Sex Relationships Books

I loved this book. Two books by Mark Waldman include Hendrix's work and are also great: THE ART OF STAYING TOGETHER, and LOVE GAMES (I got to see a prepublication proof - it won't be in the bookstores till January 2000).

If you and your partner have the patience to work through this together, it will enhance your understanding of your own motives as well as your partners. My partner and I are about 1/2 way through and I can honestly say that the improvement in our relationship has been so substantial that I went from depressed/hopeless/thinking of leaving to committed to making it work--together.

Great book for couples to improve communication, increase mutual understanding and reromanticize the relationship. I am a Marriage Family Therapsit and recommend Harveille Hendrix's books to all the couples I see. This particular book is broken down in a way that busy couples can spend 20 minutes a day to share one page. This book helps partners who might normally feel overwhelmed by self help books or have difficulty discussing relationship issues. You just can't go wrong with this book!

If you're committed to taking the time each day to do the exercises in this book, you can make significant improvements in your marriage or relationship. My spouse and I found it to be a useful adjunct to therapy, and we are closer now than ever before, and we understand each other much better. Sometimes the exercises seem a little hokey, but if you trust the authors that they do have a reason behind what they're asking of you, you'll find that the little doses of daily insight, plus just spending time together each day, can work wonders! As a clinical psychologist, I was impressed both personally and professionally. It's good for any type of committed couple, straight or gay, too, which is nice.

Haven't yet read it, but it was the only book recommended by our marriage counselor specialized in relationship enhancement.

Lest you should stumble upon 'Beyond the Birds and the Bees' on Amazon or in a Catholic book store without knowing much about the author, as I did, be advised that this at times useful book is wedded to Popcak's devotion to so-called 'Attachment Parenting.' According to this controversial theory, parental bonding in infancy is sacrosanct and justifies going to extreme lengths like co-sleeping and 'baby-slinging,' i.e., carrying your infant in a sling-like device for upwards of ten hours a day. Unfortunately, a fair amount of moral absolutism goes along with this view. Popcak has labled parents who are critical of 'AP' as 'lazy,' 'ideological,' and opposed to 'neuroscience.'

Beginning at page 101, Popcak tendentiously suggests a link between the practice of AP -- in this case by refusing to let an infant 'cry it out' -- and parent-teen communication. "Parents who respond quickly and consistently to their child's cries set a precedent for responding sensitively to their child's concerns, as opposed to parents who do not respond as quickly, who are more likely to send the message that they would prefer that their children figure things out for themselves."

Yet one could just as easily argue that AP's overweening excesses will set a precedent for a moral infantalism that prevents children from making independent decisions. There is much parents can learn from this book, but they should read it critically when it veers into odd discourses like the one cited immediately above.

I am a mother of 4 small boys and I ordered this book because we had heard such great reviews. It turned out to be even better than I had hoped! It is an absolute must-have for all parents! Gregory Popcak explains sexuality in light of the teachings of the Catholic Church and emphasizes that sexuality encompasses our whole being. He explains that healthy sexuality is obtainable and can be taught to our children. Now I am not afraid of all the questions that will arise, but am actually looking forward to teaching my children about their God given sexuality!

Read it through in one sitting.
Help to get parents talking to each other about matters sexual.
A Christian approach (no apologies)to understanding sexuality.
What your child needs to know and can handle at each period in life.
Answering the unasked questions.
Helping the child avoid pitfalls in relationships.
You'll likely keep it as a reference book.

Excellent to review before talking with children of all ages: infant to teen. Uses catechism as back up, true to the church's teachings re: abc, etc,

This book is just wonderful! I am a Catholic mom of 3 small children and I'm just starting to get "those" kinds of questions from my oldest child. I had no idea how to explain all this stuff, and it was very important that my explanations also prepare my children to grow into very moral, healthy, and happy Catholic adults. I bought this book looking for help with that, and boy did I find it! I am SO glad I bought this book and I am very grateful to the author!

Popcak gives an explanation of the meaning of sexuality and marriage that will blow you away! I was literally in tears reading a couple of passages in the beginning of the book on what "healthy Catholic sexuality" really is - I knew this stuff, but he said it in a way that was so beautiful and at the same time so simple to understand. He is really gifted.

