Kettlehack, Guy. Dancing around the Volcano: Freeing our Erotic Lives; Decoding the Enigma of Gay Men and Sex. Crown, 1996.208p. bibliog. ISBN 0-517-70103-0. $25.
[PSYCH]

Kettlehack, a prolific author of self help books for gay men (Sober and Free, LJ 12/95), here explores the ways that gay men use sex; as a form of recreation, as a way to meet others socially, and as a way to explore the darker, more mysterious realms of the psyche. He sets out to examine the "sharp and profound sense of what it mean to have an 'outer' and an 'inner' self--especially with regard to sex." Of particular interest to the author are men who have achieved a breakthrough and healed an aching inner wound. Along the way, he augments the narrative with stories of how some have achieved sexual intimacy and fulfillment through the recognition and acceptance of the complex nature of sexual desire. To help him express his arguments, the author relies on an impressive choir of thinkers and writers--Marguerite Yourcenar, Carl Jung, and Camille Paglia, among others. This book is recommended for libraries with gay and lesbian research collections or large self-help psychology collections.

Kevin M. Roddy, University of Hawai'i at Hilo