Why do men buy sex? Udo Gerheim approaches this question in a successful synthesis of critical science and a consistently empirical analysis. Drawing on Bourdieu, he outlines the (power) structures of the field of prostitution and analyzes the social practices and habitual patterns of clients. Based on 20 interviews with clients, this is the first compelling sociological study on a central yet largely overlooked aspect of the production of heterosexual male normality and desire in the context of commercial sexuality.