Mollyblog

Clip: Kabbalah Book of Sex

(published in Common Ground Magazine, February 2007)

The Kabbalah Book of Sex: And Other Mysteries of the Universe
By Yehuda Berg
(Kabbalah Centre Books)

The Kabbalah Book of Sex sets out to explain the basic principles of Kabbalah, the origin of the universe, the meaning of life, the secret to mind-blowing orgasms and how all that interrelates.

Sound complicated? Not in author and rabbi Yehuda Berg’s hands. This straightforward book is playful and infinitely readable, with short chapters, modern fonts and descriptive graphics throughout. Using testimonials, lists and even rhyming couplets to simplify the lofty concepts, Berg is as accessible as his tone is conversational.

And the concepts themselves are interesting: Sex is, he writes, fundamentally, a spiritual act. When done correctly, it’s the best way to connect with the divine. Therefore, we should take steps to have sex “the right way” (for the purpose of sharing with a partner you care about, avoiding infidelity, bringing the woman to orgasm first, etc.) not because of morality—which Kabbalah has nothing to do with—but in order to make our sex more transcendent.

The book isn’t an explicit how-to sex manual, and, in fact, sometimes feels more like an advertisement for Kabbalah (Look! Kabbalah says you can have sex!) than a book about sex at all. But the book gives practical advice for how to apply Kabbalistic principles to your sex life—from resisting flirting with your secretary to meditating on Hebrew excerpts. While The Kabbalah Book of Sex probably won’t be the be-all-end-all of sex manuals (or even Kabbalah primers), it’s thought-provoking and insightful enough to engage meaningful contemplation and self-discovery.

Clip: Peace Mom

(published in Common Ground Magazine, January 2007)

Peace Mom: A Mother’s Journey through Heartache to Activism
By Cindy Sheehan
(Atria Books)

To protest the war in Iraq that killed her son, Casey, Cindy Sheehan camped outside Pres. Bush’s house in Texas for months. Peace Mom recounts her passionate journey from homemaker to antiwar activist.

The book is organized more or less chronologically, beginning with Casey’s birth and finishing with the results of Sheehan’s time at Camp Casey. But within each chapter, the author jumps from past to present, or from narrative to exposition. It’s part autobiography, part persuasive essay, part refutation against her attackers and part angry tirade. Powerful as her story is, such stylistic jumping sometimes makes the book feel scattered and redundant.

But it’s possible that leaving the text a bit raw was an editorial choice. Sheehan’s tone is conversational and accessible, and her emotion is palpable. The flaws in the writing make her seem normal and human, as if to say: “This isn’t some polished story created by the anti-war propaganda machine. It’s me, or you, writing about living through the most horrible experience imaginable.”

It’s unlikely this book will change the minds of anyone on the other side of the fence, but it will certainly be a valuable resource for other mothers like Sheehan — especially those who already oppose, or are beginning to question, the war. And for someone like me, untouched by the war in an immediate sense but certainly aware of Camp Casey, it’s a fascinating explanation of how this “regular” woman went from housewife to household name. —Molly Freedenberg