conception and contraception calendar

(52 pages)

Sex Deck: Playful Positions to Spice Up Your Love Life by: Dr. Dawn Harper publisher: Chronicle Books released: 2006-10-05 ISBN: 0811853578 $14.95

If missionary has become monotonous, and doggy has gotten dull, then turn to the Sex Deck. Tonight, skip the same-old-same-old and give Leg Wrap, Easy Rider, or The Sun Worshiper a try. This provocative and inspiring deck from the international best-seller, The Lover's Guide, offers over 50 ways for lovers to spice up their sex play. Pull a card at random for some steamy spontaneity, leave a suggestion in a lover's briefcase or purse, or slip it under their pillow.

THIS WAS GREAT AND WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE THAT WANTS TO SPICE UP THEIR LIFE OR SWITCH THINGS UP

My fifth anniversary was coming up, so I bought this product to spice things up in my marriage. The cards are a cardboard like material with the position on front and a description on the back. We had a blast with the cards. I left them laying out on the dining room table (no kids yet!) when he came home from work, and before long, we were enjoying a romp like we haven't experienced in years (before and after going out to dinner)! I also bought a book to keep the fun going after our anniversary night -Was that an earthquake? The Sensuous Couple's (Flip Over) Guide to Seismic Oral Sex. This book is written in a fun format (flip over), has a great tone of voice, lots of pictures and is easily one of the best instruction manuals I've read. My husband loves his side as well (cunnilingus). It is a solid bargain since it's two for the price of one. Both items were very helpful and fun to read and do!

I bought these cards for my girlfriend and I. Not only did they arrive in one day, they are totally awesome. To be fair, my girlfriend and I don't really need these cards to instruct us, for I have learned that we just know how to do all of these positions by instinct, but these cards are great anyway. We use them more as a game where we pick out a card at random and then go for it. The cards are very informative and they do explain the benefit of each position for male and female. Also nice is that the cards are very strong and designed well. I give this product 5 stars. They are good for people who are just learning, people who want to expand on their routine and people who are just looking for a fun way to spice things up. Hey, everyone needs a little something to keep things fresh and exciting... and these cards do the trick. Oh, you gotta get these!

Many positions we've done in the past and have enjoyed. The new ones we're having a lot of fun trying out. Gives a lot of variety in our bedroom.

The item seems fun and useful. However, my boyfriend and I were slightly disappointed. The positions were obvious and included the good ol' missionary, etc..I found a few cards to be a waste-the positions were just slightly shifted around and they were automatically new positions.So, overall we enjoyed using it, but it's nothing you can't be creative with yourselves!

(256 pages)

Sheet Music: Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage by: Kevin Leman publisher: Tyndale House Publishers released: 2003-09-01 ISBN: 0842360247 $11.19

Dr. Kevin Lehman is a prolific author, who has appeared on a number of well-known television and radio programs. In 'Sheet Music' Dr. Leman spends a fair number of pages on the mechanics of sex, including a few anatomical diagrams. But with 'Sheet Music' I would offer several caveats for Christians to keep in mind about this book:

'Sheet Music' does not reflect an understanding of the primary authority that Scripture is intended to have for believers. Secular perspectives are commonly seen as having equal or even primary authority in comparison to Scripture.

'Sheet Music' fails to present or even assume a full biblical context for Christian life and marriage. The book assumes that Christian marriage is monogamous, but provides little to nothing more in the way of biblical support - even failing to present or make reference to biblical passages would powerfully and dramatically support the author's point! The substantially secular viewpoint reflected in this book includes:

· Recommendations that draw from a secular viewpoint, omitting biblical insights
· Directing Christians specifically to resources outside the local church that have a claim to expertise that lies substantially in secular qualifications, but not spiritual qualifications.

