"The Joy of Sex", the iconic 1970s book which became
the bedroom (and elsewhere) bible for a generation, has been
re-released in an updated version for the noughties.
The original book, featuring a bearded man and his partner
demonstrating the art of love in intimate if sketchy detail, sold
millions of copies after its first publication in 1972.
But the new edition has been brought fully up to date -- for the
first time by a female author, who, while praising the original
author Dr. Alex Comfort, says there was much that needed changing.
"Back in '72 they didn't know about hormones, about
pheromones, they didn't know about certain body parts and their
importance, which we now know," said author and relationship
psychologist Susan Quilliam.
"A lot of research has been done. But also the whole attitude
to sex has changed," she told AFP.
The new book is aimed at the couple, rather than just the men, and
includes many new entries including advice on internet and phone
sex, sex shops and intercourse during pregnancy.
Quilliam noted that some tips from the original had to be removed,
because they were illegal.
"One of them was having sex on horseback, the other was
having sex on a moving motorcycle, although I do include
guidelines on how to have sex on a stationary motorcycle,"
she said.
The publishers of the new 288-page edition, Mitchell Beazley, said
it would "reflect the current attitude to sex and help bring
the joy back into sexual relationships."
"'The Joy of Sex' is ingrained in our consciousness; this
book is to sex books what Hoover is to vacuum cleaner," it
said in a statement.
The updated volume, described as a "gourmet's guide to
sex," is illustrated with photos as well as new drawings
depicting a smorgasbord of sexual positions and techniques.
In place of the bearded 1970s male, the new edition features a
short-haired, clean-shaven lover smiling repeatedly in a variety
of clinches with an equally joyous brunette partner, in one shot
tickling his buttocks with her tongue.
"The bearded man was an icon -- but he was a 70s icon. This
is a book for the 21st century, so we needed a man (and a woman)
for the noughties, not for the seventies," said Quilliam.
"So, though I may reminisce about the bearded man, I don’t
miss him!" she added.
Public reaction to the new edition has been positive -- it was
published on Monday, and by Thursday had reached number 299 in the
bestseller list of online retailer Amazon's British website.
Britons, not known for their openness about sex, were divided on
the updated tome, according to an anonymous straw poll conducted
by AFP on a London street.
"I don't think you need a manual," said one young man,
sheepishly looking at his partner. Asked if he thought it all came
naturally he agreed: "Yeah, it's finding out about each
other."
Another woman, standing next to her husband, was more forthright.
"We're married now so that's the end of that," she said.
|
