The Joy of Sex: The Ultimate Revised Edition [Paperback]

Alex Comfort (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 29, 2009

Famous for helping couples discover how sex can be playful, erotic, passionate, exhilarating, and most of all, pleasurable.

The Joy of Sex revolutionized how we experience our sexuality. An international bestseller since it was first published in 1972, Dr. Alex Comfort’s classic work dared to celebrate the joy of human physical intimacy with such authority and candor that a whole generation felt empowered to enjoy sex. Now fully updated, revised, and reillustrated, The Joy of Sex once again sets the standard as the world’s most trusted sex manual.

Substantial revisions from sex expert and relationship psychologist Susan Quilliam include new information on:

• Key scientific discoveries in the fields of psychology, physiology, and sexology
• The Internet and couple-friendly pornography
• The importance of sex to our growth as people and partners
• Maintaining a fulfilling sex life as we get older

Above all, The Joy of Sex emphasizes the importance of happy and healthy sexuality in our lives.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; Revised edition (December 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307587789
• ISBN-13: 978-0307587787
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Psychology & Counseling > Sexuality
  • #65 in Books > Self-Help > Sex

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Answers questions no one had in 1972 . . . this time through the eyes of women, too.”
—New York Times

“There’s something to celebrate about the enduring life of so seminal a piece of educational literature.” —NPR

“[Succeeds] in bringing The Joy of Sex up to current standards.”
—The New Yorker

“An old book now has a lot of new tricks.”
—Men’s Health

“A bellwether of human sexuality for decades . . . the new version is better.”
—Washington Post

“Witty, fanciful, and mercifully free of moralizing.”
—Time

“An intelligent sex manual that is serious without being solemn.”
—Desmond Morris, author of People Watching and The Human Sexes: The Natural History of a Man and a Woman


From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

DR. ALEX COMFORT was one of the world’s leading experts in the field of human sexuality and one of the most versatile authors of the twentieth century. He died in March 2000 at the age of eighty.

SUSAN QUILLIAM is a relationship psychologist and an advice columnist. She writes, broadcasts, and presents internationally on topics surrounding love and sexuality.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; Revised edition (December 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307587789
• ISBN-13: 978-0307587787
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Psychology & Counseling > Sexuality
  • #65 in Books > Self-Help > Sex

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Joy Then and Now June 18, 2010

By Jeanne C. Walker

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I owned a copy the original version of "The Joy of Sex." It worked fine for me then. Recently I moved and found the box I had packed it in had broken open. The only book missing was my original 1972 version. Explain that as you will.

I replaced it with "The Joy of Sex: The Ultimate Revised Edition." What an eye-opener in more ways than one: New pictures, actual photographs in addition to the drawings; new language and new topics -- not discussed and indeed not thought of in the original; and this time it includes my female perspective, not just his.

Joy Then has become more enlightening, more usable, and more fun in Joy Now.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for men and women June 6, 2010

By M. Ercolino

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is something that your library should not be missing. Updated graphics from the previous editions are welcome touches and are a very healthy aid to keep your love life alive; even when things seem like they can't get any better in that department!

If things are stale or non-existent, this must-have reference will be a welcome revitalization in any relationship, new or old.

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sex is Timeless January 17, 2009

By Sylvia M. Hubbard VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I read the first Joy of Sex illegally. I was only twelve and very curious. At a usually romp around the library where I hung out to read romance novels I stumbled into an unmanned resource room and found the book. I found a corner and in five hours I was schooled between the pages in what would be a life changing experience.

I distinctly remember the pictures of women with leg and arm hair and men with back hair. The majority of the pictures of people were all in one race. Yet I looked past all that and read the words that filled my head with knowledge about something my parents or friends knew nothing about.

At that time, I remember, the book didn't mention much about safe sex. I think there was just a little about it there compared to this version where it's not only spoken about for a while but often mentioned throughout the book.

Things have changed and the new Joy of Sex is wonderful.

The new Joy of Sex (revised by a woman - thank the lawd!) brings sex into the twenty-first century the way it should be. With women becoming equaller (I know that's not a word) out the bed, we still crave that take me, thrill me, please me. But we also love that take charge.

We want it all.

I was pleased by the new illustrations and photos, plus the detailed descriptions. This book would make a wonderful anniversary gift and a great new nuptial gift for all couples.

Sylvia Hubbard, Blogger of How to Love A Black Woman

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Educational February 15, 2009

By Lucille P. Garcia-Pages

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I find this revised version focused on the woman's point of view. The man's needs are also discussed. The thick paper sdds substance to the book. The drawing and and pictures added senuality not pornography.
As an older person, I found it lacking in suggestions for couples with erectile dysfunction issues.
Overall a very sophisticated book that is easy to read.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't do better than the fundamental guide December 2, 2010

By Dad82

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

There is not much to say about this book that most don't already know.

This book will teach you all the basic things that you thought you knew but finally admitted that maybe you weren't all that and got this book to find out the truth. And then you became a better lover.

If you want to improve your sex life, start and finish and understand this book before you even consider moving on to anything else. Without actually learning these fundamentals, you're missing out on a lot.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Joy of Sex=revised October 8, 2009

By Charles P. Oliver

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

since the original by Dr. Alex Comfort, was published in 1972, it has been reprinted many times. It was overdue for an
update and Susan Quilliam has done an excellent job. In the ensuing 37 years many things have changed and needed discussion, not the least in sexually transmitted diseases.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! January 26, 2009

By Steve S., MD

Format:Hardcover

Modern, couple oriented, tasteful. Start at the beginning, read it individually and then share it together.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Joy of Sex:The Timeless Guide to Lovemaking,Ultimate Revised Edition August 31, 2009

By S. Parker

Format:Hardcover

Considering what this book is about, it is EXTREMELY tasteful as far as content goes. It's a good read and learn book!