Betty Dodson has long been admired as the mother of sex positive feminism. Unfortunately, her true colors show through in this book. It seems that Betty's many experiences have left her bitter and cynical. She speaks about love, long term monogamy and romance as impossible ideas and rarely acknowledges that any view point other then her own might be correct. She even finds the time to bash V-day, the Vagina Monologues and anyone who believes that marriage could be a life choice rather then a death sentence.
A large portion of this book is spent defending her former stance against heterosexual sex, yet even though she admits to changing her ways ( as slightly as it might be) she still can't find it in her narrow view to admit that heterosexual monogamy is a valid lifestyle choice.
Yes, this book does have some wonderful ideas about sexual positions that can greatly enhance your love life. Just please remember to take her militant feminism with a grain of salt and use these techniques along with your own individual spirit to make sex magical.

In today's America, sexual pleasure that takes any form besides the accepted heterosexual-monogamous/religious model is mercilessly persecuted. I read the review posted on Dec 26th by the person in Sausalito bashing Betty. I got an excited glow in my heart and knew I'd found the right book! I bought it instantly!

While reading it I found myself cheering out loud over and over again, "You go girl, say it like it is!"

After reading this book I can testify that Betty does not consider monogamous heterosexuality to be an "invalid life choice", but rather there are real breakdowns within the model (that never gets any press until now) and there are other sexual lifestyles that are just as valid. She has nothing to be bitter about! She's just got the truth that's hard to take. I saw V-Day in Madison Square Garden and read the book. And if the V-Girls can't handle criticism, then get out da' kitchen!

Orgasms For Two is both socio-sexual commentary and Betty's guide to creating sexual pleasure. And what she taught me has revolutionized the sex with my boyfriend. Before, we were resigned to never having orgasms during intercourse. Not anymore!

Nuff' said! We love you, Betty! Peace! --Claire

Having followed Betty and her writing for nearly twenty years, I found this to be her most concise and mature writing to date. She is never one to shy away from difficult, controversial, or Politically Correct topics. In Orgasms for Two, Betty tackles the still difficult issues of masturbation, romantic love, relationships, and Politically Correct sexual behavior with her usual no-nonsense, practical approach. Her ideas are based on decades of actual experience, both hers and those with whom she has worked, in addition to current research in sexuality. While not an encyclopedic tour de force of human sexuality, Orgasms for Two speaks to the core issues of sexuality today. Her refusal to blindly adhere to any party line, feminist or otherwise, lends tremendous credibility to what she has to say. She is critical of the Vagina Monologues and G-Spot orgasm fads, but the criticism is thoughtful and intelligent, not vicious or dismissive. Her criticism of "romance," one of my pet peeves, is concise and clear. As usual, she makes one stop and think. (Painful, I know, but good for you, nonetheless.) The description of her relationship with a considerably younger man is an honest and important story for every woman who plans to live past thirty. Having studied Tantric, Taoist, and Sex Magick practices, I agree with her that masturbation and understanding one's own orgasmic nature are vital ingredients to becoming an independent, liberated being. If more people had happier sex lives and a stronger sexual/spiritual connection, the world would be a much better place. Betty's outrageous frankness about sex and her sex life can be very healing for anyone with pain or insecurity connected with their sexuality. I heartily recommend all of Betty's works, and if you are unfamiliar with her work, this book is a great place to start. Good job, Betty Ann.

William Connelly, he of the anti-heroes Harry Bosch and Terry McCaleb, takes another trip into stand-alone novel territory. Like "Void Moon", his past non-series effort, "Chasing the Dime" is worth the read and you'll recognize a lot of the writing talent that make Connelly's series so popular.

A little thin of plot, Chasing the Dime features another troubled hero, Henry Pierce - but this time Connelly showcases the dot com world of stress and success. Detailed descriptions of Pierce's inventions are excellent, and the concept that such a technology might exist one day is exciting. So, too, is the stress and high stakes poker in finding venture capital, which Connelly showcases in a realistic way. But these are secondary to the plot -- Henry's obsession and inability to forget someone he never knew, but who reminds him of his murdered sister.

His new phone number is tied to the website of an exotic escort named Lilly. A little cursory research piques Henry's curiosity about Lilly and he begins to seek out what has happened to her. A twisted path of lies, deceit and danger follows, with Henry being drawn into a trap. Keen insight and an analytical mind keep him on the trail, without the police instincts of Connelly's other heroes.

Connelly does more than just dash off a novel for a change of pace -- he's purchased websites mentioned in the book and made them companion pieces to his novel -- and he left his "Hieonymous Bosch" signature when he mentions the famous painter in passing, and also links the story to the tale of "The Dollmaker"....the villain in "Concrete Blonde".

Connelly is heads and shoulders above most of today's thriller writers, and although this is not as good as his last two novels, it will keep you turning the pages long past the time you meant to keep reading.

Enjoy!

After hearing so much that was negative about this book, i was expecting not to like it at all. I thought i would be looking at another "Void Moon" debacle, but no! This here's one excellent high-tech thriller. And its not even as if the high-tech-ness has loads to do with it, so dont be put off by that!

It's a really cracking story. Great concept...that your new phone number could previously have belonged to someone who is obviously now in great peril...

This book has a cracking pace. It moves really quickly, i finished it in ust a couple of sittings. The writing is great, again, as well expect from Connelly. The research is Deaver-esque and impeccable, and Connelly delivers his little scientiic tidbits in small doses and in a way that makes it all very very interesting to read about as a short break from the main plot. The characters are good, but most of them aren't developed brilliantly well...the only character with any real depth is the marvellous Henry Pierce, our lead character, who i'd love to spend more time with in a future novel. He's not quite Harry Bosch, but he's human, and is much more easily likeable at first glance than Bosch is...Indeed, he grows to be an incredibly likeable character all around.

Overall, i'd HIGHLY reccomend this. I raced through, found it really interesting, and in the end satisfying. Plus, i don't really understand how people seem to think that Pierce's motivations for trying to track the mysterious escort apparently in danger weren't understandable...to me, they were entirely believeable. But then, i guess this is a book you have to read and judge for yourself...

But, personally, i'd say this was first class.

Michael Connely's latest novel "Chasing the Dime" is in some ways a clear departure from his Harry Bosch series, in other ways it continues his journey in spinning a web of noir tales around modern day LA. His latest hero is a naive scientist drawn into an unbelievable nightmare by investigating what happened to the woman whose phone number he inherited. Henry Pierce lives in the sheltered subculture of a high tech start-up, a whiz kid with an unusual past. Part of that past draws him to look for Lilly, the prostitute who must have previously owned his phone number and is still getting calls from numerous men every day. Pierce soon descends into the dark world of internet porn and finds himself not only distracted from his regular pursuits but in grave danger.
Connelly masterfully keeps this book at an unstoppable pace while once again creating a dense atmosphere and believable character setting that will not let you put this one down until the last page is turned.