The Guide to Getting it On
Encyclopedia
The Guide to Getting It On! is a sexuality
guide by research psychoanalyst Paul Joannides
, illustrated by the comic book artist Dærick Gröss, Sr. A 6th edition was released on January 20, 2009, with a 2011 updated version of the 6th edition released in January 2011.
An extensive glossary
of sexual slang terms is included at the back of the book.
The scope of the book regarding the type of sex discussed is depicted by the way the chapter Kinky Corner begins: "Readers will hopefully appreciate that vanilla is The Guide's favorite flavor. So rather than being an introduction to BDSM, this chapter is an attempt to explain a little of this and that."
It is illustrated throughout with realistic body drawings. It also uses comic-like drawings to maintain a light-hearted approach, such as a drawing of a vagina and a penis, both with eyes, mouth, nose, hands and feet, having a dialogue.
There has also been a 2011 update to the 6th edition which contains significant updates in the chapters on Sexual Orientation, Birth Control, Gender Bending, Premature Ejaculation, and Chapter 74, which was renamed "The Panty-Dropping Pill, Patch and Shot." There were also dozens of smaller changes, corrections and updates.
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
guide by research psychoanalyst Paul Joannides
Paul Joannides (psychoanalyst)
Paul Joannides, Psy.D. is an author, public speaker and research psychoanalyst based in Northwest USA. He is the author of The Guide to Getting It On, a well-known guide on sexuality which is used in college and medical school sex-ed courses in the US and Canada. Dr...
, illustrated by the comic book artist Dærick Gröss, Sr. A 6th edition was released on January 20, 2009, with a 2011 updated version of the 6th edition released in January 2011.
Structure and content of the Sixth edition
The Sixth edition of the Guide to Getting It On! is 992 pages long. It is divided into nine sections, described below, each containing a number of shorter chapters.- How to & Then Some: 27 chapters (374 pages) which discuss the full spectrum of sexual expression and its practical aspects, starting from romance and kissing through the different ways people have sex.
- Your First Time: Two chapters about losing one's virginityVirginityVirginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
. - Technology & Culture: deals with internet dating, cybersexCybersexCybersex, also called computer sex, Internet sex, netsex, mudsex, TinySex and, colloquially, cybering, is a virtual sex encounter in which two or more persons connected remotely via computer network send each other sexually explicit messages describing a sexual experience...
and MRIs of Sexual Arousal. - Orientation & Gender: discusses sexual orientationSexual orientationSexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
(hetero- and homosexual) and gender bendersGender identityA gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
, and IntersexIntersexIntersex, in humans and other animals, is the presence of intermediate or atypical combinations of physical features that usually distinguish female from male...
or disorders of sex developmentDisorders of sex developmentDisorders of sex development , sometimes referred to as disorders of sex differentiation, are medical terms referring to "congenital conditions in which development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex is atypical." Lee et al...
. - Sex & the Human Condition: deals with sex for the disabled, sex and cancer, sex and diabetes, sex and hysterectomyHysterectomyA hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, usually performed by a gynecologist. Hysterectomy may be total or partial...
, having sex after you have experienced rape or abuseAbuseAbuse is the improper usage or treatment for a bad purpose, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, sexual assault, violation, rape, unjust practices; wrongful practice or custom; offense; crime, or otherwise...
, when your partner snores or has excessive flatulenceFlatulenceFlatulence is the expulsion through the rectum of a mixture of gases that are byproducts of the digestion process of mammals and other animals. The medical term for the mixture of gases is flatus, informally known as a fart, or simply gas...
as well psychological states that affect sex life. - Beyond Vanilla: discusses threesomes, double penetration and kinkKink (sexual)In human sexuality, kinkiness and kinky are terms used to refer to a playful usage of sexual concepts in an accentuated, and unambiguously expressive form....
in general. - Below the Belt: deals with vulva care, sex and the menstrual period, hair removalHair removalHair removal is the removal of body hair, and describes the methods used to achieve that result.Hair typically grows all over the human body during and after puberty. Men tend to have more body hair than women. Both men and women tend to have hair on the head, eyebrows, eyelashes, armpits, pubic...
and related problems, STIs, premature ejaculationPremature ejaculationPremature ejaculation is a condition in which a man ejaculates earlier than he or his partner would like him to. Premature ejaculation is also known as rapid ejaculation, rapid climax, premature climax, or early ejaculation....
