Solitary Sex: A Cultural History of Masturbation is a non-fiction book by American historian and sexologist Thomas W. Laqueur.

It discusses the history of masturbation, which Laqueur argues that western cultural perceptions of masturbation changed to be much more negative in the 18th century, a shift which he dates to the c. 1712 publication of anti-masturbation pamphlet Onania: or, the heinous sin of self-pollution.

In a review in The Guardian, author Ian Sansom compared the book to masturbation in the sense that he found it "voluminous, occasionally repetitive, and undoubtedly fascinating".

[1] The Journal of Modern History also found the author's claims interesting, and praised Laqueur's writing and attention to detail.

He also disagreed with several of Laqueur's claims, including his idea that masturbation became stigmatized in part due to the private nature of the act.