For married couples and those engaged to be married, Sheet Music is a practical guide to sex according to God's plan. In his characteristic style, Kevin Leman addresses a wide spectrum of people, from those with no sexual experiences to those with past sexual problems or even abuse. Using frank descriptions and black-and-white line drawings, this book has a warm and friendly tone that will help couples overcome awkwardness in discussing an issue important to all married couples.
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Customer Rating: Summary: Leman offers solid contribution for Christian couples looking to rev up their physical relationship Comment: Dr. Kevin Leman, a popular psychologist and author, has appeared on numerous television and radio programs including Good Morning America, Today, The View, and Focus on the Family. Most of his many books focus on family and parenting relationships, dispensing advice from a Biblical worldview on how to raise children and have a healthy, fulfilling marriage. He wrote Sheet Music because of the supreme importance sex plays in our lives and the little attention sex within marriage receives from our society.
"Oh, we joke about sex, degrading it through filthy stories, movies, and magazines, but we never talk about marital sex in the way the Creator designed it," Leman writes. "Marital sex - the most important and only appropriate kind, in my view - gets ignored, and couples pay a fearful price when this sad reality happens. He continues, "If you're married, sex will be one of the most important parts of your life, whether you want it to be that way or not. If you don't treat sex this way - as a matter of supreme importance - you're shortchanging yourself, your spouse, and your kids."
Leman attempts to do two things with Sheet Music: explain why having sex is important for a married couple and how to do it better. He starts the book by detailing how many different factors determine our different sexual attitudes and demeanors. Here he states the obvious ones like parental influence and early childhood memories, as well as the less evident, such as the birth order among siblings.
Many of the chapters in the book are general and would apply to almost anyone. For example, Leman writes one chapter on different sexual positions, explaining the basic mechanics of the most commonly practiced positions. Other chapters are dedicated to foreplay, eliminating sexual turnoffs, gender differences between men and women, spice and variety in marital sex, and oral sex. These portions of the book are beneficial to anyone engaged in a monogamous sexual relationship and a discussion of the Biblical perspective of these topics are desperately needed in our society, both for Christians and non-Christians alike.
For example, in Leman's chapter on oral sex he recalled a time he was on a radio program with another "Christian authority" that apparently was all too eager to denounce oral sex, even within the confines of marriage. During his rant, Leman leaned over and whispered, "Don't knock it until you've tried it." I believe these legalistic beliefs exist within some Christian circles because of a lack of knowledge and frank discussion on the Biblical view of sex. These extra-Biblical opinions, besides being plain wrong, also can harm Christian marriages.
Other parts of Sheet Music were directed toward more specific audiences, even though all could benefit from reading them. In "Learning to Make Music" Leman writes to engaged couples who have abstained from sex in their relationship thus far. Besides encouraging the couple to wait until they exchange vows, he also gives them a number of tips on how to make their first experience both an enjoyable and learning experience. In "Sex in the Winter" Leman talks to older couples on the joys of sex in one's "forties, fifties, sixties, and beyond." Here he writes about the many changes occurring in men and women and what they can do to compensate for these changes.
I have to give Dr. Leman credit for so openly tackling a subject that many within the Christian community have either ignored or glossed over. When talking and writing about sex, it is easy to either do so in crude terms or clinical, sterile terms. Here Leman does a fairly good job of using plain English without venturing too far in either direction. Leman never minces words or avoids a touchy subject, as he answers questions on everything from anal sex to pornography to the use of sex toys (i.e. vibrators). While I might not necessarily agree with every single opinion he gives throughout the book, I can't fault him either. In many cases I was just glad that a Christian source was discussing these subjects and making the information available.
Given the sensitive topics, he also peppers his writing with humor, which keeps the book interesting and fresh and keeps him from taking himself too seriously. Dr. Leman also has an extensive background in marital counseling and constantly uses real life examples to illustrate the points in his book. These stories are much more engaging to the reader than if the material was simply related in an informative, textbook-type approach.
Sheet Music is far from the complete, thorough guide to sex for couples. It is, however, a good start and a solid contribution. Addressing timely and relative topics, Dr. Leman does a great job of dispensing Biblical, Christian advice to married couples on sex. The greatest value in this book is its easy-to-read, breezy style, and the range of topics it covers both openly and sensitively. I would heartily recommend this book to any married couple. Customer Rating: Summary: Thank you Jesus! Comment: This book is a God Send book. The Bible states, "My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge," and I must say that the knowledge Dr. Leman imparts regarding scripture is truly a marriage saver. My wife and I are a young couple and there are things that we know about marriage and each other that will help our relationship grow, but there are some things we just didn't know about each other as it relates to the power of sexual intimacy and the necessaity of it to have a vibrant relationship without children and with children. There are things that our parents did not teach us becasue they didn't know them to teach us, but now we can teach our children and each other in the process. Overall, we have a greater respect for the act of sex as it pertains to God and a greater respect and understanding for each other regarding sexual intimacy. My wife and I even desire to purchase this book for other couples that they may be enlightened by this book and glorify God in a most dynamic way! Customer Rating: Summary: Great Book!!! Comment: This was a great book to read and as newly weds me and my wife have found it to be very helpful. Highly recommend it to anyone who is either married or engaged.
God Bless!! Customer Rating: Summary: AWESOME! Comment: Finally a book that answers all the questions everyone has been asking about sex. He is blunt and up front. Kevin Leman is awesome and you will learn everything you ever need to know about sex and were too embarrased to ask. Customer Rating: Summary: My Favorite Book About Marriage! Comment: I LOVE THIS BOOK! I can't say enough good things about it. The author has a unique blend of humor, medical advice, marital advice and bluntness that makes it all somehow work. With a touchy subject like this (no pun intended), it could be an awkward topic. Not with this book! I actually couldn't put the book down. There was so much good information in it. The author's Christian perspective was great, but thankfully, it's not the kind to hit you over the head, so to speak. This is a fantastic book and couples of all stages will appreciate it.
