Review: A Notch Above "Spin the Bottle"
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 5, 2012
Who doesn't enjoy party games?I suppose it depends upon the particular type of party in question. There are the ubiquitous kids' birthday parties complete with clowns and bounce houses. Then there are the oh-so-trendy theme parties---Hawaiian motifs, western, Goth, sports, and so forth. Avon, Mary Kay and Tupperware offer their salespeople perfume and dishware parties. Heck, there are even lingerie and partner-swapping parties (that fly low under the community radar, of course)!Stephen Williams has taken his turn at ensuring that consenting adults who enjoy one another's company aren't feeling left out. His tome, "Adult Game: Make the Party Lively," offers both individuals and couples many different opportunities for exploring different attitudes, ideas, and interests about sex.In many respects, Williams's book is playing truth-or-dare without necessarily needing to speak the truth. The numerous dares suggested in the book---seducing the person in front of you; grabbing someone's crotch; talking dirty non-stop for five minutes with the person next to you---will reveal just how truthful people are anyway, based upon how they react to the dare in question. (As the adage states: Actions speak louder than words.) Consequently, "Adult Game" can be as successful as the people choosing to participate in it want to make of it.Choice is a primary factor when applied to the participants who use Williams's book. Within the parameters of this review, the individual makes careful, thoughtful decisions that will benefit not only themselves, but all the people who are playing games similar to what Williams discusses in his book. Consenting adults who are comfortable with their bodies and their sexuality will know ahead of time to gauge their audience. These particular individuals are usually empathetic by nature and desire to be as pleasing to the other participants as possible. The enthusiastic partygoer in this situation is generally open-minded about sex and has few to no qualms about experimentation (either for themselves or with another partner or partners).Additionally, people with sexual and emotional commonalities will strive to create an atmosphere that is simultaneously playful, risque, loving, warm, and empathetic for all involved. In so doing, mutual trust and safety are nurtured and expected. There may even be an agreed-upon "safe word" that everyone can use if someone decides that, during the game's procession, (s)he has either had enough or may be feeling emotionally and sexually overwhelmed. Demonstrating such concern can add to the party's collective delights and contribute to greater sensual pleasures and outcomes."Adult Game" is geared for the responsible, mature adult who enjoys taking occasional risks with others who share a similar compatability. Williams certainly never intends to make his book (or any of his works, for that matter) a source of anxiety and guilt. Rather, he simply offers the reader numerous opportunities for expanding their repertoire of sexual and emotional knowledge.Being able to enjoy and experience sex is one of mankind's greatest triumphs. Sex has fostered the human race; it has contributed to survival of the species---and it is meant to be fun and to be enjoyed. Those who wish to expand upon Williams's ideas within "Adult Game," but who do so with love and concern for one another in the process, will find that Twister has nothing on what this particular game can offer.