We can’t possibly review all the wonderful books we receive, so we feature several in each issue that look particularly intriguing. This inviting quartet celebrates love, sensuality and sexuality.
For Seven Lifetimes: An East–West Journey to a Spiritually Fulfilling and Sustainable Marriage
By Vatsala and Ehud Sperling
A successful American businessman, disheartened by a bad marriage and weary of dating, advertised for a wife in an Indian newspaper. The precursor of online dating, this is still a standard way to meet a spouse in India, though any woman who responds to such an ad directly (not through a male relative) is often disdained. The book’s co-author was already perhaps too modern for many Indian men—educated and with a career in microbiology—but over a period of time, the two poured out their deepest feelings about sexuality, parenthood, religion and all else you can imagine, slowly building a relationship—through letters—on their shared values. Fifteen years later, married and with a son, they share this intimate and inspiring glimpse into the unconventional birth of their union. (Inner Traditions)
Sex, Sin and Zen: A Buddhist Teacher Explores Sex
Brad Warner
Can you be a Buddhist and masturbate? Can you be a Buddhist and be a porn star? What about a prostitute? Zen priest Brad Warner has put together a compendium of hot sex topics and how they relate to Buddhism, taking a “conscious approach” to sexual ethics and intimacy. Usually we find that word conscious to be alienating, as it implies one person being more so than others. In this case, Warner is just suggesting we stay awake not only in our own behavior, but in our assessment of other ways of being in the world. If you’re looking for a sexy book to read on February 14, but thinking Oh heck, I should meditate instead, this book could be just the ticket. (New World Library)
Shameless: How I Ditched the Diet, Got Naked, Found True Pleasure and Somehow Got Home in Time to Cook Dinner
By Pamela Madsen
What does an ample middle-aged housewife, married with two kids, living a middle class life in the Bronx know about being a sex goddess? Not as much as she would have liked! The author, happily married to the man she’d fallen in love with (and lost her virginity to) at 17, and with two sons and a successful career, struggled with sexual yearning and restlessness that just wouldn’t quit. She’d heard too many dismal tales of faithlessness to take a lover, but instead sought out a gay sexual healer using the moniker the Tantric Tiger, who helped her awaken to her own pain, joy and sexuality. How did she reconcile her sexual healing sessions with him and save her marriage? Read the book and let us know! (Rodale)
Slow Sex: The Path to Fulfilling and Sustainable Sexuality
Diana Richardson
Fast, hot sex definitely has its appeal, but even the steamiest couple slows down eventually. Slow sex, like slow food, prolongs the entire process and in so doing, reignites pleasure. It starts with setting aside an undisturbed time and place, then creating a counterintuitive “cool” state, rather than a hot one. Using eye contact, subtle sensations and deep breathing, the body gradually awakens to its innate capacity for ecstasy and sensuality, whether penetration is deep and sustained or soft and gradual. If you’ve been monogamous for years you may be thinking, “Hah, never gonna happen.” But Richardson offers step-by-step guidance, and even former skeptics swear by its value—physical, emotional and spiritual. We know sex is important to our pleasure; this kind is also essential to our well-being. (Destiny Books)
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