Kindle Price:	$11.99
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services Price set by seller.

Promotions apply when you purchase

Add an

audiobook with Audible narration for $12.99

Audiobook Price: $15.75

Save: $2.76 (18%)

Read with our free app

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Follow the author

Angela Chen

+ Follow

More books from this author

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex Kindle Edition

by Angela Chen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 873 ratings

See all formats and editions

An engaging exploration of what it means to be asexual in a world that’s obsessed with sexual attraction, and what the ace perspective can teach all of us about desire and identity.

What exactly is sexual attraction and what is it like to go through life not experiencing it? What does asexuality reveal about gender roles, about romance and consent, and the pressures of society? This accessible examination of asexuality shows that the issues that aces face—confusion around sexual activity, the intersection of sexuality and identity, navigating different needs in relationships—are the same conflicts that nearly all of us will experience. Through a blend of reporting, cultural criticism, and memoir, Ace addresses the misconceptions around the “A” of LGBTQIA and invites everyone to rethink pleasure and intimacy.

Journalist Angela Chen creates her path to understanding her own asexuality with the perspectives of a diverse group of asexual people. Vulnerable and honest, these stories include a woman who had blood tests done because she was convinced that “not wanting sex” was a sign of serious illness, and a man who grew up in a religious household and did everything “right,” only to realize after marriage that his experience of sexuality had never been the same as that of others. Disabled aces, aces of color, gender-nonconforming aces, and aces who both do and don’t want romantic relationships all share their experiences navigating a society in which a lack of sexual attraction is considered abnormal. Chen’s careful cultural analysis explores how societal norms limit understanding of sex and relationships and celebrates the breadth of sexuality and queerness.

From the Publisher

Praise for ACE by Angela Chen


"A must-read for everyone: ace, allo, or anywhere in between." —Lux Alptraum, author of Faking It: The Lies Women Tell About Sex—And the Truths They Reveal	"A cultural feat...a masterpiece." —Evette Dionne, and author of Lifting As We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box	"A revelation. We can't stop thinking about it." —Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, authors of Big Friendship

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[Ace] is a [thoughtful] combination of reportage, cultural criticism and memoir, and the writing attempts the difficult balance between proof and emotion. [Most striking is] Chen’s honesty, the sentences of intimate reflection that appear in the margins of her argument throughout.”
—The New York Times

“Ace is a fantastic starting point for dismantling harmful sexual narratives and reimagining human connection as a broader, more equitable, enjoyable and free experience.”
—Washington Post

“The book allows us to imagine how much more we could get from our relationships if we were able to free ourselves from restrictive ideas of what we’re supposed to feel and do.”
—Rhaina Cohen, NPR

“Highly informative and readable.”
—Ms.

“One guarantee: Your mind will be blown by this book.”
—Shondaland

“Chen sets a thoughtful, rigorous, personally generous tone for what will hopefully be an expanding area of study.”
—Electric Literature

“This book isn’t just about asexuality and that’s what makes it such a vital read; it’s about society, and society’s rules and norms and expectations around sex, sexuality, and all forms of relationships. It’s so good and I want every person on earth to read it.”
—Sarah Nielsen, them

“Chen’s careful cultural analysis explores how societal norms limit understanding of sex and relationships and celebrates the breadth of sexuality and queerness.”
—Kundiman

“In her penetrating yet wittily kind voice, she describes many different visions of a sexually liberated society, if we could all just pay closer attention. She both imagines and demands a world through which each individual can move on their own terms, where any expression of orientation or attraction or desire can be as simple—as accepted and acceptable and easy and profound and taken at face value and understood—as ‘You’re my person.’”
—Women’s Review of Books

"Asexual and aromantic people are often dismissed or erased from the spectrum of queerness. Angela Chen’s book is key to the fight against that erasure.... [An] accessible guide to asexuality."
—BookRiot

“A necessary and thoughtful book that accessibly communicates a wide array of ace experiences.”
—Booklist

“Chen has produced a thoughtful look at what it means not to experience sexual attraction.”
—Library Journal

“Precision of language . . . is at the fore of Ace, a text that offers a nuanced exploration of sexual identities and a celebration of other types of intimacies beyond the confines of compulsory sexuality.”
—International Examiner

“Asexual people have always existed, but they have long gone unacknowledged. Even Alfred Kinsey, when developing his scale for sexual orientation, called asexual people Group X and excluded them from the spectrum. Journalist Chen interviewed nearly 100 asexual people—or “aces”—to fill in this historical gap and present various aspects of the asexual experience in scientific and cultural context. For example, Chen points to how the definition of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the American Psychiatric Association's current compendium of psychological conditions, reinforces the idea that low sexual desire is something that needs to be cured. Although asexuality is often described as a lack of sexual attraction, Chen argues that 'we must consider that negative space can be more than an absent image.‘”
—Karen Kwon, Scientific American

“This excellent book successfully challenges many of society’s entrenched ideas around sex and desire. Reading it should be mandatory for all.”
—The Independent

“A great starting point for anyone who wants to discover more about this identity, for both those who have a feeling they could be ace and those who do not. It does a great job of providing context, real life examples, and points of consideration about this topic.”
—The Mancunion

