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Posts tagged Greenery Press
The Toybag Guide to Medical Play
01 year ago
Front cover for The Toybag Guide to Medical Play
By Tempest
Published in 2006 by Greenery Press
The easiest way for me to decide how much I like a book is my reaction to its length. A book that seems far too long, you can bet it is not a title that I enjoy. On the other hand, wishing a book were longer is a sure sign that it is good. In the case of The Toybag Guide to Medical Play, I wish the book were much, much longer.
This particular guide begins with a discussion on what medical play is. The book’s general premise is that medical play is a form of role play. I know lots of folks love role play, but I have never understood its appeal, and ordinarily a book with such a heavy role play focus would be a turn off for me. However, embedded in the text are wonderful tips for creating and using various medical toys. It also contains a nice introduction to such play options as enemas, speculums, vet wrap, and medical gags. Though it explicitly does not offer any instruction on catheterization, inflation, and sounding, it does inform the reader of their existence. It also includes an impressive list of references and resources.
Partners in Power: Living in Kinky Relationships
01 year ago
by elizabeth
in slave's corner
Front cover for Partners in Power: Living in Kinky Relationships
By Jack Rinella
Published in 2003 by Greenery Press
When Daddy assigned me this book to review, I thought I might get a few interesting kink lifestyle tips that I may or may not ever find the need to apply. I did not think this book would be really applicable to me since I am already in a solid long-term M/s relationship. Many lifestyle books are fairly shallow - “Screw the Roses, Give me the Thorns” comes to mind. Much to my delight, the first few pages proved my low expectations false.
Jack Rinella has an excellent writing style with what seems to be an authentic voice. He introduces the leather community in a concise clear way that had me thinking, “Why didn’t anyone give me this book when I first entered the community?” Things that took me several years to realize were so simply explained that I would make this required Kinky 101 reading if I were in charge of the world.
For example, when I was relatively new in the community I was asked to serve in a few volunteer roles and quickly nominated to run for office in one of the local groups. I thought serving in the leadership was just that, service. Community service is something my little servant heart enjoys and desires, so I agreed to run for office. Jack Rinella suggests that while it is good to “…’Volunteer to do grunt work,’ like stuffing envelopes, setting up chairs, and bringing a snack. Be slow to get elected to anything and, if asked, politely decline and profess your ignorance.” (p.89) Heeding his simple advice would have saved me a great deal of aggravation.
As an aside, in case you have not yet had the pleasure of being involved in BDSM politics please consider the following: politics in the leather community is a bit like a PTA without social restraints. Anyone who has ever been involved in a PTA will readily agree that the thin film of social restraint is truly the only thing that keeps those whackos from turning into a cannibalistic mob. Just say “no” to running for office.
Some who knew me when I was naïve would say they tried to warn me off of being elected to anything, but I did not listen. I think this is true, I didn’t listen. So why is it that I am so sure this book would have dissuaded me? I believe it is because Rinella takes the time in his book to start at fundamentals and build a foundation of clear advice. He begins with definitions of terms, guides the reader toward taking time for genuine internal exploration of who they are, and adeptly discusses relationship styles and how they impact the kinky relationships we seek. Within this context, the “slow down a bit Skippy” warning makes much better sense. Rinella effectively makes a case for the benefits of taking time to develop your own journey into kink at a thoughtful pace.
As I read, I found that I had to stop every few pages and digest. Often I would talk with Daddy about things that I found challenging or familiar. Rinella’s discussion of being honest with yourself and others led Daddy and I to have several evenings of conversation about what we had wanted from the lifestyle prior to being together, where we are now with our relationship, and what we hope to try/do/experience before we die. Self-actualization is heady stuff but Rinella leads the reader there without pomp.
My experience with the ideas he presents has been very personal and moving. It is rare that I read a book that changes me. In fifth grade, “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach, in tenth grade the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov , in college, “The Painted Bird” by Jerzy Kosinski, and now “Partners in Power” by Jack Rinella. I really cannot recommend it strongly enough.
Toybag Guide to Dungeon Emergencies and Supplies
01 year ago
Front cover for Toybag Guide to Dungeon Emergencies and Supplies
By Jay Wiseman
Published in 2004 by Greenery Press
One thing about BDSM books that often frustrates me is that they often present a pamphlet-length topic in book-length form. The result is books that are bloated with asides, awful fiction, wordy prose, and the like that are not only annoying to read, they are also unnecessarily expensive.
In some ways, it is easy to understand why publishers would contribute to this situation given based on their not wholly unreasonable belief that book buyers are more likely to shell out the extra money for an entire book than purchase what might appear to be a flimsy pamphlet. I also think that the book length format appeals to the egos of BDSM authors given that, not only does a book seem a more impressive accomplishment than a pamphlet, but also a book writer is more likely to receive perks such as invitations to speak at BDSM events. I know for a fact that “so-and-so wrote a book” carries considerable cachet in someone’s stature within the larger BDSM community. Unfortunately, whether said book is any good is given scant attention.
