"There's no proof that the book caused the surge, but we probably can thank Fifty Shades of Grey, which featured bondage and other sex practices, for at least some of this phenomenon. The book, which has been read by tens of millions of people, and upcoming movie have been a boon to the sex toy industry. At Target, you can buy any number of 50 Shades-themed movie tie-ins. Market research firm IBIS World estimates that adult toys were a $608 million business in 2013, and credits the erotic novels with driving much of the industry's 7.5 percent year-over-year growth." - rønin