RECENT REVIEWS:

The Number 73304-23-4153-6-96-8 by Thomas Ott »

Omaha Steaks' The Great American Grilling Book by John Harrison and Judith Choate »

For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming + James Bond by Ben Macintyre »

Skyscrapers of the Midwest by Joshua W. Cotter »

True Norwegian Black Metal by Peter Beste  »

Not that we needed it, but The Deviant's Pocket Guide offers additional proof that between two covers, pretty much anything can happen -- both in bed and in books. Author Dennis DiClaudio Jr. mostly keeps quiet on the subject of his own particular deviances, though one appears to be the writing of pocket guides; he has penned others for paranoids and hypochondriacs. The Deviant's Pocket Guide offers details on 42 sexual deviances. Each entry includes a short list of useful accoutrements, a fantasy, a definition, trivia and information on its psychological origins. Almost all of these relate to childhood fear, repression or trauma that eroticized an unlikely object, animal or body part. DiClaudio's light, entertaining tone makes fine reading on a visit to the bathroom, provided you're eating the recommended daily allowance of fiber.

The Deviant's Pocket Guide is unlike other books in this genre, such as the Pocket Guide to Facial Enhancement Acupuncture, Pocket Guide for the Church Choir Member, and Field Dressing Deer Pocket Guide, which tend to be more how-to in nature. This book is more of a survey, with the how-to information tending to the tongue-in-cheek. Coulrophilia, sexual attraction to clowns, for example, is defined as "the desire to put as many sex partners as possible in a tiny car." One possible purpose for this guide is to understand distinctions among deviances that otherwise might lead to uncomfortable situations. Entomophilia, use of insects for sexual stimulation, should not be confused with emetophilia, arousal from vomit or the observation of vomit. The entry on the latter deviance includes this useful caveat: "Before engaging in an emetophilic behavior during the physical act of love, you should clear it with your sexual partner first."

No doubt, there are times and places where details of the deviances in The Deviant's Pocket Guide could interestingly extend the layperson's sexual repertoire -- I'm thinking of circuses, camping trips and frat parties -- but the deviance may hold very little juice unless you find yourself with an unconscious draw to it. Others are just plain scary. I wish I hadn't read about castration fetish. And pony play, for reasons I'm unable to identify, has been the cause of more than one nightmare since I picked up the book. But if riding around on your partner as if he or she is a horse is what gets you off, well, giddy up.