The Clitourist

by Karen Salmansohn

Penis envy? P'shaw. From the bestselling author of How to Make Your Man Behave In 21 Days or Less Using the Secrets of Professional Dog Trainers comes (ahem) The Clitourist, a witty and empowering guide to the hottest spot on a woman's body. For something so important to so many, there is a shocking lack of information available on the clitoris. An intimate biography of a gal's best friend, The Clitourist boldly attempts to fill that void, educating and entertaining the reader on every level, from structure and function to care and upkeep, not to mention handy dandy arousal methods. And though funny, The Clitourist is not afraid to tackle the really tough questions like, if we can put a man on the moon, why not on a woman's clitoris during intercourse? As revolutionary in subject matter as The Vagina Monologues, as frank as Sex and the City, The Clitourist is a celebration of the female body as well as just a plain hoot that women will delight in buying for themselves, their sisters, and their friends (and heck, maybe even their moms and grandmothers, too). It's a gift for anyone who has a clitoris, and for anyone who loves someone who has one. (And that's a lot of people!)

Test your cliteracy:

True or false:
* The clitoris is the only organ found on either men or women that exists for pleasure alone, hence many scientists' belief that women's genitals are more highly evolved than men's.

* Vibrators were invented in the 1800s by Dr. Joseph Mortimer Granville as a psychological cureall for women.

Answers: All too true!

Genres: Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality

112 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2002

About the author

Karen Salmansohn is a bestselling author (with 2 million books and courses sold), leading behavioral change expert, and columnist for Oprah and Psychology Today, as well as the founder of the popular personal development site NotSalmon.com, which has a vibrant community of 1.5 million followers. Her most recent book is "Your To-Die-For Life: How to Maximize Joy and Minimize Regret . . . Before Your Time Runs Out." She’s been sparking transformations in individuals and companies for a few decades and is passionate about digging deep and finding fascinating insights, tools, and studies from all areas of life, including psychology, Eastern and Western philosophy, neuroscience, quantum physics, and more.

She began writing “self-help for people who wouldn’t be caught dead doing self help” in 1999 with the bestseller How To Be Happy Dammit—the very first personal development book of its kind to have a feisty title, edgy humor, and stylish interior design, which paved the way for self-help authors to write irreverent personal development books. Since then, she’s written many bestsellers, including The Bounce Back Book and Think Happy. Now she’s excited to pioneer the mortality awareness movement by illuminating life’s most avoided conversation—death—and reminding others to live more bravely.

Reviews

[Cpm · Rating 3 out of 5]

the best cartoon book about the clitoris i have ever read... but not exactly densely packed with information. i did learn that it is not safe to douche more than three times a month. note to self.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this would be more like, CLITORIS FACTS! but it's only a bit of that, and the rest a clitoris-owner's guide / sex manual. Which is fine, and it has a good sense of humor about it. But nothing revelatory here to jaded sex-ed people like me - and I can't get behind the statement "many biologists believe that [...] women's genitals are more evolved than men's" because that's not how evolution works, ladies and gentlemen!

[Alisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute little book with fun illustrations.

As someone who works with the public concerning their pleasure and sexual health, I have a few criticisms.

The first is that it definitely excludes transgender men and claims that only women get to experience having a clitoris.

Second, the author implies that shaving the pubic area is an important step for both a vulva and a penis before oral sex.

Third, my version from 2010 lists only two possible orgasms; clitoral, and g-spot related. It does not include the a-spot or orgasms achieved with stimulation near the cervix.

Fourth, the illustrations include a great guide to the Vulva, but I would have loved to see an illustration of the clitoris’ inner workings, aka, the actual organ itself. Many people are surprised to learn how big the clitoris actually is.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esta bueno. No es un libro que cambie la vida pero está bueno leer de eso qsy
Positivo:
-Las ilustraciones son muy lindas
-Tiene un buen sentido del humor
-La info esta buena había datos que no sabía
Negativo:
-Esperaba más datos y en cambio es una guía del clítoris (lo cual es mi culpa porque literal lo dice en la tapa)
-Había comentarios que tiraban un poco al rol de género y al machismo

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mercifully, I grew up in a very information-rich environment. If I knew enough about something to formulate a question, my folks figured I knew enough to handle the honest answer. As a result, I actually didn't learn anything new in this delightful book but I enjoyed it a whole lot.

Seriously, I would recommend it to all women who accept as fact that they are not going to burn in Hell for all eternity if they enjoy pleasurable experiences with their own and/or other consenting adults' bodies. Really, I can imagine that reading this book could cause an embolism in some people.

The author uses humor in the text as well as the artwork to lighten-up the discussion very effectively. Find a copy. Give it a read (it won't take long) - you might learn something life-changing (SERIOUSLY!). If you're less shy than I am, consider sharing it with your lover (if they could benefit from some new information).

If you believe that pleasure is good, then this book will be a good thing. If not, rinse out your eyes after you've read this review - consider using Holy Water (just sayin').

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The name alone makes you think, Hey, this should be okay! but then it goes downhill from there. I gave this to a friend of mine as a party favor at a holiday cookie party, which probably speaks to either how bland the book was or how much I believe my friend wants a funny book on female anatomy (or both).

[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

funny, sweet, and great pictures.

[Michelle Saar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trisha's illustrations are hilarious and very sexy

[Kasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and funny read, pictures are awesome! I like her writing but her Enough, Dammit and How to be Happy, Dammit are much better...

[Aja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and actually informative.