cover image ULTIMATE GAY SEX

ULTIMATE GAY SEX

Michael Thomas Ford, . . DK, $30 (191pp) ISBN 978-0-7894-9697-3

This handsomely illustrated and informative gay man's guide to sex offers the perfect marriage... er, civil union... between reassuring, good-humored and consistently engaging text with more than 300 lush, full-color photographs that are explicit but tastefully erotic. Lambda Literary Award–winning humorist Ford (That's Mr. Faggot to You and Alec Baldwin Doesn't Love Me ) enters Dr. Ruth's territory and aces the difficult task of writing a breezy but comprehensive guide that covers everything from gay identity, relationships, health issues and sex play. As a tour guide, Ford is playful (a sidebar on sex toys is called "Dil-Do's and Don'ts") and shockproof ("Rather than seeing kinks as extremes, they should be viewed as different forms of more basic sexual activities") as he explores the good (coming out, building relationships, discovering erogenous zones), the bad (erectile dysfunction, STDs, domestic violence) and the titillating (sensual massage, sexual positions, fetishes). The provocative photos are erotically charged, with the toned, multiethnic models exuding considerable heat in various stages of undress and acrobatics. The vibrant color photographs offer a forthright presentation of male nudity and gay male sexuality that should make this a conversation-starting coffee-table book for same sex households—even those who already know the ins and outs of gay sex. But the more important market for this book may be the uninitiated, who will find in it a thoroughly supportive guide to how adults communicate through, around and about sex. (May)

Forecast: Timing the release for Gay Pride month in June, DK has a 50,000 first print ing, a four-city author tour and national ad vertising campaign in the works .