A reviewer
I went home for Memorial Weekend and my mom asked me to give her my thoughts on this book. She bought a copy with the intention of giving it to my sixteen-year-old sister being in my last few quarters of college, she thought it would be good to seek my opinion. The author is out of touch with teenagers and completely unrealistic with what she expects from them. She says things like teens should, 'Discuss their desires and have open and honest discussions about their sexuality, so that they can enjoy a life of truly fulfilling sexual intimacy.' (I don't know if those are the exact words but there's alot of advice like that throughout the book.) Teens are not going to even come close to having such a discussion with friends even, let alone someone they are fooling around with. I don't have those conversations in college. It's just very unrealistic and advice that really is better for someone in their 30's or getting married, no younger than 25, for sure. The other problem with the book is that it's dull and won't hold a young person's interest for more than a few pages. It sounds very scientific, although it does have lots of good biological information. (That stuff is more likely to gross teens out, though, more than help them.) The reality is teenagers and college students today want to be constantly entertained. Anything intended for them needs to be entertaining all the time. They also would much rather go to a message board or chat room, using an anonymous name to answer questions about sex, than openly discuss it with anyone, even a partner. I've seen things like, 'I was with a girl a little bit two days ago and now I'm afraid she might be pregnant. I didn't use a condom, I was just in for a second because I wanted to know what it felt like. I feel bad because I can't even ask her because we are not talking now. Can you help me?' That was by a guy who's 16, using a screen name. Do you really think he's going to sit down with a girl anytime soon and discuss his feelings and sexual desires for a 'fulfilling life of sexual intimacy?' Now way. He's not even talking to a girl he just fooled around with, probably because they are both too embarrassed. That's what teenagers and college students want to know how to talk to each other, how to get the other sex's interest, how to know what a guy or girl is thinking, and so on. They have no interest in serious adult conversations, they're simply not mature enough. There does need to be good, accurate information for teenagers, moreso than ever before because they are getting lots of misinformation in those chat rooms from other kids and from entertaining sites. Kids today read Tucker Max and CollegeHumor (which does have some good advice here and there for college students). The sites are crude but make us laugh and are honest. Books or sites intended to give us and teens good advice need to be just as entertaining. I told my mom to get my sister a copy of 'God is a Woman: Dating Disasters'. It is hilarious, full of the honest real life dating and sexual misadventures of a guy, very entertaining and holds teens interest, because it is on the same level of sites like Tucker Max and CollegeHumor. It covers all kinds of real topics, though, like date rape, losing your virginity, and talking to the opposite sex. It's stuff we want to know in a way we want to hear it. As a parent, you may not like the graphicness of God is a Woman, but your kids are already reading much worse stuff online, believe me. Better for them to get the right information from that book than the info they are getting from those other places.
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Overview
Have you ever wondered Am I normal? (and what is "normal," anyway?) What's up down there? I really like girls, but I like boys sometimes, too. Am I gay, bisexual, or just messed up? Are we both really ready to have sex? Is it ok if I masturbate? I feel like I can't ever say no to my partner. What's the problem? Heather Corinna and Scarleteen.com have been providing sex education and information for young adults, parents, and mentors for nearly ten years. Whether you're straight, gay, sexually active, or just plain curious, S.E.X. spells out everything you need to know, including: A sexual readiness checklist Illustrations of female and male reproductive anatomy How to love your body, ...