As with most sex help books, “The better Sex Guide to Extraordinary Lovemaking” is focused on the casual reader who’s seeking sexual help. Each chapter it covers a different section, beginning with desire, working its way through to arousal, sexual touch, tension, types of sex fetishes and finally positions. Yet for each chapter, it never does more than scratch the surface of the issue, although it does offer an easily digestible overview of these issues, making it a decent reference guide.

Not that the book doesn’t try, in fact throughout most of its chapters are helpful ways to translate the lessons to reality. The sexual homework sections provide exercises to enhance hat was learned in the chapter, such as kegels for better orgasms incorporating food into sex and others. Further, there are “sexercises” throughout the chapters to either make the lessons work, or prepare the reader for trying them.

One area where it goes beyond many other books is by offering techniques to try during certain sexual acts. While most books offer help with the mood, or setting up the act of sex or roleplaying, this book actually offers technical help. That being said, the suggestions are limited, to the more common activities such as oral sex, which is main complaint that occurs throughout the book.

This focus on more common issues illustrates what’s wrong with this book it fails to mention anything that isn’t common with sex. The fetishes it describes are all pretty standard, food, voyeur, BDSM, as are the positions they discus and the types of sex. As mentioned before, this is more of an introduction guide than anything in depth.

For chapters on sexual imagination or erotic curiosities, it covers a few of the most common activities and fetishes, such as BDSM, roleplaying, to accessories and costumes. What it does include is informative enough for those new to the concept and eager to discover more, but that’s all it offers, a taste.

Further, the more uncommon sexual fetishes and activities are never mentioned. Granted there are hundreds, if not thousands of obscure sexual dalliances and tastes, yet the book would have benefited by devoting at least some space to the less mainstream fetishes and activities, or at least a resource page.

Despite the wealth of good information, there’s also a lot of what feels like filler. Iterations on why couples need to entice each other, or be in the mood, or be attuned to their lover is important, but it’s mentioned far too often. At some point, it’s just repeating itself.

On the subject of couples, this book seemed oddly homogeneous. The models were always male-female and there were few variations between the models. This could have been due to budgetary constraints, but when many potential readers will be non-male-female couples, it may help to include some non-male-female couples, both to help explain their unique concerns, but also is a sign that they’re welcome.

There was little to nothing in regards to non hetero sex. The closest I found was anal, but it was more of a biological or hetero based discussion rather than what to do during male on male anal. While the information available could certainly be useful, it’s not the same as having chapters or sections dedicated to the unique issues of gay relationships and intercourse.

If there was little help for gay people, there was none for fat or fat sex. Anyone reading my reviews and articles could tell I am a larger person as is my lovely girlfriend and this presents certain limitations. Very little reading material is available on this subject and this book did not add to knowledge base.

This may not have been a problem, if not for the fact that Americans are getting fatter every year and it makes sense to include help for this ever growing (see what I did there) segment of the populace. The lack of information provided helps add to this book’s sense of homogeneity. It caters to thin straight people and no one else.

These however were minor issues. My biggest complaint is in regards to its discussions on positions. Positions was the primary purpose of purchasing this periodical (sorry) yet there is very little available in this section and what is underwhelming. There is one section that describes 10 sexual positions and doesn’t provide help in attempting them.

Perhaps the problem wasn’t with the book, but my own expectations. This simply wasn’t what was desired when purchased, I wanted sections that gave technical help for the problems I had and instead found the basic, “go here and be comfortable” would have been more useful.” For those who have common sexual problems, or just want a more general guide, this book is for you, otherwise, try the guide or something else entirely.