The Lifestyle : A Look at the Erotic Rites of Swingers [Import] [Hardcover]

Terry Gould (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 392 pages
• Publisher: Random House of Canada, Limited; First Edition edition (1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679309527
• ISBN-13: 978-0679309529
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,108,699 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very accurate and insightful, June 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lifestyle: A Look at the Erotic Rites of Swingers (Paperback)

As a member of one of the clubs 'featured' in the book, I can confirm the accuracy, not only in a factual sense but in getting the correct 'feel' for how things work in 'the lifestyle' so many of us love. While I might quibble with some conclusions, I didn't at any time find the book to be significantly off the mark. It rings true to those of us on the inside, and you can't ask for more than that in this sort of book.

If you are a swinger, you will appreciate the history and analysis of what we do. If you are thinking about swinging, it will give you a good idea what you should expect (and what you should bring to the experience). And, if you have only a curiosity about it, this will tell you what you want to know in an unbiased, unvarnished manner.

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A serious look at swinging, January 9, 2000

By 

James Requa (Senoia, Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lifestyle: A Look at the Erotic Rites of Swingers (Paperback)

The subject is, on the surface, swinging - sharing sexual partners. A closer look shows that the subject is the dynamics of close relationships. There is much written about the subject of relationships, so, you may ask why I think swingers have something to say? My answer is that swingers removed the taboos and discarded the 'already known facts' before examining the subject.

The book is not, I say, a definitive work. It is more of an investigation. It is far more complete, accurate, unbiased, thoughtful, and provocative than anything else I have seen on the subject. It will be quite valuable to anybody who reads it. I do not mean that whoever reads this book will see that swinging is the way to go - not at all. You don't have to be a swinger to benefit from what swingers have learned just as you don't have to be an astronomer to benefit from what astronomers know.

47 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I was looking for...., October 23, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lifestyle: A Look at the Erotic Rites of Swingers (Paperback)

As a couple contemplating the lifestyle, we were told this was the best book to read on the subject. Now, I would agree if I were interested in knowing all the historical facts regarding swinging, and if I needed a lot of facts to help me rationalize my decision and why it would not be wrong to swing. What I really wanted to know were about the emotional aspects that I could encounter, how to initiate contact with people, what to expect my first time, etc. Instead I found most of the stories with "real people" to take place at a resort, not a situation I am likely to be in. I think this book would be for somebody already involved in the lifestyle rather then somebody curious about it. It was very well written and researched, though.