'Sheet Music' falls short of presenting or assuming the full set of biblical passages, such as:

· Biblical passages that contain critical revelations from God, Who created marriage and designed sexual intimacy (including Ephesians 5:21-33; 1 Peter 3:1-7, etc.).
· Biblical passages on the believer's position and condition, identification, walking in the Spirit, recognizing and dealing with the sin nature, and even basic biblical principles on topics like `anxiety' (Philippians 4:6; 1 Peter 5:7).
· The difference between Law and Grace, and the huge difference it makes in all areas of life (sexual intimacy included) and even into eternity (Romans 5; 7:1-6).
· By pointing believers to resources outside of the local church (counseling professionals, sexual therapy clinics, etc.) believers are then setting aside true biblical counsel within the body of Christ, much of the authority and primacy of God's word, and are telling believers to go to resources that are not grace-based, but are charging for their services (contrary to 2 Corinthians 2:17 & chapters 8, 9).
· Believers are directed to the resources of this world (Galatians 6:14; Ephesians 2:1-3) and of the sin nature. With the best of intentions, believers are thereby instructed to walk according to this world's best understanding and in reliance upon the sin nature.

With the understanding that I do not recommend this book overall, here are some of the better quotes from this book:

A couple's sex life is usually a microcosm of the marriage. Every now and then a couple has a great sex life with a poor marriage, but this is the rarity, something you see only every couple of years. Page 10

You need to know that every day a woman internally asks her husband, Do you really love me? Do you really care? Page 10

What warms a woman up is when her husband helps around the house, picks up after himself, helps with the children, makes arrangements for dates, and overall cares for her. If a husband consistently and graciously does this without acting like a martyr, he's going to find, six times out of ten, that his wife is ready and eager to enjoy an active and fulfilling love life. It will be a natural response to a lifestyle of sincere affection. Page 11

Most of us men want to be our wives' heroes. Page 11

Wow! Dr. Leman spares no details in this one! And even after 10 years of marriage, he helped me see marriage in general and intimacy in particular in a new way. Be prepared for what society would probably deem an "old fashioned" approach to love relationships, but don't knock it till you try it... cuz it works!
If it did nothing more than remind me of how different my husband is from me (and how different our needs are) - it was worth it! It made me want to stop taking my man for granted. And who knows...it just might ignite "creativity" in the bedroom again. Thanks Dr. Leman!

I am getting married in a few weeks and bought this book for my fiance and I to read. I found this book to have numerous strengths: it is straightforward and detailed. I don't imagine that many readers will be confused or have more questions. Dr. Leman celebrates the sexual relationship of the married couple and paints a very healthy, though possibly counter-cultural, view of sex between a husband and a wife. And, along with this he does realistically acknowledge and thoroughly address the challenges of the sexual relationship (tiredness, kids in the next room, husbands generally wanting sex more than wives, orgasm issues, differences between men and women, the role of an emotional connection in the sexual relationship, etc.) This book was written by a Christian psychologist, so there are numerous references to Scripture, which as a Christian, I appreciated.

Despite what I see as many strengths of this book, I rarely read more than a few pages without feeling a little aggravated with Dr. Leman and what I perceive as his bent towards elevating the importance of the husband's sexual needs. First a caveat, I do believe that marriage is about sacrifice. I realize there will be many times when I may not want to have sex and I will sacrificially engage to please and love my husband well. Having said that, Dr. Leman goes a bit further than this, in my opinion. He repeatedly admonishes women to do everything they can, every time they can to please their men (unless it is degrading or morally objectionable to the woman). At one point, Dr. Leman points out that men may feel embarrassed to go buy KY jelly for the wedding night, so he recommends that women do that. It's small, but it is a perfect example of his bent. As an unmarried woman, I am not particularly at ease with the idea of buying KY jelly and condoms--why must I be the one to sacrifice at all times? At multiple places in the book, Dr. Leman suggests rather directly that if a man is having an affair, it is because his wife has not fulfilled his sexual needs. While this may be true, I feel that Dr. Leman paints an incomplete picture with this.

My final critique is that Dr. Leman advocates that both men and women masturbate both in preparation for their first sexual encounter and as a means to address various potential problems (e.g., premature ejaculation and the woman having a hard time reaching orgasm, among others). Many reading this book may not have a problem with this, but as a Christian, I think many will wonder at Dr. Leman's suggestion that we can masturbate while keeping our thoughts pure and will wonder at the seeming contradiction to his simultaneous encouragement for the husband and wife to explore and learn sexually together.

All in all, if you have no sexual experience this book is a good read. It will give you helpful and clear information. Just be aware that you will likely be offended or not agree with Dr. Leman at various points in the text.

Brilliant book. I recommend it to all those who wish to have a happy sex life in marriage. If engaged, only read through chapter four. When married, read away!

