The Sex Bible is beautiful, without a doubt. It's a hardcover book with more than 250 pages, and absolutely beautiful, erotic (yet tastefully done) photos on at least every other page. This is a sex book you could keep out on the coffee table if mom and dad were coming over, it's that nice. Really. There might be a nipple here or there, but there are no genitals pictured in the whole thing. It's a lovely book.

And then I started to read. It's actually organized quite well, although occasionally I was confused, like when they threw the concept of "69" into the middle of the chapter on cunnilingus, and then dropped it again, only to re-introduce it later. It covers a variety of subjects, and realizes that sex is more than vaginal intercourse, and that kissing and massages are just as erotic as a tongue on the pussy. I really liked that they had stories from real couples, so that the reader could identify with the things the book discussed. Some of the tips in the cute little tip boxes were also well written and a great idea.

However (I know you were just waiting for the other shoe to drop), I don't think I'd ever buy this book for anyone I know. There are just too many things wrong with it, in my eyes. Firstly, it is EXTREMELY heterosexist. Everything is him and her, he and she, penis and vagina. There's a section that talks about using a strap on to penetrate your male lover in the ass, but even in this chapter, no mention of penetrating your lover. There isn't even the generally requisite chapter of "other orientations" or "alternative sexualities." The incredible assumptions that this makes about sex and sexuality frustrated and saddened me.

Also, some of the things said are just plain not true, and other statements used "always" or "you should," even though they were completely generalizing. For example, their spiel about fellatio was fine, decent even, until the end. "Then swallow." What? That should be the choice of the person providing the oral sex - some people like to swallow, and others don't. I also was not able to find any bit on contraception or birth control. Now while this is aimed at couples, I know lots of couples that still practice safer sex for various reasons, and tons and tons of heterosexual couples that want contraception. I feel this was a big omission.

While I feel this book would be a nice gift for a hetero (and relatively conservative and/or vanilla) couple for their wedding, or maybe for your parents, but as a student of sexology, I can't truly endorse it. It leaves out non-heterosexual orientations completely, provides some less than accurate information, and some (if not most) of the tips could just as easily be found in one of next month's editions of a popular woman's magazine. The kama sutra section is interesting, as is the one on kissing, but there isn't much talk about communication, and I dislike the assumption that all men and all women like all the exact same things. It's very pretty though, really!