Tracey Cox (this is apparently her real name) is a sex expert for iVillage, regular guest on the “Today Show,” and author of half a dozen books on how to have a hot sex life. Her latest book focusing on sex positions offers a few new moves, a lot of old news, confusing organization, and awkwardly not-quite-pornographic photographs where most of us would prefer a how-to sketch. It’s sex-literature-lite at best.
The positions themselves range from “does she really think people don’t do this” (like half a dozen variations on rear entry or at least a dozen almost-missionary positions with differently placed feet and hands) to some inspiring acrobatic feats, but the way they’re broken down—into four sections titled “heartfelt,” “steamy,” “head games” and “show off” instead of similar positions or those that might be easy to transition between—are weirdly disjointed. Often the positions she calls “heartfelt” seem almost identical to “head games,” and it’s hard not to see this breakdown as the author trying to make old material fresh.
The positions are broken up by some general sex tips, which odds are you’ve read a zillion times. Ice cube? Check. Create a strong emotional connection and don’t focus solely on your orgasm? Check. Rub sexy food such as chocolate mousse on him? Seriously? “The Joy of Sex” this is not. Illustrations take the form of weirdly lit photos of attractive (heterosexual and matched by race) pairs of naked people in sexy minimalist domestic spaces. This isn’t a gorgeous sex book, and it’s not even quite the coffee table book I thought it would be.
All that aside, there are some interesting nuggets of wisdom and suggestions in here, and you’re bound to find a new position you haven’t tried (the more difficult ones include illustrated steps of how to get into them, and reading these directions aloud to another is often really funny: “She’s nicely supported by the sofa…. He stands up, not without some difficulty”). For twenty bucks, you could do worse if you want a book of basic sex variations—but you could also do a lot better. (Monica Westin)
“100 Hot Sex Positions” By Tracey Cox DK Publishing, 192 pages, $20
Tracey Cox (this is apparently her real name) is a sex expert for iVillage, regular guest on the “Today Show,” and author of half a dozen books on how to have a hot sex life. Her latest book focusing on sex positions offers a few new moves, a lot of old news, confusing organization, and awkwardly not-quite-pornographic photographs where most of us would prefer a how-to sketch. It’s sex-literature-lite at best.
