Review: Eye-opening, tastefully written and very useful if you have sons
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 25, 2013
So it took some coaxing to get me to read this book. But the positive reviews by other women convinced me to give it a go. And it turned out to be very interesting and more than a little eye-opening. It's very well-written and done as tastefully as a book on this subject can possibly be. Very impressive because I'm sure that it took a lot of work and editing to accomplish this.From a practical aspect, I didn't really read it for my own personal use since, well, I'm a woman (not that it can't help for the woman in a relationship to read it). But someone mentioned to me that it could be helpful if I have sons and that is a great point. It's a topic that can be very awkward to discuss after all. If you aren't able to find some way to talk to your kids, you run the risk of making them feel uncomfortable in their own skin which is even worse than a few minutes of embarrassing conversation. While I think most women always hope there's a father or father-figure around to help when sons get to this point, you never know and unfortunately they're often lacking. And even if "the talk" goes well, this book gives way more information than any parent would ever be able to get through without making both themselves and their son want to burrow underground for a year or two.Let's face it, our culture just isn't open about these sorts of things. Leaving this book in his room (if you can't bring yourself to hand it to him) would at least counteract any foot-in-mouth comments made and reassure the kid that it's perfectly natural and normal. Psychologically this is important if he's going to continue growing with a positive self-esteem and go on to be in a satisfying relationship with someone else. There are two chapters at the end that talk about the psychological aspects. We don't really think about masturbation being anything other than a physical act, but feeling ashamed or insecure when you're by yourself can be even more damaging than when you feel ashamed around other people. We really need to stop shaming people and let everyone figure themselves out in an accepting environment. So addressing those psychological aspects in a positive way is actually very important.I think what impressed me most was the variety in the book. It covers everything from massage to the deed itself and gives so many more options than I would have thought possible. There aren't any illustrations which surprised me at first, but it makes sense that they wouldn't be there. The descriptions are very clear and no one is going to read this book in public if there are illustrations.The message behind the actual coaching is clear and one I can respect: get to know yourself and be comfortable with yourself because you deserve to. There's no doubt that men and women will get something different out of this book. And it can help with relationships, not just having "the talk" with your son. Though having that conversation might not be any less awkward. But the book itself is written in a respectful and open way that can only serve to lighten the mood of the readers and give them plenty of positive things to think about.