One of the most comprehensive books on BDSM activities has to be SM101 by Jay Wiseman. It’s not your usual general BDSM reader, but a detailed safe play primer with so many ideas on what you can do with your partner that I even had new fantasies to bring to KM’s attention. SM101 is one of the very first books in the subject that came out in print with the intention to “school” novices who wanted to explore BDSM safely. Today it is still an excellent guide to many of the things that we do.
This book has everything going for it if you like detail and are safety conscious. Jay Wiseman has a reputation for being a safety instructor and his book definitely leans on that aspect. It’s more detailed in all of the chapters from bondage to erotic torture, humiliation and edgier play to finding a partner or the local scene than you’d find in, say, “Screw the Roses.” and that’s why I’d recommend this book for those who need a more detailed matter of fact primer.
I love the quotes and phrases in the margins throughout the book. They try to lighten the reading and I admit it would feel pretty long-winded without the little breaks for a smile or knowing thought in the margins. Some of those phrases I’ve seen elsewhere and others I’ve written down to remember for future enjoyment.
If I had to pick on thing that was negative about the book is that it’s tedious reading. I think Wiseman spends too much time reiterating the safety of every activity. The book is slow paced and reads much like a text book so don’t expect any thrills or turns of events that pull you through the reading. It took me twice as long to read this book then any of the others I’ve read for review on this site. It just didn’t keep my attention.
Now that could be that since I have more than a novice’s level of experience and I’ve read over a dozen BDSM basics books thus far that it has just gotten to that point that I need to read something else for awhile. I can’t say for sure. What I do know is that I’m not the only one that believes the book is heavy. At just under 400 pages you’ll have quite a lot of practical information to refer to now and years from now.
Product Details
- lunaKM’s Rating: 8/10
- Paperback: 400 pages
- Publisher: Greenery Pr (December 1998)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0963976389
- ISBN-13: 978-0963976383
- Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
My name is lunaKM and I’m a full-time stay-at-home submissive in a D/s relationship.
I started blogging when I was exploring D/s online in 2003. I needed advice, mentors and helping hands. Since then I've made it my mission to help novice submissives understand themselves and the services they wish to provide. 
This was one of the first books I read on BDSM. As a newbie, I found it to be a wealth of information and very beneficial. I will go back and look up things to this day if I cone across something I want to remember or relearn.