January 1, 2004
In this comprehensive sex manual, Castleman, a sex educator, counselor and journalist specializing in men's sexuality, leads readers through the pleasures and pitfalls of heterosexual copulation and its accoutrements. Illustrated with artful charcoal drawings and peppered with bon mots like"great sex is a combination of friction and fantasy," the book breezily covers a wide swath of the sexual arena, everything from the perennial libido crusher, male impotence, to questions of hygiene, like female douching. The author doesn't really reveal any new"secret principles." The Q&A section, for example, covers the same topics that most on-air sex therapists have been discussing since the sixties: e.g."During sex with my girlfriend/wife, I have fantasies of other women. Is that okay?" and"Is it okay to masturbate as much as I do?" Still, Castleman does arrange and clearly present a wealth of information--from descriptions of the sexual positions that are most likely to bring a woman to orgasm to a careful discussion of how couples can regain intimacy in the wake a sexual trauma, such as abuse, rape or stalking. Combined with the author's calm, practical tone, such breadth is likely to win him many readers. 25 b/w illustrations.
January 1, 2004
Pornography may be entertaining for men, but it's lousy sex education, writes journalist/educator Castleman (Sexual Solutions). Most men don't get much sex education, but they do see porn-and familiarity breeds imitation. Yet porn's rushed, mechanical, genital-based sex leads to erection and ejaculation problems and turns women off. "Great sex" is leisurely, playful, and creative, encompassing the whole body-and most women like it better. Castleman starts off by describing how healthy lifestyles enhance sex, then segues into men's common concerns, e.g., penis size, masturbation, male virginity, and fantasies. Further chapters cover male sexual anatomy, ejaculation timing, and erection reliability-all with facts and "Great Sex" coping approaches. Four chapters address women's sexuality/pleasure. Concluding chapters speak to both partners: variations and enhancements, birth control (including outercourse), infections, desire issues, and how to find a therapist. Throughout, Castleman deftly sells good sex for women by appealing to men's own interests, with accurate, well-referenced details. Including Internet and organizational resources, as well as a lengthy reference list on a web site, this book is highly recommended for public libraries.-Martha Cornog, Philadelphia
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.