Redbook's 500 Sex Tips - book discontinued by Sterling Publishing - review by Bila

I admit it: I’m a book addict with next to zero attention span. I can date 10 books at the same time, day after day, year after year. In this respect, Redbook's 500 Sex Tips|Redbook's 500 Sex Tips should have been a perfect fit for me: there is no story line to keep track of, only tips that can be integrated one by one or quickly forgotten, depending on the level of genius you found in them. The thing about that is, the level of genius found in the book very much depends on one’s pre-existing knowledge and experience, if not level of boredom.

Many (but admittedly not all) of these tips seem very basic to me. However, what really irritates me has nothing to do with the ideas themselves so much as the book’s general tone: For nearly every three or four line tip, there is a “He will be putty in your hands!” or “This will make you very happy.” Not to mention the complete lies like: “Don’t get us wrong, men love all oral sex.”

I’m all for encouraging self-assurance, but predicting the outcome of a move (not to mention about a hundred more quotes in this book that made me cringe) sounds extremely naive and disconnected from the human side of sexuality to me.

I could keep ranting about shockingly juvenile quotes for hours, but a review shouldn’t be longer than the book it’s about, so I will spare you. If you have picked up Redbook magazine in a news stand and enjoyed their sex column, by all means, do buy this book. It’s not much more expensive than a single magazine and there are plenty of tips you might like to discover or be reminded of if you don’t mind the tone.

There are 26 chapters in all, but they could all be grouped in the following:

- Getting in the mood;
- Dressing/Eating/Decorating for sex;
- Changing up your dates/interactions;
- Kissing;
- Foreplay;
- Erogenous zones;
- Sexual techniques/positions;
- Speaking up.

All in all, Redbook's 500 Sex Tips is a very light and possibly helpful read.

In a completely different format however (far more enlightening, adult discussions rather than tips, yet with an equally low level of day to day commitment) I would personally recommend the much more mature, human, fun and entertaining Guide to Getting it On (also sold on this site and thoughtfully reviewed by Foxxy Kitty). It is a little more expensive, but more than worth the price difference in my humble opinion.