I had seen and loved the instructional videos from Two Knotty Boys on Youtube so I was tremendously excited to review their first book, Showing You the Ropes. They have an amazing sense of style and create beautiful rope pieces.

The book has large pages and is fairly short (only 80 pages), with black and white photos throughout. (The format is well-chosen, since you aren't turning pages mid-tie.) It starts with the basics: safety, rope selection, and rope preparation. It covers basic knots, basic bondage, decorative bondage, and dominance bondage in successive chapters.

The book has step-by-step instructions for 13 basic knots – some of them simple and utilitarian, some of them elegant and decorative as well as useful. I found the pictures and instructions easy to follow; my husband had a little more trouble but caught on after a little practice. The pictures were very clear, though a little small; you'd want to practice these knots a lot before using them with a partner.

After the basic knots the book covers basic bondage, including several ways of tying cuffs or shackles for wrists, ankles, and limbs. These are all fairly simple ties using the more basic knots, so even beginners can get a lot of use out of this book. Basic bondage ties were clearly chosen for their safety as well as their simplicity – they will not slip, and many can be loosened mid-scene without untying them completely.

Decorative bondage comes next, including harnesses, gauntlets, a corset, bra and panties – all made from rope. These pieces are just beautiful. Several could be displayed in public, over clothing. Although they are presented as decorative designs, most can easily be used for more extensive bondage: just tie wrists or arms to the harness or panties, or tie the decorative piece to the bed to keep the victim immobile.

After decorative bondage they cover dominance bondage, using rope to create a cage, a gag, a hogtie, and several harnesses that force the submissive into position. Several of these are designed to increase sensation as well as immobilize, especially the Japanese Pearl Harness for the breasts. Several of these could also be adapted for decorative bondage, by leaving the arms free or other adjustments.

Last of all they include instructions for sex bondage, including suggestions for combining basic bondage ties to tie a person, to a coffee-table, or to a chair (kneeling and exposed, of course, rather than sitting). It also has instructions for a rope strap-on harness or vibrating panty. This takes a little work to get adjusted just right, but is amazing once it's on. I was also pleased (through the whole book, really) that nearly all of the ties could be worn during sex – there was rarely anything blocking the genitals or major erogenous zones, so you can still have all sorts of sensual fun while tied up.

Overall, I was very pleased. The instructions are very easy to follow, especially if you practice a bit first. The pictures are a little small throughout, but the contrast is high enough that you can easily see what is happening. The authors make it very clear how various ties can be used. At the end of the book you feel not only competent in the ties they present, but also able to mix things up and experiment with your own variations which is a very empowered feeling. Showing You the Ropes allows you to tie a partner up beautifully, safely, and confidently.

Practice helps! A lot! Practice the knots first, on short lengths of rope. When you try a new tie, use plenty of rope and leave plenty of time. You'll want to do a couple of practice runs before using a new tie as part of a scene.