This book was originally published in hard copy. The Foreword is written by the well known and highly renowned sports medicine specialist Professor Tim Noakes of the University of Cape Town. In it Noakes said:
"This book is an invaluable resource. It is full of understanding, wisdom and humour and is written in a manner that will not offend. It describes the simple but obvious rules that are critical to any successful and happy relationship.
We are aware throughout that the book is written by a man who has an obvious love of life and who has been blessed with a deep understanding of human nature, our strengths and our weaknesses. He is a man whom we should all be privileged to meet.
Reading this book is the next best thing."
About the author
Bernard Levinson is well known in South Africa as a psychiatrist, a sexologist and as one of the country's foremost poets. His work in all three fields has earned him an enviable reputation as a respected thought-leader, as an entertaining public speaker, as a man of deep knowledge and high principles and, above all, as a wonderful human being. His simple and engaging writing style flows effortlessly throughout the book, making a sometimes awkward subject easily accessible to the reader a joy to read.
Levinson's father was Argentinean and his mother was Russian. From this richly diverse background he has developed into a man of many facets with great humour, sparkling clarity and delightfully subtle nuances.
The book
The Complete Runner's Guide To Sex is a rich source of practical knowledge about the subject of sex from many angles, each one explored and illustrated through analogies taken from the pursuit of road running.
Levinson's medical background provides authority to the contents which include materials of an explicit nature written in simple language that is clear and easy to follow. He dispels myths and presents truths that are invaluable to everyone, no matter how experienced or inexperienced in the physical realms of human sex.
Is it only for runners?
No. While it will be especially enjoyed by runners, the book is written for runners and non-runners alike and for both men and women. It is a universal source of helpful, informative and useful knowledge to enrich everyone's sex life.
Content
Levinson opens the book with a dialogue between six people, including himself, who are running together on a country road. One runner turns to him and asks: "Doc hey, Doc! Tell us about sex and running. Is there a connection? What's the story?" and the narrative proceeds from there with a mixture of explanatory text interspersed with sections of dialogue. Note: the use in the text of the name 'Doc' is in deference to Levinson's professional medical qualifications.
From this starting point the book explores many aspects of the wide spectrum of human sexuality, along the way delving into areas such as masturbation and being gay, for example.