CHATSWORTH, Calif. - Topco Sales is featured as one of the adventures award-winning journalist Brian Alexander embarked upon for his new book, America Unzipped: In Search of Sex & Satisfaction.
Alexander, MSNBC.com's sex columnist, traveled across the United States gathering experiences for the book.
"These days, it seems that everyone wants gear," he said. "Sex toys are huge. When I worked in an adult store, I found myself answering questions from 60-year-old ladies about the benefits of various vibrators. I had to find out just who the heck makes these things, and Topco Sales was very generous in allowing me to visit the plant in Chatsworth and spend time with [company founder] Marty Tucker. I learned a lot."
Alexander also visited Joe Beam, a minister who teaches Christians to give in to their sexual desires, and took a trip to San Francisco to see the city's BDSM world.
"Exposure like this in the mainstream world really puts Topco Sales into the spotlight for people who have probably never heard of us," said Justina Walford of Topco Sales. "I was the director of public relations during Brian's visit and found his research fascinating. It was interesting to see his work evolve from the MSNBC.com postings to the book. I think his unique perspective and frank observations of sex in America are something that everyone needs to see."
Almost seven pages of the book are dedicated to Alexander's tour of the Topco Sales facility. Some of the information has been "colored with a dab of creative license," Topco said, but the book "paints an entertaining and provocative picture of Topco Sales and the adult novelty industry."
America Unzipped: In Search of Sex & Satisfaction is available in both hardcover and e-book editions from Harmony Books, a division of Random House.
