Taormino provides a much-needed update to the subject. Unlike other authors who have tackled the subject of open relationships, Taormino makes the argument that polyamory can be non-sexual, and such relationships are as valid and important as those with a sexual component. Clearly written without being dogmatic, instructive without being preachy, Taormino's book could possibly topple "The Ethical Slut" from its place as the definitive book on open relationships. Read it if you're curious, currently practicing, or just intrigued by the many and varied ways that human beings relate to each other. ( )

Opening Up is by far the best book about open relationships written in the past 10 years. (and I've read a lot of them.) It covers different models of nonmonogamy- everything from polyfidelity to swinging- and is informative and nonjudgmental. I'd recommend this to people new to the lifestyle and people just looking for new perspectives. ( )

If one is looking for a comprehensive textbook about polyamory, this is a good find. It cites all the polyamory classics, plus others, like Rosenberg's _Nonviolent Communication_, that were formative for my thinking about polyamory and open relationships. However, if you're looking for something more engaging, emotionally and intellectually challenging, or personally written, you should check out _The Ethical Slut_, _Radical Honesty_ and definitely _Nonviolent Communication_ (it's not about polyamory, but the process and principles of NVC are incredibly valuable for learning how to be clear in one's thinking and communication, essential skills for the polyamorous).

Taormino's writing style is dry and descriptive, often prescriptive. The chapters are well outlined and cover each relevant topic. ( )

My experience with this book differs so greatly from the other reviews that I wonder if I was sent the correct book. I wanted to like this book, I really did, even though I've never been able to finish one of Ms. Taormino's columns in the Village Voice.
The writing style was so simplistic as to render it boring, and altogether, the book read like a series of pamphlets sewn together into a book. Taormino focuses on the excrutiating, boring details of how exactly to have every kind of open relationship, while skimping on the actual interesting stories of the people she interviewed.
Most of the studies that she cites are old and the samples are almost all limited. There was also a shock when I found out that she cites Wikipedia. I know that this isn't a scholarly work, but I learned in seventh grade that an encyclopedia is not an acceptable source. And why pay $16.95 for something you can get for free? Just read the Wiki article on "Swinging."
If you're seriously interested in having an open relationship, my advice is to skip this book and read some of the more interesting-sounding ones that Taormino cites, such as "The Myth of Monogamy," "Beyond Monogamy," and anything by Raven Kaldera. ( )

Clear writing, comprehensive coverage, compassionate perspective. ( )