I feel there is a whole lot I am missing out on by listening to Betty’s books rather than having hard copies to hold onto and mark up and see the visuals. The way the e-book is set up means that they don’t always correlate chapters in the audio book with those in the hard copy – so page numbers and chapter references won’t necessarily be accurate. So no page references are available.
I think the piece that really left an impact on me was Chapter Four – The Bridal Shower. Although I have previously thought I wanted to specifically focus on women over 40, the more I have spoken to what I do, it seems to be strongly resonating with women in the late 20s to late 30s… they know they should be having more fun and they are not… I can hear and see they are stuck in exactly the same dilemmas and conditioning as I was… it’s an equal balance of being able to have the conversation and the knowledge and skill to know enough about themselves to be able to communicate their expectations and desires. There seems to be a need on both spectrums. So the bridal shower idea appeals but so too does “The Things Older Women (Your Mum) Could’ve Told You but Didn’t!” It seems like you’re Mum isn’t the one teenagers want to learn from… but when schools are dealing with contraception, STI risks and consent, the really enjoyable stuff is not being talked about.
Before I posted this comment I read through all the comments above – as I always do and want to also echo the significance of the following to me:
‘The electric vibrator is to woman what Viagra is to men’ (page 118). It gives new, interesting perspective on the role a vibrator can have for women in partner sex
And I strive to be what BAD invited readers to be: a person that tells my friends about my favourite masturbation or partner sex techniques with a description of one of my better orgasms – I want to be an out loud and proud sexual activist. I am a sexual activist. I am proud of being one and I love it.
I echo Tosh’s comments:
1) that even modern women, living and working in an urban mecca like NYC, are still uneducated about sex and don’t prioritize their sexual pleasure
2) Women are disconnected from their bodies and, unfortunately, lacking vulva knowledge.
3) Women are embarrassed about masturbation.
4) Women are misinformed by magazines about having orgasms via penetration only; plus they have no idea about the male model instead of the female model of sexual response.
I think also the notion of Men faking love for orgasms and women faking orgasms for love speaks to the fundamental heterosexual gender roles – I want to smash that so that women can have sex for the joy and pleasure they get from having an orgasm as part of delightfully enjoyable experience of partner sex.
