The Low Down on Going Down

December 1, 2004
The latest of seven handbooks on oral sex published since 2002, these two offer a new twist. Michaels, a speech therapist, prescribes numerous and challenging mouth exercises for the tongue-fu impaired to prevent stiff muscles and increase flexibility, strength, and reach. This matched set covers mental and physical preparation, kissing, safe sex, anatomy, breathing, body positions, basic and advanced techniques, and-of course-the mouth exercises and a "fitness test." The text is friendly, funny, and illustrated with line drawings, although more would have made the exercises easier to follow. Michaels carefully avoids most gender pronouns, so the books manage to address multiple genders. However, all the illustrations are heterosexual. The essential guides on this subject are The Ultimate Guide to Cunnilingus and The Ultimate Guide to Fellatio (both by Violet Blue), gay- and heterosexual-friendly books with broader and more varied coverage of techniques and safety. Michaels's books are recommended for sexuality collections in larger public and academic libraries.-Martha Cornog, Philadelphia

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