The Joy of Sex

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The Joy of Sex was a ground-breaking illustrated sex manual by Alex Comfort, M.D., Ph.D. published in 1972. It was the first explicit, serious book about sex to gain wide distribution - at least in modern America (one might argue, for instance, that the Kama Sutra provided somewhat similar information over 1000 years before). Earlier works, such as the 1966 Human Sexual Response by William H. Masters & Virginia E. Johnson, were more circumspect and clinical. The original intention was to use the same mainstream approach as books such as The Joy of Cooking, hence section titles include 'starters' and 'main courses'. Conversely, The Joy of Sex is rather circumspect and clinical in comparison to The Guide to Getting it On, published 20 years later.

The book features sexual practices such as oral sex and various sex positions as well as bringing "farther out" practices as sexual bondage and swinging to the attention of the general public. The book contained numerous illustrations by Chris Foss, based on original photographs of the book's art director and his wife. The illustrations have become somewhat dated, mainly because of changes in hairstyles.

Both the illustrations and text are titillating as well as illustrative, in contrast to the bland, clinical style of earlier books about sex.

More recent editions feature new artwork, and added text emphasizing safer sex. Although the original took a negative view of practices such as anal sex, newer versions reversed previously-supportive positions on topics such as swinging as extensive textual changes were made at the height of the 1980's AIDS panic. The added text does not blend well with the original material, leading readers to wonder whether it was added solely out of liability concerns.

A Phillips CD-i version was released in 1996, the first AO-rated console game.

The Joy of Sex did not address homosexual sex beyond a definitional level. Though there was a careful (for the day) treatment of bondage, other BDSM activities received definitional coverage at best. The book played a part in what is often called the sexual revolution.

Editions include:

Unrelated works (similar in title):

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