“Ace is an excellent introduction to asexuality and its place on the wider spectrum of human sexuality. It is a mandatory read for anyone affected by sex and sexuality, which is, of course, everyone.”
—Feminism in India

“A long overdue addition to the catalog of sexuality writing and resources. Chen thoughtfully positions asexuality not as its own unique category or identity but as one more point on the vast, diverse spectrum of human sexual identities. A must-read for everyone: ace, allo, or anywhere in between.”
—Lux Alptraum, author of Faking It: The Lies Women Tell About Sex—and the Truths They Reveal

“Through painstaking research and her considerable skill as a storyteller, Angela Chen brings needed attention and nuance to an often overlooked spectrum of asexual experiences, encouraging readers to consider what exists and what is possible in terms of human connection, consent, understanding, and acceptance. A book that makes room for questions even as it illuminates, Ace should be viewed as a landmark work on culture and sexuality.”
—Nicole Chung, author of All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir

“Accessible and eloquently written, Ace sensitively and accurately spotlights an interconnected series of outsider experiences. Few asexual-spectrum narratives so authentically and diversely capture the truths, the quirks, the tragedies, and the triumphs of our lives without alienating non-ace readers or appealing only to one subset of the ace population. Ace creates an inclusive tapestry of validating and eye-opening narratives that will give some readers an experience they may have never had before: seeing our ‘anomalous’ perspectives and emotions given the sensitive examination and validation we’ve always been denied.”
—Julie Sondra Decker, author of The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality

“Chen’s tenacious search for the precise language to describe her experiences is deeply moving and relatable. This book will inspire you to interrogate every assumption you’ve made about yourself, your sexuality, and your relationships. Ace is a revelation. We can’t stop thinking about it.”
—Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, authors of Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close

“Ace is nothing less than a cultural feat. It’s a powerful book that interweaves reporting and research about asexuality in ways that will remain with readers long after they’ve turned the last page. Ace announces a new dawn, one in which asexual people are voicing their experiences without fear or shame. They’re here, simply living and demystifying misconceptions in the process.”
—Evette Dionne, editor in chief of Bitch Media and author of Lifting As We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box

About the Author

Angela Chen is a journalist and writer in New York City. Her reporting and criticism have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Atlantic, Guardian, Paris Review, Electric Literature, Catapult, and elsewhere. She is a member of the ace community and has spoken about asexuality at academic conferences and events including World Pride. Find her on Twitter @chengela or at www.angelachen.org.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07Y7H1WT9
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beacon Press (September 15, 2020)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 15, 2020
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1004 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 226 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #76,716 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #10 in Counseling & Psychology eBooks on Human Sexuality
- #39 in Medical Psychology of Sexuality
- #110 in Love & Romance (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 873 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Angela Chen

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Angela Chen is a journalist and writer in New York City. Her reporting and criticism have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Atlantic, Guardian, Paris Review, Electric Literature, Catapult, and elsewhere. Chen is a member of the ace community and has spoken about asexuality at academic conferences and events including World Pride. Find her on Twitter @chengela or at angelachen.org.

Author photo: Sylvie Rosokoff

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

873 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Reviews with images

See all photos

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Leigh Anne Martin Hunt

informative

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2023

Verified Purchase

After feeling like something was wrong with me for so many years, this helps me see from another angle! I look forward to reading and learning more.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

JD

Meticulously researched, totally honest & deeply illuminating!!!!!

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2020

Verified Purchase

I’m not an Amazon “pseudo-critic”, an academic, or a mental healthcare provider. I’m just a middle-aged straight lady who haltingly identifies as being on the “asexual spectrum”. It has made me crazy for YEARS. If you’re like me and have longed for clear-cut information and deftly-related stories about what it’s like to realize that you might be “ace”, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU. There’s a great deal of bizarre and misleading info about asexuality out there in the world, both on and offline. Trying to identify asexual characteristics and behaviors within oneself can be absolutely maddening, because it’s such a misunderstood orientation. Ms. Chen writes from her personal perspective relating to her own struggles and questions about asexuality. This book answers a lot of questions for those of us who are coming to identify themselves as ace, such as: what about romance/love? what about sex? what do I tell my husband/wife/partner? am I some kind of broken weirdo? And the most agonizing question for folks like me: why does the entire world revolve around sexual intercourse?! Chen has bravely written from the asexual point of view, so this book gives the ace folks and non-asexuals something to chew on. My experience reading this book was one of gasping recognition, on just about every page. There were stories about every type of person/personality/orientation who might identify as asexual: straight, gay, trans, they/them, vanilla, Christian, etc. This book helped me to understand that asexuality is NOT a “disease” and I’m not disables, weird, or incomplete without sex. I don’t need to be medicated. I’m so immeasurably grateful to Ms. Chen for writing this book. It’s going to help a LOT of people understand and learn not be frightened by asexuality, either in themselves or their loved ones.

