The authors show how such factors as age, decade of birth, and religious adherence are reflected in patterns of sexual behavior. Some measure of the social significance of the various types of sexual behavior is provided. The authors make comparisons of female and male sexual activities, and investigate the factors which account for the similarities and differences between female and male patterns of behavior.

    An astonishing look at the dark side of the soul from the author of The Care of the Soul and Soulmates.

    W. Brugh Joy was a distinguished and respected member of the Los Angeles medical community. In that year he contracted a life-threatening disease that culminated in an illuminating meditation, which caused him to give up his medical practice abruptly. Six weeks later he discovered that his illness was totally cured. This experience pushed him to further his explorations into realms of healing involving body energies, the chakra system, meditation, and higher levels of consciousness.In part, Joy's Way is the story of an extraordinary personal transformation. More significantly, it is a book that shows vividly the process of individual and group transformation and that rattles and re-forms the reader's concepts of the nature of reality. It expands our vision of our own unrealized potential to be conscious beings who are alert to multiple realities, and introduces us to the seemingly miraculous abilities associated with energy fields radiating from the human body.Joy's Way contains fascinating and beautiful insights into the awakening process, into teachers (inner and outer), psi phenomena, the holographic aspects of consciousness, observer and witness states, dream analysis, the Tarot and I Ching, visualization, the chakras, meditation and healing, transformational psychology, and the transformation of humanity. In addition, this book clearly describes exercises and techniques that show readers how to feel the radiating body-energy fields and how to transfer this energy to another person.

    Thus, asexual individuals do not find (and perhaps never have) others sexually appealing. Some consider asexuality as a fourth category of sexual orientation, distinct from heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality. However, there is also recent evidence that the label asexual may be used in a broader way than merely as a lack of sexual attraction. People who say they have sexual attraction to others, but indicate little or no desire for sexual activity are also self-identifying as asexual. Distinct from celibacy, which refers to sexual abstinence by choice where sexual attraction and desire may still be present, asexuality is experienced by those having a lack of sexual attraction or a lack of sexual desire. More and more, those who identify as asexual are coming out, joining up, and forging a common identity. The time is right for a better understanding of this sexual orientation, written by an expert in the field who has conducted studies on asexuality and who has provided important contributions to understanding asexuality. This timely resource will be one of the first books written on the topic for general readers, and the first to look at the historical, biological, and social aspects of asexuality. It includes first-hand accounts throughout from people who identify as asexual. The study of asexuality, as it contrasts so clearly with sexuality, also holds up a lens and reveals clues to the mystery of sexuality.

     Women of the baby boomer generation know and trust Iris Krasnow as a writer who speaks candidly to the issues that concern them most. In the months following the publication of her most recent book, The Secret Lives of Wives, Krasnow addressed thousands of women, and she discovered that two subjects dominated her audiences’ conversations: sex and change. Whether women are worried about marriage and divorce or illness and death, they’re all asking: “How do I handle the shifts in my sexuality caused by these events?” Sex After . . . holds the answers to everything from regaining sexual confidence after childbirth and breast cancer to navigating the dating scene in senior communities. As with all of Krasnow’s books since her New York Times bestseller Surrendering to Marriage, the narrative is driven by real women’s stories: raw, intimate, and, most importantly, true. Prescriptive, emancipating, and insightful, Sex After . . . addresses a range of circumstances, including what happens:When you or your spouse doesn’t want sex anymoreAfter cancer, amputation, PTSD, or another illness maims the bodyIf you come out of the closet at middle ageWhen your marriage is damaged by adulteryIf you’re dating again after twenty-five years with the same sexual partnerWhen your husband is addicted to Viagra Filled with edgy and honest stories of carnal challenge and triumph from women of all backgrounds and life stages, Sex After . . . is Krasnow’s signature take on Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sex but Were Afraid to Ask—during all of life’s passages. Krasnow is a media and lecture tour favorite, and readers—whether in the heat of an initial can’t-eat-can’t-sleep attraction or rounding the corner to their sixtieth anniversary—will applaud her eye-opening perspectives on the one issue that can change lives for better or worse like nothing else.

