How to Be a Great Lover - book discontinued by Broadway Books - review by darthkitt3n

“How to Be a Great Lover,” is an alright book. I have read the whole thing from cover to cover, even though some of the chapters did not interest me at all. I have only really read one other sex book, “The Good Vibrations Guide to Sex,” which I enjoyed reading and every now and then I refer to it. I figured maybe I should try reading another book, as well.

The book is hardcover with a paper book jacket. It has 235 pages within its covers. The main focus of the book is to give women tips on how to better please their men. Some chapters may be somewhat helpful for gay or lesbian couples.

The book consists of the following chapters:

- Chapter One: The Kama Lou Tra: The author’s introduction to the book. She explains why she decided to write the book and calls dildos, “instructional products.”

- Chapter Two: Beyond the Bedroom: The author discusses creating the perfect evening, from ambiance to getting him in the mood. There is also some information to help rekindle relationships.

- Chapter Three: The Art of Kissing: This chapter is all about kissing. She describes several styles of kissing, as well as tips on how to perfect your kiss. She emphasizes the importance of keeping your mouth clean, though I think she goes just a bit overboard. Some of it sounds like you need to brush your teeth every time you go to kiss your lover.

- Chapter Four: Safety is Essensual: This chapter contains far more practical information than the rest. The author describes several different STDs, as well as protection to prevent them. She covers the topic of why a condom breaks during intercourse, as well as a method of putting a condom on with your mouth.

- Chapter Five: To Lube or Not to Lube? There Is No Question: The author discusses different lubricants in this chapter. She categorizes them by use, such as for oral play or manual play, and also describes the texture and whether or not the lubricant is water-based.

- Chapter Six: Give That Man a Hand: The entire chapter is about foreplay and hand jobs. She gives tips on how to position yourself, lists favorite locations, and describes a bunch of different ways to pleasure him with your hands. Some of the techniques confused me, probably because it is hard to really visualize this.

- Chapter Seven: Blowing His…Mind!: She covers a lot of information on oral sex in this chapter, including the topic of whether or not to swallow, or why women simply will not perform oral sex on their lover. She gives tips to help you take control of giving oral sex by putting your fingers around his penis like a ring, and keeping them up at your mouth at all times. There are tips listed for what to do with your hands as well as some techniques to spice up oral sex, like using mints or humming.

- Chapter Eight: The Outer Limits: This chapter is about anally pleasing your lover, with sex toys, as well as internal and external massage. There is a section on analingus as well.

- Chapter Nine: Coming Together at Last: The author discusses the female orgasm, and where a woman should be stimulated. There is a long section covering different basic sex positions that all have illustrations. She has lots of tips to help make each position feel even better. There is some information on vaginal exercises as well.

- Chapter Ten: Pearls and Other Playthings: This one is all about toys. There is information on several different types of sex toys, including dildos, vibrators, harnesses, penis sleeves, cock rings, butt plugs, anal beads, and pearl necklaces. She includes information on how to pick the right toy, as well as how to properly use it.

The end of the book contains her final word after reading the book, as well as a list of sex toy stores across the United States. The very end lists some places to call for free help with STDs and sexual therapy.

Overall, this book covers a lot of information. It has some illustrations in it as well to emphasize some sections. I personally think it has this tone to it that says you need to be perfect in pleasing your lover, or else he won’t want to be with you. There isn’t really any embrace in being yourself and pleasing your lover the way both of you discovered you enjoy. It feels like, “follow this method or he won’t come.” She discusses a lot of people she has met over the years from her seminars, sort of like anecdotes. They aren’t really humorous though. The amount of information she provides outweighs the annoying tone, thankfully.

I haven't actually felt compelled to pick this book up and read through it again. It's pretty informative, but I guess for me, it's just not interesting enough to want to read the same thing again. I would, though, lend it to a friend if they found it interesting.