I no longer feel afraid of those "well, how does the baby get IN the mommy's tummy if the mommy doesn't have a husband?" kind of questions - I feel this book has given me all the info I need to answer these questions in a way that is sensitive, helpful to my child, and pleasing to God. I am so grateful to Gregory Popcak!

If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. :)

I was delightfully surprised when I began reading this book. There is so much more to it beyond sex secrets. Some of the core and most important relationship skills are highlighted and discussed in this book. I love how Veronica explains the importance of communication, boundaries, and so much more...., Of course the sex secrets are just incredibly Juicy! I feel this book should be given to every women, and even men for required reading!

For writing, this book deserves ONE star. It's so bad. I actually looked up Monet on line and read a few of her essays and they were okay, so I suspect she was on a time crunch without a strong editor. For content, I'd rate around 3 stars... that is, if you can set aside that creepy feeling that she doesn't quite understand she was an escort. As an example, while she has a point that women don't always let their intelligence be part of what makes them sexy (as I'm sure many of us have seen our female friends dumb themselves down in front of certain men), Monet misses an opportunity to observe that men have reason to flatter her. What is that cliché -- beautiful women want to be told they're smart and smart women want to be told they're beautiful? ...She also glosses over how men are not going to act the same towards an escort as they are around women they see every day. That being said, this book seems to contain valid male-pleasing advice.

The book starts well but fails to really deliver on the details. The book feels like a large survey of topics: personal hygiene; sex; love; and orgasms. No single topic is really addressed in great detail and often times there are very literal examples or courses of action one should take in the matters of seduction.

If you have read text dedicated to seduction, sex, orgasms, and relationships or have found yourself in midway through the course of a examined life, I would say that this book comes across as too simple and too literal. You, the reader, will likely feel bored. However, I feel as though this would make a decent primer for girls leaving adolescence with a number of unanswered questions.

I did not see the kind of detail I would expect from an escort with 18 years experience. You would expect that she could fill the book with remarkable anecdotes. Instead she will give examples of her husband's behavior! She talks about men who are ignorant and need advice about how to please a woman in bed. Her clients are all in love with their wives! It is quite a dull book of very banal sexual advice from a conventional woman's perspective. I am concerned if women should try to understand men using the author's "experience". Men will simply be bored.

Although the book was well written and somewhat entertaining, it wasn't what I was expecting. Rather than being a manual filled with "techniques" it is more about the psychology of why men pay to see escorts. If you are interested in that, then this book is a very good one. If you are looking for detailed "how-too's" its not.

Book is exactly as it says it is, informative and thought out. Product came as described. Would buy another of Wilson's books through amazon. It is very thorough on describing biblical courtship. Describes parental involvement, the father's authority, whats expected of the children vs what soceity does.

Although I do not agree with all of the material in this book, when I look back on my life this book brings up food for thought. Christians are NOT supposed to be like the world. My father died before I was 5. My mother did not remarry. Although she was a great woman, she became swept up in dating immorally. No one came into the house as daddy but she dated the world's way. She was hurt many times. I followed her example and ended up the same way. I wish I could have had the strength to keep my virginity for the right one. It was traumatic to lose it in a manner void of love. SEX IS NOT LOVE, LADIES! If you are a Christian, save yourself the pangs of doing the world's way! I am saving myself for my God mate. Men who are not saved can only see one thing from you and that is that precious purity that God gave you for one man. So while many attack this man, I can only speak from experience. Many women (saved or unsaved) will not admit it but a lot of emotional psychological abuse is done by women giving it away and only the blood of Yeshua can make you whole again and reshape your torn abused image of your intimate life. There is a price to pay for allowing the world's misogynist message to seep into your brain. Everybody is not doing it and I am praying and believing the merciful grace of God give my daughter a wonderful man to marry who cares about her and not just wanting one thing.I also pray and believe that God will reward my obedience by bringing me a man of God who can give her away because a man who does not know God cannot properly guide her...it cuts but it is the truth, no matter if it is the biological father. This brings up one more important factor: DO NOT MATE WITH ONE WHO IS UNEQUALLY YOKED! You will save yourself countless battles and debates with someone who just does not get the message of the Trinity

