The Ultimate Guide to Orgasm for Women

September 15, 2011

Heart (My Sweet Wild Dance, 2009, etc.) guides women through orgasm with thoroughness and sincerity.

At the beginning, the author writes, "I occasionally use the word fuck in this book, usually meaning the act of penetration. Like some of the other words we use when we're talking about sex, it can have negative connotations and mean different things to different people." Indeed, the author's ability to thoughtfully approach sensitive issues while sharing just enough of her own personal experience will immediately set readers at ease. Without judgment, she tackles the taboo with respect for women and their individual perspectives on sexuality and fulfillment. Heart's openness is most apparent in the section "The Spiritual Experience of Orgasm," in which she discusses the relationship between the mental and physical self. When sharing stories about sexual abuse, she does so in a way that offers acceptance. She encourages "sex that requires healing. It requires that you have a sense of absolute autonomy over your body, and if you are going to develop that, you have to get in touch with what your body wants."

Heart's comprehensive exploration of the female sexual experience will be a poignant guide for women of all ages.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2011

Not a focused how-to, this overview provides extensive information about varieties of and perspectives on female orgasm with the goal of normalizing women's experiences and offering options for enhancement. Since the first edition, titled When the Earth Moves (1998), life coach and author Heart (My Sweet Wild Dance) has reduced the autobiographical information and expanded and updated the experiential component through in-depth interviews with nearly 30 people. Chapters cover anatomy and general techniques; the physical, "energetic," and spiritual experience of orgasm; variations and problems; youthful experiences; relationship contexts; and concerns relating to penetration, the G-spot, female ejaculation, fisting, and anal sex. Several good anatomy drawings, numerous referrals to appropriate other books, a safer-sex appendix, and a comprehensive resource list round out the work. VERDICT Designed for women misled by notions of "one right way to orgasm," Heart's guide should provide something useful for nearly all self-helper women at any stage of sexual growth and of any sexual orientation. And while more illustrations would have been nice, the book's relatively modest appearance could be a plus for some challenge-shy librarians. Recommended.--Martha Cornog, Philadelphia

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