Naked At Lunch book review

[NakedShadow]

Hey everybody! There was recently a new book on nudism released called Naked Lunch: A Reluctant Adventures in the Clothing Optional World by Mark Haskell Smith.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23168342-naked-at-lunch
https://www.amazon.com/Naked-Lunch-Reluctant-Adventures-Clothing-Optional/dp/0802125166

It is a easy to read book written for the popular masses with a touch of humor. You can read a quick review of the book that I did for my personal blog a few months ago here:
https://readreadbookblog.tumblr.com/post/173170370175/naked-at-lunch-the-adventures-of-a-reluctant
But here is a chapter by chapter break down of the book


Chapter 1 begins with I’m on a boat: The author is in a nude cruise. This section basically serves as an introduction and talks about why the author wanted to write the book.

Chapter 2 Interview with a nudist: An interview with Mark Storey an activist nudist. Mark Storey explains the various ideas and concepts of nudism to the author

Chapter 3 Skin in the Game: This sections has information about skin and UVA/sunshine. Interesting due to the author’s paranoia about his super white skin, he gets skin advice from an actually doctor about the dangerous of sunlight hitting his skin

Chapter 4 Gymnophobia: author tries to visit Terra Cotta nudist resort but fails due to a no singles policy. He instead goes to Desert Sun Resort and remarks about how much old people there are here

Chapter 5 A Very Brief History of Early Nonsexual Social Nudism: a history of social nudity is shown here with the beginning of many nudists manifestos (there are a lot of manifestos that are read here, a lot)

Chapter 6 I left my Cock Ring in San Francisco: author does an interview with San Francisco district 8 supervisor Scott Wiener on the city’s public nudity ban. Interesting points are explained how Wiener (heh) was forced by not just by the city but the residents of his gay district voters to combat the public nudity problem. Fine journalism/investigating done by the author here.

Chapter 7 The Rise of Nudist Clubs in America: The AANR doesn’t respond to the author requests for anything. Also the history of nudism in U.S. is explored here.

Chapter 8 Vera Playa: The author travels to here to see the Spain city’s nudist ideas. Also the history of the city and nudism tourism it has is explored and also an interview with the city’s major

Chapter 9 The Man in the Fishnet Diaper: author goes to Cap d’Agde. Compared to Vera Playa it is a 180 flip with author making comments about how more sexually environment Cap d’Agde is.

Chapter 10 The Naked European Walking Tour: author takes a some hikes nude in Vogeialm valley Austria with some other nude European hikers

Chapter 11 Sex and the Single Nudist: author and fellow European nude hiker from the previous chapter Catalan reporter Conxita talk about nude hiking and the transition between clothed and nude why taking off clothes is hot and sexy

Chapter 12 Trends in Genital Topiary: talks about pubic hair

Chapter 13 There’s a reason Florida is shaped like a penis: author travels to Florida to visit the Kissimmee’s American Nudist Research Library in Cypress Cove Nudist Resort and Spa.

Chapter 14 Free Beaches: Lee Baxandall’s journey from left wing bohemian to nudist and the various attempts to open nude beaches in America are explained. author goes to Haulover beach and Black’s Beach where he comments how different black’s is compared to other American nude beaches with more young, racially mixed and sexual free beach goers

Chapter 15 The Dark Secrets of Lisa Lutz: friend of author has stories of when she was little in the 1970s and her family was sexually open and her own nudity making her uncomfortable

Chapter 16 the fall of nudist clubs: talks about young people and the lack of interest in nudist clubs, interviews Felicity Jones a young nudist activist

Chapter 17 World Naked Whatever Day: talks about nudity as a weapon of protest. talks to  Free Range Naturism/ Naked Munros couple creators and getting naked in non traditional places (those ‘buns out’ Instagram photos)

chapter 18 Funwreckers: nudity and the law is explained here

chapter 19 Fashinonista: author talks to fashion designer Erica Davies and her thoughts on nudity

chapter 20 Brave New World: an interview with Bob Morton director of Naturist Action Committee about public nudity laws

chapter 21 Caribbean Nakation: author goes on a Big Nude Boat cruise with his wife. It is interesting as she reludently agrees to come after he buys a room for himself only. The author strips down and encourages his wife not to if she doesn’t want to. Once they land on an (private?) island, away from all the people he strips and after a while she joins him and skinny dips. After a while on the boat, his wife takes off her clothes little by little until she is comfortable enough to be nude with everyone else

Naked at lunch: end of the book with the author explaining his thoughts and conclusions. I would recommend this book for someone who is aged at 30 years old or older as many of the humor and references are better understood by an older crowd.

[kissane]

A really entertaining book. It is a very light read, but the author covers a lot(and must have racked up a lot of airmiles in the name of research) in a very lighthearted way. He has a wonderful capacity for description, and to coin phrases, eg genital topiary was a new addition to my vocabulary, but a welcome one.

[Jen]

Shame he didn't get to a true family naturist resort in France such as La Jenny or Montalivet etc