In my view this is all very backwards. I would much rather spend $10 on a smaller pamphlet that contains only meaningful pragmatic information than shell out $16 for four times the verbiage and one-eighth of the utility. Also, why on earth would I be excited to hear an author speak when his book is meandering and self-important?
All of which is why I enjoy Greenery Press’ Toybag Guide books so much. Not only are do they distill a topic to the parts that are important to learn, they do away with much of the awfulness that all too often plagues BDSM-related books.
Despite the fact that I was annoyed and distracted by his excessive safety admonitions in SM 101, it is hard to imagine any author who is more suited to write a BDSM safety guide than Jay Wiseman. Here, Wiseman presents most everything a person needs to consider before, during, and after play in a concise easy to read manner. Not only is this is an enjoyable read before an accident, it remains a handy reference to have on hand after a situation arises that requires attention (though not every emergency situation lends itself to “wait let me read this book for five minutes before I act).
In fact this is so enjoyable, I have only one complaint which is that one of the folios, pages 27-58, where inserted into my copy upside down. But this printing error is a minor annoyance that can easily be overlooked.
Intimate Invasions
6
Intimate Invasions front cover
by M.R. Strict
Published in 2004 by Greenery Press
Klysmaphilia or enema play is one of those topics that embarrasses most people to talk about, much less express an interest in. Given that, a Greenery Press book devoted to the topic would seem a very worthwhile effort towards expanding everyone’s comfort and familiarity with the topic. Or at least, that’s what I thought prior to reading the book. It pains me to have to say this (for one thing I bristle at the bad pun), but simply put this book is shitty.
One consistently annoying thing about BDSM books in general, and Greenery Press titles in particular, is a writing style that uses fantasy scenes interspersed in between matter of fact discussion. Having endured more of these books than anyone really ought, I have come to the conclusion that most BDSM books would not be published were they written about any other topic. Books about even such potentially mundane topics as gardening, cooking, and sewing are generally better written than even the best BDSM book. It is so bad that I own any number of books that I would be embarrassed to have the coroner find on my bookshelf not because they are dirty but simply because they are poorly written.
But I digress. The most astonishing part about Intimate Invasions is that even though it clocks in at about 140 pages, there are perhaps 20 that contain useful information. Without the awful fantasy sequences this book might have been a good fit for Greenery Press’ “Toybag Guide” series. But even that might be a stretch since even those 20 pages are not reliable because M.R. Strict’s knowledge and advice seems suspect. As bad as the factual sections are, the fantasy sequences are even worse.
Just how bad is this book? It is so bad that I would put more faith in the advice from any number of 1970s enema guides marketed by the same companies that specialized enema themed pornography. Even though they often recommend such potentially dangerous practices as giving wine enemas, they tend to demonstrate a greater passion and knowledge of their subject.
I hope that another BDSM publisher and/or author will devote a book to this worthwhile topic. They certainly will have no trouble writing something better than this.
Sex Disasters and How to Survive Them
02 years ago
by Todd
in Doctor's Orders
Sex Disasters and How to Survive Them front cover
by Charles Moser, Ph.D., M.D. and Janet W. Hardy
Published in 2002 by Greenery Press
While most of Sex Disasters and How to Survive Them deals directly with the physiological side of sexuality, it does highlight a few emotional and legal issues that could arise from sex.
Written in an easy to digest “topic and explanation” format, the tone is light and easy to follow. Unfortunately, the topics aren’t organized, so if one hoped to find to find information on a pressing issue they would be forced to hunt through the index. Worse still, many explanations lack the comprehension one wants in the midst of that sort of crisis.
To be fair some of the topics such as “My Girlfriend and I were making out and her Doberman snarled at me” don’t really demand a great deal of detail. Then again, how likely is someone to seek out this book for that sort of advice? Having been confronted with issues covered in this book after I read it, my answer is not at all.
I have high expectations of Greenery Press. Their books tend to be the very best on topics devoted to sexuality (alternative or otherwise). Maybe it’s just cynicism, but I suspect that if coauthor Janet Hardy weren’t the head of Greenery Press this book wouldn’t bear their logo. Sex Disasters and How to Survive Them certainly is certainly the weakest of their titles I’ve encountered so far. (Note: little did I know that Intimate Invasions would make this seem like a modern classic. Oh well.)
If you happen to have had the sort of puritanical parents who refused to let you attend the fun portion of high school health class, then this book might be beneficial to you. Otherwise save your money and buy your lover something nice.