Size Matters - book discontinued by Three Rivers Press - review by darthkitt3n

If you're looking for an informational book about guys and sex, Size Matters is an excellent choice. It reads like an interview, with writer Kara Baskin asking Harry Fisch, M.D., tons of questions about guys. I already knew the answers to a couple of the questions, but a lot of it was absolutely new to me. This book is great for both men and women to get to know the male body better.

Size Matters, by Kara Baskin and Doctor Harry Fisch, is a 200 page paperback book published by Three Rivers Press in 2008. It measures 8 inches by 5 1/2 inches, which is an average size for a paperback book. The cover is white with a picture of white boxers with red polka dots hanging on a clothesline. Size Matters is written at the top, with "The Hard Facts About Male Sexuality That Every Woman Should Know," below it. The back has an image of a ruler along the left-hand side and a good summary of the book, complete with some example questions that are answered inside, including, "Can masturbation have any effect on sex? Can he do it too much...or too little?" Below the summary is a brief biography on the authors. There are no included pictures of either author. The suggested price on the book's back cover is $13.95, which is what EdenFantasys sells it for.

Inside, the pages are a somewhat thicker, more textured page than typical paperback pages. They aren't slick or shiny. I did not notice any issue with text smearing, even when I read this with freshly moisturized hands. The pages feel like a higher quality, thicker paper than you usually find in a paperback. The text on each page is average sized and easy to read. Questions by Kara are written in italic text, and Harry's responses are written in normal text. The information is divided into 10 chapters with an additional male anatomy appendix, glossary, information for additional help, and an index in the back of the book.

The chapters are:

Chapter 1: The Penis: The Measure of a Man
Chapter 2: I'm Just a Love Machine: How Sex Drive Works
Chapter 3: Nut Cases: Pearls of Wisdom About the Family Jewels
Chapter 4: Sex with Someone You Love: Masturbation
Chapter 5: Sticky Subjects: Coming to Terms with Semen
Chapter 6: Let's Talk About Sex, Baby: The Ins and Outs of Intercourse
Chapter 7: Sink or Swim: The Delicate Sciences of Contraception and Birth Control
Chapter 8: Troubleshooting: Erectile Dysfunction and Other Bedroom Problems
Chapter 9: The Itchy and Scratchy Show: Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
Chapter 10: Keepin' It Clean: Men and Hygiene

Each chapter is really well organized and easy to navigate, since each question is italicized. There are additional bits of information in gray blocks on some pages, which aren't really health questions, just questions many people may be curious about. For example, in chapter 2, there's a question about why men fantasize about coworkers so much. Each chapter ends with some basic facts about guys or sex. Did you know the speed of a typical ejaculate is 28 miles per hour?

Here are some example questions found within:
How often do men fantasize about sex?
Do men ejaculate more semen if they haven't had sex in a long time?
What exactly does "blue balls" mean? Is it real or something men make up for sympathy?
Can men ever find sex painful?
What is semen made of?

Kara's questions are really centered around a female reader. Many of them mention women or sex with women specifically. A lot of them are questions women may have already. They're phrased in a more laid-back way than interview questions typically are, with added bits of humor.

Each question has a very thorough and thoughtful answer. Many answers by Harry are backed up by data from studies and research on men. His answers are easy to read and understand and leave me feeling like I've gotten all of the information related to the question. He also explains medical terms and diseases well with absolutely no medical jargon. When he quotes works in his answers, there's a number next to the information provided, which corresponds with some notes in the back of the book. If you need more information or are interested in learning more about a particular study, the Notes section on page 185 has the full resource information.

Some questions are accompanied by diagrams that really aid you to visualize Harry's explanation. For example, one illustration shows what normal balls should look like. It shows a scrotum with two walnuts sitting in it, which is the healthy set, and another one with a walnut and a much smaller cherry, which is the unhealthy set.

*Continued*

I really like this book. I feel it is meant for women in heterosexual relationships to read, but honestly anyone can read it. I feel it would have benefitted from additional information from a homosexual relationship point of view, as well as some information on anal sex, other than that it stimulates the prostate. What's here is a really good introduction, though. I think it would be great for references for couples, as well as a good gift for teenage guys to learn more about their bodies. I don't think it's really discreet enough to read in public, just because it has sex or sex related terms written all over it, but I won't hold that against it. I finished this book with tons of little interesting facts swimming through my mind that I could tell my friends. Informative books can sometimes be a bit boring, but this one was really fun for me to read through. This book leaves me wanting a companion book covering women in a similar fashion.

I still have this book sitting on my shelf. It's a great read and a lot of the factual information in it has stuck in my head for quite a while. If I happen to have a sex-related conversation with someone, I have sometimes quoted some of the information from this book.