EVERY YOUNG ADULT should read this book before marriage ~
EVERY married couple celebating 1-5 yrs of marriage SHOULD read this book !!
EVERY MARRIED COUPLE celebrating5-80 yrs of married should read this book !!!!

I am so grateful this author was bold and blunt !! HE answered many questions for me !!!!

EVERY MOTHER should give this book to her daughter during the engagement!
EVERY FATHER should give this book to his son during the engagement!

(202 pages)

The Way Of The Superior Man: A Spiritual Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Woman, Work, and Sexual Desire by: David Deida publisher: Sounds True released: 2004-10-31 ISBN: 1591792576 $12.21

Obviously, I am not the ideal target audience for this book.

This book was recommended to me by a friend. I found it a confronting and difficult read. That said; it did seem to explain some of the unfortunate dynamics that I have witnessed between men and women in the boardroom.

Deida starts from the contention that men and women are vastly different. This shouldn't be a difficult idea to defend. However, when descriptions of the feminine character seem to include notions of mindless vacillation it is hard for a woman who has earned a place in the higher echelons of business to sympathise with his point of view. Quotes such as "for the feminine, truth is a thin concept compared to the thickness of her flow of feelings" and "What your woman says is like a cloud passing in the sky; well formed, coherent, and unrecognizable moments later" raised feminist hackles I never knew I had.

Putting aside my automatic response to the evolutionary behaviouralism: The book is well written and thought provoking. The short chapters make it an excellent travelling companion and the introductory paragraphs before each chapter allow rapid assimilation of ideas. The book should comfort men who are uneasy with their role as masculine beings in workplaces replete with tough, dependable women. The advice to enjoy the delightful feeling that attractive women provoke in most men but not to act upon any sexual impulse arising from it would save plenty of employers the cost and distraction of harassment cases.

There is some good advice in this book. Recognising masculine and feminine traits, then selecting the most appropriate for each situation, may enable readers to be more effective in the modern workplace. Women readers will need to take a deep breath and remind themselves that Deida is talking about the superior man as compared to the inferior man and not as compared to women (whether superior or otherwise). Male readers will need to remember that, in a workplace where technical skills, contractual agreements and the supremacy of logic are the basis for success, they will be surrounded by women who act more like men and who expect to be accorded a masculine measure of respect.

Unlike Henry Higgins, Deida understands that for men and women to be more like each other is not always the best basis for exciting relationships, it may, however, be a good basis for trans-gender workplace friendships.

Now for the big question: Does this book help with exciting relationships outside the workplace? I'm not telling; you'll have to read it yourself!

In this day and age of equalness it is is good to see that men and women are allowed to be different and how to deal with this. It is time that we recognise and honour how each can bring their own strengths to a relationship, and in this way creating strong bonds rather than grounds to differ. Deida has created a new way to look at this and to find and apply solutions. Give Him Back His Balls

I was in a relationship for eight years which ultimately failed, and this book is to some degree showing me where I went wrong. Although I would like to think that there are some women out there to whom his his teachings don't apply to, I think most women are as irrational as this book suggests. Its a great book to help you understand most women and how to ignite their sexual attraction for you. What I find unfortunate is Deida is reminding me that that the burden of generating romantic interest falls on men, but if you want a girl in your life his is a good book to teach you how to keep the attraction alive.

Only a complete sociopath could've written this book. There is absolutely nothing "spiritual" about misogyny and narcissism. Anyone who can say "her complaint is content-free" doesn't even think women are human. This book is absolute trash.

This book reads like a sociopath's rational for their abuse of others.
Very creepy.

(256 pages)

Every Man's Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time (The Every Man Series) by: Stephen Arterburn, Fred Stoeker publisher: WaterBrook Press released: 2000-07-18 ISBN: 1578563682 $11.19

the challenge every man faces...the fight every man can win

From the television to the Internet, print media to videos, men are constantly faced with the assault of sensual images. It is impossible to avoid such temptations...but, thankfully, not impossible to rise above them.
Shattering the perception that men are unable to control their thought lives and roving eyes, Every Man's Battle shares the stories of dozens who have escaped the trap of sexual immorality and presents a practical, detailed plan for any man who desires sexual purity-perfect for men who have fallen in the past, those who want to remain strong today, and all who want to overcome temptation in the future.




