Elegantly exploring the meaning and significance of the Unforbidden, from Genesis to Oscar Wilde to Freud and his fellow writers, Unforbidden Pleasures examines the philosophical, psychological and social dilemmas that govern our desire and shape us.

We frequently talk about forbidden pleasures. But why do we rarely discuss pleasures we take for granted?
We worry over the things we deny ourselves while paying little attention to our real enjoyment of available pleasures. But in neglecting what we have in favour of what we don’t, asks Adam Phillips, are we not denying ourselves the very joys within our grasp? Elegantly exploring the meaning and significance of the Unforbidden, from Genesis to Oscar Wilde to Freud and his fellow writers, Unforbidden Pleasures examines the philosophical, psychological and social dilemmas that govern our desire and shape us.