While I am an no way doubting the author's educational history or Biblical prowess, I am wondering why people (even women) who are so vastly knowledgeable do not understand the importance of historical context. Sure, let's say head coverings for women and long hair for men are culturally based, but wait a second. Women not teaching or preaching? Not supposed to speak in the church? No say in the ways of courting? Of course! That has to be correct for all time! There's no way that is culutural! Please. For everyone's sake, get off the male high horse and look and the Bible as it is. Of course it's God-breathed. Of course its teachings are correct and show the way to living a christian life, but it was written thousands of years ago. Do you really believe that culturally based views are supposed to be apart of our lives as christians? Where are your slaves then? No slaves? Hmm...but the Bible tells slaves to obey their masters. That means we're supposed to have slaves, right? Wrong. Do some word studies from the original texts. The Bible as it was written is the Word of God. However, once it came into the hands of Man, humans do what humans do best. Make mistakes. They applied cultural glasses to filter the Word into what they thought they knew to be best. Please stop spreading the ways of the past, because they only lead to living lives based on physical and earthly things. Living lives that focus on moving towards spiritual, Godly ways is the only way to know true happiness and contentment.

I highly recommend this book. It is so very valuable. It opens your eyes to the proper Godly way of doing things. Ever wonder why dating doesnt work? No wonder emotions took me for a roller coaster ride! No wonder all that mess happened to me over and over and over again.

Dating is the worlds way, and it carrys with it some of the consequences from the world.

This book gave me the Biblical perspective to do things right, and I am eternally grateful.

Once again, Wilson simply doesn't get it. His book "Federal Husband" was proof enough of his extreme failure to grasp women, but this book proves all the more that he's stuck in a time when women and young girls were property under the authority of their fathers.

At first glance, this book may seem like a compassionate and loving guide to raising children, but it is truly, horribly out of date. Parents have the right to control who their children date only as long as they are children; once they are adults, they should make decisions on their own. I agree that parents are responsible for raising their kids in Christian ways, but Wilson's ideas of incredibly controlling ways to raise daughters actually repulsed me. He harps over and over that a father is in charge of his daughter's virginity, to the point where he gave me a mental image of a father guarding his daughter's bedroom door 24/7. Why not just advise fathers to put their daughters in chastity belts and call it a day? If fathers were truly this controlling and actually called themselves the "guards of their daughter's virginity", they'd be ordered to get psychiatric treatment by a court of law.

Another pet peeve for me was that, in the book, a woman's virginity is mentioned far more than a man's, so we're to assume it's worse if a girl's not a virgin upon marrying; I'm so sick of this! When are people going to realize that God considers a man's sexual purity just as important as a woman's? Most offensive, though, was Douglas' outrageously sexist statements that women cannot and should not make it on their own in the world. He actually says, "Sons are trained for independence, whereas daughters are trained to pass from one state of dependence to another. Sons leave home; daughters are given." I wouldn't have had a problem with this if Wilson was clearly saying that this is NOT how it should be, but he was indicating that because people in Biblical times treated women like this, they should continue to be treated the same way now. Um, wrong; women have jobs now and for good reason. One of the reasons I respect my father is that he expects me to be just as independent when I leave home as a man would be, and rightly so! All the Christian men I know respect independent women.

I also didn't like Wilson's statement that "a man should not worry about disrupting a woman's life upon courting her". He went on to say that a man who is worried about upsetting a woman's life is not truly masculine. Since when is polite concern about HER life and HER plans un-masculine? If I were dating a guy and he demanded that I marry him right away and drop all my plans for college, I'd give him a flat-out no! So would all the other women I know; concern and respect for a woman and her ideas are two of the most masculine and mature qualities a man could have and Wilson is dead-wrong in discouraging them. I suggest he pull his nose out of Biblical times and look around a bit at the modern world. The majority of Christians have adapted to the changes in the world while still remaining devout; it's about time the Wilsons did the same.

I've been enjoying Myreah Moore's book; it's funny, irreverent, enlightening, and best of all, backed up by real-world research (see the back of the book for male responses to a lengthy survey about their dating habits and preferences in women) and Moore's own extensive experience as a dating consultant. I bought this book after merely reading the TOC shown in the "Look Inside" preview, because if any of Moore's statements in the TOC are at all accurate, the TOC alone is a valuable teaching tool for single women. Moore emphasizes throughout the book that success with men should never come at the cost of cheapening oneself or dismissing one's own needs and goals, and that "inner work" (improving attitude and health, clearing away bitterness and past regrets, focusing on ways to enrich your own life rather than impress others) is an essential prerequisite of successful dating.