Includes a special section for women, designed to help them understand and support the men they love.

I think the authors have some really great ideas and it certainly drives the point home. But, from a Christen point of view, it denies an essential part of the emotion. For those Christen readers, read it for content not specifics.

This book is probably the worst book on the subject of sexual temptation and addiction out there. They copy a lot of material from other authors (Carnes) but change it into something sanitized and useless. If you want to deal with anything beyond the symptoms of temptation or addiction then look elsewhere. Pat Carnes or Mark Laaser are the better choices.

I really hope people read this from a womans viewpoint. The thing that gets me heated about this is that this is NOT HOW WOMAN THINK! I wish women would get real with their feelings. This is no shock! If you think women don't have battles exactly like this then you would be wrong. Men get sexual gratification through their eyes. Women get sexual gratification from touch and the pursuit of them. Women know what they are doing when they dress a certain way. Im a married woman and when I see a goodlooking guy I honestly think and wonder how he is in bed. I to tell myself not to go to far with the way I think about that guy. The danger for women is that they want to be touched and they want EVERY man to want them. Its just how we are wired. We are all human so if you think this is just a man's problem then u r wrong! Women who are in touch with their bodies struggle also. So the fact that women are shocked by this makes me think they need to truely evaluate themselves. Sorry if this offends anyone but its the truth!!

very into the whole born again thing.....but it still applys to any modern day man

Very helpful in many ways. I wish I had this one 25 years ago.

(320 pages)

What's Love Got to Do With It: Talking With Your Kids About Sex by: John T. Chirban publisher: Thomas Nelson released: 2007-09-11 ISBN: 1401603394 $16.49

What's Love Got To Do With IT is a Mom's Choice Awards® Gold Recipient.

Unfortunately, for many parents, the most important conversations are the hardest. Ninety-three percent of adults are dissatisfied with the sex education they received as children, which is precisely why they are so bad at teaching their kids-they have no frame of reference. Renowned Harvard Medical School psychologist and frequent Dr. Phil guest John Chirban helps parents talk to their kids about sex.

Kids are going to learn about sex, and it is up to parents to decide if their kids are going to learn from them or from MTV. How parents address sex, their openness, the context, and their attitudes will impact how their children view their own sexuality and self worth.

Dr. Chirban helps parents know when, how, and how much. He uses humor, compassion, and real-life examples to prepare parents for a healthy and ongoing conversation that will equip their kids to own their own sexuality and an understanding of the larger issues of relationships, love, commitment, and intimacy.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

If you would like a great guide for talking to your children about sex, this is the book for you. Every developmental stage is outlined and specific things to discuss, avoid and activities for each are provided. It makes talking about sex with your children as natural as it should be. I read this from cover to cover and I am sure you will learn a not only how to talk about sex with your child, but how to grow closer together. Practical and easy to understand, I highly recommend this book for moms and dads.

Dr. Chirban's What's Love Got to Do With It? is a great guide to talking with your kids about sex. I know that for many parents this is a difficult issue, and in this book Dr. Chirban provides warm encouragement and practical ways to open up a continuing dialogue with your kids. While it's important to start sex ed early, it's never too late.

I particularly like that Dr. Chirban stresses the importance of seeing sex as an integral part of what it means to be a complete person. The importance of a family's values is stressed and the reader is urged to see the vital connections among sex, intimacy, and love. This point will appeal to many other readers too, I think, because parents are looking for a way to talk about sex that is open and candid but that also respects values and beliefs. I heartily recommend this book.

(288 pages)

Intended for Pleasure: Sex Technique and Sexual Fulfillment in Christian Marriage, Third Edition by: Ed Wheat, Gaye Wheat publisher: Revell released: 1997-04-01 ISBN: 0800717368 $13.59

For over 20 years, this best-seller has helped couples build fulfilling marriages with medically accurate information and biblical wisdom on sex and relationships.

The many reviews I read before purchasing this book are correct: This is a very clinical and sometimes dry book. It's also a fantastic resource. But honestly, if you are interested in learning the basics, you shouldn't have a hard time getting through it.

I really enjoyed this book and the emphasis on the clinical explanations of how things work. Ed Wheat is a doctor and that comes out in his technical explanations, which are especially helpful if you are having some problems in your sex life.

