trouble drawing such lines; the problems with romances at the office are rife!]

One of the most surprising tidbits in the book: the chapter about the people who were trying to have prostitution made illegal included a description of a guy whose tactics ranged from the dippy to the ludicrous; at one point he tried to get a license to open a gay brothel, in hopes that it would trigger a homophobic reaction that would result in all brothels being made illegal. [Would have served him right if the state had simply let him open one.] And later on there was a chapter about other brothel owners in the state - including one couple who described themselves as devout Christians, who not only ran a brothel but featured the wife as one of the available women. Goes to show you never can tell, eh?

By the end of the book, the ranch was shut down due to allegations of criminal activity on the part of its absentee owner. However, I see from the ever-helpful Google that it was reopened. Farther than that I did not choose to Google!

Not unexpected connections: a few of the situations and individuals described here reminded me of "Mother Mucca" from Maupin's More Tales of the City. And when the book described the closing of the Mustang Ranch, I couldn't help hearing "Hard Candy Christmas" from Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in my head!

Very unexpected connection: the chapter about the brothel-clients' web site and resulting CyberWhoreMonger Convention painted such a clear picture of an internet community forged on a common interest that many people would consider odd reminded me a LOT of the wonderful book Will the Vampire People Please Leave the Lobby, and while it's a bit offputting to think of it this way, of BookCrossing.com as well!

Glad I read this one; thanks for sharing it, princess-peapod!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

The book's on its way to Goddess-of-Fire in Missouri, to continue the book ring. Hope you enjoy it!

This arrived today. I have a couple books in front of it but will try to get to it as soon as possible.
Thanks!

I really enjoyed the book. Though I thought the parts about the history of brothels in Nevada could be a little dry at times, I enjoyed reading about the women who worked there.

I apologize for having this book so long, I accidentally left it up at my parents' house one weekend and then the end of the semester has been crazy.
I'll ship it out to flossie771 as soon as possible, Thanks!

Book arrived today along with another ring. I will try to get to it soon. Thanks for including me!!!

I found this book really interesting and entertaining. It was a quick read. I am passing on to the next in line.
Thanks so much for including me.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I mailed this book to the next reader today.

Arrived in the mail; thanks!

I'll start reading it so I can pass it along before I have surgery on the 19th.

I found the book to be thoughtful and interesting .. explored the bad (the fact that many of the women still had pimps, or pimp-like husbands at home, and that while they were legally employed, they were kept apart and shunned.

And the good, safer, somewhat supportive atmosphere.

And the sad, when the place was shut down.. wasn't necessarily better for the women and many other employees.

This is far better than puff pieces like Oprah Skypeing into the brothel (I think the Chicken Ranch) and making all nice and good times with one prostitute, or the sensational.

Thanks much for sharing this!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sending this on to the next on the list, Stacers1973. Plan to do this today.

And Flossie, thanks so much for using that wonderful reusable Bookcrossing envelope, so convenient and saves another envelope (of course it would also be re-used but this is so much nicer.)

It is here! I wonder if it has been sitting at someone's house, because it was in my box this morning, before the mail came. Weird. It was addressed perfectly, but sometimes our mailman has brainfarts ;)
Thanks for sending it on, will get to it shortly.

Eight days is scary! I mailed another package that same day, to Lancaster (closer) and it arrived the next MORNING! Meanwhile who knows where this book has been. I always worry that a book I mail out will disappear.

An enjoyable read. I had plenty of empathy for these ladies and the hardships they had to endure. The CyberWhoreMongers chapter made me irritable as far as, it seemed like they were taking advantage of the women in the way they went about sharing the information. It seemed that wasn't their intent, but it irked me nonetheless. I had figured the girls would be alot less sympathetic and more antagonistic to each other, less like friends/family, so that was a surprise. Like some others I was unprepared for some of the house rules and restrictions, even though they were in place mostly for safety purposes, they were still somewhat off-putting.
My husband raised his eyebrows when he saw me reading this, not sure what that reaction was about. (Other than the sterotypical attitude towards prostitution illustrated throughout the book.) Anyway, thanks for sharing princess-peapod and to each of you for passing it on :) Happy bookcrossing!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed this out yesterday (the 22nd/June) before my afternoon went to heck in a handbasket, I forgot to make the release notes. It is on it's way to Canada!

This arrived on Friday. I had another book that I was reading but after opening this one and starting to read I think it will have to wait a little bit. Thanks so much for sharing.

Wow, what a thought provoking book. The author did a great job of showing the two different sides of the issue. There was a lot I never thought about so at this point I have no idea what side I am on. I was in Vegas a couple months ago and after seeing the types of advertising that was allowed I found it eye opening that brothels were not allowed to advertise.

