50 ways to play: BDSM for nice people by Debra and Don Macleod

50 ways to play: BDSM for nice people is a book about kink. I would call this book a short introduction to the vanilla side of BDSM. It is a light book and an easy read and I think that the cover is a definite indicator of the target audience. Oh hell, I'll just say it, it's for those straight folks that have sex under the covers with the light turned off in the missionary position, who might need a bit of spicing up of their sex life.

I did mention vanilla BDSM because the authors are trying not to scare those "nice people". On the other hand this book kinda misses the entire point of BDSM as a subculture, by trying too hard to make it seem like a walk in the park, than a walk to the dungeon. Ok, maybe I am more hardcore than the authors. They manage to cover the basics, but I was hoping that they'd get into more detail about  the kinky stuff. They talk about the atmosphere, domination and submission, mind games, bondage, spanking, flogging, clamps, dirty talk, temperature play, pornography and a bit of the psychology of the entire thing.

While reading this book, you can have a feel what are the authors' favorite sex positions and plays (hint: spread eagle, face up on the bed or on an ottoman and glass toys). Since Don is not fond of anal play on himself, he doesn't even mention it for men, not even a finger up the ass, not even fisting. The book is ok as a whole, but the structure is kind of lacking because they tried to hit the 50 mark. They mention temperature play where they talk about glass toys, but ice and hot wax are 2 different subjects. Does this make sense? Not to me. Also, they state that a woman masturbating in front of a man can definitely get him crazy hot with desire, as if that is every man's fantasy. I can argue about that too.

I can honestly say that it seemed like a brochure for a spa vacation, than a book about BDSM and kink. This book is more innocent than today's high school kids and although it wants to be risque and sexy, it fails on both accounts. If you never tried BDSM and want some tame ideas for sex, get this book; otherwise hit a BDSM forum and talk to the real Masters and slaves and everybody in between. One word of advice: if your partner is bound and gagged, I don't think he/she will appreciate the idea of being gang-bangged by your other Master friends without a prior talk. Just saying...