I would have given it 5-stars (it really is a great book) except I purchased another book as well, Getting your Sex Life Off to a Great start, and I found the other book a bit better in its explanation of the first sexual experience as well as its advice for the honeymoon.

If you are preparing for your first experience I recommend buying both books. Each book offers something that the other lacks. If you can only purchase one, I recommend the other, but both are really great resources. We are also reading through Love Life for Every Married Couple and it is important to work on all aspects of your relationship - not just the sexual aspect.

Ladies, (especially Christian ladies) this book is the one you've been looking for. It's very professionally done (meaning it's not crude or offensive) and it's very informative!!!! It also has an excellent section for women trying to get pregant with info O B Gyn offices and Fertility clinics won't tell you!!! Tons of info from Doctor's!!! Check it out! Brenda R

Book was great - slightly repetative but really gives you a good spiritual and medical explanaition of sex an marriage with the tools to improve both your sex and emotional relatioship with your spouse.

I am so disappointed in this book I'm going to try and return it. I purchased this book because it was written by an M.D. and I assumed that he would have sufficient knowledge to use medical terms correctly and thoroughly. I myself am in the medical field and was shocked to find there were so many medical terms that were either misused or not even mentioned that could have added another depth to this mediocre book. Not once was the term G-spot mentioned in this whole novel according to Dr. Wheat the only way to bring a woman to orgasm is from clitoral stimulation. Which is a crock many women have G-spot orgasms during intercourse, but according to Dr. Wheat intercourse is not pleasurable to the wife only to the husband and he should "manually stimulate her" after his own orgasm. Also it was stressed that exploration was desirable in marriage but yet there was no mention of oral sex either. I realize there are people that are totally turned off by the thought of that but in a marriage oral sex can be a great form of foreplay to the wife and husband as it increases the intimacy level between them. Lastly on the things that were mentioned that were not current with today's medical standards is the squeeze technique for premature ejaculation. That is being discredited in medical literature of today because of the damage/pain that it can cause the penis if done for extended periods of time or by someone who doesn't know the proper way to do it. The way it was explained in the novel is not sufficient enough for someone with no medical knowledge to perform this on her husband without sufficient risk to his reproductive health and ego. Save your money and find another novel about sex in a Christian marriage that does a better job of explaining sexuality as it pertains to orgasm of women and ways to prevent premature ejaculation.

Good book, especially for the Newlywed couple who has waited for marriage.

Good, frank, practical advice and helpful information in general for both parties.

My wife and I felt that Gaye's chapter on "the perfect wife" seemed a bit out of place, and disagreed with her sort of "do whatever you can to please your man" kind of attitude. We take it a little more mutually than her chapter seemed to imply. And it didn't seem in line with Ed's views on everything, so it was a tad confusing.

As a whole, though. I highly recommend the book, with that single disclaimer.

(208 pages)

Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections between Sexuality and Spirituality by: Rob Bell publisher: Zondervan released: 2007-03-01 ISBN: 0310263468 $13.59

God and sex go together. You can’t separate the two, says Rob Bell, because this physical world is intimately linked to deeper spiritual realities. And so, in order to make sense of sexuality, at some point you have to talk about God. With beauty and unusual insight, Sex God explores this connection.

The book was awesome and has great insight, and you can definitely learn a lot and be encouraged, but you should be real careful because some theological point are sacrificed a little bit or stretched to make other points. Other than that its a great read, fast read, and is definitely encouraging.

Rob makes a great case for merging the physical and the spiritual. It's about much more than just our sexuality in relationship to our spirituality. Good book for challenging a small group to think through the ramifications of traditional thought systems.

I may not be the most qualified reviewer of Rob Bell's new work "Sex God" provided the fact that I have only read the first half of the book. Moreover, I have limited exposure to Rob himself. While I have watched a couple of his NOOMA videos I have not read his first wrok, "Velvit Elvis." Nonetheless, this book is certainly captivating.

From the on-set Bell demonstrates a command of his chosen writing style. His ability to shift, swerve, and fluctuate between poetry and prose all the while interjecting beautifully crafted simple and compound sentences is, well, very cool. I enjoy his writing. He makes me want to read his other stuff.

