I went to Goodwill this morning to dig through their used books since I hadn't done it in a while. It was mostly a waste of time, but I did finally locate a second copy of the deliriously strange Ideal Marriage: Its Physiology and Technique, by Dutch loony Th. H. Van De Velde, M.D. My sister told me a couple of years ago to find a copy of this monstosity for her, but I never could despite the fact that Random House put it through many, many pritings from 1930 to at least 1968.

I just did a search on this book at Google in an effort to find the entry I wrote on it a few months ago, and I found out, to my utter shock and horror, that Amazon is selling used copies.

Here's Amazon's description, "This classic work, first published in 1928, concentrates on the cultivation of the technique of eroticism as an art in marriage. It sets the sexual relationship in the nostalgic prose of a more leisured age." Uh, sure...

There's one reader's review:

4 out of 5 stars Easily read, Valuable for Youth, July 10, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Rancho Palos Verdes, CA USA
Treats the subject with calmness and truth. Does not try to make sex into a science. The subject of initial intercourse and how to have this with respect and calm on both partners part was invaluable. Also the discussion of positions vis a vis weight has proven quite correct. Again, an easy read and should be mandatory before initial intercourse.

No, no, no, no! A thousand times, no! This archaic, weird-ass book is the last thing I'd recomend before "initial intercourse". Unless, of course, you wanted to break the tension with a good laugh.

Anyway, I first mentioned the book in my March 25 entry. (You'll have to scroll down to it because for some reason my permalinks no longer work. I can't remember the last time they worked. I can't even remember if they ever worked.)