The perfect gift for Valentine's day - practical, simple and sensuous recipes to unleash the lover in all of us. Mark Douglas Hill has spent a lifetime in pursuit of foods that encourage friskiness and enhance the frisking. In search of the ultimate aphrodisiac dishes, over the years he has researched and refined, trialed and tested ingredients and recipes from all over the world. This compendium of culinary come-ons is the legacy of his unceasing quest. The Aphrodisiac Encyclopaedia is a veritable cornucopia of titillating titbits - from liquorice to lobster, figs to foie gras, and mango to mint. Along with mouth-wateringly tempting recipes, each entry is packed with diverse and diverting fact - historical, literary, biological and psychological - and the aphrodisiac and amorous qualities of each ingredient examined and appraised. This Valentine's, cook up a steamy dinner for the man or woman in your life with The Aphrodisiac Encycopaedia.

The most comprehensive guide to the botany, pharmacology, cultural, ritual, and personal use of erotically stimulating substances from antiquity to the present day • Details the use, preparation, and dosage of more than 400 plant, animal, mineral, and synthetic substances, both common and exotic, as well as their botany, science, and legal status • Explores the historical and present use of aphrodisiacs and their role in sexual practices, culture, and art • Richly illustrated throughout with more than 800 color photographs The culmination of more than 30 years of cultural, anthropological, and scientific research, this encyclopedia examines the botany, pharmacology, history, preparation, dosage, and practical use of more than 400 erotically stimulating substances from antiquity to the present day. From plants and animals that enhance fertility and virility, like celery, snails, or oysters, to substances that induce arousal, like ephedra, opium, or cannabis, the encyclopedia is richly illustrated with more than 800 color photographs--many of which are from the authors’ extensive fieldwork around the world. Exploring individual, medicinal, and ritual use through historic and contemporary artwork, personal accounts, and literature as well as ayurvedic, tantric, shamanic, and European folklore practices and recent pharmacological research, the authors look at the revolving cycle of acceptance and condemnation of aphrodisiacs, the qualities that incur the label of “aphrodisiac,” the role of mind and setting, and the different ways aphrodisiacs stimulate desire--either physically, through the senses and vital organs, or mentally, through heightened awareness and altered consciousness. This comprehensive guide reveals these “remedies of the love goddess” as holy remedies whose proper use can help reestablish harmony with oneself, one’s partner, and the universe.

This delightfully mischievous A-to-Z guide features love potions, powerful herbs, and much more, drawn from global spiritual and esoteric traditions. From absinthe, almond soup, and Albertus Magnus to yarrow, yohimbine, and Emile Zola, this authoritative reference volume covers knowledge of aphrodisiacs spanning centuries, drawn from literature, spirituality, and ancient science. Entries include edible substances believed to enhance sexual performance, gemstones thought to possess amorous charms, gods and goddesses of love from various myths, and historic figures who contributed to studies and thought on aphrodisiacs. This dictionary reveals many intriguing ways for partners to enrich their relationships, including recipes to stimulate the gourmet lover using the many ingredients described in the book.

The Encyclopedia of Sexual Behavior, Volume 1 is a comprehensive review of the major aspects of the biology, physiology, and anatomy of sex. This book is divided into 57 chapters that also cover the major facets of the emotional, psychological, sociological, legal, anthropological, geographical, and historical aspects of sexuality, including the related fields of love, marriage, and the family. This book deals first with the advances in sex research, the issues on abortion, abstinence, adolescent, sexuality, and the link between sex and aging. The subsequent chapters consider the demographic, geographical, and anthropological aspects of sex; life; the physiology, anatomy, and history of sex; the attitude toward sex; the concept of autoerotism; and the religious view of sex. Other sex-related topics covered include chastity and virginity, child sexuality, nakedness, coitus, contraception, courtship, culture, social dancing, and sex education. This book further discusses the emotional aspects of sex, such as divorce, marriage, extramarital sex relations, family, and reproduction. The remaining chapters look into the issues of hermaphroditism, homosexuality, illegitimacy, impotence, and jealousy. This book is of value to psychologists, psychiatrists, sociologists, medical practitioners, and researchers and workers in the allied fields.