What Your Mother Never Told You About Sex [Hardcover]

Hilda Hutcherson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2002

Combining the authority of a medical expert with the compassion of a best friend, Dr. Hilda Hutcherson's lively, informed, and sometimes irreverent book explores every aspect of sexuality, from anatomy (hers and his) and self-care to sensational sex and sexual problems.

After more than twenty years in gynecological practice, Dr. Hutcherson addresses what she sees as an overwhelming ignorance about sexual matters that dramatically impacts the lives of women of all ages. In spite of the proliferation of advice in the media-from Cosmo to Sex in the City-there is very little responsible coverage of sexual issues, and none that features the experience and expertise Hutcherson brings to the subject. What Your Mother Never Told You About Sex educates women using step-by-step instructions, empowers them to make their own decisions about sex and sexuality, advises them to be more assertive in their sexuality, and helps them break the cycle of misinformation and distorted views about sex.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hutcherson, codirector of the New York Center for Human Sexuality at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, believes that many women have unfulfilling sex lives. They may be hesitant to speak to their partners, uneasy about their appearance or, most likely, they simply have questions they've never been able to ask about sex. An obstetrician and gynecologist for more than 20 years, Hutcherson believes the key to better sex is knowledge. She offers a comprehensive look at men and women's bodies, including key information about erogenous zones, as well as chapters on different elements of sex, such as kissing, intercourse and oral stimulation. Hutcherson also discusses special topics such as sex during pregnancy and after menopause, and has a useful, albeit too brief, chapter on teaching daughters the facts. Complete with diagrams of anatomy and sex positions, this book is aimed at helping women first become more comfortable with their own sexuality, then work on their sexual relationships. Hutcherson's suggestions about massage, getting away from the kids for a weekend and being creative in bed are not unique. But her approach is so thorough and the writing so reassuring that even readers who would otherwise never pick up a sex manual will likely be comfortable with and grateful for this book.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Would that all mothers knew as much about sex as gynecologist and Columbia University professor Hutcherson! Her book, divided into five parts, is comprehensive yet neither confusing nor overwhelming. She begins with a section on female and male sexual anatomy, going into much detail about the vulva/vagina and offering a useful list of "things to do with a soft penis." Part 2 is a basic sex manual that discusses kissing, touch, outercourse, oral sex, anal sex, intercourse, and "enhancers." The next part covers keeping in shape, birth control, and safer sex, followed by a section on sex during pregnancy, aging sexuality, and talking to one's daughter. Part 5 is especially thorough, covering a wide variety of medical problems and psychological issues, from the effects of diseases and medications on sex to sexual dysfunctions. Even with all this detail, the book is a user-friendly and easy read, with sidebars and good illustrations. Although heterosexually focused, it's gay-friendly. This reviewer's only wish is for even more illustrations. If you have limited funds for updating your public library collection on female sexuality, this is the book to buy. Martha Cornog, Philadelphia
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult (April 11, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399148426
• ISBN-13: 978-0399148422
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #896,169 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful helpful book on understanding yourself, May 11, 2002

By 

"clarence_cat_2000" (Vienna, WV United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Your Mother Never Told You About Sex (Hardcover)

As the daughter of a mother who told me nothing about sex, I found this book to be very informative and insightful. I am not young but I learned things about myself I wish I had learned as a teenager. I highly recomend this book to all women, with and without children, who want to learn to appreciate their bodies and learn to have a better relationship with their significant other. This book should also be read by men who want to understand why women feel they way they do.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A reference for life!, July 11, 2002

By 

"rsalston" (MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Your Mother Never Told You About Sex (Hardcover)

This book is a must read for women, and men who want to be well informed about women. I am a 32 y/o woman and learned all sorts of new fun and interesting information from this book about sex and my body. I have also highly recommended it to friends with daughters because I wish my Mom would have had this tool. There is a chapter dedicated to talking to girls about sex.

I look forward to additional books by Dr. Hutcherson.

65 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a *MUST READ*, May 27, 2002

By 

miriam biddelman (New York,, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Your Mother Never Told You About Sex (Hardcover)

...

I find Dr. Hutcherson's book to be groundbreaking. Not only does she cover what your mother never told you, but she addresses and answers those questions about sex and male and female sexual funcioning that our mother's had to cause to think about. Times have changed and this book needed to be written.

Not only is the content in the book comprehensive, but Dr. Hutcherson writes in a familiar tone, not that of a physician to a patient, but of a woman to a woman, or a man (I see this book being read by both sexes).

As a sex therapist I found her book informative and gave the book for Mother's Day Gifts. This book is cutting edge; her chapters from anatomy to chapters on delicacies are educational, and can be used as a practical handbook for everyone. This book is 5 stars! It enhances lives and is a "must read" for women and couples everywhere.