Axterdam

I am absolutely fascinated by Kama Sutra, which is why I was excited to read this book. I own a shattering number of Kama Sutra books because I enjoy being able to discover positions that gave pleasure in ancient times, and still be able to apply them to my sex life today. There's a reason Kama Sutra is so popular, Dannam and Axterdam explain in this edition. It is the universal practice of maximal sexual delight. This one also had some pretty interesting drawings that were fun to look at and model my own experiences with.

Source: Received directly from publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!)… (mer)

As I'm beginning to read BDSM erotica more and more, bondage seems to be more of a plausible sex option for me. The pain and torture thing is obviously a turnoff, but Axterdam's book elaborates upon the intricacy of the ropes, as well as, of course, safety precautions, and the extensiveness of this not only sexual, but also sensual art fascinates me. Sadly, I'm a bit of a rookie. I haven't even done light bondage such as just using a blindfold (my sex life is a bore, right?). However, with this guide, I'm sure that's bound to change soon.

The step-by-step instructions for Japanese Rope bondage, as well as the history and testimonials behind bondage and sexuality constitute this helpful, personal, and highly informative read. I recommend this one to newbies to the practice!

Source: Received directly from publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!)… (mer)

This book has very little to do with the Kama Sutra. The Kama Sutra is an ancient religious manual on the rites of pleasure. It is famous because it deals explicitly with sex. It does describe some sexual positions but it has also has separate chapters on biting, scratching, hitting, and fellatio. It is not just a list of sexual positions. It also talks about relationships, gardening, and interior decorating. How one should live one's life.

"Dare...To Try Kama Sutra" tries to be a list of sexual positions. It is divided into seven sections categorized by the seven Mortal Sins: Envy, Greed, Pride, Gluttony, Wrath, Lust, and Sloth. This annoyed me because the Kama Sutra is about how sex was part of a truly spiritual life. Equating sex with sin is the exact opposite of the Kama Sutra. Then there is the problem of how do you categorize a sexual position with this list of sins? How is a sexual position wrathful or greedy? This how they did it. Envy is positions where one person has more control of the action than the other. Greed is oral sex and masturbation. Pride is activities that require flexibility and stamina. Gluttony is physically demanding, requiring strength and endurance. Wrath is mostly anal sex and other positions where partners don't face each other. Lust is multiple partners, bondage, strap-ons, and sex tapes. Sloth is easy positions that require very little energy. Forty-nine sexual positions, seven times seven. (Although masturbation, using a swing or a hammock, videotaping yourself, bondage, sex toys, threesomes, and orgies are not really positions.)

There are some activities that would work for lesbians, slightly more that would work for gay men, but most are optimized for heterosexual couples. It is straight but not narrow.

There is an excellent bibliography of classic sex manuals at the end and plenty of references to them throughout. Every entry has a clear cartoon style illustration and a clear description of what it is.

This is an overview of the whole "Dare..." line of sex books. Which is not a bad thing. If you are looking for a small book with forty-nine ideas for how to spice up your sex life this it. If you are looking for a modern introduction to the Kama Sutra this is not it.… (mer)

How do you review a book like Dare to try…the Kama Sutra? Do you take it home with you and talk your wife, husband, mistress/mister, or girl/boy-friend into trying some of the things you are reading about? If you try something in a “How to…” sex book and it sucks, does the book suck or was it you that sucked? No pun intended. Can you use the angle that the ancient guru’s of Indian recommended threesomes (or whatever it is that appeals to you in the book) to suggest it to your partner under the excuse of needing to do some “research” for your review? Do you review it on literary merit? Ballsiness? (OK, pun intended that time)

I loved the openness with which sex is discussed in this book. We need more books like this to open people’s minds and get out of the puritanical rut and denial that we seem to have inherited over the years of our American Dream. Open our minds so that we can make the choices that make sense for us with all the data we need to really consider the choices. I’m not surprised that this book comes from Europe, from France to be exact. There is sly and playful humor in a lot of the book as they move through the different positions. The positions are grouped into sections corresponding to the seven deadly sins as defined by Thomas Aquinas. Nice touch.

One thing I really liked about the book was the many references to older books about sex, most of which I have never heard of but which I would definitely be interesting in finding and reading. It would be quite interesting and fascinating to read how a sex manual would be written in the 18th century. I wonder how many of the French books in the bibliography have been translated. The artwork in the book was also nice, the drawings by Axterdam nicely rendered and graphic enough to illustrate without being too much. I’d like to see some of the other titles in this series.

This book was reviewed as part of LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program.… (mer)