Erotic Bondage Handbook

Jay Wiseman's Erotic Bondage Handbook.

Greenery Press, 2000.

This is a 'must have' book recommended to anyone new to the lifestyle.

The book covers just about every bondage related issue a newcomer might encounter in more than adequate detail. However, it doesn't cover such advanced techniques as suspension bondage and Japanese bondage.

After Jay introduces himself, he covers the basics of SM, how to meet people, what you can expect to learn, and basic safety information. There is even an entire chapter on self-bondage (i.e. tying yourself up) and its inherent risks. And there's a fairly comprehensive list of different types of rope and a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

The chapter "Basic Knots" is the core of book as they are fundamental to learning bondage. Wiseman starts with basic terminology. He explains the difference between simple concepts like bights (ie, rope is folded back on itself), simple turns, crossing turns and round turns.

He describes different stages in bondage: the "initial application" when the Top first applies restraints, the "dressing" stage in which the Top works the rope so everything is as it's meant to be before tightening, and then the "setting" phase when things are pulled taut. Some of the simple knots covered are the square knot, surgeon's knot, granny knot, figure-eight knot, bow knot, and lark's head. And there's a bibliography of knot books for the person who gets seriously into learning about knots.

Wiseman stresses that someone doesn't have to know a lot of knots to do some wonderful bondage. Nonetheless, he covers many kinds of bondage in considerable detail, including facial bondage and genital bondage.

All considered, a great book.