Customer Reviews

First Person Sexual: Women & Men Write about Self-Pleasuring

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

 

 

I truly enjoyed this foray into the wonderful world of monkey-spanking. It's nice to see someone else is actually talking about it. Not only is the reading interesting and amusing. This is like a self-help book that will change the private lives of all who read it.

I found this book to be the most incredible collection of masturbation experiences that ive come across. Be sure to lock the bathroom door because you wont be able to help yourself.

Joani Blank's wide-ranging anthology encompasses autobiography, short stories, anecdotes, essays, meditations, and musings on the topic of something that almost all of us do, but almost nobody talks about.

Because the book collects lots of short pieces, it's almost guaranteed that everyone will find something of interest to them, whether it's erotic or comic or moving or thought-provoking (or, with a number of pieces, all those things at once). What more can you ask for from an anthology?

Once upon a time, "Wellcome to the 90s!" was a catch phrase, for instance when it came to sexual books by authors from San Francisco who wrote about first person accounts on... masturbation. Actually not, and this seems to be silly. But thinking of it, this really was and still is a market niche. It's even hard to find a decent masturbation scene in the (regular) movies, other than in a special "pervy" context or in comedy. So this book will collect a star for originality. That said, this doesn't automatically mean, this very book from 1996 has reached the realm of the Nobel laureates.

Some of the self sexual short stories, which range from 1 1/2 to 9 pages are worth to read, most are not that incredibly extraordinary. For example, most are not teaching "alternative" methods of masturbation than the obvious ones. That would be a thing rather of the next decade and beyond. Most accounts are heterosexual, some are undisclosed and one is by a FTM transsexual. Another by a disabled person. They are usually true stories, and only one is OBVIOUSLY invented, by sexpert teacher Annie Sprinkle.

It is telling that this is a first attempt on the subject. Many of the 45 authors go back to their masturbation debut or another story from youth. Which in its overproportionality is sociologically interesting, as it appears to be safer for various reasons to write about masturbation episodes from the pre-adult stage. Also, a lot of authors write in the tune of: "Masturbation is ok, I just found out that it is." Which actually underscores the still unemancipated attitude about it - and why it is necessary to start writing about it, even though this book may not be the best thinkable shot at it. (No pun intended.)

Some anti-masturbatory reviews make it necessary to read about the history of that feeling. Which goes back to around 1712 for (pseudo-)medical reasons, back further for religious reasons. Masturbation: The History of a Great Terror and Solitary Sex : A Cultural History of Masturbation are two worthy books, to be read together or one of them. You may also be interested in Sex Machines: Photographs and Interviews and/or Prostate Orgasm, Prostate Cure., the latter of which telling you (if male) that masturbation is good for your health. (Though not the best book, but here we have another market niche.)

A Collection of stories, true or fiction from individuals M&F.For the most part not interesting and not sensual. I threw the book away, had intentions of letting my wife review, but knew this would be of little interest. Forum in Penthouse has better articles.

Ms Blank's book is a collection of stories from men and women detailing some first person experiencee with masturbation. Though some of the stories had merit, the combined effect was another attempt to say that all sex is good and their should be no self-imposed restrictions on sexual behavior. One of her
story-tellers insists that 'everyone does it'. That is just
not true. Many people exist who have not ever engaged in
masturbation. And many more people may have participated in this activity while younger, but no longer participate