I will get the next person's email and get this in the mail as soon as I can.

I received the book from crossing-guard last night at our fitness class. I have to finish preparing for my book club on Friday first, but this is next on the list and I hope to have it out again within two weeks.

This was certainly a thought-provoking book. I appreciated the academic, balanced approach the author used while discussing all aspects of legalized prostitution, but I felt disturbingly more like a voyeur than if it had been sensationalist and morally biased. Like Stacers1973 I found the chapter on the CyberWhoreMongers bothered me; the behaviour of the 'fanboys' for lack of a better description irked me. I was really happy to read about the two women who set them straight on the reality of the situation rather than the fantasy they've been buying (and to an extent believing.)

I'm still torn on the subject but this book has certainly helped put shape to what aspects I can support and which ones I can't. Thanks for the opportunity to read this!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Off to the post office to mail this to the next person on the list!

Book arrived today in the nice re-usable Bookcrossing envelope.

A very interesting, thought-provoking read. A non-judgemental look at legalized prostitution, the women who work at the brothel and some of the customers. I was surprised at all the rules and restrictions at the house but saw how they were necessary to provide a safe working environment.I came to like the women who approached their work with such a professional manner and who were supportative of each other. Thanks for sharing this fascinating book.
I"ll have it in the mail tomorrow.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

mailed to vekiki, next participant.

I am really looking forward to this, and started it on the way in - really enjoyable & fasinating so far, its such a shame I have to work this evening so wont be able to just sit & read!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

this was really fasinating - and very well written , going into good detail without ever getting bogged down. I really really enjoyed this.

Posted onto the next in line for this bookring

Arrived safely here in Switzerland behind several other rings... I see it travels on within Switzerland (great!!) I have a trip scheduled next week, so either I'll read it before I go or when I come back... Hope that's ok. Thanks so much for making it available!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Bit of an adventure for this one. I didn't get the address before leaving for Paris and didn't want to take a book to France that I could send domestically. Once in Paris I got the address - no longer Switzerland but Barcelona, but meanwhile the book, almost finished, was here in Switzerland. I finished it when I got back this week, and have now finally been able to post it on. Sorry it took so long.
I found the book very interesting - the ambivalence and ambiguity of the author's position comes through - she doesn't approve but does... It is certainly a stark and apparently realistic documentation of this profession. I was unaware of the situation in Nevada, so found it informative. Thanks so much for making this book available.

Arrived this morning. Many thanks.

Very, very intersting book. Like others I was surprised how incorrect my 'knowledge' of brothel life was, obviously informed solely by Hollywood and the occasional documentary. It was sad to read how many of the women were still controlled by or actually sought out the services of a pimp. Whilst I won't take what was written a gospel truth, the author and the ladies mentioned would, by human nature, seek to portray them selves in a certain light, I do think this book provides a excellent insight into an otherwise hidden world.

thanks for sharing and providing such food for thought.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I kept this back as I didn't want it caught up in the Christmas rush.

So, now that I judge it is safe to go, off it flies to the home of LeJam.

Bon voyage!

Back from the french Alps, the book was waiting for me in my neighbours' house. Thanks.

As a matter of fact the issue of re-opening the brothels in France is very up to date.

The book is very interesting. I am sad to know that the women got the job to give money to the man they love whatever the name.

Pming Jujuks.

I mailed it to Jujuks in the first week of april and I begin to worry about.

This book arrived back in April but it ended up in the wrong pile of books. I'm really sorry! I'll try reading it ASAP!

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book at first but I was happily suprised when I enjoyed it, a lot.

It was very interesting getting to know some facts about the brothels' history.

I'll send this book out as soon as I have the next participant's address.

On it's way to the UK.

Received yesterday in the post - a challenging read but one I would like to read in order to be able to understand something of the lives about women who work in what is now termed as 'the sex industry'. Like most outsiders I suppose I am going to be a bit judgemental to start with, but having read the Quick Read book 'The Rubber Woman' (another book I recommend to previous readers of this book), I thought this book, 'Brothel', would perhaps educate my opinions on the subject of prostitution.
Thank you for organising this ring Princess-Peapod, and thanks to JuJuks for posting onto me from Portugal.

