Product Description

As a champion of trusting, loving relationships, this groundbreaking book advocates mutual respect and tenderness between lovers. A bestseller since it was first published in 1972, Alex Comfort's classic work celebrated human physical intimacy with such authority and clarity that a whole generation felt empowered to enjoy sex. No other book has come close in providing such an imaginative, uninhibited, and entertaining guide to lovemaking. The reasons for unfulfilling sexual relations today are different to those of Alex Comfort's original audience. This new edition of "The Joy of Sex", fully revised and updated by respected sex expert and relationship psychologist Susan Quilliam, contains over 40 new entries, bringing Comfort's original, frank advice up to date for the modern readership.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12551 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Review
"An intelligent sex manual that is serious without being solemn." --Desmond Morris

Review
"Witty, fanciful, and mercifully free of moralizing."

From the Author
It was just over two years ago that I was invited to rewrite The Joy of Sex. Dr Alex Comfort, the original author, had died in the year 2000, and the publishers were looking for a sexologist (preferably female) to "reinvent" the book for the twenty-first century.

At first I was overawed - how could I rewrite the most famous sex book in the world? I remember the first edition in 1972, and I knew that The Joy of Sex has not only reflected but also created huge changes in our attitudes to passion.

But then I realised that Dr Comfort and I have the same values and aims. We both believe that sex is hugely important in life - it keeps us healthy, sane and long-lived. We both believe that people have the right to a good sex - and that with today's pressures there's even more need for a book that encourages us to relax, to play and to really enjoy passion. But we both also believe that sex is not just a game - it's a hugely powerful force in life and needs to be taken seriously.

How have I reinvented the original book? First I needed to update the science. Research has moved on since 1972 and we now know much more about the human body, the sexual process - and how to solve sexual problems and enhance sexual enjoyment.

I've also needed to change the book to reflect social shifts. Compared to 1972, society's much more relaxed about sexuality; many more of us have sex, have sex outside marriage, and have sex with a variety of people in a variety of ways. But in some ways we're now more aware of the problems sex can bring with it - unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and the pain of infidelity and rejection.

So along with all the best bits of the original book - which cover everything from breasts to bondage, orgasm to orgies - I've not only included new sections on physiological elements like hormones, aphrodisiacs and the clitoris. I've not only introduced coverage of new developments in sexuality such as the internet, sex shops, sex toys, and new techniques like the CAT position and the Venus Butterfly. I've also written about love and compatibility, seduction and fidelity, sexual confidence and keeping desire alive.

It's taken me two years to complete this project and they've been two of the most fascinating years of my life. I've constantly been amazed at how much there is to know about sex nowadays, and how much there is to appreciate.

I really hope that everyone who reads this takes away the same message. We all deserve a rich sex life. We all deserve the joy of sex.

Customer Reviews

New and good.
This is one good book on all things sex. It's good for either gender, too, we can both learn a lot here. Many times, these books overexplain things and don't keep it simple. This one doesn't. It's conscise, to the point and never dull. Read it. Also liked: Sex Machine: A Man's Guide to What Really Pleases a Woman in Bed.

Never mind the words, buy this book for the pictures ...
This is a remarkable book, made all the more so by the sheer brilliance of Russell Faulkner's illustrations. Where photography leaves you cold, one man's masterly confidence with light, shade, colour and breathtakingly sensitive insight will have you hungrily turning the pages for more. I couldn't recommend it any more highly.

I expected more
I expected something different. I think the book is O.K. to get a general overview, but then again, sex is so personal, the book does give ideas and information although not as much as I had hoped