I had heard of the Ethical Slut for years but had never read it. When I got the opportunity to review it I was excited to be reading what some of my kinkster friends consider a lifestyle classic.
Does the book live up to the hype? Yes and no. I worry this review will sound wishy washy but I’m just going with it.
For people who are starting to explore their sexuality this book will be a valuable guide. As a sexually liberal person I sometimes forget that social norms really do restrict people. A call with a client like Monotone Man is a quick reminder.
I often encourage my clients to live out their fantasies. Have a gay fantasy? A shoe fetish? An orgy fantasy? Explore it I say! And yet many of them just can’t. Ethical Slut could be used as a tool to get past sexual blocks.
The authors advise “Cultural belief systems can be very deeply rooted in literature, law and archetypes, which means that shaking them from your own personal ethos can be difficult. But the first step in exploring them is, of course, recognizing them.” They then list several sexual myths and analyze them. To the sexually liberated this is nothing new. But for the the sexually repressed it could be eye opening. I can think of several clients who would benefit from reading this book.
I’d recommend this book to newbies. For those who want to explore your sexuality but feel inhibited by sexual issues then definitely read this book. If you’re already sexually adventurous this book might feel like a sexuality refresher course. Since the book challenges so many sexual assumptions and explores so many sexual possibilities I think it can rightfully be called a classic.
Posted by Vixen as Reviews at 10:57 PM CDT