The New Bottoming Book by Dossie Easton and Janet W]. Hardy is a new and improved revision of their original Bottoming book to keep on top of the new millennium. It’s a fantastic psychological guidebook for anyone who wants to understand themselves or others as bottoms, and the world that goes with it. Including how to stay healthy, safe, control power, and feel proud of who you are as a bottom. I'd like to say that this book will help you become a bottom, but that isn't quite true. It will help you become a better bottom if you're already interested, but it won't turn your life around if you're not.

I feel this is a good resource because Dossie and Janet are experienced BDSM practitioners in both top and bottom areas. You can learn more about them, a small part of their background, and how they met in the first chapter. Let me just say that both these women are qualified to write an awesome book such as this.

Before moving on to define you as a bottom and the rewards of being a bottom they do what no other book I've come across has done. They explain how they are defining the term bottom, which is "someone who has the ability to eroticize or otherwise enjoy some sensations or emotions - such as pain, helplessness, powerlessness and humiliation- that would be unpleasant in another context." They go on to explain in more detail the assumptions of a bottom, BDSM, and Kink ethics.

The next few sections are about who you are as a bottom. What emotions you may expect to experience like "lust, abandonment, fear, shame, rebelliousness". Roles you may like to enact such as "victim, whore, pleasure slave, rebel, animal, whore". Shortly after learning about the different roles you jump into how to stay safe and happy during play. While I know this can be a yawn-fest for some people I found it really informative and it is one of my favorite chapters in this book. I hope to apply some of the negotiation and communication sections to my own bottoming counter-part.

Next we run into two sections that could be combined into one. “The Bridge to Reality,” and “Connecting,”. Since many people initially start creating BDSM fantasies in their mind, you are given a few different ways to make your fantasies a reality and connect with people. Ranging from the internet, chatrooms, newsgroups, and private mailing lists. Janet and Dossie include safety tips for meeting someone new and how to pick a Top.

The second half of the book is titled Scenes, but it isn't until you reach the second half of the section that you reach them. Instead you are given some more sections on how to get ready, groom yourself, start a scene, and end a scene. It seems so quick, but there are little things they go into such as "Rewards and Discipline", "Pain", "Body Modification" and how to "Look Good". Which was perhaps one of my favorite sections in the book to read about.

One section I was not expecting to see was "Contracts". Which I have only ever heard about from my Husband and have never read in any of our other BDSM books. Janet and Dossie tells you what they are about, things you should look for, and what signing a contract really means.

Once you hit the second half of the "Scenes" section you are given different scenes that you can try out and what is usually involved in them. Take the "Inanimate Object" section, for example. Dossie explains how she once spent an hour hooded and wrapped in rope and hooded while an orgy happened around her. And while it may sound frustrating, the experience was wonderful or, you could try being a human coffee table. It may satisfy the need to suffer in the name of submission. Simply to have nothing else to do but enjoy the presence of your top and their guests. Taking care that you can maintain the position for an hour to several hours while you wait for reward. They even go so far as to give you some notes and tips on Public Play and parties.

Overall this book is an excellent psychological guide to learning about being a bottom. It is quite easy to read with chapters that flow really well. Though you should read it cover to cover in order to get a full understanding. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone who wants to know more. I also suggest you pick up their The New Topping Book , to make your collection complete.