a practical guide to polyamory, open relationships and other freedoms in sex and love
312 pages
English language
Published Aug. 15, 2017
For 20 years The Ethical Slut has dispelled myths and showed curious readers how to maintain a successful polyamorous lifestyle through open communication, emotional honesty, and safer sex practices. The third edition of this timeless guide to communication and sex has been revised to include interviews with poly millennials (young people who have grown up without the prejudices their elders encountered regarding gender, orientation, sexuality, and relationships), tributes to poly pioneers, and new sidebars on topics such as asexuality, sex workers, and ways polys can connect and thrive. The authors also include new content addressing nontraditional relationships beyond the polyamorous paradigm of "more than two": couples who don't live together, couples who don't have sex with each other, nonparallel arrangements, couples with widely divergent sex styles, power disparities, and cross-orientation relationships, while utilizing nonbinary gender language and new terms that have come into common usage since the last edition.
I read the original edition on purpose and the language is outdated when it comes to tackling gender and trans folks but never in a nasty way and despite that I am surprised by how well this book has aged
A very easy and fast read, written for both skeptics and non-monogamous types. Coming from a polyamorous couple, one of which is a therapist, the book carries some weight and legitimacy. As someone who believes in open relationships, I found the progression in the book from self, to lovers, to community to be healthy steps for anyone looking to get the most out of their relationships; I haven't been able to find any reviews about the book that reveal any fundamental problems with the authors' opinions. The feel-good, flower child tone made me roll my eyes a few times, but this is what you get with most relationship books anyway.
I borrowed this copy. Didn't realize that there's a new 2009 2nd edition. I may have to get my own copy!
