Mistress Ruby Ties It Together: A Dominatrix Takes On Sex, Power, and the Secret Lives of Upstanding Citizens [Paperback]

Robin Shamburg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 20, 2001

Equal parts memoir, how-to and social satire, Mistress Ruby Ties it Together is a guided tour through New York's S underworld, where the author worked as a professional dominatrix to subsidize her writing career.  As Mistress Ruby, this former Catholic school girl took confessions from some of the country's most powerful men.  Within the sanctity of the dungeon, they revealed to her their darkest lusts, fears and frailties -- as well as their sincere desire to connect with the opposite sex.  Each of these provocative essays provides an insider's view of human deviation; together, they present a startling portrait of our everyday selves.

Mistress Ruby is a striking, candid, and humorous look behind the dungeon doors to a darker -- and often unexplored -- side of human nature.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When most people think of commitment, they think of marriage. But as Catholic-schoolgirl-turned-professional-dominatrix-turned-freelance-writer Robin Shamburg explains, helping men from every walk of life live out their S&M fantasies and listening to their troubles required plenty of concentration and consistency--after all, she had regular clients. Describing her sessions, the lifestyle and fun minutiae like the alibis she used with people who wouldn't understand her career choice, Shamburg's Mistress Ruby Ties It Together: A Dominatrix Takes on Sex, Power, and the Secret Lives of Upstanding Citizens is a witty and outlandish roller-coaster ride. Agent, Lydia Wills.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

Equal parts memoir, how-to and social satire, Mistress Ruby Ties it Together is a guided tour through New York's S underworld, where the author worked as a professional dominatrix to subsidize her writing career. As Mistress Ruby, this former Catholic school girl took confessions from some of the country's most powerful men. Within the sanctity of the dungeon, they revealed to her their darkest lusts, fears and frailties -- as well as their sincere desire to connect with the opposite sex. Each of these provocative essays provides an insider's view of human deviation; together, they present a startling portrait of our everyday selves.

Mistress Ruby is a striking, candid, and humorous look behind the dungeon doors to a darker -- and often unexplored -- side of human nature.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: AtRandom (February 20, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812991540
• ISBN-13: 978-0812991543
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,949,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny and entertaining but somewhat disappointing, April 1, 2002

By 

Brian O'Connor (Washington DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mistress Ruby Ties It Together: A Dominatrix Takes On Sex, Power, and the Secret Lives of Upstanding Citizens (Paperback)

Robin Shamburg (f/k/a "Mistress Ruby") presents this book based on the essays she wrote for New York Press while she was a professional dominatrix in New York City in the mid-90s. Ms. Shamburg's writing style is witty, and she has a talent for bringing to light humorous anecdotes that shed some light on this otherwise mysterious line of work. The book is an easy and enjoyable read.

The book could have been better had Ms. Shamburg spent more time describing her feelings to the reader -- ie, what did it feel like to do the things that she did to her clients during her time in the dungeon? One gets the impression that it was largely a job for Ms. Shamburg, but it would have been a much more riveting book had the reader been allowed to understand what Ms. Shamburg really felt like when she was brandishing the whip over a client.

One final word -- this is not a book for those who are really into the BDSM lifestyle. Ms. Shamburg was a professional dominatrix for two years, but is not a lifestyle BDSM enthusiast or a natural S&M player -- for her, it was an interesting interlude in her life, and that is the vein in which this book must be read. Those who are interested in exploring the mind of a truly dominant personality -- a lifestyle Domme -- should look elsewhere. Having said that, this book does offer insights into the lifestyle of most of the professional Mistresses out there, who are neither lifestyle BDSMers or natural Dommes, but rather regular folks who have a somewhat unique line of work -- and for that reason, it is worthwhile reading.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My New Favorite Author, April 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Mistress Ruby Ties It Together: A Dominatrix Takes On Sex, Power, and the Secret Lives of Upstanding Citizens (Paperback)

As a working Domme, I was thrilled to discover this book and this writer, Robin Shamburg. She (brilliantly) puts into words so many of the thoughts and feelings I have had about our profession, in a style that is smart, generous and funny as hell. Mistresses are often stereotyped as meanspirited man-haters (if you read other comments by so-called "dommes" you would see why this is so...ladies your jealousy is showing!) Instead Ms. Schamburg shows the "human" side of human deviation. Also, she is refreshingly honest about what it's like to be in your 20's trying to find your way in the world, while maintaining your integrity--something she has obviously managed to do! All of my friends (Dommes and non-Dommes) are crazy about this book...Mistress Ruby come and do a reading in SF real soon!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and hilarious, March 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Mistress Ruby Ties It Together: A Dominatrix Takes On Sex, Power, and the Secret Lives of Upstanding Citizens (Paperback)

I picked up this book thinking it would be an insider's look at the s&m world and New York City. I learned a lot about this "scene" and the people in it, but it was so much more. Shamburg's unique insights on life, love, family and our culture in general were thought-provoking and even heartbreaking at times. But they were also laugh-out-loud funny. I have a feeling that this author will bring her grace and energy to any subject she decides to write about, and I can't wait to see what she does next!