by Michael Castleman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 1980
As sex guides for men go, this is one of the most informative--and reassuring. Castleman writes from the perspective of a health-care journalist who has also served as sex counselor in public clinics for many years, and he sticks to the basics: treating lovemaking as a sensual ""whole-body"" experience rather than a performance of specific organs; using sex therapists' accepted techniques for ""lasting longer""; relaxing and discussing preferences. Of course, focusing on such issues often produces the mechanical approach that the book seeks to eliminate: e.g., ""Many men would never dream of driving a car that was low in oil, yet they pay little attention to vaginal lubrication. . . ."" But Castleman has some extremely positive attitudes to offer, such as the assertion that the very things women want (intimacy, trust, sensuousness, etc.) are the very things that produce ""problem-free lovemaking"" for men. Thus, concentration on pleasing only oneself, or alternatively on pleasing the woman exclusively (the ""caveman"" and ""delivery boy"" styles), are equally destructive, and can result in the kind of anxiety that causes incomplete erection or nonejaculation. Castleman does not ignore the possible physical causes for such problems; though nonphysical causes are more probable, he does run through all the alternatives. Least commonplace, perhaps, are chapters on coping with the rape of a lover (supportiveness is the key) and on pornography as a ""leading cause"" of men's problems (since it depicts the kind of destructive macho style that leads to men's ultimate insecurities). The advice on birth control is good (condoms are featured), and altogether the book may be just what the doctor should have ordered.
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1980
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: N/A
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1980
Categories: NONFICTION
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