I especially liked the chapters covering the correlation of Enneagram types with those of the Meyers Briggs Type Indicator system.
Rating: 4 / 5

In 287 pages that are split into four sections – Exploring Sexuality and Love; Factors Influencing Sexual Development and Adult Sexual Functioning; The Defensive Process of Sexuality; Therapeutic Approaches to Problems in Sexual Relations – and ten chapters, there is a solid, understandable holistic approach in exploring the various dimensions of sexuality and love.

Authors Robert W. Firestone, Lisa A. Firestone and Joyce Catlett argue that everyone is damaged in their sexuality, whether it is feelings about oneself as a man or woman, or excessive guilt/inhibited sexual drive, or perversion/shame about the body or performance anxiety.

And, truly, we learn about sexuality during our formative years, and, according to the authors, can carry positive and negative interpersonal factors into adulthood. Those factors include parental attitudes and behaviors, cultural and societal influences & verbal/sexual abuse and incest.

Particularly interesting are the case studies and charts – which include Negative Thoughts Toward One’s Partner and An Imaginary Conversation About Sex – that can be used as self-exploration, self-help tools while reading the book.

A major plus is the chapters are broken into specific parts with titles, which assists the reader in focusing on areas of interest or need. “It is important to bring the subject of sexuality out in to the open, as we have done in this book,” says Robert W. Firestone, in an interview that is part of the Epilogue.

Rating: 5 / 5

There are many main points to this book. This book digs deep into the problems that arise in sexual relationships. It has a lot to do with the research that sexual dysfunctions are usually related to an incident in the past. Through therapy and understanding the inner thoughts of oneself you can overcome the problems.

For sufferers of child abuse it explained the reasons why the victims always feel guilty. Through understanding and therapy you can go beyond the past and go into the future with an open mind. The book goes on to explain the differences in the thinking of men and women. Why do we think differently about sex, fantasy & intimacy?

I would recommend this book to someone who is having trouble expressing their feelings to themselves, their partner or even their friends. You can learn how to go beyond what society says is right and wrong. This book would be a great teaching tool for a new student of sexual psychology.

Rating: 4 / 5

The book is grouped into 4 key categories:

1) Exploring Sexuality and Love

2) Factors Influencing Sexual Development and Adult Sexual Functioning

3) The Defensive Process and Sexuality

4) Therapeutic Approaches to Problems in Sexual Relating

I found the first and the fourth chapters the most helpful, though all four are done quite well. As I read through this, I was able to see an enormous amount of practical application points as a pastor. While I suspect some of it may never come up, it’s nice to know more, and know more about the tools available to help couples through their relational and sexual issues. This is not a Christian orientated reader unfortunately. It has places where it could have upheld or affirmed a Christian view on sexuality and did not. It is a great tool to help people understand their dysfunctions and begin to help them work to bringing themselves back into a healthy place in that area of their relationship, but not a tool to help one understand sexuality in the context of a Christian worldview. It does go to the underlying problems instead of treating surface issues. I think in general terms I would shy away from this type/category of book, but having read this I would recommend this for your personal understanding and your library, but only read along with the knowledge of God’s teachings of/on sexuality. As a person generally not interested in psychology, I found the authors language very approachable, not burying me with terminology specific to their field. This is a book for adults though, as the content and subject matter are very in-depth and/or graphic at times.
Rating: 4 / 5