Customer Reviews

The Sex and Love Handbook: Polyamory! Bisexuality! Swingers! Spirituality! (& even) Monogamy! A Practical Optimistic Relationship Guide

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's refreshing to see new titles come along as an addition to the paltry few that deal with the "ghetto-ized" topic of non-monogamy. This one draws heavily on the long personal practical experience of the authors [and interviews with others with long personal practical experience], so the material certainly isn't dry. It covers a very impressive range of subjects and perspectives, making it less "axe-grindy" than some other books in this area. And it tackles some tough questions that other books skirt around. For these reasons, I'd like to recommend it as a First Read on polyamory.

However, the book needed an[other] editor. Glitches of spelling and grammar are liberally scattered throughout, as well as factual errors. [Guys, Tolstoy wrote "War and Peace" -- Dostoevsky wrote other stuff.] And the text sometimes shows a tendency to leap from one topic to another in unexpected places, making it needlessly scattered and hard to follow. This sort of presentation reflects negatively on the credibility of the ideas it contains... which we can't really afford when there are so few apologists for this alternative lifestyle as it is.

[And the Heinleins quote several times from Robert A. Heinlein, which leaves me wishing they'd said something about their relation to him if any. ;) ]

It's amazing to hear that this type of lifestyle exists. I thought that free love died out in the 60's. But this book says that back then it was not really very common, and there's really more of it going on today! I liked the way the book talked about honesty and communication in any relationship, and I think that everyone should read this book before they get married. I recommend it.

this book is insightful, honest and incredibly positive. it made me feel good about the unconventional lifestyle choices i'm prone to making. it made my married with children friend feel much the same. Also, the handbook is good for more than a few laughs. in a new relationship, it is a great way to begin any conversation you might ever want to have about sex, love and the nature of relationships. thank you for this amazing handbook. . . it left no stone unturned.

Very informative. Covers many sides of sex, love and life, and stays positive throughout.

Highly recommend. An excellent, honest view of the various relationship types. Not the be all and end all of books on the subject, but ranks up in the top 5.

Got this book hoping to find some interesting insights into an alternate lifestyle. What the reader actually gets is a manifesto laced with personal opinions and anecdotes that is written from the perspective of a Lifestyle apologist. Those in the Lifestyle should be very wary of writers like this who expouse political opinions as a much as they do sex advice. Without a doubt, it's not puritanical ideals of this country that keep polyamory and the lifestyle in the closet. It's the very poor advocates like the Heinleins who speak on behalf of it. The good news is that this book won't be read by many and that there are new resources where itelligent people can get accurate information on this subject.