The Compleat Spanker - book discontinued by Greenery Press - review by Antipova

Lady Green sets out to present an in-depth guide to spanking and nothing but spanking in the 87-page "The Compleat Spanker," and she completely succeeds in her goal. Because, she suspects, many people with an interest in spanking do not have an interest in the broader spectrum of BDSM and may even be intimidated by it, her book contains very little beyond the scope of spanking---but that's great. The Compleat Spanker's direct scope allows her to focus very thoroughly on all the important aspects of spanking.

The author introduces the book and herself with the first chapter, "Spanking and Me." Chapters two and three, "Who Spanks?" and "Why Do We Like Spanking" flesh out the introduction, reminding readers that impact play is a very common desire, and elaborating on several physical and mental motivations that lead people to enjoy having their backsides swatted. When introducing this book to my boyfriend, I encouraged him to skip these three chapters and focus only on the meat of the book which follows, but these introductions were interesting to me.

The book gets to the nitty-gritty with the fourth chapter, "Anatomy of a Spankee," which describes (and illustrates) the underlying physical structures of the buttocks and thighs, and lays out where to spank for optimal pleasure and minimal risk. "Communication and Mood" explains how to conduct a scene where both spanker and spankee are comfortable and able to communicate, which is vital information. "Warmup" quickly reminds readers not to dive in before buttocks, biceps, and brain have relaxed into the scene, and then the discussion turns to "Implements." This is one of the most informative chapters in the book, and it lays out the type of pain administered by each common implement, the style of marks which are likely to be left behind, and information on spanking with each safely and pleasurably. "Positions" provides a run-through of commonly enjoyed positions in Lady Green's two categories: upright and face-down. There are many positions that appeal to me, having read the book, that had never occurred to me earlier. "Afterwards" outlines a bookend to the warmup, and explains some tips for easing back into "real life," as well as makes the suggestion that elements of the scene should be discussed a day or so later rather than immediately after the spanking. "Troubleshooting" provides many important thoughts, from preventing marking to tips for minimizing it should it occur, to emotional crises, to which positions should be avoided for bottoms with health concerns. "Tips, Tricks, and Fun Things to Try" includes exactly what it advertises---fun ideas to spice a spanking up. The "Conclusion" wraps the book up nicely, and is followed by four appendices. These cover "Finding Others" (slightly outdated), "Cleaning Your Spanking Toys," "Combining Bondage With Spanking," and include a "Resource Guide."

The Compleat Spanker was published by Greenery Press in 1996. I currently have two books from this publisher, which was co-founded by the author four years before the Compleat Spanker was released. Their mission is to present responsible sexual information, and, as a small press, they do it very well. As I was flipping through The Compleat Spanker before reading it, I thought "This was the sort of book I would have expected to be spiral-bound, because it's such simple, straightforward information from an expert, but it's directed toward a rather small audience." I am very glad that the press is large enough to print a higher-quality, longer-lasting paperback than the spiral binding that would have been par for the course. One final word from the publisher which bears repeating: "We are known for our realistic, non-exploitive approach to sexualities that others might consider extreme. Our authors include therapists, attorneys and physicians, and any book which describes activities that might be physically, emotionally or legally risky is OKed by professionals before it sees print."

My few small complaints about The Compleat Spanker were that, for a book geared to those into spankings but not necessarily BDSM, the hairbrush in motion on the front cover seems mildly intimidating. I had to prep my boyfriend before letting him see it, and this is not a book I would read in public unless I'd covered it with a paper bag. Similarly, while I find the full-size, stylized illustrations showing the diverse spanking positions to be very useful, they were just randomly interspersed throughout the book, and some of the callouts listed the wrong page numbers. I think the illustrations would have had a better impact if they were all grouped together in the positions section.

I was inspired by the "Implements" and "Positions" chapters most, as they contained plenty of information that had never crossed my mind before. I was also glad to read tips on bruise avoidance and minimization, as well as authoritative information on cleaning spanking implements. All of the information in The Compleat Spanker was presented very clearly, and was pleasant to read.

A detailed, thorough, and easy-to-read instruction book is never going to fall out of favor on my bookshelf! I have flipped through the anatomy pages on occasion for reference, and while I haven't gone and reread any of the sections on materials and implements, the knowledge has come in quite handy.

Since reading The Compleat Spanker, I've become the proud new owner of my very first homemade paddle, and my very first flogger, and I was reassured by Lady Green that the size and thickness I chose would be suitable for me.

I've recommended this to lots of people since having read it, and I still think it's an excellent book to dip your toes into or flesh out your knowledge of spanking.