I really liked this book. I didn't always agree with everything the authors said, but it was a very worthwhile book. I think by following the dating advice in this book, women can relax and not be so uptight while dating, and have a lot more fun.

Men know that dating doesn't have to be serious all the time, and knowing that fact can free women up to find that special someone.

There are many tips and a lot of advice here on how to date and have fun at the same time. There is no waiting by the phone for the woman who reads this book - she's too busy going on to the next date.

Buy this book - it can really help women find a lot more self-esteem within themselves and have a great time doing it.

I'm not sure I agree with all the ideas in this book,( a bit old fashioned) but it is humorous reading. Women trying to figure out the dating scene and the men they are dating need tips and help, but to see it all in a humorous light is good for us,too. Women do take dating to the dramatic, disaster-feelings often while men do not tend to have this problem as badly.

This is awsome book, I also recommend: How to be a Super Hot Woman: 339 Tips to Make Every Man Fall in Love with You and Every Woman Envy You by Mandy Simons

Awful. Some of it has some OK advice, but much of it is absurdly out of date and out of touch with the reality of being single in 2006.

Particularly egregious is the statement that a woman shouldn't sleep with a man she's dating until 3 months goes by, or 12 dates of once a week. Ladies: if your goal is to extremely piss off, confuse, and frustrate a man who you like, by all means follow this advice straight from 1940. Similarly, if you would really like to let your guy know you're a gold-digging flake, be sure to follow her 2nd date advice of picking the best restaurant in town and sticking him with a several hundred dollar bill.

It was no surprise to find out that not only is the author in her 40s, but "BBW".

NOTE: I am not into BDSM personally and came across this book via podiobooks.com.

I was intrigued by the title and didn't honestly expect much from it. I will say that I was blown away with the honesty, caring, and loving perspective it is. I also enjoyed that there are intellectual and stimulating discussions and perspectives.

I highly recommend any of Thorndaddy's and Dollie's books. They are two people who are highly in love and have total respect for one another.

Thank you to you both in helping me broaden my horizons!

There's a lot out there on how to "do it right", but Master and I are literate and most of what's out there isn't. This book is amazingly well written, and speaks to me. I recommend it and I bought copies for all my friends. And I burned CDs of the podcast MP3s for several people at our local dungeon, and gave them out last year as xmas gifts to our closest friends. I plan to do that this year with copies of this book.

Very much enjoyed. It was a peep into the everyday life of a smart S&M couple and will be well received by those with open minds.

Alot of lovey dovey, S&M style of course, but if you are okay with that, you'll get alot out of insider info out of it.

By: Kitiara
I'm an avid listener of ThornDaddy and Dollies Submission and Coffee podcast and was eager to hear this one and The Plump Buffet as well. I hope the authors truely understand what a great service they are providing to the world. From reading other testimonials and hearing my own appreciation echo'ed from many other listeners I know that the love and respect they show for each other is spreading out to others like a ripple in a pond. For a country that boasts so many freedoms, in certain aspects we all seem subtly bound by so many rules of society that are ingrained in us so deeply they seem part of our nature. ThornDaddy and Dollie and others like them who bring these perfectly normal and natural instincts that some of us have into the light of day and help us realize that it's ok to succumb to the animal inside us, that safe, sane, consentual fun between adults is OK... I repeat.. it's OK!!! (many of us have an extrememly hard time accepting that fact through years of believing what our current society has taught us). Thanks again to the two of you for helping dispell the myth (partly due to hollywoods always dark and scary portrayal of BDSM---well... not so scary to everyone *blush*) and show people new to these feelings that it's not wrong to admit that a smack on the fanny can also mean "I love you" :D MEW!!