     Maybe, you’ve only recently started to struggle with social anxiety or shyness, or have lived with it for a very long time. This maybe the first time you’ve looked for help, or you may have tried different methods to manage your social anxiety or shyness before and remained stuck, or after some initial improvement you found yourself bogged down with same anxious thoughts and feelings. Books and methods that promise instant and magical transformations to overcoming social anxiety and shyness lose their impact when we have to leave our comfort zone and the fairy dust blows away. Whatever the case, you’re probably looking for something that really works, something that is effective, practical, real, and evidence based. There are four main steps in this revolutionary approach and I’ve seen it change people’s lives time and time again. You’re going to learn how to: Understand how social anxiety and shyness develops Build a solid foundation for behaviour change Effectively manage anxious thoughts and feelings Be confident in social situations In Overcome Social Anxiety and Shyness: A Step-by-Step Self Help Action Plan to Overcome Social Anxiety, Defeat Shyness and Create Confidence, university academic and mental health teacher Dr Matt Lewis will take you through a step-by-step programme, in a workbook format, using simple but powerful exercises that will take just a few minutes each day, allowing you to start overcoming social anxiety and shyness, and being back in control and able to enjoy life. Social anxiety can make us feel paralysed and sometimes the smallest and quickest of tasks can seem insurmountable, so the information has been reduced into small chunks, using brief chapters that can be digested easily and quickly. The book contains practical exercises in a workbook format, access to audio exercises and online resources, and an end of book project to help put all the learned skills into real life practice. The principles and practices you will learn in the book go beyond managing social anxiety and shyness. They will also help you to become unstuck, build confidence and really live. Using referenced scientific and academic research, the book teaches you how to: Understand how and why social anxiety and shyness develops. Learn how living in ‘safety mode’ can diminish your life. Create a mindset that will allow you to believe change is possible. Build the foundations for a calm and peaceful mind. Avoid mental exhaustion and increase energy. Effectively handle anxious thoughts and feelings as they arise. Tame the voice in your head and reduce anxiety in social situations. Become unstuck and able to take action in situations you would normally avoid, withdraw, or distract yourself from. Build your confidence step-by-step in both small and large social situations. Take steps to create a fulfilling and meaningful life. This book will be helpful for those who struggle with: Social Anxiety Shyness Low confidence Anxiety Disorder Panic Attacks Panic Disorder Agoraphobia If you f

    . . Pornified may stand as a Kinsey Report for our time."--San Francisco Chronicle Porn in America is everywhere--not just in cybersex and Playboy but in popular video games, advice columns, and reality television shows, and on the bestseller lists. Even more striking, as porn has become affordable, accessible, and anonymous, it has become increasingly acceptable--and a big part of the personal lives of many men and women. In this controversial and critically acclaimed book, Pamela Paul argues that as porn becomes more pervasive, it is destroying our marriages and families as well as distorting our children's ideas of sex and sexuality. Based on more than one hundred interviews and a nationally representative poll, Pornified exposes how porn has infiltrated our lives, from the wife agonizing over the late-night hours her husband spends on porn Web sites to the parents stunned to learn their twelve-year-old son has seen a hardcore porn film. Pornified is an insightful, shocking, and important investigation into the costs and consequences of pornography for our families and our culture.

    Though referenced like a work of research, Brizedine's writing style is fully accessible. Brizendine provides a fascinating look at the life cycle of the female brain from birth ("baby girls will connect emotionally in ways that baby boys don't") to birthing ("Motherhood changes you because it literally alters a woman's brain-structurally, functionally, and in many ways, irreversibly") to menopause (when "the female brain is nowhere near ready to retire") and beyond. At the same time, Brizedine is not above reviewing the basics: "We may think we're a lot more sophisticated than Fred or Wilma Flintstone, but our basic mental outlook and equipment are the same." While this book will be of interest to anyone who wonders why men and women are so different, it will be particularly useful for women and parents of girls.

    

    In the same way that Susan Brownmiller’s Against Our Will transformed our understanding of rape by moving the stigma from the victim to the perpetrator, Schulman’s Ties That Bind calls on us to recognize familial homophobia. She invites us to understand it not as a personal problem but a widespread cultural crisis. She challenges us to take up our responsibilities to intervene without violating families, community, and the state. With devastating examples, Schulman clarifies how abusive treatment of homosexuals at home enables abusive treatment of homosexuals in other relationships as well as in society at large.Ambitious, original, and deeply important, Schulman’s book draws on her own experiences, her research, and her activism to probe this complex issue—still very much with us at the start of the twenty-first century—and to articulate a vision for a more accepting world.

