Daniel Stern (6)

I read this e-book as an advance reading copy provided by NetGalley, and I have submitted my comments to the publisher via that web site.

As an active participant in the "lifestyle" of multiple heterosexual sex partners known as swinging, the author of this book has many aims: to inform, to instruct, to titillate, and to amuse. He definitely succeeds at his final objective, presenting a lighthearted account of his introduction to and success in swinging. Readers will laugh at the author's show more amusing (albeit often overwrought) writing without denigrating the swingers themselves, whom the author treats with respect.

The author directs this book to unattached men who want to enter the world of swinging, as he did himself. He offers various tips for the reader, which boil down to kindness and the golden rule, sprinkled with accounts of various group sex encounters. I found the sex to be not erotic at all. The writer narrates like play by play accounts of a porn film, with a heavy emphasis on visuals and variety (person A did this to person B, who then interacted with person C, who was playing with person D, who was involved with both persons E and F ad nauseam). I found this cataloging, with its emphasis on quantity over quality, not to be arousing. If there had been emphasis on other senses, such as touch, smell, and sound, that would have been far more erotic. On the other hand, I did appreciate the author's inclusion of humor--good sex can be funny as well as fun.

This book is a surface account of swinging, but it would have benefited from a more critical/feminist inquiry into the "lifestyle." The first vignette was disturbing: the narrator (a single man) and a married man discuss the prospects of group sex involving the latter's wife, without her being present in the discussion. The author presents the husband as loving and protective, but I found his behavior to be selfish, possessive, and objectifying. More perspectives from women would have been welcome.

Despite my concerns about this book, I do recommend it for purchase by public libraries--with a strong caveat. This book will definitely raise community concerns about its explicit sexual content and also its questioning of sexual monogamy (e.g. marriage). Library staff should be prepared to defend this book and the collection development policy in general. Controversial information deserves to be included in a public library, and when it is presented with good humor like it is with this book, it is more likely to be read. show less

This book was such great fun to read.

It is part How-to manual for anyone wanting to get into the lifestyle, and part memoir of the author's exploits.

And even though the book deals with sex (lots and lots of it), it's not sleezy or gross or graphic.
The tone is lighthearted and extremely funny as the author takes you though his adventures.

I learned a lot about the lifestyle, which I'm too vanilla to participate in, and it was extremely interesting and educational. I highly recommend this book.

This book was such great fun to read.

It is part How-to manual for anyone wanting to get into the lifestyle, and part memoir of the author's exploits.

And even though the book deals with sex (lots and lots of it), it's not sleezy or gross or graphic.
The tone is lighthearted and extremely funny as the author takes you though his adventures.

I learned a lot about the lifestyle, which I'm too vanilla to participate in, and it was extremely interesting and educational. I highly recommend this book.

This book was such great fun to read.

It is part How-to manual for anyone wanting to get into the lifestyle, and part memoir of the author's exploits.

And even though the book deals with sex (lots and lots of it), it's not sleezy or gross or graphic.
The tone is lighthearted and extremely funny as the author takes you though his adventures.

I learned a lot about the lifestyle, which I'm too vanilla to participate in, and it was extremely interesting and educational. I highly recommend this book.