Of the billions of people there are in the world. There is a very small fraction that are into BDSM, and of that fraction even few who want a 'lifestyle' not just a play in the bedroom. As a new Dom myself it can be a very confusing and aggervating process not only find others like you. But to understand just how to go about things, and the BDSM world itself. When I found this book on www.podiobooks.com. At first I wasn't sure what to expect, so I loaded it up on my mp3 player and started taking it to work with me. As I listened to each chapter after the other, not only was I totally enthralled by the book, but moved beyond words. It's as if those very two understood to the very core what laid within my own heart. For those of us that are confused beyond measure in this lifestyle. This book is not only a wake up call, but a type of clarity that is very much needed in our lives. For those of you curious of the lifestyle, or BDSM in general. To really see what a true, passionate, amazing love and bond is. Get this book and read it to your heart's content. You'll see that while BDSM is pain, and alternative sexuality. It is also a type of connection and love that is sadly missing in many vanilla relationships. Thorn Daddy and Dollie Llama have a bond that transcends normal emotional and mental barriers. She is totally devouted and serving to him. And through her submission and devotion to him she is enlightened, brought to clarity, and loved beyond measure. And he given her gift of total submission is brought to the same. A plateau of beauty, knowledge, love, affection, and emotion that is lost in far to many of us.

Read the book, take it to heart, close your eyes and see a darkened world that very few truly understand. And while ignorance may blind most to a negative aspect of BDSM, just remember there are those just like Dollie Llama and Thorn Daddy that truly show us:

"Darkness is a beauty all it's own, misunderstood and forgotten, but amazing beyond measure."

Please enjoy this wonderful and beautiful book, thank you.

-Morhion

It was a bit repetitive of his first book, so if you've read Love and Respect, it's a great review too.

This is an expansion of his book Love & Respect, so I recommend listening to/reading that one first, but if you don't he gives a recap. It seems redundant, but the principles are something we all need ingrained into us. My husband and I are a perfect match - we matched on [...] , but our relationship went to a new level while I was listening to these CDs. Eggerichs' principles are straight out of scripture so they work! He sets aside the myths and roles that society has created about men and women and gets back to how God created us to be and to interact. He amazingly does so without offending who we are as women but uplifting us.

"The key to motivating another person is meeting that person's deepest need - love for her and respect for him!" ~ pg. 134

Whether you are in a fairly good marriage or in one that is falling apart, "Cracking the Communication Code" has a lot to offer. Dr. Emerson Eggerichs backs up his points with plenty of scripture references and gives advice based on wisdom gained from experience. He places an emphasis on listening, decoding, forgiveness, unconditional love and being thankful for your spouse. The main sections of the book include:

A Summary of the "Love & Respect" book authored by Dr. Emerson
Three Vital Truths for Better Communication
The Crazy Cycle: A Relentless Enemy of Marital Communication
The Energizing Cycle: To Better Communicate, Meet Your Spouse's Need
The Rewarded Cycle: The Unconditional Dimension of Communication

Dr. Emerson explains how couples get into cycles and shows how you can escape destructive patterns by showing respect and love. If you are fighting all the time then you are spending most of your time in the "Crazy Cycle." Couples who are giving love and respect are in the "Energizing Cycle." For those fighting to save their marriage through unconditional love, the "Rewarded Cycle" shows the way to conflict resolution and reconciliation.

This book is filled with inspiring stories of couples who have used these teachings to their advantage. At the end of the book there is a special section for couples who want to improve their relationship by speaking to each other as Jesus would. Imagining Jesus standing next to your partner can be a way to monitor your speech.

Most of the advice is for couples who want to learn to speak each other's language and who want to avoid fights. I did not feel that this book would be as useful in a very abusive relationship where someone is in danger. This is mostly for couples who are willing to work at their marriages together, although there is plenty of advice for anyone seeking to save their marriage on their own.

~The Rebecca Review

This book is just as amazing as Eggerich's first book Love & Respect. I really enjoyed this book because it went a lot more into depth about communicating with your spouse. The point that really got me thinking is that we are not loving and respecting our spouse because we just feel like it but we are actually loving and respecting our spouse because we love God and are choosing to obey what he commands in Ephesians. When we love or respect our spouse we are choosing to obey God and we are choosing to serve Him in our marriage through the good times and difficult times too. Unconditional respect is a very difficult decision for a wife who has always been taught that people should earn our respect. I know that if I choose each day to unconditionally respect my spouse I will remain on the reward cycle because his need for respect will be met and he will want to fulfil my need for love.
I recommend every single and married person to read Love and Respect and follow that reading with this book, Cracking the Communication Code.

