Friends often ask me how I can spend 5 straight days in Vegas (and go 4-6 times per year). The answer is painfully boring – I don’t party much, I don’t drink and I limit my gambling. This past trip I spent a good amount of time power reading. One of the books that I read was “Insatiable: Porn – A Love Story,” by Asa Akira, one of the most famous porn stars around. It was anything but boring.
If you’re like me, you love learning through the eyes of the extreme. I’ve played poker with professionals, bowled in major tournaments, pitched against future major leaguers, exhibited at the National Sports Collector’s Convention and attended the Mr. Olympia fitness show. Insatiable was a great read in that Asa gives the reader the chance to imagine life in the porn industry without any sticky mess. She breaks down her story, going from a private school girl in New York to AVN award winner.
In many ways it’s exactly what you’d expect from a book written by a porn star. It’s got sex (lots of it), drugs and a laundry list of mistakes. What’s unique is Asa’s level of self awareness (one of my favorite personality traits in a friend or writer). She fully recognizes social convention, anticipates objection/response and is shamelessly honest about what is probably best described as her compulsions. She’s funny, introspective and humble, and, despite being a world-class celebrity at the top of her field, comes off as someone you could be friends with. I met her at AVN last year and she was a delight.
While the book can be somewhat crass, I’d fully recommend it to anybody open-minded enough to want to peek behind the curtain and learn a bit about what life in the adult entertainment industry is really like. (Amazon Link)