Violet Blue

The Ultimate Guide to Fellatio: How to Go Down on a Man and Give Him Mind-Blowing Pleasure by Violet Blue

People are afraid to review this one it seems. Well, I have to admit that you won't see me putting it on my blog and letting it map over to Facebook either! I will also admit that this is one of the things that makes you appreciate your Kindle! Privacy!

Remember when you were in high school? Do you remember that one person who would be reading a book like "Deep Throat," while having it show more wrapped in a paper-bag book cover? Your Kindle keeps you discreet!

To be honest, this is a wonderful book! Because of its topic we all tend to shy away from talking about it in public. Well, either that or some people think they're experts and don't want to let on that they were open-minded enough about the subject matter to buy the book. Ahem.

To all of you who have listed it I say, "Bravo!" To Library Thing I say, "Thank you!" for giving us a place to share things like this when it might otherwise be found offensive. To Amazon I say, "I'm sorry!" because things are a little too public over there. Which is a good thing, Amazon, so don't get me wrong!

This has just been my best psychological approach.

There are so many things that can be said about this book! I thought the best way to deal with this would be to make a list of pros and cons -- things that would help me sum it up for everyone. I will list the obvious cons first because they are self-explanatory. I will follow up with the pros because I need to elaborate and go into more detail.

Cons:

1. Topic: Let's face it, this is not a comfortable book to either buy or read in public. Most people would not be seen reading about this subject during lunch or on the bus. Did I mention that I love my Kindle?

2. Language: This is probably the biggest con. In spite of the fact that I knew what I was reading, I still cringed now and again at some of the word choices. While I would almost recommend this book for adolescents (I'll elaborate on that a bit more later) the language is a bit over the top in spots. (Do remember, however, that most teens in high school know all of those words better than we do, and then some!)

3. The author's name may cause you to think twice. Forgive me. I love my name and I love Violet's name too! But, it sounds like a name you would give a porn star. That makes it hard to take her seriously. But, you should. In some places you should take her VERY seriously, and you WILL!

4. The previous item brings up the one attribute in this book that can be seen as a pro and a con at the same time. So, I need to list it in both places. When Ms. Blue talks about the dangers of the various fellatio-related activities, it's almost enough to scare you away from all of it completely.

Pros:

1. We'll start with turning that last con into a pro. Language aside, there are certainly excerpts that would work very nicely in the sex education classes of our middle and high school students! Those warnings can apply to ANY sexual activity so take it seriously! Those warnings are even a good reminder for adults -- to be aware and to think twice about who you partner with and/or when thinking about multiple partners. That latter is another controversial topic of conversation outside the book's topic but the author does mention it.

2. There is little that the author doesn't mention. I don't know that there was anything not discussed that related to oral or anything else in that region. There is full coverage of the topic. In some areas it is even repetitive. I am not sure if that was intentional or not. With Item #1 above, it is effective and that repetition WAS intentional.

3. Ideas! You get a lot of them. It provides a lot of things to discus with your partner and some even better things you can use to surprise your partner. They are easy and, most importantly, there may be simple things there that you never even thought about doing!

4. It provides a venue to talk with your partner and open the lines of communication and establish a comfort level. If fellatio is something that has always made you uncomfortable, this little book will take a lot of that discomfort away.

5. Toys! We all love toys, don't we? We are told what kind to buy and what NOT to use! Carrots are not a good thing for anal play. Okay. Hadn't planned on it, but good to know. (I do remember a news story some years back about a guy with a gerbil up there. Poor gerbil!)

6. Safety! Safe play is probably the largest thing to come forward from this publication. I have NEVER seen or heard of anything sex-related that spends so much time with warning, reassuring, and instructing all at the same time. If it's not safe, Violet is going to bloody well tell you about it!

7. Resources! Oh my goodness, there are tons of resources and suggestions if you want more than what the book has already provided. Violet even tells you which videos are most helpful and authentic.

Now, all that being said, was it worth it? Yes. You WILL get things out of it! Am I now an expert? Uh, no. But I am wishing, now more than ever, that I was!

Trust me, this will help your comfort level and open new doors for you and your partner. I don't know how to give a grade to a book like this but I will say that if you're pondering reading or getting it, just do it! show less

Finally, a down-to-Earth guide that acknowledged how much harder it is for women on the Internet! It was easy to read (fairly quick too, if you are trying to absorb it all before implementing) and, unlike so many guides, aimed at the non-technical.

Two major criticisms: (1) to implement ALL of the tips, you need $$$ and some of the prevention tips are beyond my means; and (2) there are certain sections where the instructions are too sparse to implement - however, Blue is detailed enough with show more the concept and vocabulary so that you have the means to seek out more instruction. I would have rather had a longer, more detailed book, but I understand the feasibility of that was lacking, especially if you wanted to keep it non-technical.

All in all, after reading, I feel I have some tools to rebuild my digital life and protect myself for my next foray into that world. The book felt geared to me, was not over my head (like some of the technical books my bookstore pushed on me) and gave me some control quickly. I can always go more in-depth later. show less

Finally, a down-to-Earth guide that acknowledged how much harder it is for women on the Internet! It was easy to read (fairly quick too, if you are trying to absorb it all before implementing) and, unlike so many guides, aimed at the non-technical.

Two major criticisms: (1) to implement ALL of the tips, you need $$$ and some of the prevention tips are beyond my means; and (2) there are certain sections where the instructions are too sparse to implement - however, Blue is detailed enough with show more the concept and vocabulary so that you have the means to seek out more instruction. I would have rather had a longer, more detailed book, but I understand the feasibility of that was lacking, especially if you wanted to keep it non-technical.

All in all, after reading, I feel I have some tools to rebuild my digital life and protect myself for my next foray into that world. The book felt geared to me, was not over my head (like some of the technical books my bookstore pushed on me) and gave me some control quickly. I can always go more in-depth later. show less

No, the Covid pandemic is not over, contrary to beliefs widely held. Violet Blue is an award winning investigative journalist on cybersecurity, digital rights and privacy. She has been published in Popular Science, in Oprah Winfrey’s magazine “O”, and has appeared on Oprah’s show. Her other books include “Smart Girl’s Guide to Privacy” and a memoir called “A Fish has No Word for Water” about her time as homeless in San Francisco.

This is a frank discussion of Covid and one show more that expands her Patreon Weekly Pandemic Roundup. The introduction gives her background in San Francisco during the AIDS pandemic, so she is familiar with the dynamic of a disease that has included misinformation. Facts are documented with footnotes, and the extensive bibliography at the end shows that she did not write this solo. The bullet points at the start of the book list the basics about “here’s what we wish our friends, family, co-workers, and everyone knew about Covid-19.”

Advice is given on masking, air quality, talking about Covid, and how to set boundaries when at risk for infection. Long Covid is discussed as a long term health effect of even a mild case. Personality changes can occur in a person who has had Covid, deciding that it’s no big deal and ignoring safety concerns. Violet says use your anger to fight isolation and find like-minded people on social media or safe meetings.

This is a useful handbook for dealing with your safety, tips on staying informed with reliable sources, and preventing Covid infection. Highly recommended. I received this book early as part of a Kickstarter campaign. show less