Play piercing - the temporary insertion of sterile needles just under the surface of the skin - is acknowledged by many kinky players as one of the surest routes to bliss and transcendence (not to mention erotic excitement). Here you'll learn the nuts and bolts of safe, responsible play piercing, with lots of information on anatomy, safety and resources for play piercers. And you'll enjoy plenty of steamy real-life anecdotes of piercers, piercees and the very special connection between them.

Everything you need to know about ear, face, and body piercings—from how to find a skilled professional piercer to best practices for safe healing and optimal results. “As a piercer, nurse, and educator, I can say without a doubt that this is the most complete book ever written for all people in our industry.”—David A. Vidra, founder and president of Health Educators, Inc. Piercing expert Elayne Angel has performed over 50,000 piercings since the 1980s and has pioneered many placements, including tongue piercing and the triangle, lorum, and other genital piercings. Her authoritative and groundbreaking guidebook has been the definitive resource on body piercing since its publication in 2009. Many people are unaware of the elevated risks of getting pierced at a mall kiosk, by an untrained tattoo artist, or by a novice piercer; a skilled professional is necessary for safety and optimal results, whether piercing the ear, nose, or elsewhere. This revised and expanded edition is the only comprehensive reference book available to help you navigate the entire piercing process. It contains new illustrations, diagrams, and photos, along with fully updated information, including: • The best piercings and placements for various body parts and body types • Terminology, techniques, and tools of the trade • Vital sterility, sanitation, and hygiene information • Jewelry designs, sizes, materials, and quality • Piercing aftercare and troubleshooting advice for successful healing • How to become a piercer, piercing throughout history and in modern culture, and the future of body piercing The Piercing Bible, Revised and Expanded, includes essential medical and technical updates, as well as refreshed illustrations and jewelry photography, to reflect today's standards and best practices for safe, professional piercing.

This book has been co-published as Journal of Homosexuality volume 50, numbers 2/3, 2006

“A detailed, eye-opening account of the real sexual underground in America . . . a thorough and serious study.”—Playboy From Different Loving: In order to understand unusual sexualities such as dominance and submission, one first has to consider the question ‘What is normal?‘ If the unique function of sex is reproductive—and the only reason men and women should engage in sex is for the purpose of creating a new life—then only heterosexual intercourse is normal. By this standard, many common acts, even contraception, must be considered aberrant. Reproductive relevance was the Victorian standard of normalcy, and even today many of the laws in the United States still abide by that model. But people have always pursued sex for both reproduction and for pleasure and well-being. We start from the premise that sex for pleasure is a normal human drive and is acceptable when it brings pleasure to both partners. From this perspective, D&S is simply a ‘different‘ kind of loving. We hope to add to the greater body of knowledge about what people really do behind closed doors with the people they most love and trust. Perhaps Different Loving will help open the door for further research into the mystery, beauty, and complexity of human life and its diverse expressions. Praise for Different Loving “The definitive guide to the sexual styles of those who walk on the wild side.”—Kirkus Reviews “As a window on largely unexplored territory, Different Loving is a breakthrough in the dialogue on human sexuality, and a significant work of popular sociology.”—South Bend Tribune “A comprehensive primer on loving with leather and romance by riding crop.”—Michael Musto, New York Daily News

This study draws on common sense, humor, anecdotes, interviews, history, clinical case studies, analyses of human behavior, and basic ideas from psychology and philosophy to ilustrate the real lives and experiences of men and women in BDSM communities.

Whether you're a trembling novice or a jaded expert, there's always something new to be discovered in the endlessly changing, complex and titillating world of kink. While there are plenty of other books out there that explain how to give a spanking or tie a half-hitch, Playing Well With Others is the first book that explains kink *culture* -- the munches, parties, leather bars, conferences, workshops, fetish nights, exploratoriums and all the other gatherings of kinksters that turn BDSM and leather from a bedroom predilection to a lifestyle and a community. You'll learn to: • Examine your own motivations, needs, wants and desires • Ease your way into established communities • Understand etiquette in different adventurous sex communities • Familiarize yourself with the many types of events available to you • Care for your relationships as you explore new territory • Negotiate for play and aftercare • Go back to the “world at large” without ruffling feathers • ...and, of course, answer the all-important question: What do you wear?! The team of Harrington and Williams offers 30-plus years of experience in diverse kink communities: top, bottom and switch; gay, bi and straight; female, male and trans; white and POC. Both former titleholders and international educators, they are an unbeatable pair of "sexual sherpas" with an inimitable voice and a great deal of wisdom. Playing Well With Others is an unprecedented and essential guidebook for anyone who wants to explore or understand the "community" aspect of the kink lifestyle.

In this lively ethnography, Weiss studies the pansexual BDSM community in the San Francisco Bay Area. Weiss finds that BDSM practice is not as transgressive as the participants imagine, nor is it simply reinforcing of older forms of social domination. Instead she shows how fantasy play depends on pre-existing social hierarchies, even as it also participates in a commodification of desires.