, delayed ejaculationDelayed ejaculationDelayed ejaculation is the inability to ejaculate or persistent difficulty in achieving orgasm despite the presence of normal sexual desire and sexual stimulation...
, hypospadiasHypospadiasHypospadias is a birth defect of the urethra in the male that involves an abnormally placed urinary meatus...
and erection problemsErectile dysfunctionErectile dysfunction is sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sexual performance....
and other sexual problems. - Pregnancy (or Not) & Parenting: discusses birth controlBirth controlBirth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...
, adoptionAdoptionAdoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
and sex related issues of pregnancy and explaining sex to children for their parents. - Sex in History & Popular Culture: discusses cultural and historical aspects of sex, including hooking-up sex, BarbieBarbieBarbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....
as a cultural icon, a history of the breastBreastThe breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
and braBraBra may refer to:-Places:Italy* Bra, Piedmont, a comune in the Province of Cuneo, Piedmont* Piazza Bra, a piazza in VeronaUnited States* Brattleboro , a rail station in Windham County, Vermont-Other uses:...
, what's masculineMasculineMasculine or masculinity, normally refer to qualities positively associated with men.Masculine may also refer to:*Masculine , a grammatical gender*Masculine cadence, a final chord occurring on a strong beat in music...
, feminineFeminineFeminine, or femininity, normally refers to qualities positively associated with women.Feminine may also refer to:*Feminine , a grammatical gender*Feminine cadence, a final chord falling in a metrically weak position...
, and erotic, marriage, sex in the military, sex and God, and an extensive chapter on sex in AmericaUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the 1800s from a US perspective and how it helps understanding sex today.
An extensive glossary
Glossary
A glossary, also known as an idioticon, vocabulary, or clavis, is an alphabetical list of terms in a particular domain of knowledge with the definitions for those terms...
of sexual slang terms is included at the back of the book.
The scope of the book regarding the type of sex discussed is depicted by the way the chapter Kinky Corner begins: "Readers will hopefully appreciate that vanilla is The Guide's favorite flavor. So rather than being an introduction to BDSM, this chapter is an attempt to explain a little of this and that."
Style
The book uses informal language and quotations extensively to illustrate the points the author makes. These quotations are from males and females, of a broad age range, that the author has interviewed during his research or who sent letters to him after publication of previous editions of the book.It is illustrated throughout with realistic body drawings. It also uses comic-like drawings to maintain a light-hearted approach, such as a drawing of a vagina and a penis, both with eyes, mouth, nose, hands and feet, having a dialogue.
English editions
In the English language, Guide to Getting It On! has had six editions. This is a link to the covers of the six US editions plus one separate UK edition.- The Guide to Getting It On! A New and Mostly Wonderful Book About Sex for Adults of All Ages (1st edition, June 1996) ISBN 1-885535-14-7. 376 pages.
- The Guide to Getting It On! A New and Mostly Wonderful Book About Sex for Adults of All Ages (2nd edition, September 1, 1998) ISBN 1-885535-00-7. 432 pages.
- The Guide to Getting It On! (3rd edition, February 2000) ISBN 1-885535-10-4. 698 pages.
- Guide to Getting It On! (4th edition, April 2004) ISBN 1-885535-67-8. 782 pages.
- Guide to Getting It On! (5th edition, September 2006) ISBN 1-885535-69-6. 854 pages.
- Guide to Getting It On! (6th edition, January 2009) ISBN 1978-1-885535-337. 992 pages.
There has also been a 2011 update to the 6th edition which contains significant updates in the chapters on Sexual Orientation, Birth Control, Gender Bending, Premature Ejaculation, and Chapter 74, which was renamed "The Panty-Dropping Pill, Patch and Shot." There were also dozens of smaller changes, corrections and updates.
Translations
The "Guide to Getting It On! has been translated into 13 languages: Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Croatian, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Serbian and Slovenian.Awards
The Guide to Getting It On! has won the following awards:- American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists Book Award.
- Ben Franklin Book Award.
- Firecracker Alternative Book Award.
- Sexuality.org Best Heterosexual Book Award.
- USABookNews.com Best Book Award.
- American Foundation for Gender & Genital Medicine Book Award.