Pleasure: an agreeable emotion; gratification of the senses or of the mind; sensuality; dissipation; a source of gratification; what the will prefers.
Pleasure-pain principle: the principle that dominates the instincts, directing one's behaviour towards seeking pleasure and avoiding pain.
'Sin City' is as much a book about human nature and its darkest sides as it is a history of lascivious vice - deviant sex, drugs, parties, greed, gambling and voyeuristic pleasure. London is represented as a microcosm for the UK as a whole and this book explores the depths of our excess from Roman times through to the present day.
This is a fascinating and eye-opening trip through the ages. From Roman orgies to bestiality, from drugs, to all night Victorian raves, it uncovers some seriously deviant behaviour, as well as demonstrating that some things never change.