Because It Feels Good: A Woman's Guide to Sexual Pleasure and Satisfaction [Hardcover]

Debby Herbenick PhD MPH (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 2009

In our sophisticated, liberated, Sex and the City age, women are eager to enjoy sex to the fullest. But for many women, it’s not quite that easy. In fact, Men’s Health columnist Debby Herbenick receives thousands of letters and emails from women across the country who admit to having less than spectacular sex lives—and they're looking for advice.

Herbenick is the kind of confidante every woman longs for—a sex advisor who is as approachable as a girlfriend and as knowledgeable as a sex education professor. At the core of her advice is the belief that sex should be fun, satisfying, and intimate—but first and foremost, it should simply feel good. From enlightening lessons on female anatomy to the complicated issue of libido to an overview of sex toys and positions, Because It Feels Good informs women about every aspect of sexual function, providing the knowledge they need to have the sex lives they deserve. This is a pleasure manifesto—and your handbook to a great sex life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Debby Herbenick's book with the great title Because It Feels Good offers a wealth of basics for anyone returning to or embarking on what America has demonized far too long: sex for the sake of pleasure."--Betty Dodson PhD, author of Sex for One and Orgasms for Two

"Loving your body isn't just about looking good--it's about feeling good. This book humorously and directly demystifies the path to personal pleasure in a way that every woman can understand." -- Nancy Redd, New York Times bestselling author of Body Drama

"Debby Herbenick is the worldly, wise, warm, witty, daring, caring older sister we all wish we'd had. She's hip to the latest toys and trends, but she doesn't overlook the timeless essentials: good communication, basic anatomy, and olive oil. See ya later, Dr. Ruth."--Mary Roach, author of Bonk and Stiff

"Your sexual history is so much more than a number, it's who you are and what you bring to your experiences. With her empathetic approach and unquestionable knowledge, Debby Herbenick has written an empowering guide that will enable women to make sexual history."--Ian Kerner, sexuality counselor and author of She Comes First.

"What a phenomenal resource, grounded in the best sexuality research and beautifully written! The practical and creative suggestions make clear that even very small changes in our lives can go a long way towards enhancing sexual pleasure."--Judy Norsigian, Executive Director, Our Bodies Ourselves organization

"Fun and informative, Because It Feels Good is packed with suggestions to help couples to enhance their sensual and sexual experiences. A must-read for all women who want to feel good about themselves and their relationships."--Beverly Whipple, Ph.D, RN, FAAN, co-author of The G Spot

"Dr. Debby Herbenick helpfully addresses the full scope of women's common sexual concerns, focusing on communication and creativity. This is how sexuality education should be delivered-- with fun, style, joy, and expertise! Highly recommended."--June M. Reinisch, Ph.D., Director Emeritus & Senior Research Fellow, The Kinsey Institute

"No two women are the same in terms of their sexuality. It is important for each woman to find out what is right for her. Debby Herbenick's excellent book will help women to do that."
-- John Bancroft, M.D., author of Human Sexuality and Its Problems

About the Author

DEBBY HERBENICK, PHD, MPH, is a research scientist and lecturer at Indiana University and coordinator of the Kinsey Institute Sexuality Information Service for Students (KISISS). She writes weekly and monthly sex advice columns for newspapers and magazines including Men’s Health and Time Out Chicago. She is often called upon as a sex expert by various media from the Today show and Discovery Health to the New York Times. She lives in Bloomington, Indiana.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (August 18, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 160529876X
• ISBN-13: 978-1605298764
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Debby Herbenick is the author of six books, a research scientist at Indiana University, sexual health educator at The Kinsey Institute, and a widely read sex columnist.

Her sex books include: Because It Feels Good: A Woman's Guide to Sexual Pleasure and Satisfaction (2009), The Good in Bed Guide to Anal Pleasuring (2011), Read My Lips: A Complete Guide to the Vagina and Vulva (2011), Great in Bed (2012) and Sex Made Easy (2012). She is also the author of a children's book for all ages, a fanciful love story between a big strong bull and a butterfly titled "The I Love You More Book" (2011).

Dr. Herbenick is the Associate Director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at Indiana University (IU) where she is a Research Scientist. She is also a sexual health educator at The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction where she writes (and hosts audio podcasts of) the Kinsey Confidential column. She has a PhD in Health Behavior from IU, a Master's degree in Public Health Education (also from IU) and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park. In addition, she is certified as a Sexuality Educator from the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists.

