The Internet Escort's Handbook is a delightful, well thought out look at modern-day escorting. Author Amanda Brooks has taken up the task of addressing every question about physical and mental health that a woman could ask before she becomes a sex worker who advertises through the Internet.
She delves into an in-depth study of the industry, giving her reader all she needs to know about working for herself versus an agency, and talks about misconceptions of escorts...a technical assessment of physical appearance, sexually transmitted infection (STI) risks and safe sex practices and how to set personal boundaries through the services a woman offers. She concludes with coaching the new escort in how to set up an ad on a site like Eros Guide, what should go in the ad copy, selecting incall or outcall and how to choose the cities to work in.
...Brooks wrote this book from the standpoint of a woman who wants to make professional companionship a lucrative business (hourly rates ranging $300-600 per hour), have a higher quality of life, and who will have money in the bank and a home to show for it when she leaves the business...Brooks [writes] very candidly about the impact of body type, and weight, attitude, and ethnicity on an escort's earning power. She constructively talks about issues that many find insulting or which can create mayhem on discussion boards.
The only disadvantage of this her book is that for the seasoned escort who runs a successful business, the material she covers can be a bit redundant...Brooks book really is written for a woman who is completely new to sex work and using the Internet to advertise and network,...or who is looking for a "how-to book" to help her move up in this business in order to command a higher rate and better quality of life.
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$pread Magazine Spring 2007
...The issues presented range from the serious (e.g., how to safeguard against sexually transmitted infections) to the more trivial (e.g., the importance of having soft skin, with an accompanying recipe for home-made body scrub - p. 75). However, from the vantage of the casual reader as well as those using the handbook as a "how-to" guide, even the seemingly trivial topics raised by Brooks are fascinating because they underscore the sheer number of elements that need to be considered when one works as an escort.
There are several strengths to the Handbook that warrant mention. First, Brooks is careful to frame the advice she offers within the parameters of her own experience and the escorts she has interviewed or known personally...second, Brooks has written the Handbook in a conversational style that is highly appealing; a style, one might add, that is difficult to implement effectively. The authorial tone used throughout is chatty, yet astute, and informative, without being dull...As a reader, I particularly valued the sections devoted to definitions (pp. 18-28; 119-132).
There are a few minor limitations that should be noted, ones the author may want to address in subsequent editions of the Handbook. First, the demonizing of "common" (i.e., street-based) prostitutes could have been avoided, without compromising the value of the book...Second, the author's comments about male clients serve to reinforce a rather traditional view of the sexes. Not all men are interested in the stats of pro athletes (p. 63) and, surely, there are some men who do not find women s hair most appealing when it s "spread on the pillow under [them]" (p. 72). Just as Brooks noted that her experiences may or may not be applicable to others so, too, should she provide similar qualifications on the part of clients.
Overall, I found The Internet Escort's Handbook to be both informative and interesting.
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Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality January 15, 2007
For any reader who has ever been curious or presumes to know about the adult industry, the author brings this facet of the business to the surface. Amanda Brooks clearly describes the fine line between an escort and a call girl and gives the reader the how-to on personal care and upkeep, health, your body and your peace of mind.
In the adult industry where the exploitation of women is common, The Internet Escort's Handbook gives women the choice and the confidence to pursue this job as a professional businesswoman. The author explains the importance of escort work, not by means of obtaining a "fast buck" or a "wild ride," but applying your people skills to work to your advantage.
Book 1: The Foundation is meant for mature, open-minded women over the age of 18 and the author insists that this profession is not for everyone. Amanda Brooks makes the reader think carefully about entering this line of work, providing a series of thought-provoking questions. She does not glorify this vocation but brings to light some of the shocking situations that can happen with a client and how to handle yourself. Derived from her own experiences and extensive research, the author reveals tips and strategies to reduce the hazards that may arise while on the job.
The author's intent is not to encourage anyone to break the law or to promote working as an escort but to provide a well-written, informative guide to the profession. In the same way a secretary is provided with an office manual and a writer has a writer's guide for reference, Amanda Brooks has brought to the market an intelligent, one-of-a-kind book that any woman working as an escort should not do without. It is written in a natural, honest manner and told in a no-nonsense attitude.
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FemmeVIP.com January 2007
Amanda takes a subject that makes most people blush, go silent or laugh and gives it the honest, human touch it needs. Not only does she explain how the business can affect you, she shows how you can control your own business and life by making informed choices. Even if you wouldn't be an escort in a million years, seeing the power a smart woman can exert over her life is something we all can use.
-- Ms. Lisa, Founder of EscortSupport.com, the largest community and resource site for professional escorts on the Internet
The first reference series of its kind...
If you've ever wondered what it's like to be an escort or have considered working as an escort, then you've probably wondered things like:
Is this something I should be doing?
Do I need to look like porn star to make money?
What will clients expect from me?
What are my real health risks?
These questions are just a few of the many issues discussed in this groundbreaking book. Read the Table of Contents for a detailed overview.
Every woman considering an adult entertainment career should buy this book and take the advice that Amanda is providing. This book has vital information you will need to know. It's a perfect companion to read with my book, Working: My Life as Prostitute. Mandatory reading!
-- Dolores French, author of Working: My Life as a Prostitute
Amanda Brooks may be the closest to an American Geisha we will ever see; the cultivation of what is beautiful in human interaction transcends even the author's exceptions, I think. The book was designed to educate, inform and improve the lives of Internet escorts, but it is clear, there is no man or woman who could not benefit from the wisdom of this book...This should be required reading for every woman and man who has ever wondered about the why's and how's of the opposite sex...I may have learned as much about women and my relation to them in the first fifty pages of this book as I learned in my first forty years of life. The Handbook's online Resources.
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