Grade Aid for Human Sexuality in a World of Diversity: Workbook [Paperback]

Spencer A. Rathus (Author), Jeffrey S. Nevid (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0205582605 | ISBN-13: 978-0205582600 | Publication Date: September 29, 2007 | Edition: 7th

Appropriate for Human Sexuality courses taught in universities and colleges across Canada With a focus on broadening students' understanding of the diversity of sexual experiences-both around the world and within Canadian society-this text covers the biological basis of human sexuality, sexual behaviour, sexuality and the life cycle, sexual problems, and social issues of human sexuality. Replete with the latest Canadian research and data, this text encourages critical thinking about the variety of human sexuality.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The section of terms as well as the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity up front is great—one of my challenges is trying to get the average student to come to terms with all the terms as well as try to understand that a gay male or lesbian does not have a gender identity disorder.  The content is set out in a logical progression which allows the student to understand basic concepts before trying to integrate material.  Good blend of content supported by research literature (especially Canadian research).  The section on cross culture perspective was good especially the section on Sambian looking at how values and belief of various cultures around homosexuality influences the political views in areas where the culture is dominant which in turn influences acceptance.  Good, clean description of laws around sexual assault.  Really liked the section on incidence of sexual assault—I was surprised by some of the Canadian statistics which are contradictory to some other areas around the world.  Also the various examples from around the world were useful to understand some of the diversity of issues around sexual assault.  Well done!  I was surprised at seeing several new Canadian studies included that I was not aware of.  I also liked how the research was identified as being from e.g. University of Quebec researcher.  Both chapters are appropriately written at a level that is appropriate for University and college courses.  I also found that the content got more complex however the reading level remained at the same level.

Shaniff Esmail, University of Alberta

 

What stands out is that there is a pretty good amount of Canadian studies to round out the American data.   This is very important to me as a teacher.  I like the inclusion of the Canadian data very much.  The chapter [9] contains relevant and current studies.

Dawn More, Algonquin College

  

The Rathus text is very impressive—at first glance it seems like it may be more comprehensive in dealing with issues than the Hyde book—and this is great. I was very impressed with the inclusion of very current and relevant issues like gay marriage in Canada and issues relating to sexuality and the internet.

University of Calgary

 

There was definitely a lot of Canadian content and the research quoted came from right across Canada which I thought was great.  I felt the research was well done and the examples were excellent.  Canadian content excellent.

Humber College

 

 

 

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

Key Benefit: This book integrates multicultural and multiethnic perspectives throughout, broadening reader understanding of the range of cultural differences in human sexual experiences—both around the world and within our own society. Key Topics: With its added attention to AIDS, STDs, and other critical social problems such as date rape, child sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and teenage pregnancy, this well-researched book sets the standard for human sexuality works. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 517 pages
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon; 7th edition (September 29, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0205582605
• ISBN-13: 978-0205582600
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,087,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Professional text with unprofessional commentary, April 12, 2005

By 

freetolio "freetolio" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Human Sexuality in a World of Diversity (6th Edition) (Hardcover)

Having majors in both the natural and social sciences, I can honestly say this is a very unprofessionally written text for just a single reason. There are constant, in-text, one-sided diatribes between the "first author" and the "third author." The third author is the ever-lovable Lois Fichner-Rathus who is married to the first author. The problem is that this woman takes numerous opportunities to slam males and masculinity throughout the text (without any similar asides from the male authors).

One section I remember in a not-so-fond manner is where the "third author" rants about how men can't help but be competitive, even with animals, on page 119. On page 23, there is a footnote that reads, "The first and second authors of this text [males] point out that it is not necessarily advantageous for females to have the ability to discriminate duds from winners. The third author confesses that she wishes she had had that capacity years ago."

The book also presents rather one sided views of topics like circumcision. In the book, they describe how, in uncircumcised males, "smegma--a cheeselike, foul-smelling secretion--may accumulate below the prepuce, causing the foreskin to adhere to the glans." (110) The text neglects the fact that smegma naturally occurs in females as well around the clitoral hood with improper hygiene. If they had mentioned this, would it be grounds for supporting clitoradectomy? They then cite data from a Wiswell study concerning penile cancer, and UTI's and declare that circumcision "lessens" these risks. The problem is that the data in that study was actually correlational because the circumcision (as an I.V.) was not controlled by the experimenter, rather, the observations were made ex-post facto where factors like poverty determined who was circumcised. This introduces the possibility that significant differences (monetary, hygiene, education, etc) existed between the subjects. Don't they know that correlation doesn't imply causation?

I liked one comment the third author made in the childbirth section on page 364. She describes how the obstetrician invited her husband to cut the umbilical cord and she "seized the scissors and cut the umbilical cord herself." She asks, 'who gave the obstetrician the right to determine who would cut the umbilical cord!' Heck, I'm amazed she let her husband have the privilege of sleeping with her to conceive the child in the first place. He's lucky she even bothered to take, er, append her husband's last name onto hers.

I don't mind a book with humor, but when the humor makes certain readers feel like they are under siege with every new page, then it no longer serves the usual purpose of conveying information.