Dr. Herbenick is also the founder and Editor in Chief of the popular blog MySexProfessor.com. She has taught undergraduate and graduate level human sexuality classes and lectures on a wide range of sexuality and relationship topics. In addition, Debby writes regular sex columns for Men's Health magazine, Time Out Chicago magazine, Velocity, Cheeky Chicago, PsychologyToday.com, WebMD, and she has also written for Glamour magazine, The Daily Beast, and Gizmodo.

Dr. Herbenick has provided expert opinion about sex and relationships for writers and producers of print and broadcast media including The Doctors, the Today Show, Tyra Banks Show, Discovery Health, Sirius Satellite Radio, San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, LA Times, The Times (UK), Marie Clare, Men's Health, Elle, Men's Fitness, Women's Health, Glamour, SELF, Cosmo (US), Cosmo (UK), Maximum Fitness and The Guardian.

When she's not researching, writing about or teaching about sex, Debby enjoys reading, traveling and hanging out at home with her family and her dog.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for men too!, December 3, 2009

By 

Don (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Because It Feels Good: A Woman's Guide to Sexual Pleasure and Satisfaction (Hardcover)

Although I'm a man I couldn't help but pick this book up at the store. I've been reading Dr. Herbenick's sex professor columns in Men's Health for a few years and have enough experience with her advice to know she's spot on. Reading her columns has helped my wife and I have better sex in the past. I got the book for my wife and I both to read. She liked it a lot. She's a very classy woman and not the kind of woman you'd bring the trashier sex books home to. What I like about Debby is that she too is a classy woman and though she gives a lot of great sex tips, you don't feel bad reading them and neither does my wife. She's frank, fun, sexy and gives good information you can trust. My wife took the oral sex tips to heart and let's just say that made my life better! We also found a lot to talk about in the chapter pertaining to desire. Having been married for a few years with two kids, this is a big one for us and Because It Feels Good was the right way to go. Guys: check this book out for yourself or as a gift for your wife or girlfriend. It will make your sex life better!

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Want better sex? Pleasure? Orgasms? Read this book!, March 6, 2010

By 

Julie (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Because It Feels Good: A Woman's Guide to Sexual Pleasure and Satisfaction (Hardcover)

Although a newer sex book, it is already my favorite sex book to recommend (I work as a sex educator for adults). It's well written, easy to read, has great diagrams, fun quizzes at the start of every chapter and - best of all - the information is GREAT. It's right on, it's accurate and written by someone who totally knows what she is talking about.

A major frustration of mine is that a lot of sex books are written by random people who don't know what they're talking about but act like they do. These are the same people who wind up doing things that their partners find unpleasurable but they do them because they read it in a book or magazine (that was wrong!). FINALLY - a book written by an expert who is fun, smart, and clearly loves sex! Dr. Debby writes about sex the way it should be written about - like it's fun and something we can learn to find pleasurable, exciting and connecting with our partners.

This is the kind of book that you will read over and over again, or refer to when you want more tips on sex toys, vibrators, lubricants, how to talk to your partner about sex, how to talk with your partner *during* sex, how to kick your desire back into higher (or at least decent) gear, and how to have a healthy enough life that it spills over into your sex life.

I recommend this book all the time to women and couples. It's a gold mine of information and encouragement and sure to make your sex life better (even if you don't have a partner). Enjoy!!

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, Interesting Book!, December 22, 2009

By 

JH "JH" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Because It Feels Good: A Woman's Guide to Sexual Pleasure and Satisfaction (Hardcover)

What a great book!. As a man, I wasn't sure what to expect but my girlfriend was given this book to her by a friend. She kept saying how much I would learn from reading it and she was right. The parts about communication and desire really opened my eyes to women's experiences. It gave me a new perspective on how to approach my girlfriend when I am in the mood and not to be offended when she is not. I also learned a lot about the female orgasm. My girlfriend had previously bought the "I Heart Orgasm" book but we didn't find it to be very helpful. Because It Feels Good gave us more quality information and helpful tips regarding helping my girlfriend to orgasm from sex.

Dr. Herbenick is a real sex expert not some fly by night fake sex PhD. She has numerous scientific credentials but is really able to put the science terms into words that us normal folks can understand. No one ever talked to me about sex when I was growing up so it is really nice to see that there is someone out there who can shed some light on a topic that for a lot of people is still taboo.

Great book, great read, 5 stars!