The Little Black Book for Guys: Guys Talk About Sex.

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

Schools and libraries that acquired The Little Black Book for Girlz: A Book on Healthy Sexuality, produced by the St. Stephen’s Community Centre, a youth drop-in centre in downtown Toronto, will be delighted that a complementary male-focused volume has appeared. Like the earlier work, the centre’s attendees not only determined what The Little Black Book for Guys would contain, but they also authored and illustrated the book’s five chapters, with their information being vetted for accuracy by health professionals.

One of the group’s goals was to produce a book that “could help guys bridge the gap between the world’s expectations of us and what we were actually experiencing.” Since this book is “by youth for youth,” its language frequently reflects that used on the street. Beginning with a chapter on male genitalia that, among other topics, addresses the “size” question, the book then deals with the need for establishing relationships before a chapter considers the physical and emotional aspects of having sex. The two closing chapters deal with the causes, symptoms, and treatments for various STIs and the pros and cons of birth control methods. In addition to factual content, the chapters include numerous candid personal anecdotes. Throughout, the book also responds to the informational needs of gay males.

Numerous cross-references acknowledge that readers might not read the book cover-to-cover. Concluding content includes seven pages of websites linked to the book’s chapters, a six-page glossary of slang and “technical” sex-related vocabulary, plus an index. Highly recommended.