Besides that, the book is ultra-thorough. It covers sexuality on biological, moral, psychological, and sociological levels. It is almost too thorough to make for engaging reading for someone interested in a single aspect of sexuality, but this also makes it adaptable for use in many fields of study.

Update: I have been informed that the unprofessional comments are gone in subsequent revisions, so I have no qualms in giving this book another star.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Questionably amateurish, December 8, 2008

By 

Andariel Halo "Disillusioned Smark" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Human Sexuality in a World of Diversity (7th Edition) (Hardcover)

My star rating may be a bit too harsh for a book that does indeed go and define human sexuality and the subjects therein, but when you're reading a textbook on the subject, you have to expect that even the most dismal and pathetic of textbooks would ever cover the subjects they are supposed to cover, or else they would never end up in a classroom.

Instead in this book, amidst the subject comes what screams to be amateurish writing, questionable facts, and just plain bad humor, occasionally used to mask the fact that the authors' touch on certain subjects they just don't know.

As I can't draw on every single example from memory, I'll deal with what examples I can:

- Tantric Sex: The authors know absolutely nothing about what tantric sex is. A "Q&A" section is opened up asking about it, and the authors proceed to ramble on incoherently, with such "things" as "it's like having a tantrum! Sorry, bad pun", before proceeding to say it's everything from yoga and meditation to lighting candles and receiving a massage. Ahem, NO, that is NOT what tantric sex is.

Fact: Tantric sex is a philosophy that combines Hindu spiritualism with indulgent sexuality. Saying that Tantric sex is "yoga, meditation, erotic massages, candles" is like saying this textbook is "words, pages, letters, ink, Times New Roman font, basketballs".

- Sex toys: The author very wrongly states that sex toys (ie, dildos and vibrators) are inherently unsafe if they penetrate. That must be why they sell millions of them without problem.

Fact: Penetrative sex toys are not "inherently unsafe" if you TAKE CARE OF THEM, the same with ANY object that enters your body. Virtually all sex toys have instructions for proper cleaning and storage, with most "kits" or stores that sell them also selling special cleaning solutions. On its own, if you're insane enough to leave a dildo in a dirty toilet for a few days, then pull it out, cough on it, and stick it inside you, good for you and try not to get sick. The authors aren't lying when they say penetrative sex toys can be dangerous; they're simply answering a different version of the question. It's the equivalent of asking "Can I learn how to pleasure my wife if I read this book?" and the answer being "You will know how to avoid getting pregnant, avoid STD's and STI's, and how pornography is okay to buy even if you're married".


Virtually every page or every other page attempts to "lighten" the subject matter with poor jokes that serve only to detract from the studies, as well as seeming to emphasize the prevailing idea when reading text like this that the study of human sexuality is a mockery, to always be accompanied by childish titters and snickers at the picture of a penis or a vagina during orgasm. There is nothing this book gives that couldn't be got more professionally elsewhere.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be required reading at the high school level, July 8, 2008

By 

Love-my-guns Man "Destitute trucker" (91765 USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Human Sexuality in a World of Diversity (paperbound) (7th Edition) (Paperback)

I'm taking a "Sexual Psychology" class, and this book details the nature of humans' need for sexual gratification. It gives detail illustrations and picts on both, the male and female genitals, how and why they work, the chemical actions that take place inside the human body which causes men and women to seek each other out, either of the opposite gender, or the same gender. It gives in fine detail, how a fertilized egg develops into a male or female; how the sperm cell's chromosome will influence the egg into forming either the female or male genitals. I mention "female" first because the human egg cell is defaulted to develop into a female, unless the sperm cell says otherwise. The book fails to mention that not all sperm cells are designed to fertilize the egg, which implies the authors disagree with the British findings. I recommend "Sperm Wars" by Robin Baker (to learn what the author neglects to mention about sperm), also available on Amazon. The authors detail not only heterosexuals, but gives scientific data on why some people grow up as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. It further takes into account social culture, and how sex attitudes may differ in developed nations, versus 3rd-world nations. Another "plus" to how the author had written, is that it's easy to understand. Unlike biology and chemistry textbooks that are written with "big words" in every paragraph, this book is written with high school graduates in mind. It was very easy to follow along, and I wasn't reaching for the dictionary every 10 minutes to look up a word, like I'm doing when I read my other textbooks. To break the monotony of reading and absorbing all this data, the author would make a few humorous remark to elicit a smile or laughter from it's readers. My greatest regret is wishing I had come across this information earlier in life. I'm now in my late 40s, had gone back to college to pursue a degree because my trucking job is slowly being taken over by cheaper Mexican truckers. I've had pass problems with girlfriend relationships, and being confused with my desire for other women. Had I read this book earlier in my life (late teens), I would've handled my difficulties a lot better. As I'm typing this, I've only read the first 7 chapters, and there are 19 chapters in all. This book is a "must-have" to include in your personal library. Even if you have no time to take a class in psychology, reading this book will give you a better perspective on how and why people behave the way they do.