Well, my goodness, what a fascinating book. It's such an emotive issue isn't it, Prostitution? Whether we talk about the Whore of Babylon or the (mainly) women who are involved in the 'modern sex industry' its always bound to provoke a response.
I found that this book was interesting, fascinating and refreshingly open from the author's POV. Her initial request to carry out a health survey turned into a wide ranging and horizon expanding experience, as she ended up living for a short time in the Mustang Ranch brothel amongst the working girls and the rest of the brothel staff. I was intrigued by the set up - I mean, I didn't even think about cleaning staff, a washerlady, bar staff, a parlour maid (there to make sure the customer knows the rules of the house and calls the girls for 'line up'), drivers and business people who 'service' the needs of the Brothel - apparently they had their own Avon lady!!! And a man who sold his clothes shop in Las Vegas to buy and refit a bus as a travelling shop to constantly tour round the brothels to sell the girls their outfits. Amazing.
The author wasn't welcomed by every employee of the establishment, but it would seem most of the girls there befriended her to a certain degree. So much so that she was asked to 'participate' in one girl's 'date' as a 'watcher'. My goodness, that was an eye-opener. And in more ways than one!
Facts like the girls still having pimps/controllers outside of the brothel was news to me, I didn't think that would be neccessary but I was wrong there. The stories of how many of the women ended up working at the Mustang as predictable but no less sad or shocking. Several stories made me very angry - one girl was there because her own *mother* won't let her come home unless she makes so much money!!
The internet, of course, has widened the industries legal and illegal customer base, and the chapter on the website community was well explained too.
Overall, the book was a run of revelations for me. From the very opening chapter I was shocked, intrigued, saddened, fascinated and amazed in turn.
I'm still not sure prostitution is a good thing, but am even more sure that if the business should exist, surely its safer for the people who work in it to work in clean, regulated environments rather than risking life and limb even more so by walking the streets?
I have PM'd the next reader and await their address to send this book onwards.

I've PM'd Frangelle twice now, and no response, so I'll try an 'ISO' on the forum boards, then I'll admit defeat and PM Snufkin81 in South Africa.
Apologies for hanging onto this one so long.

This arrived safely today. I have a few others ahead of it, but I'll read it as soon as I can.

Thanks, AgnesXNitt, for sending it!

Update 8 Jan 2011: Apologies for keeping this so long! I've had quite a backlog of rings, but I'm reading this one now and hope to have it finished in a week or two. Sorry!

I finally finished reading this. I'm so sorry for keeping it so long while I read the other rings that were ahead of it! I found that once I started reading this it went surprisingly quickly.

This is a truly fascinating book and I'm very glad to have read it. I have rather firm ideas about prostitution and this book didn't really change those, but it was good to have a deeper insight into the lives of these women. An important point however, is that the situation would obviously be very different for "street walkers", women who don't work from a brothel and don't have the security and medical support that these women have.

Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to read this!

I have already PMed Christoffel for her address and will send this on once she replies.

Update 6 Feb 2011: I have PMed Christoffel twice with no response, so I have now PMed okyrhoe.

Sent by airmail to okyrhoe in Greece.

Thanks princess-peapod for including me and the other "orphaned" participants from perryfran's stalled ring into yours, and thanks snufkin81 for posting the book to me!

The book arrived on Thursday and I have already started reading.

EDIT March 2:
Contacted Supertalya and she has asked to be skipped. PM'ed gnissorckoob now for their address.
EDIT March 3: gnissorckoob has asked to be skipped as well. PM'ing the next person on the list.
EDIT March 8: BobnJen is not responding, and judging by the "recent activity" info & last forum post, they don't appear to be active on BC. Contacting the next person on the list.

What I learnt from this book:
Although the legalized brothels offer a work environment for women in the sex trade that is vastly preferable to any other presently-existing option, there is still vast room for improvement.
The women don't seem to be suffering in any major way, and yet it's obvious that there exists a substantial unregulated gray area within the owner-management-employee relationship permitting management & owners to take (monetary) advantage of the women, if they so wish. The author repeatedly illustrates how "management didn't acutally respect women's status as independent contractors," thereby allowing for various little and not-so-little ways in which management and third parties (eg. taxi cab drivers) whittle away at the women's profit margins.
I wonder if today the women in the industry have come together into some form of trade association so that they too can lobby & influence county & state officials to legislate for the prostitutes, not only for the brothel owners's behalf.
Is it too much to ask for a prostitute-owned & operated establishment, where pro-prostitute rules and regulations could be applied, and where the prostitutes have full autonomy, not the pseudo independent contractor status that exists (or existed at the time of the writing of this book)?

Incidentally, I watched the HBO series on the Nevada brothel industry a couple of years ago before reading this book. I recall being uncomfortable about the overly-cheerful way things were presented in the series (featuring the Moonlite Bunny Ranch run by Dennis Hof, who appears at the end of A. Albert's book), and now I know my gut feelings were right.
There's a lot of information the HBO series left out - intentionally or not - and compared to A. Albert's better researched book, it now is obvious the HBO show approximates an infomercial more than anything else.

On its way by post to valerief.

Thanks Okyrhoe! This is next on my list.

Left on the 8:32 train - Port Washington line.