With a light touch and an open mind, Emily Jenkins takes us on a provocative and entertaining journey through the dark passages and taut membranes of our own surprisingly physical culture. Why is it socially acceptable to put a gold ring through your ear-lobe, but not your nose? Who are the people breaking the taboos around tattoos? Why is it alright to pay someone to rub your back, but not your genitals? Emily Jenkins allows us the voyeur's role as she takes us on a personal adventure from ordinary to extreme circumstances. From the cocktail hour, to the journey of the heroin user, from interviews with freaks, to experiments with sensory deprivation, she tries everything at least once and the results are often surprising.