124 people found this helpful

Helpful

A. Sterling

Must Read Book on Asexuality

Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2021

Verified Purchase

Very good book, quality, a must read for sure, especially because there are not many books on Aces out there. That being said, I wasn't really what I was expecting and I was a little bit disappointed with the narrow perspective. If you come from an upperclass, liberal background, there's no problem. If you don't, as I don't, you might struggle to relate with the book in points where you wished you would. That being said, it offers a very important and much needed perspective, I was just hoping to see a bit more of my culture and my experience of being ace than I did. The book does everything it claims to do though. We just need more people from different backgrounds to write books like this. Also, it did feel much more like a book written for non-aces explaining and justifying asexuality by an ace person than it was a book written for aces.

23 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jack Kleiner

Just what I needed when I was a teen

Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2021

Verified Purchase

Have not gotten through it all because it was very emotional for me and my book club will be picking it up in a few months anyway. But this is the type of book I wish had a little earlier in my life. It normalized asexuality is just the way that’s validating for me while also including the many diverse experiences of asexuality. Certainly good for anyone to learn about asexuality or is seeking validating for their own asexual identity. As a younger person discovering their asexuality I felt alone and broken. If I had this book then I would’ve accepted myself more and maybe not have struggled. All I had then was a dead AVEN site and tumblr. If I had this physical book then I could hold it against my chest and have the physical sensation of normality (I most assuredly have held it against my chest now).

I dream of a day where in sex education or sex positive or other LGBTQ/progressive spaces asexuality will be more highly recognized as a valid experience and understood/taught. It is just another type of experience with sex and sexuality that is as valid as any other. The absence of sexual attraction is not the absence of humanity.

16 people found this helpful

Helpful

janedoegrayson

A must read.

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2022

Verified Purchase

Personally despite this book having terms I do not like hearing or concepts I find hard to understand…

This book I feel should be a book that every person reads at some point perhaps once they are sexually active. I think the discussions this book brings up are discussions a lot of people with either high or low sex drives need to read… whether it’s to understand oneself or others.

I do believe sex is glorified too much. This book made me realize that just because I enjoy certain things doesn’t mean I am not in the Ace spectrum, and it also doesn’t mean that I am. It’s a book that allows you to think of yourself and what things mean to you. As one may not stop to think… is sex for me, and if it is why do I enjoy it? Is my definition of “wanting sex” the same as others?

Good book… highly recommended.

15 people found this helpful

Helpful

Mark Perry

insight and call for revolution

Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2023

Verified Purchase

This was an insightful and inspiring work of art. Between the academic research and the personal testimonies of the author and her interviews, the Sexuality of Asexual as provided with a way to understand and call for changes in how we all perceive romance and sex.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Elizabeth B.

Speaks directly to my experience

Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2020

Verified Purchase

This book has been so meaningful to me and has given me the words to describe my experience so much more eloquently that I could myself. I did not realize I was ace until I was in my 30s and even now it is something I'm coming to terms with talking about openly. It just wasn't something that was widely spoken of as a legitimate orientation when I was younger. I didn't even know the term. Now that I have the language to talk about it, I have found others in my social circle that also identify as ace (funny how we unconsciously found each other). Even if you aren't ace, this book so clearly describes many of the issues modern American society has regarding sexuality and how much sex someone is or isn't having. Good food for thought for anyone especially given that this does tend to be an "invisible" orientation.

34 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Christina Hill

Insight into another’s experience

Reviewed in Canada on May 23, 2023

Verified Purchase

I bought this book because I had a teenager who is identifying as a sexual, and I really wanted to educate myself so I can understand their experience and what they’re going to be facing, as well as how the world could possibly marginalize their experience. This has been a very insightful read, and is giving me enough knowledge that I can recognize situations that might be marginalizing to them.

One person found this helpful

DANILO de Sá

Ótimo

Reviewed in Brazil on October 31, 2022

Verified Purchase

Maravilhoso

One person found this helpful

Translate review to English

Emily

Really Good

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2024

Verified Purchase

2023 52 Book Challenge - 29) Sends You Down A Rabbit Hole

This was such a good book. Being asexual, there was a lot of things that I agreed with, and felt seen by, but there were also a lot of things that I hadn't considered at all, and it was so very interesting to read about the effect of sex on feminism and gender and race.

Anna B.

mindblowing

Reviewed in Germany on September 26, 2023

Verified Purchase

This book is very well-written and structured and gives both a very good introduction to asexuality and overview about ace issues (including overlap with other kinds of discrimination) and discussions about the meaning of sex and romance in society. For me personally (who had not read super many books about asexuality before), this book was filled with so many revelations.

One person found this helpful

Daniel

Molto interessante anche per chi non è "ace"

Reviewed in Italy on November 22, 2021

Verified Purchase

Libro molto ben ricercato e pieno di riflessioni sull'intersezione di genere, etnia, disabilità e sessualità. Cosa la società si aspetta da noi e come questo può avere impatti diversi per diversi individui.

Buy for others

Buying and sending eBooks to others

Follow the author

Image Unavailable

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex Kindle Edition

Customers who bought this item also bought

From the Publisher

Praise for ACE by Angela Chen

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Videos

About the author

Angela Chen

Customer reviews

Reviews with images

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries