Female Sexuality: Erotic Education for Women
This cornucopia of fine books for women offers an expansive view of female sexuality, inviting women to learn about their bodies and expand their capacity for pleasure and fulfillment. Included are excellent books on female sexual anatomy, orgasm, communication skills, overcoming sexual dysfunctions, integrating sexuality and spirituality, self-pleasuring, Tantra and anal sex.
Most are written by women and all emphasize the unique importance of the feminine perspective in healthy, ecstatic sexuality.
Recommended Books for Women
Becoming Orgasmic: A Sexual Growth Program for Women
This revised and expanded edition of Becoming Orgasmic provides a program designed to help anyone overcome the myriad of obstacles to complete sexual satisfaction. This is a personal and sensitively written book designed to make you feel good about your sexuality and yourself. 1987, Fireside
The Clitoral Truth: The Secret World at Your Fingertips
This highly informative tour of the clitoris, written with clarity and exuberance by an internationally renowned women's health writer and activist, is enlivened by personal accounts from women of all ages and backgrounds. The author discusses anatomy, historical attitudes, myth, and fact with the goal of helping women and their partners understand and expand their sexual interests and potential for pleasure. 2003, Seven Stories Press
Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life
Emily Nagoski has written a fascinating book drawing together the strands of current research on Female Sexuality. She highlights the challenges of "being sex-positive in a sex-negative culture," and emphasizes the importance of context in understanding sexual interactions. Female sexuality is different from male sexuality and she helps the reader understand this in terms of physiology and brain science. Nagoski stresses that variability in sexual responsivity is normal and urges her readers to celebrate their uniqueness. She cites cutting-edge research to emphasize that the most important factor in sexual satisfaction is not technique or number of orgasms, but how you feel about it. This absorbing book is filled with down to earth wisdom and guidance based on the latest research. 2015, Simon & Schuster
The Elusive Orgasm: A Woman's Guide to Why She Can't and How She Can Orgasm
The Elusive Orgasm provides a full overview of women's sexual pleasure, covering sexual triggers, stages of arousal, the power of mind, and how women differ from men. Dr. Vivienne Cass reveals all the causes of women's orgasm difficulties -- and how to remedy them, including step-by-step plans to help you and your partner. An extraordinarily thorough, all-inclusive exploration of every possible reason why women have orgasm challenges, The Elusive Orgasm gives you the tools to discover the source of your own orgasm difficulties, along with straightforward remedies. 2007, Da Capo Press
Dr. Joy Davidson believes that desire is more than what you feel on the way to the bedroom - it's the very spark that ignites your life. Embracing your sexuality and erotic spirit is an art form - and learning to express yourself without getting stalled in self-defeating relationships is a practical, learnable skill. This book is your guide. 2004, Fair Winds Press (2nd edition)
Female Ejaculation and the G-Spot: Not Your Mother's Orgasm Book!
Like men, women also can ejaculate, enhancing and intensifying their sexual pleasure. In an open, positive style, Deborah Sundahl presents information about female ejaculation including scientific findings, anatomical illustrations, historical accounts, a chapter on how men can help their female partners to ejaculate, and women's and men's experiences collected during the past two decades. 2003, Hunter House
For Women Only: A Revolutionary Guide to Overcoming Sexual Dysfunction and Reclaiming Your Sex Life
Sisters Jennifer (a urologist) and Laura (a sex therapist) Berman point out that nearly half of all women in the US experience sexual problems at some point during their lifetime. In this helpful book they offer frank but personal discussion about the female sexual response. They describe their clinical patient assessment process, provide an updated anatomy lesson and offer practical suggestions for enhancing sexual pleasure. 2001, Henry Holt
For Yourself: The Fulfillment of Female Sexuality
This book offers a practical program developed by an acclaimed sex therapist. It includes a detailed description of female sexual response, step-by-step exercises to gradually awaken dormant sexuality, clear explanations about sex and sexual response, and insights into the essential role of the emotions in sexual gratification. 2000, Signet
The G Spot: And Other Discoveries about Human Sexuality
When it was originally published in 1982, The G Spot was the first book to prove the existence and define the location of the Grâfenberg spot, a patch of erectile tissue that can be felt through the front wall of the vagina, directly behind the pubic bone. In print continuously for twenty-two years, it has sold more than 1,000,000 copies to date internationally. This edition includes a new introduction which brings the research in the book up-to-date and explains its continued relevance. Now a new generation of men and women can take advantage of the insights and practical suggestions of this classic work. 2004, Holt
Getting the Sex You Want: A Woman's Guide to Becoming Proud, Passionate, and Pleased in Bed
The authors begin with a description of women’s sexual experiences and move on to cover a wide range of sexual topics including how to enhance your sex life, biological/pharmaceutical remedies, restorative and cosmetic surgery, sex toys, masturbation, and meditative practices. The book helps women map their erotic journey through the life cycle from adolescence through older age. 2002, Crown
The Good Vibrations Guide: The G-Spot
This book is a clear, informative and friendly companion, explaining the latest anatomical and physiological research on the G-spot (not a spot inside the vagina at all, but the urethral sponge in front of it). The book gives a practical guide to tips, techniques, and toys for stimulating the G-spot. Throughout, the author is careful to emphasize that while some women love G-spot pressure, others don’t get a lot out of it or actually find it uncomfortable. The focus is on finding out what you personally enjoy rather than setting yourself a new performance goal. 1998, Down There Press
This comprehensive "how to" book on sex is entertaining, honest and enlightening. It is written in a casual style and filled with enjoyable quotes from real couples and sex therapists. Beautiful line drawings illustrate the chapters which also include a great deal of information on sexuality as a cultural phenomenon. Particularly useful for heterosexual couples. 2012, Goofy Foot Press, 7th edition
I Love Female Orgasm: An Extraordinary Orgasm Guide
Whether you're celebrating your thousandth female orgasm, searching for your first, or cheering on your girlfriend or wife, this book is filled with everything you want to know about the big O. Solot and Miller have spoken to thousands of men and women and surveyed thousands more about their experiences with female orgasm. Here they share all that they've learned--plus give you a sneak peek behind bedroom doors as women and men share their favorite moves, mistakes to avoid, and best "oh, yeah!" moments. 2007 Da Capo Press
Let Me Count the Ways: Discovering Great Sex Without Intercourse
Two of America's leading sex and gender experts show readers how to make sex more enjoyable by breaking away from the repetitive mechanics of intercourse. The book describes a path toward a more varied, playful and intimate sexuality, debunking myths such as "impotence," "frigidity," and "foreplay;" indeed the book shatters the myth that intercourse equals sex itself. 1999, Putnam
The Heart and Soul of Sex: Making the ISIS Connection
Based on a landmark sex survey, researcher and sex therapist Ogden found "the language of spiritual experience comes closest to expressing the fullness of our sexual response, for it is the language of connection and ecstasy." The book guides the reader on a path to her sexual "center" where healing, ecstasy and transformation occur. 2006, Trumpeter
Read an extensive review of Heart and Soul of Sex »
The Mother's Guide to Sex: Enjoying Your Sexuality Through All Stages of Motherhood
Semans and Winks approach sex and motherhood from four angles: basic components of women's sexuality, sex and pregnancy (just before, during, and just after), sex as a parent, and raising sexually healthy children. The work is greatly enhanced by copious quotations from several hundred moms who shared experiences and tips via surveys the authors posted online. Married, single, heterosexual, and lesbian moms are all included, and often overlooked issues such as circumcision, disability, or having an intersexed child receive coverage. 2001, Three Rivers Press
The Multi-Orgasmic Woman: Discover Your Full Desire, Pleasure, and Vitality
For women who seek heightened spiritual consciousness with their extended and multiple orgasms, Chia and Abrams prescribe a series of meditations and exercises from the Chinese Taoist tradition. The authors' inclusive language speaks to all women, regardless of age, sexual orientation, relationship status, orgasm tendencies or level of experience with meditation. The good, basic information on general sexual health and wellness emphasizes holistic approaches to maintenance and treatment, and the primer on the fundamentals of chi (energy) provides a solid overview of the theoretical basis for the methods developed to cultivate and use this energy. 2006, Rodale Press
See Betty Dodson coach two women who are struggling with their orgasmic responses. Each "case" illustrates different challenges women face, from inability to orgasm at all to not experiencing the fullest orgasm possible. Betty's inimitable style, combining warmth and support with helpful information and exercises, leads each woman to a remarkable orgasmic experience. Studio: Betty Dodson, Ph.D.
Passionista: The Empowered Woman's Guide to Pleasuring a Man
Dr. Ian Kerner offers women his sometimes radical, always expert advice on everything from the nature of male desire to bedroom techniques that work. In Passionista, Kerner covers every angle of male sexuality, illuminates the most common sex-life ruts, and offers practical, knowledgeable answers to women's most frequently asked questions. 2008, Harper
Secrets of Female Sexual Ecstasy (DVD)
This educational, erotic and visually stunning DVD from Charles and Caroline Muir will show you ways to more intimacy, passion and emotional connection. Explicit, yet not X-rated, sexual loving is depicted with an innocence, beauty and wisdom that transforms sex into a new art form for the 21st century, with clear instruction to awaken and release unlimited orgasmic energy. In this DVD you will learn secrets of erotic kissing and touch; facts about male ejaculatory choice, a key to creating maximum lovemaking health, creativity and power; detailed instruction of G-spot massage; and female ejaculation. 2006, Pacific Media
Sex For One: The Joy of Self-Loving
For more than twenty years Betty Dodson has been dedicated to taking the shame out of masturbation, showing it to be a healthy form of sexual expression. With warmth and intelligence and informative line drawings, Dodson explains how anyone can learn to fully enjoy the pleasures of self-love, pointing out that masturbation is still the safest sex. 1996, Crown
Sex Matters for Women: A Complete Guide to Taking Care of Your Sexual Self
A comprehensive guide to all matters sexual for women, with chapters on the physiology of the reproductive system, the emotional complexities of sexuality and sexual relationships, body image, STDs, sexual trauma, painful sex, illness and disability, dealing with sexual problems including low desire, low arousal and orgasm difficulties. This is a wonderful one-volume resource. 2011, Second Edition, Guilford Press
Slow Sex: The Art and Craft of the Female Orgasm
The truth is: Most women do not have satisfying sex lives. Slow Sex can change that. This life-altering guide teaches men and women how to use the practice of Orgasmic Meditation to slow down, connect emotionally, and achieve authentic female sexual satisfaction. The promise: In just fifteen minutes every woman can become orgasmic. And, with the right partner and the right technique, that orgasm could last and last! This book is the argument for daily intimacy, and for paying attention as the foundation of pleasure, all with a focus on the female experience. 2011, Grand Central Life & Style
Tantric Awakening: A Woman's Initiation into the Path of Ecstasy
This personal and intimate portrait of a young woman's journey is tastefully written to reveal not only the ecstatic power and spiritual benefits of tantra, but also the pitfalls, problems, and temptations of this path toward enlightenment. With the inclusion of specific tantric sexual techniques the author shows how to use tantra to balance the spirit with the physical self in order to achieve personal empowerment, transforming fear and self-doubt into joy and self-confidence. Meditations, exercises, and important insights for beginning a tantric practice assist the reader who is inspired to bring a sense of the divine into daily life. 2001, Destiny Books
Exploring Tantra from the female perspective, Diana Richardson reveals the critical role receptive feminine energy plays in allowing orgasmic states to arise. She shows how the various parts of the female body may be activated to deepen ecstatic states. Readers will learn how to re-circulate orgasmic energy; why breast stimulation takes priority over vaginal attention; the difference between soft penetration and deep sustained penetration, including how to avoid premature male ejaculation; and how women can strengthen the erection response of male partners. Tantric Orgasm for Women shows how women can exert a powerful influence on their sexual experiences when they understand the inner workings of their bodies and when they avoid adopting conventional ideas about what should be satisfying to them. 2004, Destiny Books
Tantric Sex for Women: A Guide for Lesbian, Bi, Hetero, and Solo Lovers
Using an inclusive, empowering approach, this book explains how every woman - lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual, or solo - can add relish to sexual encounters and increase her pleasure through tantric methods. In a warm, knowledgeable tone, Christa Schulte explains the basics of tantric sex, including how to become more body-aware, how to cultivate pleasure using all five senses, and how to practice "Tara-tantra," a woman-centered tantric method of her own creation. The book includes 20 helpful introductory solo exercises, exercises for couples, transformation rituals, love games, meditations, and massage techniques, and covers numerous practical strategies for helping women enhance their sensitivity, remove barriers to fulfilling experiences, and explore the spiritual dimension of their sexuality. 2005, Hunter House