This book is an excellent sequel to Love and Respect.
Both make an great package for any couple who wants to improve their relationship or save one that is failing.

Pastor Steve W
Tacoma, WA

Even if this is a good book I would never buy a book published by Planned Parenthood...an organization that supports abortion.

It is a good and useful product for teaching children. The kids can actually read parts of it themselves if they are uncomfortable reading it with you.

I purchased this book for my 10 year old son as a basis for discussion for 'the talk'. I found the information provided therein deficient in several categories. There are actually only a couple pages that are devoted to any kind of description or explanation of the sex act itself, and those are non-illustrated and very shallow. The book is much more geared to describing male and female changes during puberty and of course, as a publication of Planned Parenthood, spends considerable time on contraception, STDs, and other topics which are not perhaps reflected in the book's misleading title. I would have returned the book but the return shipping fee would not have justified that process as it would have been more than one-half the cost of the book itself. I would recommend against this book for any purpose.

I just finished this book and let me tell you WOW!!! is all I can say. I have been struggling with 3 relationships all at once and the author, Mira Kirshenbaum really helped me sort through all of them and helped me decide who my Mr. Right is. She talks about the 5 levels of chemistry and how to decipher between Mr. Right and Mr. Wrong. I just can't tell you in words how much I enjoyed the book. I took the time to send her an email telling her how much this book helped me, at first I felt a lot of confusion and by the end I knew what to do. I had checked this book out from the library and I am here today to purchase it, it was a tool that I will keep with me.

Sincerely,
Terri F.
Littleton, CO

Face it, if you need to buy a book to figure out if he is Mr. Right, he's not.

This is a fabulous book for single or committed females. It really makes you analyze and understand your past present and future relationships. It helps you to understand why you have made certain decisions and what is best for you! Awesome Book!!!!!

Here's the short of it. I know a lot guys who could benefit from this book. A couple of years ago I got involved with the wrong guy. A guy who was partnered. Well needless to say I learned many lessons. My self-respect was clearly absent during this time but the humiliation did me a lot of good. I slowly made my way back to the dating world. I had been pinballing from guy to guy over the last 7-8 years when my first serious relationship ended after 6 years. One of the things I noticed was that all the other guys I dated these last handful of years, I didn't really feel anything for them but they felt something for me. I thought I could make up the difference. Well let me tell you something, you can't. In my 1st relationship I definitely felt something and we had a good run and parted amicably but all these other guys, I really didn't feel enough of anything and they were great guys! I think part of what was going on was that I needed to...grow up. I have learned the hard way NOT to enter into a relationship that is based on fear. I wasn't being very selective and I have learned that I really should be selective. I can be picky but not choosy. Takes more time than you think but I feel now I am on my own journey and I am finally having fun.

And lo and behold, I find this book. I thought it would be a light read but man it was far better than I thought it would be. All the mistakes she points that people make like not paying attention to chemistry, I have made a lot of them. It was refreshing to see in print what I had arrived at these last couple of years. If anything, this book cements my resolve to base any future relationship I have on nothing but proactive self-respect and love. I am so very glad that I am single in my late 30's and finally at east with it. In my own opiniong I think men, especially gay men, make better relationship candidates in their late 30's and into their 40's. I finally feel like I'm ready.

The author provides in this book confident agreement with what many of us think but are afraid to act on. I'm not afraid any more and with this book, the author gives a nice kick in that pants. It's like having that wise aunt that tells you like it is but with nothing but love.





I can't say enough about this book -- good stuff!

Okay, I'm a straight guy and I don't usually read self-help books. But my sister told me I gotta read this cause, let's face it, my relationships haven't worked out and now I'm getting serious about this woman. My sister just didn't want me to make another mistake. And I'm like, hey, I'm not looking for Mr. Right. She said, stupid, just change the genders -- it works just as well the other way. I have to say the book was amazing. Touched on every area I had concerns about -- like was she an OK person, and was our chemistry good, and was it real or fake. Kirshenbaum is so solid and smart and down to earth. If your a guy looking for Ms. right and you're afraid of getting burned, you've got to get your hands on this book. It's a lot cheaper and a lot more fun than ultimately getting divorced.