    Based on 5,000 years of practice and observation and popularized in part in the works of Deepak Chopra, "ayurveda" translates into "the science of life" and takes into account the spiritual, mental, and physcial aspects of health. After a brief definition of ayurveda and the basic elements, ESSENTIAL AYURVEDA outlines the practical steps any person can take to become healthier.According to the author, "ayurveda" is a verb. The book is set up with simple suggestions to get readers started on the path to good health. As Shubhra writes, "attack your goal of great health in bite-sized chunks, and you’ll get there without ever overstepping your comfort zone. In concrete terms, to "do" Ayurveda is to make healthy choices in daily life. These choices can be as simple as choosing fresh fruit over a donut, choosing a health magazine over a horror novel, choosing to sleep instead of watching late night television."

    Men can no longer get by on good looks and a good line. Women want more. The good news is that you can give it to them!Here is an expert's guide to becoming the kind of lover that every woman dreams of, written by a man who may be the world's most accomplished sexual superstar. Now "M" is sharing the erotic techniques it took him years to learn, in a book that will open undreamed of world of pleasure... to you AND her!A man's first shot in the sexual revolution. Isn't it about time you joined?

    For ALL readers--women and men, heterosexual or lesbian, gay, or bisexual--this candid, upbeat guide offers expert advice on all aspects of sexuality:• How to talk about sex and keep your relationships sizzling• Orgasms--G-spot, female ejaculation, and multiple orgasms for both men and women• "If you want the job done right, do it yourself"--Expanded section on masturbation• NEW! Sex Over a Lifetime--Growing up, coming out, pregnancy, parenting, midlife cycles, and aging• NEW! Teens Sexual Bill of Rights• Real stories--Hundreds of real people talk about real sex• NEW! Dealing with disability, depression and other medical issues• Fantasy--Favorite themes, games, and power play• Comprehensive guide to erotica....in print, on screen, and on the internet• NEW! Latest sex toy innovations from cyberskin to microchips• Complete guide to vibrators, dildos, lubricants, and other sex gear, and how to introduce sex toys into your sexual repertoirr

    By contrast, Jewish religious leaders in the sixth century B.C.E. branded male homosexuality as a capital offense and, later, blamed it for the destruction of the biblical city of Sodom. When these two traditions collided in Christian Rome during the late empire, the tragic repercussions were felt throughout Europe and the New World.Louis Crompton traces Church-inspired mutilation, torture, and burning of "sodomites" in sixth-century Byzantium, medieval France, Renaissance Italy, and in Spain under the Inquisition. But Protestant authorities were equally committed to the execution of homosexuals in the Netherlands, Calvin's Geneva, and Georgian England. The root cause was religious superstition, abetted by political ambition and sheer greed. Yet from this cauldron of fears and desires, homoerotic themes surfaced in the art of the Renaissance masters--Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Sodoma, Cellini, and Caravaggio--often intertwined with Christian motifs. Homosexuality also flourished in the court intrigues of Henry III of France, Queen Christina of Sweden, James I and William III of England, Queen Anne, and Frederick the Great.Anti-homosexual atrocities committed in the West contrast starkly with the more tolerant traditions of pre-modern China and Japan, as revealed in poetry, fiction, and art and in the lives of emperors, shoguns, Buddhist priests, scholars, and actors. In the samurai tradition of Japan, Crompton makes clear, the celebration of same-sex love rivaled that of ancient Greece.Sweeping in scope, elegantly crafted, and lavishly illustrated, "Homosexuality and Civilization" is a stunning exploration of a rich and terrible past.

    Becoming Orgasmic will help you: -Evaluate your sexual history and put it in perspective -Explore your body through touch -Understand the effects of pregnancy, menstruation, and menopause on sexual desire and response -Be comfortable with your body and yourself as a woman -Share self-discovery with your partner -Find techniques to try if something turns you off -Overcome the fear of orgasm -Learn how to bring yourself to orgasm -Practice safe sex in today's world—precautionary measures, social expectations, personal values, and choosing a partner in the age of AIDS A personal and sensitively written book that is also informative, Becoming Orgasmic is designed to make you feel good about your sexuality and yourself.