It started when I picked up Threesomes for couples who want to know more and found myself disappointed. As I looked around Eden I found two more books, Opening Up and The Ethical Slut. The first edition of The Ethical Slut was published in 1997 and seemed to have developed a reputation for being out of date and somewhat difficult to read because of the design flow. I didn’t know that there was a second edition of the Ethical Slut until recently when it was personally recommended to me.

The goal behind both editions is to reclaim the word “slut” and to ethically and responsibly learn the skills that a sexually open lifestyle requires. This includes work and communication.

The second edition has been substantially rewritten from the first. Even at first glance, it’s clear that it is not a quick cut and paste job for a new book. Catherine Liszt is now writing under her real name – Janet Hardy. A quick glance at the table of contents shows only six items that even have the same name. Information has been added and rearranged. The new edition of the book includes a substantial glossary and a more extended resource section. The resource section includes the following categories- general polyamory, dating and relationships, sex, managing conflict, and legal and social issues. The new edition also contains an index which is lacking in the first edition. One of the substantial additions to the new edition includes exercises sprinkled throughout the book to allow key points to be made. Although the books are almost identical in length, I know computer fonts and spacing. The 2nd edition uses a font that is substantially smaller with less spacing. It’s a much denser book!

At first glance, I thought that the section called “Language in this book” would be very similar in both editions. In the original edition, this is a unique chapter on page 39. It is actually a miniature glossary for five pages. In the new edition it’s a very brief page and half beginning on page 7 stating that the goal is to make the “language in this book as pansexual and gender neutral as we can.”

Jealousy is another interesting section to compare. The second edition calls this section “Roadmaps through jealousy” and includes specific exercises. They begin identically with a quote on jealousy and that it “feels really rotten.” The first edition includes a personal note about “Joe managed to get pathologically jealous without Dossie ever cheating.” The second edition includes a long story that begins, “My lover is late coming home. I hope she is all right – this morning she left in tears. Last night we both cried until very late. I hope she will not be too angry with me, or then again, her anger might be easier to bear than her pain.” The first exercise in the new edition includes is about how do you experience jealousy. The second is about how to provide reassurance to a partner. The third is about developing ways to be kind to yourself. The last is about acknowledging the ways that you love your partner.

Both editions cover substantially the same issues, but the second edition has rewritten sections in order to make reading more fluent and understandable. Instead of a section called “conflict” you will have “Embracing conflict” complete with specific exercises.
Eden is now carrying The 2nd edition of the Ethical Slut! A complete review of that book will be up soon!

The second edition is fantastic! It is easy to read- either straight through or jumping around from section to section. It offers great suggestions on communication, jealousy, and relationships in general. I'm personally going to find it a wonderful resource without considering the aspects of "slut!"

My rating is primarily for the 2nd edition!