The Master's Manual: A Handbook of Erotic Dominance

This is an essential read for anyone wanting to understand how S/M can be primal, when leather can be spiritual, why someone could be proud of being a sadist, or how to find joy and wholeness in our dark sides. Rinella notes that "attitude makes the difference between being a master and a top," and The Master's Manual is unequaled in its discussion of the attitude of power and the soul of a master. This is the second book any novice dominant or submissive should read. While the basic how-to of Sensuous Magic or Screw the Roses, Send Me the Thorns is essential, The Master's Manual builds on that knowledge with things such as "Rinella's Six Attributes Every Master Needs" (like self-confidence, trustworthiness, and acceptance of self), the strength and courage of submissives, the application of discipline, and suggestions on the training of submissives. It's a peerless resource for anyone who wants to be, or wants to understand, a master.

While much of the wisdom in The Master's Manual is gleaned from the gay leather scene, Rinella's honest and nonjudgmental writing is appropriate for people of any orientation who seek to learn more about the empowerment and ecstasy that can be found in leathersex. Each of the 40 pieces was written to stand alone, and they cover topics from how to become a master, why someone would want to, fiction and nonfiction leather classics and classics-to-be, contracts and commitments, how to deal with a scene gone wrong, and more. Taken together, they combine to form a picture of a world where "we can live our fantasies and face our fears. The real self can emerge from behind the mask of culture." --Cheryl Trooskin