Hurts So Good: The Science and Culture of Pain on Purpose

"In this exploration of masochism, what author Leigh Cowart calls “pain on purpose,” Cowart does something we so rarely see in discussions on the topic: refuses to pathologize their subjects. Through conversations with sexual masochists, along with ballet dancers, ultramarathon runners, hot pepper enthusiasts and folks who self-harm, Cowart takes the stigma out of the idea that people might enjoy experiencing pain by making masochism into something nearly everyone can identify with."