Customer Reviews

The Control Book

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a prodomme and psychotherapist I am impressed by this book. It is quite good in the use of Jungian archetypes and how they are seen in domination and submissive choices. This book is not light. If you truly want the deep down reasons why people are or choose to be submissive or dominant this gives some intense answers. I liked it.

This book was a great read! Lots of useful information for someone still trying to grasp all the control-related levels of being a Dominant. Concepts are explained using simple language that gets the point across in a manner with which most (if not all) readers can connect. Lots of examples drive these concepts to the core. Perhaps the most beneficial aspect of the book is the Discussion topics provided both at the conclusion of each section and the end of the book; an entire chapter listing nothing but topics left to the reader for consideration. I recommend this title for those Dominants new to the lifestyle aspect of D/s. Especially those who have already read some of "staple" titles (Different Loving, Masters Manual, etc) but are still left with foggy ideas about the details of the *psychological* aspect of control, having control and maintaining control.

Control is one of those areas that can make a vanilla person bristle -- we are raised to not be controlled by others and yet we are raised to follow along in certain areas of our lives. In a Ds or Ms relationship the need or desire for control to be a factor is out in the open but that does not mean it is well-analyzed or well-understood. Peter Masters's book on the subject is the first I know of to focus on the issue. Using archetypes, the various states of consciousness and some plain old understanding of how relationships work, this is a good first attempt to address the concept of control. However, I also found many terms used without clear definitions and some concepts are discussed vaguely. Most importantly a book about how to think about and use control needs to have more specific models of how it works. A book geared toward dominants needs to offer us more guidelines or at least a reading list to help us find out more information on our own. This does not mean that the discussion about the importance of control in Ds isn't good; it does mean that I think it could be much better.

A few weeks ago my girlfriend, was at a New York City diner after a TES function chatting with some of her fellow kinksters and one of them had a well loved, dog eared, and annotated copy of a little paper back called The Control Book sitting on the table. She asked to have a look at it, read a quick section and thought it was something I would like. That night over skype she recommended it to me. She was right. I love it!

The Control Book by Peter Masters is not your typical book on dominance and submission. In my experience the typical kink book spends the bulk of its time on the what and the why of bondage and SM. They look on D/S as almost an afterthought, or a product of the other things that we do, as though if you spank them it will come. The control book is different. It is fundamentally about control: having it, giving it, sharing it, and being aware of it.

Over my kink education (short as it has been) I've been exposed to many discussion and debates about what seperates tops from dominants. This discussion is everywhere: in print, in dungeons, and online. It seems like one of those things that people just seem to know, but no one can clearly articulate. This is an area where Masters really comes through, communicating this difference more clearly and more succinctly than I've heard it put before. The difference is control sensitivity.

The Control Book doesn't spend time talking about why someone might be a control sensitive dominant or submissive. It doesn't waste pages on personal anecdotes, or colorful fluff. What is left is all meat.

The beauty of The Control Book is its codification of what happens when someone takes control. Every time we take control of our submissives, regardless of what we're controlling or how we're acquiring that control, the process contains the same distinct elements or steps. It's easy to hear steps and think this book is a "How to" of dominance. Well, it is and it isn't. Its not cookbook dominance, its not take one dash hair pulling add one cup firm tone of voice and... voila submissive. Rather Masters simply identifies that in each transaction control will be offered, taken, recieved, and excersized. Each of those elements takes countless forms but Masters postulates (and I agree), that they're always present. I expect that being aware of these steps will change the way I approach dominance.

The other gem in The Control Book is the time it spends on communication. Everyone knows that communication is more than the words we say. It's also all of the other signals we send, and how we recieve the signals sent by others. Where Masters goes one step further is the delineation of the conscious, subconcious, and unconscious minds. All of these effect both the signals we send and how we recieve signals from others. The real insight is that each element of the mind speaks best to its own counterpart. For example, in reading I realized that my own submissive's unconcious mind is very receptive to unconscious dominant signals, while her conscious mind might be hesitant. Therefore while trying to take control by first giving orders (an act of the conscious mind) is likely to meet resistance. If I instead initiate with a more unconcious signal, like invading her personal space and taking her by the scruff of the neck I can be more successful, and bypass resistance of one mind by speaking to another.

I could go on but I'm going to end here. I heartily recommend the book for anyyone who finds themselves sensitive to the ebb and flow of control within thier relationships.

Love and Kink.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had some good information, but much of it I was already aware of. It is funny at some points and the author aims to make the subject amusing. The book is like a synopsis of what control is, how to get it, and how to avoid losing it. It specifically targets dominants controlling submissives.

The book has many typos and grammatical errors. In todays world of sophisticated word processing, this should not happen. It was also too general. It could have used some examples to clarify the topics. I liked the questions at the end of the sections. They were meant to stimulate thought as to how you would use this information in your life.

So... Overall, not bad as an introduction.

Peter Masters gets inside the conscious, subconscious and the unconscious of us all as he deconstructs, and reconstructs what it is about control that for some of us is an immensely delicious turn-on. Within the context of BDSM play, the book delves into the whys and wherefores of control and the power exchange. The book steps back and analyzes the steps, thought processes, results and possible ramifications of the use/exchange of control. This is an especially refreshing read in the BDSM realm which is deluged with too many (some are quite anemic) how-to books on the mechanics of the lifestyle. Each chapter leaves you to ponder questions you must answer within yourself. A great read for the serious player, or a novice who wants to take a walk on the psychological side of the lifestyle. My only complaint is that it should have been a bigger book, as I think this subject could be examined further.

This book would make for a great discussion piece but doesn't actually look into the psychological methods control in the manner I was hoping. it's very much based on Jungian archetypes but doesn't delve into behavioral studies as I was hoping it would.
That said if you read this with your pet and think it through it is still a very worth while read- although too expensive for how thin the material is.

This is an excellent book to introduce the new Master/Dominant in a M/s or D/s relationship about how power, power exchange and the inner workings of obtaining, maintaining, releasing, modifying and controlling total power exchange (TPE) in a BDSM, M/s or D/s relationship.

If you are new to the scene and are in need of understanding how TPE works, how to obtain power from your slave/submissive and how to manage that power once it is obtained, then this is the book to get your feet wet.

I cannot recommend this book enough; it is definately a must read for anyone in their first 3 months of a M/s or D/s relationship who strives to be the very best. My few regrets with the book is that it is way too short (I feel the author has a whole lot more knowledge on the subject that he can impart upon us), that it has a lot of questions at the end of the chapters which spark some intellectual thought that I would have liked the author to include an appendix whereby he gives his interpretation of answers to these questions, and lastly, that I believe Mr. Masters would bode the BDSM community well if he were to start working on a companion piece of advanced material for those of us interested in this area of the lifestyle.

Again, if you are new to the M/s, D/s or BDSM realm, this should be one of the first 2-3 books you purchase and one I believe you will reflect back upon the most, time and again.

Reading "The Control Book" by Peter Master was an easy to read and very informative. I read this book from the opposite point of view and was still able to glean a tremendous amount of knowledge. There were sections of the book that were very practical,causing ah ha, moments. If your looking for a book to learn the basics and understand more aspects, then Peter Masters book is a definite suggestion.

It is refreshing to read a book about bdsm that is not a how-to book. The book makes you question the reasons for engaging in such activities and also makes one more sensitive to actions within a scene due to a better understanding of the concept of control. All in all, a great book that makes one think about and try to understand control, and in the process become a better dominant for it.