As far as the content: as others have mentioned, "Sex God" may be little more than a shrewd marketing scheme. The book (so far) focuses less on the reality of sex in our lives and more on the God who created it. Furthermore, Bell attempts (and successfully I might add)to clarify the purpose of sex in our lives. It reveals our hearts. It reveals our relationship with others. It reveals our relationship with our Creator.

I love how Bell, when discussing sexuality explicitly, explains our responsibility as human beings to understand how we were made to act sexually. We are neither animals-bodies with no spirit- nor are we angels- spirits with no bodies. We are human. In all of creation, we are the only beings with both bodies and spirits. We should view sex from this standpoint.

Now attempting to explain Bell's insight on this subject and his compassion for his readers would be a heavy duty, something I am not equipped to do.

I can say this: go out and buy this book! It will change your life!

This was a great read. Extremely eye opening, enlightening. I would recommend this to anyone looking to explore their beliefs

If you've ever heard Rob Bell speak, you will recognize the exact same style in this book. As a result, reading Sex. God. becomes a conversation with Bell. Though, he does not respond to my questions when I ask him ;). This book is definitely written to a postmodern generation. The connection Bell makes are not always rational, and that is okay. It is not a manual for dealing with one's sexuality as much as a journey seeking what it means to be created in a sexual way. I agree with what Bell says, but if you have never heard his theology be prepared for a postmodern millieu of odd connections and deconstruction.

His book is biblically based, but sometimes does not reflect great exegesis of biblical text... but that is not the purpose of the book. Pick up this book with an attitude of awe towards your sexuality. Ponder the ideas Bell promotes. Allow it to permeate into your being instead of just bounce around your head. Experience the book, do not read it. I changed my approach to the book after about two chapters, and found it to be a very challenging approach to sexuality rather than a confusing collection of sentences. Bell is not an excellent writer of literature, but does an excellent job of challenging his reader to find God in their sexuality.

(288 pages)

Sex on the Brain: 12 Lessons to Enhance Your Love Life by: Daniel G. Md Amen publisher: Three Rivers Press released: 2008-01-22 ISBN: 0307339084 $11.16

What is your best tool for achieving the ultimate sexual pleasure? Your brain!

Everyone wants to know how to improve his or her love life, but so few of us understand the integral role the brain plays in getting us in the mood, keeping us excited about our partner, and helping us achieve greater satisfaction. Based on Dr. Daniel Amen’s cutting-edge research in practical neuroscience, Sex on the Brain shares twelve lessons that help you enhance your love and sex lives through understanding and improving brain function. Filled with practical suggestions and information on how to have better sex, Sex on the Brain reveals:

• How the differences between men’s and women’s brains affect our perceptions and interest in sex
• The science behind why breakups hurt so much, and what you can do to ease the pain
• Surefire techniques to fix common problems–depression, PMS, ADD–that get in the way of good sex
• How to tap into your senses–taste, touch, smell–and find “the spot”
• How sex can save your life

Sex on the Brain explains everything there is to know about the brain in love and lust, and shows you how to create a hot, healthy, and happy sex life.

It is common knowledge, at least among sex academics, that our primary sex organ is the brain. We are stimulated by our senses, but it is interpreted by our brains. This book is an excellent text regarding what happens in our heads before, during and after we have sexual relations. I found it to be accessible, even though I am not an expert. Sometimes, however, when we as humans engage in sex with someone else, we attempt to turn off our brains. Of course, that is impossible to do completely, but over-thinking can kill a romantic encounter. If you would like a book that takes both aspects into account, but places more emphasis on the physical aspects of sex between partners, try The Sensuous Couple's (Flip Over) Guide to Seismic Oral Sex. This is a sex instruction manual that will be the saviour of your love life.

Daniel Amen combines knowledge from over 30,000 SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography) scans that allow him to see the Real Time, qualitative and quantitative brain function; with his superb insights into Human Behavior.

He presents a detailed view of Brain Function every step of the way from Gender Personality Differences, Attraction, Lust, Coupling, and Cohabitation, to breakups and loss of a loved one.

If Freud were alive today, he might well be working at one of Amen's clinics. For the first time in the History of Psychiatry, Investigators in the field are able to define and measure the Biological Underpinnings of Human Behavior. In addition to giving a good portrayal of our sexual existence, Dr. Amen presents some very useful interventions to improve this facet of our lives.