For centuries, women diagnosed with "hysteria"--a disease paradigm thought to result from a lack of sexual intercourse or gratification--were treated by massaging their genitals in order to induce "paroxysm." Male physicians, however, considered the practice drudgery, and sought various ways of avoiding the task, often foisting it off on midwives or, starting in the late 19th century, employing mechanical devices. Eventually, these devices became available for purchase and home use; one such "portable vibrator" is advertised in the 1918 Sears, Roebuck catalog as an "aid that every woman appreciates." The Technology of Orgasm is an impeccably researched history that combines a discussion of hysteria in the Western medical tradition with a detailed examination (including several illustrations) of the devices used to "treat" the "condition." 2001, The John Hopkins University Press
Thanks for Coming: One Young Woman's Quest for an Orgasm
At 26, Mara Altman wanted to know what all the screaming was about. She'd lost her virginity at seventeen; grown up in southern California with sexually free parents; had lovers in India, Burma, and Peru; and spent a year in Bangkok observing all manner of depravity. And yet she was an attractive, successful, single woman in New York who'd never had an orgasm. And so she embarked on a wildly funny, emotionally resonant odyssey -- a journey both inside and outside herself -- only to discover that, for Mara, orgasm was connected to a part of her that no vibrator could reach. 2009, Harper Perennial
The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women, 2nd Edition
The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women offers comprehensive information on all aspects of anal eroticism and health. It's for all women- heterosexual, lesbian, or bisexual- who want to learn how to enjoy anal sex with a partner or by yourself. In the book you'll learn how to build trust and communicate your desires; how to give and how to receive pleasurable anal penetration; how to please your man; helpful tips on safety, preparation, and hygiene; and where to buy toys, accessories, and safer sex supplies. 2006 Cleis Press, second edition
A Woman's Guide to Overcoming Sexual Fear & Pain
This gentle guide uses clinical examples and women's personal accounts to chart a course to sexual enrichment. The book is illustrated, with excellent sections on anatomy and communication. 1997, New Harbinger
Women's Anatomy of Arousal: Secret Maps to Buried Pleasure
In this Information Age, you'd think we know everything about female genitalia. But we don't! Women, their lovers and even medical professionals are missing essential information about how to turn a woman on ... completely. The result: women must discover their sexual potential without accurate guides. In this groundbreaking book, medical professional and sex educator Sheri Winston presents the first-ever comprehensive, accurate, integrated picture of what's "down there." This fun, sexy guide combines lost knowledge with ancient and modern sexuality information, and illuminates every woman's secret paths to fabulous, orgasmically abundant sex. AASECT Book of the Year 2010
2010, Mango Garden Press
Women's Sexualities: Generations of Women Share Intimate Secrets of Sexual Self-Acceptance
Based on in-depth interviews with a hundred women and a survey which polled over twenty-six hundred women, Dr. Ellison describes patterns which she was able to determine that help lead women to positive sexual growth. Ellison covers the factors that influence sexual development such as body awareness, sexual attitudes and values and early lessons about love, sexuality and sexual boundaries. The book offers women encouragement and practical guidance for achieving sexual self-acceptance. 2000, New Harbinger
Women's Sexuality across the Life Span: Challenging Myths, Creating Meanings
This important book investigates how women come by, and live out, their sexual sense of themselves from childhood to old age. It offers useful suggestions for developing skills for sexual self-definition at every age and stage of development. Exercises include letter-writing and drawing to confront feelings, psycho-drama and body sculpting to exorcise demons, guided fantasy to activate disowned body parts, and self-affirmations to help women re-occupy their bodies. 2003, The Guilford Press
Women Who Love Sex: An Inquiry into the Expanding Spirit of Women’s Erotic Experience
This intelligent and readable book reframes conventional ideas about how women experience sexual relationship. Based on original research with women whose stories inform each chapter, it questions male-centered definitions of sexual desire and performance. 2007, Trumpeter
