Review: Twin Peeks?
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 14, 2012
Stephen Williams sure loves his peeks.I admit, that was a corny double entendre. But I figure, if Williams can write numerous self-help books about sex, love, health and relationships, then I can let loose with a zinger or two that exemplifies his fun-loving, at times juvenile approach to composing a book.Mind you, I truly enjoy being around people with a sense of fun. Being able to show humor, having the ability to laugh at yourself, maintaining a positive demeanor, and seeking to do the right thing on a daily basis are all positive examples for living well.It is in this spirit that Williams has written "How To Have Sex: Be Informed to Master the Art!"Now, unless you have sailed through your adolescence blissfully unaware of others around you, along with no access to multimedia outlets, e.g. DVDs; cinemas; iPhones; etc., and incredible willpower for avoiding all sexual thoughts no matter how remote or vague, it's fairly safe to bet that you've had some experience with sex---either solo; with a partner; menage a trois; and so forth.Humanity is hard-wired to be sexual. Life couldn't continue without its existence.But it's more than just a penis and a vagina---it's feelings, words; commonalities with others; likes and dislikes; social adaptability; emotional maturity. Believe it or not, there are those who are celibate but may have experienced sexual pleasure in the past, and there are some people who have never had intercourse and simply are waiting for the right person with whom to share their lives, before giving themselves over to that particular individual.And then, of course, there are the Shakers, who seem to think sexual pleasure is profane and nasty and are just about extinct anyway (but they sure make beautiful wood furniture!).One thing is consistent with Williams---he is relentless in making his readers feel good. This has never been one of his shortcomings, either within "Sex" or any of his other works. It's obvious, just from gauging the topics upon which he expounds, that he has a lot to say and impart upon those of us who read his writings.And for the most part, he's good at what he does. Even if his subject matter becomes tepid in certain passages, he generally means well and usually strives to find the appropriate words to communicate his message so as to remain fresh and updated, even if his sentence structure is faulty from time to time."Sex" asserts that the reader can be a "love guru," and I couldn't help but chuckle---aside from Drs. Ruth Westheimer and Judy Kuriansky (both of whom are respected sexologists/therapists in their own right), what makes anyone a said guru? Do they have to study for a test? Do they need a working knowledge of how men and women copulate? Will Ron Jeremy or Jenna Jameson be guest lecturers? And what about dental dams and condoms?While I understand that "Sex" is referring to intimacy and lovemaking, I would suggest that the best sex starts in the gray matter within our skulls. I don't profess to be a "sexpert," but I would argue that being able to express emotions clearly and articulately, along with what each other wants in the relationship, is the real catalyst for the urge to merge.In the numerous tomes he has written about helping others help themselves improve their relationships, Williams has shown his predilection for being nuanced---hence terms such as "make out," "having peeks," etc. While this isn't in and of itself a problem, it does tend to be a bit tiresome after a while. At times his pedagogery becomes downright juvenile. It was almost as if I could see him sitting in a high-school English class, sneaking his trademark peeks up a "hot and wild" female classmate's skirt and then guffawing at his latest pseudo-conquest.Really, now.Despite the blatant overtures to less-than-sophisticated demographics, "Sex" means well. Williams doesn't seem to let his less-than-ideal command of the English language stop him from providing decent, friendly advice. The man does know how to stay optimistic, and this is a tremendous personal trait that has served him well for all of his books.