Rating: 
Summary: Everything you always wanted to know about sex
Review: Actually, I read this book when it first came out many years ago, and since I am currently looking for a book to read that is really funny, I thought of this one. Back then, I read this book to my sister-in-law late one night while we shared a glass of wine and we couldn't stop laughing! We couldn't believe how funny it was! And I can't believe the reviews of the people who take it so seriously. But of course, it was also educational because it answered questions I hadn't even thought of yet. Still....I want to share another evening of laughter with another special friend, so I am going to buy it again.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting info... but somewhat prejudiced
Review: Dr. Reuben's book is an update of his classic bestseller, and the reviews mentioning the previous edition make me happy to have grown up in a later generation that speaks about sex more openly. The author's views have progressed somewhat since the earlier edition, but if you would like an unbiased view of sexuality, this is not the book to buy. For one, there is an anti-gay tone to all of the information on gay sex and culture. I am a 30+ hetero woman and I cringed at some of what was written here. I don't think authors should cater to a politically correct audience, but I was surprised that this came from a medical doctor with a specialty in psychiatry! At another point in the book, he talks about the IUD method of birth control almost as if it is responsible for sexually transmitted diseases. As far as I know, many women successfully use this as their birth control method...seems strange?! All in all, a fun read if you are interested in popular culture. But --especially for young readers-- there are much better books on the subject.
Rating:
Summary: Everything you always wanted to know about sex
Review: Having read this, I too found it to be somewhat biased towards gays and transsexuals, but one must admit that it is a no-nonsense approach to sex. It covers many different sexual topics, and makes for some interesting reading. For those looking for something a little more suggestive, I'd advise you look elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: A dangerous book
Review: I call this book dangerous because of the insanely inaccurate and blatently biased descriptions of male homosexuality that its author provides, all under the umbrella of legitimacy due to his status as an "MD", not to mention similarly skewed subjects in the rest of the book.
Adolescent boys who read this, questioning their own possible homosexuality, will only be more confused. It's well known that fear of homosexuality is a common cause of suicide in boys of this age, and books like "Dr." Reubens can only contribute to this sad statistic. I know of a large number of gay men who read this book in the 70's, believing the hype that surrounded it, and who suffered deep bouts of depression and confusion over the lies the "doctor" advances.
Of the ones I recall, one was that male homosexuals all wanted to be "women". This idea is as ludicrous as any that I've ever heard. It's true that a FEW enjoy dressing up in women's clothes, and that a smaller number suffer from a condition of gender confusion, which has little to do with homosexuality.
He goes on to provide "interviews" with "those people" that he tries to pass off as being representative of the gay lifestyle in general, but which are equally as erroneous: e.g. gay men prefer to meet in public restrooms, or that a large number engage in sadomasochistic practices, with a description of a "typical" scene that reads like something from a Jack Chick religious tract.
The OPINIONS of "Dr." Reuben are largely unsupported by the mainstream medical community, and his sorry excuse for a book is little more than an exploitative screed that was originally written to cash in on the "sexual revolution" that came out of the 60's. Some of his supporters, with a clearly homophobic agenda, have suggested that its critics are either advocates of censorship or that they allege to know homosexuals themselves who privately admit that what the author writes is accurate, but they speak out of ignorance at best, and out of a desire to deliberately mischaracterize the subject at worst. I'm not advocating a denial of his right to author such trash: I'm just trying to warn people against taking it the least bit seriously. Do not rely on this book as your primary source of information about human sexuality.
"Dr." Reuben's inaccuracies do not end with male homosexuality, however. Some of what he attempts to promote as valid medical information is ludicrous in the extreme, other is outright bizarre. I have to question his qualifications as an MD (which is why I use the quotation marks) in light of this thoroughly discredited book.
One final word of advice to parents who are considering buying this for their children: DON'T! You're doing them NO favors at all, regardless of their sexual orientation. The overwhelmingly inaccurate nature of what he writes can only serve to confuse them more.
I hope "Dr." Reuben is proud of himself....
Rating:
Summary: Dangerously Misleading
Review: I first read this book in the early 1970s and it influenced me in that it delayed my gender transition and eventual sex change surgery by 20 years. When I recently found an updated version in the local library I checked the section on Transsexuality to see if it had been corrected or updated. What I found was laughably misinformed, out of date, and badly biased. If the rest of the book is as poorly and badly written as this section, then it will cause a great deal of misery for a lot of people, which it could have otherwise have helped.
Rating:
Summary: Snotty stuffy tonalities which turn me off
Review: I rented a copy of this book from my local library. I was not happy with what I found. Throughout this book the author uses a know it all "snotty nosed" tone to everything he says. It's really irritating. One particularly good example of the bad nature of this book is on the back dust jacket that comes with the hard cover eddition. It says "how a man can actually grow a new foreskin and why he shouldn't." Then in the relevant section in the book he goes on to state that circumcision is merely an option open to parents. This is an abusive and absurd view. If you want to know anything about how to be sexually turn off and repulsed and angred, and how to get a sick feeling in your stomach, go ahead and get this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't let your marriage become routine
Review: There are answers to just about any question you may have about sex. Great book for a couple to read who may be having sexual problems or who just want to make sure their sex life doesn't become routine.
Rating:
Summary: I shouldn't have asked
Review: This book is so misinformed. (That's why girls swing on swings? A rash is proof? Where is this information coming from?!) I would not recommend this book to anyone; it will only cause myths to be perpetuated and perhaps worse. Thumbs down!!
Rating:
Summary: I shouldn't have asked
Review: This book is so misinformed. (That's why girls swing on swings? A rash is proof? Where is this information coming from?!) I would not recommend this book to anyone; it will only cause myths to be perpetuated and perhaps worse. Thumbs down!!
Rating:
Summary: He hasn't changed
Review: This book, when it first appeared, became one of the most damaging and injurious books of the 20th century. Reuben's ignorant, false lies about gays and lesbians were read or heard about just about everyone, and caused a lot of pain. Pain to me, who beleived what he said, pain to my mother, who beleived it. How sad his book became a cultural phenomenon. I really don't have much of an opinion about his other topics, but he seems very narrow minded and judgmental and self important. There are undoubtedly some good things in this book, but you can find the same information elsewhere. In this new edition he has toned things down a bit, but this is, after all 2002. I do not recommend this book to anyone for any reason.
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