Sex (book)  Sex is a 1992 book written by American entertainer Madonna, with photography by Steven Meisel Studio and Fabien Baron. It was edited by Glenn O'Brien and published by Warner Books, Maverick and Callaway. The book features adult content including softcore pornography and simulations of sexual acts including sadomasochism. Madonna developed "Sex" after Judith Regan of Simon & Schuster publishers suggested a book of erotic photographs. She wrote it as a character named "Mistress Dita", inspired by 1930s film actress Dita Parlo. It was influenced by punk rock and fashion figures including Guy Bourdin, Helmut Newton and Robert Mapplethorpe. The photos were shot in early 1992 in New York City and Miami, in locations including hotels, burlesque theaters, and city streets. The book includes cameos by actress Isabella Rossellini, rappers Big Daddy Kane and Vanilla Ice, model Naomi Campbell, gay porn star Joey Stefano, actor Udo Kier, and socialite Princess Tatiana von Fürstenberg. The cover is made of aluminium, spiral bound and wrapped in a Mylar sheet. Madonna's publishers were apprehensive about the release and the book's commercial potential. It was released on October 21, 1992, the day after Madonna's fifth studio album "Erotica," A cd single 'Erotic' was also packaged with the book. It sold over 150,000 copies on its first day, and remains the fastest-selling coffee table book. "Sex" topped the "New York Times" Best Seller list and went on to sell more than 1.5 million copies worldwide. "Sex" attracted extensive media attention and backlash, but Madonna remains unapologetic. Though it initially received negative reviews from fans and critics, who felt she had "gone too far", later reviews have been more positive, with academics deeming it a defining phase in Madonna's career. "Sex" is noted for its social and cultural impact and is considered a bold post-feminist work. It has become one of the most sought-after out-of-print books. According to Giselle Benatar of "Entertainment Weekly", there are two versions that explain how Madonna came up with the idea for the book. One is that she conceived the idea of an erotic photography book during the shooting of the film "A League of Their Own" in the summer of 1991. The other is that Judith Regan, vice-president and editor-in-chief of Simon & Schuster, armed with a proposal for a collection of photo-erotica, flew to Los Angeles in March 1991 to meet with Madonna and her manager Freddy DeMann.