The CD was in WP3 format which was something of a problem to translate, but its contents filled about 6 regular audio CDs. Having spent 33 years attempting a synthesis of Mind and Brain, I found this to be a truly excellent book about a topic that always holds interest, and it is well worth the money.

This is a nice read, with a good blend of humor, research on the brain and hormones in our body, and the doctor's professional and personal experiences w/ others. Amen does a good job delivering his, and others', brain research, in a way anyone can understand. He is, however, a bit old-fashioned in his views on evolutionary thinking and gender stereotypes. There is also the occasional slip up on sex info., e.g., the claim that self-pleasuring can lead to excessive or addictive activity in vulnerable people. It's a pleasant read, however, if your main aim is to learn about the brain's role in passionate desire, attraction, and love.

Not too much new but very thorough. Brain chemicals seem to be what causes attraction. And we thought we were picking our partners. Mother Nature is the real decider.

This is an excellent and very accessible book that primarily looks at what happens in the brain during love, lust, romance, paraphilias, etc. It has a lot of information in it, but it is not overly technical and accessible to the average person. Dr. Amen has a way of simplifying complicated concepts and weaving them into an engaging narrative.

What this book will give you as an understanding of the various parts of the brain and the role they play in our sex lives. It also includes supplements that could be helpful when some areas are over or under active and even typical medications that are used.

The scope of the book is pretty large and covers things like impulsive thoughts, sexual addiction, paraphelias (fetishes), cheating behavior, etc. Anyone who has a sex life will find it very interesting and informative and it will also help you to understand yourself.

Two complimentary books to this one that I highly recommend are: The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating and The Erotic Mind: Unlocking the Inner Sources of Passion and Fulfillment. These books cover the psychology and some of the evolutionary patterns that gave rise to the way we are hardwired around sex. You can read my review and other reviews to get a better sense of the content, I can't do either book justice in this small space.

(229 pages)

Every Young Man's Battle: Strategies for Victory in the Real World of Sexual Temptation by: Stephen Arterburn, Fred Stoeker publisher: WaterBrook Press released: 2002-03-19 ISBN: 1578565375 $11.19

In this world you’re surrounded by sexual images that open the door to temptation. They’re everywhere–on TV, billboards, magazines, music, the internet–and so easy to access that it sometimes feels impossible to escape their clutches. Yet God expects his children to be sexually pure. So how can you survive the relentless battle against temptation? Here’s powerful ammunition.

Steve Arterburn and Fred Stoeker, the authors of the hard-hitting best-seller Every Man’s Battle, now focus on the temptations young single Christian men like you face every day–and they offer workable, biblical strategies for achieving sexual purity.

The authors examine the standard of Ephesians 5:3–“there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality”–in a positive and sensitive light. And they explain how an authentic, vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ is the key to victory over temptation. Every Young Man’s Battle will show you how to train your eyes and your mind, how to clean up your thought life, and how to develop a realistic battle plan for remaining pure in today’s sexually soaked culture. As a result, you’ll experience hope–real hope–for living a strong, pure life God’s way

I really recomend this book...i have found it very relavent and challenging giving practical advice i recommend this to any guy (unmarried - otherwise get every Mans battle)to any guy struggling with lust

Excellent book for every dad wanting to instruct and lead his son in how to be a real man!

I ordered Every Young Mans Battle for my 16 year old grandson. It came promptly and in a-1 condition. He is still in the process of reading it and finds it very helpful.

I finally bought this book after reading it through twice after I borrowed if from a friend. This book really gets to the heart of the problem and offers techniques and solutions for beating this up hill battle. I can't wait to finish it so I can read it again. It's nice to know that there are other people with the same problem. I hope that you buy this book, even if your not a 'young man' anymore.

This book is everything that has been left out in churches for years. Teenagers hear continuously that they shouldn't lust and shouldn't have premarital sex, etc. Rarely does anyone tell them how to avoid those things. This book does that. I would highly recommend this book and invite any questions or comments about it.

(320 pages)

Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation: The Definitive Guide to the Evolutionary Biology of Sex by: Olivia Judson publisher: Holt Paperbacks released: 2003-05-01 ISBN: 0805063323 $10.88

Interesting tidbits about rare and weird creatures. However, after about 50 pages, enough is enough. The "advice to the lovelorn" format is a little too cutesy.

