50 Shades: The Good, The Bad & The Downright Dirty

By Kim Droze

While there's no denying that the majority of men have a voracious appetite for most things sex-related, it's always been a gray area for energy-sapped women who seem to search for any excuse they can find to avoid intercourse. But thanks to "the book," there's a hot new remedy for those "headaches."

Sex has gone from gray to grey thanks to "the book" that has launched a thousand orgasms. We're talking about 50 Shades of Grey (Vintage, 2012), an erotic novel penned by British author E.L. James that's on the lips of women everywhere -- from CEOs to soccer moms. Released in 2011, the trilogy centers around plain Jane college graduate Anastasia Steele and the enigmatic Christian Grey, a rich, powerful, handsome businessman who entices her to become a submissive in his wild world of bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism.

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At its inception, the Twilight-inspired book was entitled Master of the Universe and published on fan fiction websites. But because of its racy nature, it soon found a home on the author's own website FiftyShades.com. The book was distributed as an e-book but due to its overwhelming success, it was marketed as a print-on-demand paperback by The Writers' Coffee Shop.

Today, the little book that could has sold more than 20 million copies with book rights sold in 37 countries. Adding to its accolades, 50 Shades of Grey has also earned the title for being the fastest-selling paperback of all time, even surpassing the Harry Potter books. Oh, and It's single-handedly responsible for the rise of "mommy porn." It's even been credited with reviving sex lives, giving women a newfound fervor for frisky behavior.