Customer Reviews

The Cartoon Guide to Sex

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Finally! A book on sex good enough good to solve the problem ofexplaining the birds and bees!

When we raised our five boys, the pickings were poor -- mostly deadly-academic (too close to the sex education segment in Monte Python's 'Meaning of Life'). Where was the humor? But even if the presentation had been good enough for a young audience, what was presented then was woefully scant. Where were discussions of the role of sex in loving? Of why commitment was significant? Of gay sex, and sexual variations? How were our children supposed to form informed sexual values?

If sex is stripped of its human values, it can become a competition. If it's stripped of caring, it loses its lasting value. Without good discussions of what sex really consists of, it can't make contact with teens.

I applaud 'The Cartoon Guide to Sex'. It's humorous, complete, progressive and enlightened. It's also clever and fun to read. If it tests your limits -- as it clearly did for some other reviewers - perhaps that's a sign that you aren't quite ready to accept sex as it is.

But for me it solves a problem. Our five boys have produced four more. I'll be pleased to give these grandchildren this book when they're old enough to understand it.

Already an acclaimed cartoonist who did the world's thickest comic books on the great history of our universe (in two volumes the size of phone books), Larry Gonick goes on to create a very informative book all about sex - with lots of really funny cartoons thrown in, of course! In fact, this nifty book really covers just about everything you would ever want to (or not) know about - ranging from mating behavior amongst the critters to women's self-defense to all types of contraceptives and how they actually work (or don't work!) Even the most "repugnant" subjects are included here, like gynecological exams and the "fetishes" of breastfeeding. Once again, we are warned here that we need to be careful about the great riskes of unwanted pregnancies and STDS whenever we "make love" (oh, yes! Even the most baffling term, "love" is discussed here!) Serving as illustrations are all those really cute and (sometimes very frank) line drawings so typical of good ol' Dr. Gonick you can even expect to see a funny dinosaur or two! Those cartoons are really bursting with such good-natured humor it would certainly put even the most squirmish reader at ease. Nevertheless, such a wealth of sexual and biological facts (as well as such zany comic art to go with it) seem to be printed on rather flimsy, low-grade paper so typical of any illegal porno pulp. Too bad, but it looks like those newprint-like pages would quickly turn yellow and become quite brittle and dog-eared the moment you brought it home from the bookstore!

First time I encountered this book was in a doctor's waiting room. Picked it up idly and then couldn't put it down. Alas, the nurse called my name and I had to buy a copy later to find out what happened. The CGTS is an absolutely hilarious book of cartoons that just happens to have a lot of fresh, illuminating--even shocking things to say about sex. If you don't know about sexual dimorphism, or which is the sexiest mammal on the planet, or how "honor" can be surgically restored, get this book. At the very least, your cocktail party conversation will never be the same!

This book is full of basic information on sex we all should know. It is presented with taste and humor. I laughed out loud in many places, but still understood and learned things without being embarassed. A good book to give a teenager to learn the responsibility and concerns that come with the awareness of our sexuality.

If there's anything more confusing than physics, it's sex, love, relationships.... Larry Gonick is a master at taking hard concepts in math and physics and presenting them with surprising depth and clarity. Plus, he makes you laugh. Now, he's accomplished the same amazing feat with an even more difficult subject: human (and, yes, animal) sexuality. This guide to sex is so charming you won't mind leaving it around on the coffee table. In fact, it's probably a good idea. There are things in here you want your teenager--and your partner--to know. I especially enjoyed the light handed way he deals with hard subjects like sexually transmitted diseases, differences between men and women (surprise!), the importance (and art) of communication between partners. The bit with the chicken suit alone is worth the price of the book.

Larry Gonick continues to out-do himself with every new book he comes out with. This book is both intricate and funny, with amazing attention to details. Each page teaches and amuses, very typical of his work. You will learn more about sexuality in just the first few pages than you would in another entire book, and with
just the right amount of everything put in just the right way. This should be required reading in every high school and for anyone who ever thought about sex - get it?

The humor in this book should not make you believe that there is no educational value inside its covers. I already knew the birds and the bees but I am finding that I am learning more things about human sexulaity than I knew before. It is a wonderufl book. It contains some strange and little known facts with some plain spoken philosophy that seems to be a genuine interpertation of human sexulaity. Gonick

Likeable enough, but sometimes the humor reads like they're trying just a bit too hard to be clever. Naughty-cutesy vibe got on my nerves--the little fairy-elf fluttering around Mother Nature (of course he's gay!) needed to be swatted away. I'd be a little concerned that it's humorous tone makes it easier to dismiss some of the really important things covered--fertility cycles, diseases--but if you start reading the book looking to learn, you'll find something useful and interesting. Covers a LOT of ground in a very immediate (if cursory), friendly way, and I found the co-author's views to be rational and non-judgemental--quite a helpful thing if you're trying to explain the basics not only of sex, but sexuality, to teens (or the just plain *sheltered*). Not for everyone, but even if you're offended by the sex acts <i>themselves</i> depicted in this, it's hard to be put off by a squiggly little lo-fi cartoon.

This book is informative without being overly silly. I'm over 40 and I learned things in it about myself that I didn't know. As a mom, I also appreciate the fact that when my child is ready to know more about sex, this will be an interesting and informative resource to be consulted.

I would recomend this book for every one. It is funny and entertaining enought to keep a person reading but it contains enough information to get something out of the book. The book has a rather small section (5-15 pages) on how to fix sexual problems, but the main focus on the book is more on explaining and listing human sexual nature.