Sex for Dummies [Paperback]

Ruth K. Westheimer (Author)

Book Description

Series: ...for Dummies Business and General Reference Book | Publication Date: August 18, 1995

You're no dummy when it comes to sex, right? And yet there are sexual partners who don't know how to please themselves or each other, thousands of sexually transmitted diseases spread, and a million unwanted prognancies each year in the U.S.

That's why for more than 20 years, Dr. Ruth K. Westhiemer has traveled the world bringing her message of sexual literacy to millions of people who need informaiton on love, relationships, and sex, but have been too afraid to ask. Now, For Dummies has partnered with world-famous sex maven, Dr. Ruth, to bring you this down-to-earth, educational, and informative guide to sex in the '90s.

Starting with the basics, Dr. Rugh covers it all, from procreation to puberty to courtship and commitment. She gives you no-nonsense tips, advice, techniques, and suggestion for how to find the right partner, how to keep the romance alive, how to enjoy sex well into the golden years, and how to explore your own sexuality. With helpful case studies and icons, Dr. Ruth cuts thorough all the jargon and medical terminology to provide you with clear and concise information in a fun and easy-to-read format.

Inside, you'll discover how to:

• Talk to kids and teenagers about safer sex
• Keep the romantic fires burning with gifts, getaways, and more
• Explore family planning options
• Discuss the topic of HIV and AIDS with your partner
• Make foreplay and afterplay a normal part of your lovemaking
• Avoid catching a sexually transmitted disease
• Address male and female "problems" like impotency and infertility
• Maintain an active sex life in the face of medical or physical disabilities
• Explore sex on-line: fun for you, safety for your kids

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Go ahead and laugh at the title of this book, but admit it--do you know what a cytomegalovirus is, or how to get rid of one? (It's a little-known sexually-transmitted disease, and there's no known cure.) Dr. Ruth Westheimer has written a valuable reference for those who think they know it all--and for those who admit they know nothing. Westheimer covers male and female anatomy, masturbation, birth control, and the ups and downs of orgasms, along with many other very sensitive subjects--such as how to come out when you're married and have children. For parents who are having trouble talking with their teens about sex, this book could break the ice. It's especially worthy reading--for young and old alike--for Westheimer's candid discussions of the often-ignored emotional and psychological aspects of sexuality, from the effects of losing one's virginity to having cybersex to handling premature ejaculation and other sexual problems.

From the Back Cover

You're no dummy when it comes to sex, right? And yet there are sexual partners who don't know how to please themselves or each other, thousands of sexually transmitted diseases spread, and a million unwanted prognancies each year in the U.S.

That's why for more than 20 years, Dr. Ruth K. Westhiemer has traveled the world bringing her message of sexual literacy to millions of people who need informaiton on love, relationships, and sex, but have been too afraid to ask. Now, IDG Books Worldwide has partnered with world-famous sex maven, Dr. Ruth, to bring you this down-to-earth, educational, and informative guide to sex in the '90s.

Starting with the basics, Dr. Rugh covers it all, from procreation to puberty to courtship and commitment. She gives you no-nonsense tips, advice, techniques, and suggestion for how to find the right partner, how to keep the romance alive, how to enjoy sex well into the golden years, and how to explore your own sexuality. With helpful case studies and icons, Dr. Ruth cuts thorough all the jargon and medical terminology to provide you with clear and concise information in a fun and easy-to-read format.

Inside, you'll discover how to:

• Talk to kids and teenagers about safer sex
• Keep the romantic fires burning with gifts, getaways, and more
• Explore family planning options
• Discuss the topic of HIV and AIDS with your partner
• Make foreplay and afterplay a normal part of your lovemaking
• Avoid catching a sexually transmitted disease
• Address male and female "problems" like impotency and infertility
• Maintain an active sex life in the face of medical or physical disabilities
• Explore sex on-line: fun for you, safety for your kids

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (August 18, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568843844
• ISBN-13: 978-1568843841
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,222,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in Germany in 1928, I was sent to a children's home in Switzerland at the age of ten which became an orphanage for most of the German Jewish students who had been sent there to escape the Holocaust. At 17 I went to Israel where I fought for the country's independence as a member of the Haganah, the Jewish freedom fighters. I then moved to Paris where I studied at the Sorbonne and taught kindergarten. I immigrated to the U.S. in 1956 and obtained my Masters Degree in Sociology from the Graduate Faculty of the New School of Social Research. In 1970, I received a Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in the Interdisciplinary Study of the Family from Columbia University Teacher's College.
My work at Planned Parenthood is what prompted me to further my education in human sexuality by studying at New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center.
My TV show Sexually Speaking first aired in 1980 as a 15-minute taped show, which then increased in popularity and became a nationally syndicated radio show.
In recent years, I have made regular appearances on the PBS Television children's show Between the Lions as "Dr. Ruth Wordheimer" in a parody of my therapist role, in which I help anxious readers and spellers overcome their fear of long words.
Currently I am an Adjunct Professor at N.Y.U. and an Associate Fellow of Calhoun College at Yale University, where I teach a course on the American family. I am also a Fellow of Butler College at Princeton University, where I will teach a course on the Jewish family. In addition to having my own private practice I am a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and frequently lecture at universities across the country.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars If you are looking for techniques, look elsewhere, January 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sex for Dummies (Paperback)

A good book for people with very little sexual experience or knowledge. If you are looking for a hands-on guide for techniques to practice on your partner, then this is NOT the book you want to get.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not a "how to" book, but a "what is" book, April 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sex for Dummies (Paperback)

If you want a book which teaches you techniques and offers constructive suggestions on how to improve (or, I suppose, get started) in your sex life, you'll want to skip this one. Go grab a copy of the Kama Sutra or Joy of Sex for this kind of reference.

On the other hand, if you're a complete newbie to sex and/or would rather focus on the technical aspects such as diseases, pregnancy, and topics of a similar nature, this might be a good book for you. There's probably nothing here that you won't find on any free web site or even in the Johns Hopkins Family Health Book (which, for twice the price, you get everything under the sun instead of focusing only on sex-related topics).

So save yourself some time and money and avoid this book altogether.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NOW it all makes sense!, May 28, 2004

By 

Dave (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sex for Dummies (Paperback)

Wow, was I way off base! Thank you Dr. Ruth for setting me straight.

Seriously, though, I love this book. It treats a very important topic in a direct but humorous way; it's crammed full of useful bits of information; and it doesn't have all of those soft-core porn images that the other books seem to delight in. Describing the acts is good enough for me, there's no need for a book to be full of stunt rumps to get the point across.