The Complete Illustrated Kama Sutra (Hardcover)

~ (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Gives us the dazzling artwork from museums and private collections worldwide... fascinating...sex has not changed in over 2,000 years."
(Lois Mark Stalvey, Red Rock News, January 28, 2004 )

"A new, gorgeously illustrated edition of the famous Hindu Classic."
(Erotic Review, Dec/Jan 2004, Issue 58 )

Product Description

A fully illustrated Kama Sutra from the extraordinary and rare art collection of Lance Dane

• The first complete translation to illustrate all 64 sexual postures described in the Kama Sutra • Includes 250 rare images • Composed by one of the world's foremost scholars of the Kama Sutra and Indian art

The erotic sentiments described in the Hindu love classic the Kama Sutra constitute the most famous work on sex ever created. Written almost 2,000 years ago, the Kama Sutra deals with all aspects of sexual life, including the principles and techniques of sexual pleasure and how to best achieve ecstatic expression of life's beauty.

In this complete and illustrated guide Lance Dane accompanies the Kama Sutra text with 250 illustrations and great works of art that encompass coins, palm leaf manuscripts, sculptures, ancient toys, jewelry, architecture, ivory combs, birch bark, cloth, paintings, frescoes, and scrolls. Gathered from museums and private collections around the world-as well as the author's own collection of over 300,000 photographs-these rare images clearly illustrate all 64 sexual positions and the erotic instructions set forth in the Kama Sutra. The result is a dazzling and sensuous reading experience through which the teachings of the Kama Sutra spring to life.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Inner Traditions (September 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892811382
• ISBN-13: 978-0892811380
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,465 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #7 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Gender & Sexuality
  #33 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Sexuality > Human
  #74 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Sex > Sex Instruction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

183 of 190 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent information on sex and relationships, July 11, 2005

By	Gagewyn (United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

The Kama Sutra has a huge reputation based on only one of its five sections. The positions would be Part 2 and only one chapter of the ten in that section. Most books with Kama Sutra in the title are just going to be some porn structured around that chapter. The entire book is not so much useful in describing the physics of sex as for describing the psychology of sex. (It is good for physical stuff too. At one point it gives a method to get to the G-spot with the fingers, so I have to give Indian medicine props there.)

The five sections are as follows:
Part 1 - Describes how to be attractive. You should bathe before you will be meeting the opposite sex and do something to get your breath smelling better. Also clean your apartment. People call it ritual, but it is excellent advice on not being a slob. For women it gives a listing of the 64 arts which will let you be the favorite in the harem. They are fun. Who wouldn't love a woman who does yoga, can inlay a marble table and knows how to design and build irrigation systems? Much more fun to try to be than the Proverbs 31 woman, but on the other hand kind of a strange laundry list of talents.
Part 2 - The positions, hugging, kissing, scratching and oral. Size of the man and the woman and which positions are better to even thing out in that regard.
Part 3 - How to negotiate an arranged marriage (not so useful now). How to devirginize your bride. You won't be sexing her until about two weeks into the marriage. Its all about gaining her trust and her being comfortable so she won't have hang ups about men, and sadly it doesn't apply to most marriages or devirginizations today.
Part 4 - Handling your harem. How the harem women should treat one another and how to keep them one big happy family.
Part 5 - Other men's wives/concubines and how to sneak around with them.
Part 6 - Courtesans. Kind of like etiquette for prostitutes, except courtesans aren't prostitutes. For example there is some etiquette on how to handle the courtesan living with you and your wives.
Part 7 - Being a hottie. How to make some aprodisiacs and some nice little tricks. This section is probably better advice for the sex life than the positions in that the anatomy is here.

I highly recommend the Kama Sutra but not to people who are looking for the book by reputation as sex sex sex. The book is very much about sex, but more about the whole world of etiquette surrounding male female relations. Virgin marriages (virgin women anyway) are taken for granted and one whole section is about devirginizing the woman AFTER THE MARRIAGE. The advice is very good because it tells how to go about building relationships not how to have one night stands.

Get this book to study and think about and view it as relationship advice and not physical sex advice. So much of the book is about communication and is dead on that it is no wonder it is a classic and likewise shows how important communication is to good sex. In terms of this specific translation, just go for a modern translation of the whole book. A picture book of the positions is not the Kama Sutra and the Richard Burton translation is very stilted. This translation works and pictures are reproductions of Indian art not photos of models, so they are less likely to contribute to dissatisfaction or distance with the partner. As with all sexy books avoid used copies.

67 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Complete Illustrated Kama Sutra - Lance Dane, January 2, 2004

By A Customer

Of the versions available in bookstores, this one I thought to be most comprehensive in content. The graphics are reproductions of original art and not real life couples - which is a relief, and pleasing to the eye.

The presentation falls short in that the book - for it's size - has print too bold, and the graphics are intimidating. But for a person who is looking for a good Kama Sutra to own - for it's artistic and historic significance - this one will work out just great.

88 of 100 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good historical info, January 28, 2004

By A Customer

This book is good for historical and artistic content. However, if you are looking for something more modern that will show you actual poses, don't get this book.