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Dare... to Try Bisexuality (Positively Sexual) (2011)

by Pierre Des Esseintes

Series: Osez, Dare... to

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3018786,912 (1.44)None
Encompassing clinical studies and social perspectives, this book is a comprehensive resource for the bi-curious as well as highly experienced bisexuals. It explores various beliefs about bisexuality -- it's a temporary condition, all bisexuals are homosexuals in denial, and others -- and breaks down the orientation into eight specific categories. Self-tests, advice for couples, and places to meet bisexuals are also included in this supportive, nonjudgmental guide.… (more)
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Showing 1-5 of 18 (next | show all)
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
I thought I'd reviewed this already, but as it's not marked as reviewed, I'll rewrite it.
I did not like this book. While I appreciated the author's attempt to shine positivity on what may be considered taboo, as a bisexual person, I felt that this book delved into the worst stereotypes of us and put them proudly on display. The author could have done so much better with accurate representation. 
  Violaine | Mar 10, 2022 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
It should have been a warning from the beginning: "Dare to try" and a cover illustration of one woman copping a feel of the other's thigh, to her shock. It only got worse from there. This book reinforces every harmful, biphobic stereotype there is, and pretends to be clever while doing so. I'm not normally one for destroying books, but this one is going in the recycle bin so it can't hurt anyone like it would have hurt me as a young person. ( )
  redpersephone | Oct 19, 2014 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
In theory, I should have loved this book. And I wanted to. But in the grand scheme of things I can't.

First, it's weighted much more toward men. Perhaps this is because in Western culture it is much more difficult for guys to explore same sex relations. But while the book is weighted more toward this side, there is also a certain level of homophobia happening. The bisexual man interviewed for this book was clear on his desire for sex, but that he could never have feelings for a man because that would be gay, and therefore bad.

Related to that, I also thought the book had a touch of heterosexism as well as gender essentialism. Somehow the presumption that females are just naturally better at being affectionate and loving, in contrast to what was mentioned above, sat poorly with me. It reminded me of the male expectation of lesbian scenes in porn.

I wish this book were worth reading. ( )
  quantumbutterfly | Nov 5, 2012 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
There are a lot of problems with this book.

1. It's really, really terrible.
2. For a book with two women on the cover, women are strangely underrepresented in this little volume.
3. For the author, bisexuality seems to equal "sleeping with everyone because sex is fun."
4. The translation is shoddily done. It doesn't flow naturally in English, and there are some truly bizarre phrases and expressions sprinkled throughout the entire thing.
5. The "Are You Bi?" quiz. Dear sweet mother of little pink ponies.
6. The title of the book is all about "trying bisexuality," as though people are gay or straight, but bisexuality is merely a fashionable trend one could try on like a cool hat.
6. This is problematic enough for two spaces: I *hated* the way bisexuality was portrayed in this book. There were many anecdotes shared throughout the book, and all of them seemed to only focus on sexy sextimes. Apparently, bisexuality does not involve making emotional connections with people of either gender. No, it is pretty much entirely about "swinging clubs" (not a euphemism; rather, a type of nightclub in which couples may go to have sex with other couples) and glory holes.

As a bisexual woman, I did not see anything of myself in this book. I was actually actively offended by almost everything about it. After trying to figure out for a while how to get rid of it, I finally gave it to a bi-curious friend as a joke gift. It really has no other purpose. ( )
1 vote MsCellophane | Jan 28, 2012 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
For starters, it's a nicely illustrated little (100 pages) book. The translation is good but not great, coming off as stilted in a few places.

That's where this book and I parted ways. A quote succinctly sums up my problem with it: "Bisexuality is completely different from homosexuality. It's about sexual pleasure- that's it." (46)

Well, as someone who's been out as a bisexual for eight years now, I can tell you that that's just not the case. This is a book about swingers, not bisexuals. The mentality that "everyone is bisexual" is damaging to actual bisexuals- we face real discrimination that "trysexuals" don't face.

The only part of the book that approaches any real connection with actual bisexuals is the interview with the sexologist (ch. 5) which I found to be well-reasoned and considerate. The rest of the book I could have done without- it's a cute book if you want to learn about swinging, but skip this if you want to learn about bisexuality. ( )
1 vote imnotsatan | Apr 22, 2011 |
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Catherine Deschamps, a social anthropologist and author of Le Miroir bisexuel (The Bisexual Mirror), writes that "investigating bisexuality is not easy.
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Bisexuality. It is universal. As a sexual behavior, it is found in almost all human societies. Once upon a time, men and women didn't feel as much social pressure to declare themselves straight, gay, or bi.
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Encompassing clinical studies and social perspectives, this book is a comprehensive resource for the bi-curious as well as highly experienced bisexuals. It explores various beliefs about bisexuality -- it's a temporary condition, all bisexuals are homosexuals in denial, and others -- and breaks down the orientation into eight specific categories. Self-tests, advice for couples, and places to meet bisexuals are also included in this supportive, nonjudgmental guide.

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Pierre Des Esseintes's book Dare...To Try Bisexuality was available from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

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