Ray

This is a fun, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, look at the evolutionary biology of how many different organisms developed their genders and their reproduction methods.

What do you get when you cross a biology textbook, a Dr. Ruth show, a Dear Abby column, and a "Far Side" cartoon? Well, the offspring might be a brilliantly original book named Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation. This collection answers the desperate questions from species as varied as the Australian redback spider to the Louisiana black vulture with Dr. Tatiana's practical, reassuring, detailed explanations. It seems the worry on everyone's mind is, "Am I normal?"

Move over, Dr. Phil. Author Olivia Judson is an evolutionary biologist, award-winning science journalist, graduate of Stanford, and doctorate of Oxford University. Writing as Dr. Tatiana, Judson transforms both difficult scientific ideas and the sometimes-awkward discussion of the (ah-hem!) birds and the bees into accessible, often hilarious reading material. Evidently, virgin births, homosexuality, variety in size and shape of genitalia, elaborate courtship rituals, and cannibalism are not so unusual in nature as one may think. Dr. Tatiana gives her readers - be they insect, animal or human - a sigh of relief along with a much-needed chuckle at our own foibles as she explains, from her expert but kind perspective, why we do the things we do.

And herein lies the rub. While I see Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice ...as a clever way to teach a wealth of knowledge about natural science, biology, animal behavior, and genetics, I know there are many folks who would balk. The first time I read this book, I wished it could have been included in my high school science class, and fondly remembered time spent in the classrooms of Mr. and Mrs. Puskar, where quirky often served as mnemonic. But I know, especially now, that eyebrows would go way up, and corners of mouths would go way down, at the words "SEX ADVICE", let alone that the subtitle, which announces this little volume as "The Definitive Guide to the Evolutionary Biology of Sex." If "sex advice" in any classroom context is murky ground, then "evolutionary" anything these days is a cause for all-out war.

At the end of September of each year, the American Library Association reminds us to celebrate our freedom to read by marking "Banned Book Week." If Dr. Tatiana isn't on the list of banned books, I'm sure it easily could be. That makes me sad, because I don't like that learning details about the stunning array of life on earth could be seen as bad, harmful, or sinful. Whether you believe it's God's creation or just critters, they still do the things so deliciously described here. Few people have a problem with their kids watching a Discovery channel special about the Lamprologus ocellatus, a fish that lives in one of the Great Lakes of tropical Africa? Somehow, this is different. I guess the real debate comes when Dr. Tatiana (or any biology professor) starts explaining the WHY behind behavior in terms of evolution. Then, the main "worry" of living beings is not, as the cute letters of bugs and fish may suggest, about being normal, but about reproducing and spreading your genes. That does shoot a big hole in the theories espoused in Rick Warren's best-selling book, "The Purpose Driven Life". Not to mention some religious texts, like the best-selling book of all time.

I'm not going to provide a neat little resolution to this debate, not that I could even if I wrote a dissertation instead of a book review. I'm just going to recommend that you grab a copy of Dr. Tatiana and take yourself, the whimsical and weird of nature, and the evolutionary debate on the light side for a few hours. Learn a lot, laugh a lot, and celebrate the fact that in the United States, you can read about a subject from all different angles.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" and editor of "Of A Predatory Heart"

Why not pick this up for your sweetie on Valentine's Day? This book has everything--its funny, scientifically accurate, and a quick read. This book is perfect for anyone who likes natural science, evolutionary biology, or learning about sex.

This was just fun to read. And it taught so much. This is a textbook that you gobble up- a rare find indeed. Well, in truth, one can handle only so much sex at one time- the book is excellent, but in small doses. It has provocative imagery, and is jam-packed with both information and theory, requiring a lot of deep thought and contemplation. Judson has the capacity to turn your world upside-down, and make you rethink all of your notions of reproduction and sexuality. She brings in a host of scholarly knowledge and *the* latest research. She also provides a feminine touch, exposing some of the inherent masculine biases that have been in this field for the last few centuries, such as women are not promiscuous, and men are.

This is a truly creative work, formatted in a style to teach and bring enjoyment. Recommended for serious biologists, people who know nothing about biology, people who hate biology, people interested in sex, and those who like the gossip columns. If you're not in one of those categories, you probably won't like this book. Or any other.