Recommendations for sex books? Like Kama Sutra, only better.

July 27, 2010 10:40 AM

I'd like to purchase a book of sex positions as a gift for my partner (well, for both of us...) Our sex life is good, but we'd like some new ideas. We're both pretty vanilla and not into kinks. The book would be used in the heat of the moment, so big, comprehensible pictures would be essential (as opposed to lots of text you have to figure out while your mind and body are otherwise occupied).

Anonymous to not ruin the surprise.

posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (8 answers total)

You want the sex deck.
posted by zjacreman at 11:04 AM on July 27, 2010 [2 favorites]

The trick is not to use easily followable diagrams during sex, it's to get a good book and read it beforehand so that you come to the table (well, that's where I like to do it) with a few ideas ready to go. Any interruption that involves reference material will be a little mood-killing; the key is a bit of study beforehand.

Alternately, schedule some playtime where you do nothing but explore the book, which becomes its own little exciting activity. In other words, try to avoid the pressure to do something new correctly without disturbing the flow.
posted by fatbird at 11:37 AM on July 27, 2010

The Joy of Sex is still in print.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:02 PM on July 27, 2010

I know you said book, but the Better Sex Video Series movies are exactly what you are looking for! They are specifically designed to be informative, yet racy and permission giving- as in there's a doctor giving an overview of the technique/position for a couple of minutes and then a demonstration of said techniques by a pretty hot couple.

It is truly perfect for the couple who wants to expand their sexual horizons, but may need some "permission" (as in this isn't porn, but instructional video with some hot, sex-positive sex in it).

I do not work for Better Sex, or for adam and eve (their parent company), but I did years ago- didn't like my boss/the people I worked with, but I believe in the product whole heartedly.
posted by TheBones at 12:03 PM on July 27, 2010

I don't like The Joy of Sex very much. It is okay, but there is a lot of stuff that struck me as sort of axe-grindy. The copy I have does have very nice, large drawn illustrations for positions.

I like The Guide to Getting It On better. It approaches sex with a sense of humor and is very complete.
posted by jeoc at 12:19 PM on July 27, 2010

I'm not able to google exact references now but you can do this for free on the internet - no book necessary. And I think the internet might work better to open more doors. After finding the positions the entire internet is available to find, ahem, video examples.
Have fun!
posted by doorsfan at 12:31 PM on July 27, 2010

The Joy of Sex was intended for an audience that was uneasy with sex; even the decision to use line drawings was meant to make the material more accessible and unthreatening. (Although the couple who posed for all the drawings become quite familiar after awhile, erasing some of that distance.)

You will probably know whether something like that or jeoc's hipper, more Cosmo-like suggestion is more appropriate for your partner.
posted by localroger at 4:06 PM on July 27, 2010

Maybe The Pop-Up Kama Sutra?
posted by sapere aude at 11:34 PM on July 27, 2010