Customer Reviews

Radical Ecstasy

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
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2 star:		(1)
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If you're looking for a how-to book of tying up your partner, techniques for using tools, what parts of the body are safe to strike, etc., you'll have to look elsewhere in other books that cover these subjects. If, on the other hand, you want to know why on Earth would anybody want to do this in the first place, you've hit the jackpot in "Radical Ecstasy."

If you think BDSM is all about cruelty, Dossie and Janet will convince you otherwise. They are incredibly articulate about psychological processes that are nearly impossible to describe. Come along with players on their journeys to the darkest, scariest parts of their minds and watch them emerge cleansed, whole, free, and (most importantly of all) LOVED by their play partners. Their role-plays may well be more effective than hypnosis or years of therapy on a shrink's couch. The authors feel their words do not do the experiences justice, but truly they are too modest.

I had the good fortune to meet Dossie and Janet at a Polyamory convention, having already read their classic "The Ethical Slut" which is far-and-away the best and most practical book about the dynamics of Polyamory. They are cool ladies who would be mistaken for ordinary vanilla if you didn't know otherwise. "Radical Ecstasy" is every bit as revelatory as "The Ethical Slut," opening up a whole new world for me.

At one point in reading it, I collapsed in cathartic laughter that made tears stream down my face, when I suddenly realized that I had always been fascinated with bondage games, even as early as age 8. My obsession with "Perils of Pauline" scenes became a source of enormous ridicule from my schoolmates, so embarrasing I never dared breathe a word of it to anyone for more than 30 years. At long last, Dossie and Janet proved that there was nothing wrong with me after all! I was merely trying to act out a logical resolution to the school-bully problem. My first-ever night at a BDSM club saw me tied to a St. Andrew's Cross while wearing the most demure, innocent, Victorian-vintage lace dress imaginable. Eventually, I might finally get to act out a resistance/takedown/rescue scene where I get chased all over the dungeon . . .

THANK YOU, Dossie and Janet, for sharing your amazing love with the world.

This book takes a look at "altered states," BDSM and sacred sex practices and the route that the authors take to get to these "altered states." It is in some ways a journey the two authors made while writing this book to get to the core answer of "what truly is radical ecstasy." And yet the impression I get from reading this book is that what it truly is differs for everyone. Having been exploring alternate forms of spirituality over the past two or three years, quite a bit of what the authors speak of hit home for me. The book also has a number of vignettes of scenes the authors did with one another, their reactions and feelings during and after the scenes, as well as their use of breathing and visualization to reach "spiritual highs."

At times you may find the authors delving into areas that seem a bit hard to follow, but there will also be times reading about areas where you nod your head in acknowledgment. This is not a book for the "novice player," but rather for those who've been exploring consensual power exchange play for at least a little while and are looking for ideas or thoughts about how to make their scenes more spiritual.

As with every other bok I have read by them Dossie Easton and Janet Hardy make a fabulous team, this is no exception. Easy and enjoyable to read this book gets into both of their very different mind on the spiritul side of BDSM. lots of personal acounts and break downs of how different experiences moved them. A difficult to explain topic somewhat explained.

This book, to me, is the authors' wonderful and very personal journey of transcendent experiences via SM. If you think of it as reading a memoir, instead of trying to learn something you'll enjoy it much more. A very brave piece of writing. Thank you for putting yourselves out there so openly.

While our paths haven't crossed for many years I was fortunate to have met Dossie back when I was just beginning my BDSM exploration. Through the years her words have given me the courage to follow my own path when I had no role models; she continues to teach that WIITWD is more an expression of community than an edict. SM is for me a source of laughter, strength, growth and spirituality and I see my role as a sadist to be that of a healer more than anything else. This book reassures and illustrates that there is richness and depth to be found in heartfelt SM and few are as gifted as Janet and Dossie at painting portraits of experience with their words.

Susanne D'Arcy

I love Dossie and Janet! Radical Ecstasy is a great intro for building a spiritual side to your sexual practices. To be honest, it bothers me how there's so much out there in society about basic lust and pleasure without the added component of seeing it all as a way to transcend the physical and turn it into something far greater than the sum of its parts by adding the spiritual aspect to it. This is a great description of doing just that and I'm happy more people are putting books out there, especially in the kink community.

I'm a long time fan of Dossie and Janet, yet I hadn't read anything of theirs in 10 years. In that time, I was on my own road to discovering how sexual union can go beyond just bodies rubbing together to something truly profound. This is the book that shows us how by revealing how these two amazing sexual/s&m pioneers are doing it in their own lives. They are both instructive and vulnerable, professional and funny, personal and universal. Thank you ladies! You rock!

Radical Ecstasy is a book that's difficult to define. Is it a BDSM-manual? Is it some kind of feminist manifesto about women's right to live out their sexual fantasies? Is it a diary, combined with relationship-stories, written by the two authors strictly for their own personal satisfaction? Or is it simply a combination of all of the above?

Well, probably the last alternative. Probably. Because I'm not that sure, despite the fact that it's only been five minutes since I (finally) finished the piece. I add "finally", because it wasn't the greatest book I've ever read. Especially since it felt like such a lengthy book; page after page was turned without anything really happening, but no. The only thing one can do is keeping one's fingers crossed that the authors will get to their point, whatever that is, but the wait is long and extremely frustrating. And frustration is never a good thing.

Many different parts of the BDSM-scene are investigated, for instance various bondage-scenarios and various domination/submission sessions, many of which Easton and Hardy themselves have experienced together with their numerous male and female lovers. Time and again they emphasize the phenomenon, or state of mind, known as ecstasy (not the drug), and try their very best to explain to the reader how to experience it. But the question remains: what's the difference between ecstasy and an orgasm? Well, you tell me. The book sure doesn't do it, and whenever it's mentioned it's mostly written for a female audience. This doesn't mean that the role of the men is trivialized or overlooked. However, though, it's definitely a book written by women and mostly aimed towards other women.

Still, the book has its good sections, too. Especially the part where they discuss how a ritualistic setting can enable people to act out and deal with their inner pain. But overall, Radical Ecstasy comes out as yet another mediocre New Age book found in the self-help section of your local bookstore. With the exception that this one contains detailed sexual scenarios. (Not extremely detailed, though. It's not an XXX-rated book).

Finishing the book I couldn't help but feeling that perhaps the authors wrote it due to their exhibitionistic natures, and not because they wanted to help people. I'm probably wrong, but that was nonetheless the feeling I got.

This book is a brilliant book for the leather loving enthusiast. I enjoy the fact that they are willing to share their experiences and insights on a very real but not very much talked about spiritual side of the things we know and love.