Every once in a great while, a book will come out that can completely change the way you view the world, shaking the very foundation of your connection with society,
exposing the empty, hollow interior of our so-called culture. “Naked Lunch” did it for some people; for others it came with a chance perusing of “Jesus’ Son.” For me, the
moment came when “The Cosmo Kama Sutra: 77 Mind-Blowing Sex Positions” landed on my desk.
You think I josh? Do you sneer cynically and believe I am merely making some idle ironic comment upon the vapid nature of our consumer culture? Good sir, I am insulted. For I have been truly moved by this too brief tome, this self-proclaimed “booty bible,” this magisterial work that so accurately describes the human condition. Do you still mock my claim? Then allow me to describe to you, gentle naysayer, the intrinsic power of this literary epic.
It opens with a humble introduction from Cosmopolitan editor in chief Kate White, who reveals that the book has taken years to produce and has the capability to “help transform your lust life from Oh my! to OMIGOD!” More poetic words were never spoken, at least not to my ears. From there the book moves forward into the real grist of its subject: the
77 mind-blowing positions spoken of in the subtitle. It soon becomes clear that this is merely a dramatic device used to disguise the hidden subtext of the work. Enhanced by its minimalist illustrations, which shockingly reveal the faceless, puppet-like nature of humanity, the book describes in grueling detail the reproductive act in all its forms.
What becomes clear is that the sex positions are a metaphor. Sex
is one of the most basic of human desires, made unique among our needs in that it is not required for our personal survival, yet it can control our thoughts like an iron-fisted tyrant. What “The Cosmo Kama Sutra” depicts is not simply
a guidebook to various sexual
positions, but how human desire can often contort us into bizarre forms, much like the faceless puppets of the book’s illustrations. We will do anything for a new sensation, we will twist ourselves into comical forms, we will perform feats of acrobatic endurance, we will even buy mind-numbingly banal and exploitative guidebooks with no sense of human worth or emotional connection — all for the sake of pleasure.
In its boiling down of human sexuality to the endless pursuit of base pleasures, wiping out any thought of love or respect, the book makes a bold, powerful statement about modern society, disguising it in the fanciful, poetic language used to describe the various positions. Each position in fact becomes a statement about human desire. “The Lusty Lean” describes how we often depend on our sex partners to the point of losing the ability to stand on our own. “The Sexual Seesaw” makes a moving statement about the role of dominance in sexuality, while “The Head Game” reveals the bizarre, topsy-turvy world of sexual lust.
Yet merely describing this book seems inadequate. To truly experience its power, it must be read. There is no need to rely on my
interpretation. I am sure this enticing work can stand on its own
literary merit.

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