Jay has done bondage play for years and years and his experience and knowledge shows through here. As with other books Jay has written, this book is full of safety cautions and health risks related to doing bondage.

Among the sections in the book include a little bit of "theory" on bondage, different types of rope that can be used, different ways to do single or double-limb bondage, breast bondage (a personal fave!), spread-eagled bondage, and bondage equipment.

I like Jay's assertion that you don't need to learn a lot of knots to do good bondage. I'm glad to hear that because I don't know very many knots myself!

A well-written and very informative book. Good job Jay.


This books really stands apart.   June 16, 2000
 72 out of 73 found this review helpful

Frankly, this subject has always scared me a bit, so I've tended not to try it extensively in my kinky life. However, Jay Wiseman's book has allayed many of my fears, but also introduced new perspectives. Some of what Jay writes supports what many have said about bondage-what's safe, what's not, etc. But Jay also refutes some "age old" adages, and some may find this controversial. He backs it all up with solid research and long experience in the paramedic profession. After that, the book is rich with techniques, illustrations, and references for everyone, novice to "old rope." I've also had the privilege of watching Jay demonstrate and speak, so I can safely say that this book should be read by everyone in the bdsm scene, even if it's not their particular passion.


Fit to be Tied   May 3, 2000
 69 out of 71 found this review helpful

Jay Wiseman's "SM-101" has earned a well-deserved place on most BDSM reading lists. So I have *really* been looking forward to reading his new book dedicated to erotic bondage. I was not disappointed.

Jay starts off by setting the scope of the book. His goal is to provide basic-to-intermediate level ties in terms of both risk and difficulty. He does not cover self-bondage, suspension, complex Japanese "hojo-jitsu" ties, long-term ties, or tying against resistance. This still leaves a pretty wide range of techniques for tying single limbs, "I bet you can't get loose" games, double wrist and ankle, spread-eagle, hogtie, gags and ear muffs, male and female genital bondage, breast bondage, handcuffs, tape, safety issues, and lots of other fun stuff.

Perhaps most surprisingly considering Jay's reputation as a BDSM safety promoter, he evaluates the military-style hogtie using a rope that crosses the front of the throat as only medium risk. I have long advocated modifying the classic hojo-jitsu ties to avoid this, so Jay and I find ourselves on opposite chairs of this particular safety issue. As long as the bottom is closely monitored and not left alone, I agree that the risk from this technique is not too extreme, but it is still something I personally prefer to avoid. Jay includes a "politically correct" version (what I have in the past called the "backpack tie") for we fuddy-duddies.

This is a very handsome and substantial book, at 323 pages, with a *very* sexy cover photo and lots of excellent drawings of knots and prisoners, including gay, lesbian, and het couples. Folks who hang out on soc.subculture.bondage-bdsm and wonder what Jay, Janet, and Sockermom look like will finally have their curiosity satisfied. This is definitely must reading for anyone interested in learning how to tie up their partner(s.)

Highly trained professional stunt perverts may find that they are already familiar with some of the basic techniques. Still, I recommend this for every bondage enthusiast's library.

If nothing else, it is handy to have on the bookshelf to "try out some of these ties" with your partner.

Your Humble Jester,

Philip the Foole

Tap for release? Hmmm, I've never tried that. - Ancient Kung Foole Proverb by Jay Wiseman


Next must-have from Wiseman   May 29, 2000
 64 out of 66 found this review helpful

One of the author's stated objectives in writing this book is "to deepen, broaden, clarify, and update the body of knowledge regarding bondage." To this end, the Handbook is an unquestionable success. Perhaps more importantly, this book puts a huge body of bondage knowledge into a concise, available, and accessible form.

Handbook contains over 200 pages of pure rope and bondage knowledge, written by someone obviously passionate about the topic. Jay's instructions are generally quite clear, although some ties (Japanese Arm-wrap Harness comes to mind) would benefit from a numbered or bulleted list format. The simple line drawings were a perfect accompaniment to the text. These 200 pages are very well written, and structured logically for both an initial read and later references.

This "part 2" of Handbook is the most complete bondage how-to I've seen. It's targeted at novice-to-intermediate bondage enthusiasts, and covers this ground thoroughly.

In his own words, Jay Wiseman has a reputation as an "ultra-safety-conscious person," and this publication won't put that reputation at risk. There are another 100 or so pages preceding the bulk of this book. Before getting to the core topic, Handbook covers basic BDSM terminology, his own credentials, and safety, safety, and more safety. I have mixed feelings about this part of the book. There is enough new material, particularly relating to bondage, to justify reading it. However, most of "part 1" is a repetition information in Screw, SM101, and every other major BDSM book. I feel like Handbook goes to the 50% depth on safety information... not deep enough to be a newbie's first BDSM book, but long enough to give that impression. The repetition of this information in "part 2," applied to specific ties and techniques, is infinitely more useful.

Throughout the book Jay refers to his "research" and "files," information he has deliberately collected about deaths and serious injuries in BDSM play and related non-kink pursuits. He outlines some valuable conclusions about causative factors in BDSM injuries in addition to appropriate precautions. Unfortunately, the reader gets very little direct data... statements are phrased with "most", "many", "few", and similar relative words. We're left to trust Jay's analysis and categorizations. A summary of the data itself, sample size, source, and completeness information would have been interesting to me, although my background is in analytics and this may not be a problem for other folks.

There is one major leap from this research. Although Jay has always been extremely cautious about any breath or neck play, he covers military-style restraints that include a rope around the neck. He provides solid rationale for this decision, despite its disagreement with common wisdom. I applaud his willingness to think out of the box.

There will always be room for a "more advanced" book on a given topic, and this is no exception. Don't buy Handbook to learn about suspension, because the topic isn't covered. Handbook doesn't detail the stylized techniques of Japanese bondage, and Jay consistently assumes that bondage will be limited to 2 hours. As far as it goes, however, this book is exceptional.

Who should read this book? Certainly, any BDSM newbie interested in bondage from either side of the rope will love it. Buy a broader introduction to BDSM book first, but Handbook is a must-have for you. Bondage enthusiasts with some experience will also get a lot from this book. Folks like me, with years of experience haphazardly tying people up (or favoring leather and chains ;), might just find that it kindles a real interest in good bondage. Even if you're BondageMaster, you'll probably enjoy reading Handbook.


Good basic introduction, but a bit tricky if ...   May 31, 2000
 54 out of 63 found this review helpful

you don't know much about knots. A well written book that may over-do the safety cautions, but then it is better to be over-safe than injured anytime. A good deal of the book tells us who Jay Wiseman is, why he is qualified to write this book, and how he went about researching, experimenting, and writing it. A bit long for those who know about him but shoudl reassure those who are exploring this for the first time. Let me begin by saying that I am "lazy" and easily bored. I've never been a fan of bondage either, as those who read my erotica can attest to. So, I would have prefered the knots section to be more interwoven in the positions section, I had to flip back and forth, but I have enough experience that primarily the book is inspiration. Bottoms who like to wiggling and get out of bondage may be angered a bit at the section about their "tricks" but tops will pleased to learn how to counter some of these. Likewise the description of rope helped me understand those "safety cautions" you always here but which are not explained. Good for the beginner, those apprenticing to learn knots or being a good boyscout might be a good idea first.