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When I look at my bookshelves, this is my third edition of “The Topping Book” from Greenery Press. The first I acquired in 1996, a year after its publication. A few years later with more cash on hand, the publishing company was able to put out a sleeker edition. Then in 2003 the “New” edition was released. How much is “new” in the 2003 edition?
Unlike many of my reviews I will not go chapter by chapter, since I’ve done that for previous editions of this book. Instead I want to talk briefly about what has been revised and added to a book I have always highly recommended for new tops and dominants.
The first thing I noticed in this new edition was that there are no drawings from Fish. I loved those drawings, and I want them back. The second thing I noticed was that there are an additional 44 pages of text in the book, not including the 15 pages of “interludes,” personal accounts that demonstrate some tops’ real-life experiences. The font is also a touch larger, but that cannot account for the extra pages. The question, then, is whether the material in these pages is good or merely filler.
There are two new chapters in this edition. The first, chapter six, looks at how some of us experience topspace or domspace, that area where we have a “higher” sense of the scene, ourselves and our partners. This chapter looks at how some people get to that mental and emotional space, but this is not about a “spiritual connection,” which is a later chapter. The other new chapter, number 14, is about domination and submission on the 24/7 or lifetime level, which only got very brief treatment in the earlier versions of this book. There are an increasing number of books on this topic today, but in 2003 I think this was a solid introduction to newer players and those who didn’t do 24/7.
Other new material in the book consists of revisions, reorganized sections, and additions. Because Hardy has come “out of the closet” now, she was able to put her real name on the cover, but the authors also changed SM to BDSM on many occasions, as well as switching up the gender language more often. Some sections have been moved within and between chapters, overall making for a slightly more logical flow of information. Finally, dozen of new paragraphs and a few new sections have been added that expand on ideas that were only briefly mentioned before, especially safety, Ds, and multiple partners.
So there is a fair amount of new and revised material in this edition of “The Topping Book.” I can’t say it is worth rushing to buy if you have the other versions or several years of experience, but it is the one you’ll want to buy if you are a new or fairly new top or dom. As always, Easton & Hardy write from their experiences and their hearts, and the kink community is better for it. |
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