Sex Is a 13-Letter Word

Moira Harris is a graduate student in animal behavior at the University
of Saskatchewan.

This book consists of a series of transcripts from the Chernenkoffs’
regular Saskatchewan radio program about sex. Therein lies the main
problem: there has been no attempt to edit the dialogue between the
therapists/authors and the program’s host, Colin Grewar, making the
text cumbersome, awkward, irritatingly filled with hellos and goodbyes,
and tediously repetitive with such qualifiers as “sort of.” The
content and tone of the book are firmly conventional, unlikely to
challenge or arouse, with the information offered rarely going beyond
the elementary. The Chernenkoffs assume their audience to be
heterosexual, and probably married, and much of the book reinforces
traditional gender roles and stereotypes.

The book may appeal locally (enthusiastic recommendations from members
of Saskatchewan’s medical community preface the book), but it says
nothing that Sue Johanson and Dr. Ruth haven’t said better.