OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Dead-End Sex" by Dr. Arnold Holtzman.]

Dead-End Sex is a set of 42 vignettes written by Dr. Arnold Holtzman.

Basically, the book is a collection of very interesting and very enjoyable, mostly funny, sex-related stories. Though they are said to be fiction, the reader can surmise that these stories are based on Dr. Holtzman’s decades-long experience as a psychologist.

The book covers issues including unsatisfactory sex, painful intercourse, aversion to sex, need for physical attachment, failure to find serious adult relationship, abuse, homosexuality and fixation among others. There are other stories though that are not sexual but just as interesting as the others.

The greater part of the book is portrayal of unsatisfactory sex life of the characters. The reasons for dissatisfaction vary, though most of them take roots in childhood. The stories show the impact of parental abuse and parental neglect/abandonment to a person’s adult life, choice of partner and behavior toward sex.

The stories Nothing to Wear, Couldn’t Say No, Dead on Arrival, Look What You Are Always Doing to Me and I Have You and You Have Me depict how physical and verbal abuse in childhood scar a child for life while the effect of abandonment and neglect is the subject in Free Floating and Rudderless, Two Sides of the Same Coin, Finding His Mother and Itsy Bitsy Misty. Two stories, Do What Daddy Says and Only a Game show paternal influence on a child’s adult life. Where Did He Put My Nipple, Look Between My Legs, Having to Settle for Less and Strangers in the Night deal with insecurity due to physical inadequacies.

There are stories that I find particularly sad, Sacrifice and Double Play, Millie and Molly and Demons of the Night. My favorite is Joel. Unlike the other stories, Joel is not actually about sex but it is a very good story with a good ending.

I enjoyed all of the stories and I commend Dr. Holtzman for his top-rate storytelling style. The best part is building up the plot. The author masterfully writes in a way that the reader anticipates what the story is about, with a question ‘Where is he going with this?’ and he never disappoints up to the last story.

I noticed, however, that the tone of the storytelling is a little inconsistent. The early chapters sound academic whereas the rest are casual and conversational. Moreover, one particular chapter, The Chemistry of Same Sex Relationship is not a story but an elaborate explanation of homosexuality. I just find it odd that it is placed between entertaining stories. I would also like to mention that though the book discusses sexual problems, it does not offer advice or solution to those problems.

In view of the above, I easily and readily give this book the rate of 4 out of 4 stars. It is entertaining, informative, enlightening and funny. I recommend it to readers who appreciate sex stories but who are open minded to peculiar sexual practices. Needless to say, there are scenes in this book that may not be suitable for young readers.

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Dead-End Sex
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Arnold Holtzman here. Permit me to express my sincere gratitude to kimmyschemy06. This is a marvelously comprehensive and wonderfully intelligent review of my book. The writing is as intellectually disciplined as it is focused and creative in its account of the material presented. I am forever indebted to the reviewer for the time, attention, and effort invested. There is not a single word in this reviewer's contribution with which I would have an issue. Thanks, from the heart.

HOLinst37 wrote:Arnold Holtzman here. Permit me to express my sincere gratitude to kimmyschemy06. This is a marvelously comprehensive and wonderfully intelligent review of my book. The writing is as intellectually disciplined as it is focused and creative in its account of the material presented. I am forever indebted to the reviewer for the time, attention, and effort invested. There is not a single word in this reviewer's contribution with which I would have an issue. Thanks, from the heart.

Thank you very much for your kind words. I love your book. I enjoy each and every story that I almost felt sad when I finished reading Congratulations and good luck on your future books.

I enjoyed reading your well-written, thorough review. You did a great job of highlighting the things that made the book special. Nice job!

bookowlie wrote:I enjoyed reading your well-written, thorough review. You did a great job of highlighting the things that made the book special. Nice job!

Thank you. The book is, indeed, special.

To kimmyschemy06 and bookowlie: I sincerely appreciate your kind words, but I wish I knew how to have Dead-End Sex reach an audience. I lack the patience to participate in the Facebook, twitter Linkedin programs of communication so I'm well outside the mainstream and lost to most, if not all, readers. And as my home is in Israel books in English are not especially marketable. Perhaps if I was younger... At any rate I wished only to say "thanks" and that the attention you gave my efforts much appreciated.
Arnold

I am glad you enjoyed the book. It certainly sounds unique.

Thank you for the interesting review and congratulations to the author for getting a good review!

Great review! What an interesting concept for a book! I've actually never really thought about how sexual intercourse could be affected by a person's childhood upbringing. It makes perfect sense. Kudos to the author writing such a unique book and receiving such a positive review!

To gali and hsimone: I am genuinely indebted to you for your kind words. Believe me when I tell you that the book had virtually written itself. I had recently completed and had published a massive 610 page text introducing a diagnostic discipline in psychiatric diagnosis (Biometric Definitions of Personality). That effort had so depleted me of energy, and had my mind so locked on the nature and etiology of diseases of the mind that I genuinely felt myself not far removed from the numbers of those unfortunates. Writing Dead-End Sex was virtually a desperate effort to somehow rehabilitate my brain's gray cells and reclaim a life. kimmyshemmy06, bookowlie and you have done much to help me succeed.,

gali wrote:I am glad you enjoyed the book. It certainly sounds unique.

Thank you for the interesting review and congratulations to the author for getting a good review!

Thank you!

-- 10 Jul 2016, 08:48 --

hsimone wrote:Great review! What an interesting concept for a book! I've actually never really thought about how sexual intercourse could be affected by a person's childhood upbringing. It makes perfect sense. Kudos to the author writing such a unique book and receiving such a positive review!

Thank you very much. It is a very interesting book.

What a great review! You did an excellent job describing the contents of the book without giving too much away. I am very glad that you enjoyed the book.

Congratulations to the author on a good review of his work.

rssllue wrote:What a great review! You did an excellent job describing the contents of the book without giving too much away. I am very glad that you enjoyed the book.

Congratulations to the author on a good review of his work.

Thank you very much. It is a great book and I hope others will enjoy it as much as I did.

Looks like a great read!

kimmyschemy06 wrote:

rssllue wrote:What a great review! You did an excellent job describing the contents of the book without giving too much away. I am very glad that you enjoyed the book.

Congratulations to the author on a good review of his work.

Thank you very much. It is a great book and I hope others will enjoy it as much as I did.

You are most welcome!

thegurns wrote:Looks like a great read!

It is a great read, indeed