Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Review: The Internet Escort's Handbook


When in my early twenties, I seriously considered becoming an escort. It seemed like my ideal job -- lots of time with all sorts of different men, lots of sex, and getting paid well to make men happy! What's not to love?

Now that I've read The Internet Escort's Handbook by the smart, strong and undeniably sexy Amanda Brooks, I'm envious of those lucky women who can make a career out of escorting. I'm also glad I didn't try it -- I would have let my emotions get in the way of good business sense, and that's no way to make a living!

Amanda covers everything in this book. She starts by telling a bit of her story, and then launches into the pros and cons of escorting. I like how thorough she is here -- she asks very pointed questions about the reader's intentions and expectations, and by the time you are finished with the second section of the book, you certainly know whether or not you can handle the demands of being an escort. If you don't know, well...you should probably look for another job.

She doesn't sugar-coat the emotional difficulties that can come about if you venture into escorting for all the wrong reasons. She addresses the myths about escorting, talks about the basics of the business, and details the physical risks, including how to protect yourself from STDs.

She discusses the emotional ramifications of escorting, not only for the client, but for the escort as well. One very clear lesson in the book is this: "You are not selling your body; you are selling blocks of your time." It was interesting to learn that while a lot of clients do expect sex, just as many of them simply want some attention. Being a good listener is extremely important to being a good escort. It takes a hell of a lot more than a good body and blow-your-mind sexual techniques to keep those clients coming back for more.

The best part about this book is that it's only the beginning. This is Book One: The Foundation. This book covers the mental, emotional and physical considerations. Other books are set to follow, where Amanda will eventually cover the entire spectrum of information about escorting.

If you're thinking about escorting, don't make any decisions until you read this thorough, helpful and informative book.

To learn more: The Internet Escort's Handbook.

And to learn even more, come back tomorrow -- Amanda drops in for an interview!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are you familiar withe the TV show "Firefly" and the film "Serenity"?

This post reminded me a lot of Inara Serra, who is a Companion in Joss Whedon's Firefly universe.

A Companion is an escort that is highly regarded in society. They're professionally trained and respected throughout the universe.

It's really an interesting take, and makes me realize how closed minded our society (as a whole) is in regards to sexuality.

Anonymous said...

Gwen,

Thank you so much for the review! Of course I love that it's positive, but I also love that you understand the points I was trying to make. That's important to me.

Tsera,

I haven't watched those shows (but I LOVE the Kushiel's Dart book series). You hit the nail on the head -- American society is close-minded about consenual sex. I think this causes a lot of harm in various ways.

XX

La Libertine said...

Tsera,

I totally agree. I was and continue to be a HUGE fan of Firefly. Companions are definitely something society needs. I honestly think that is one of the main reasons the show was canceled by FOX.

The review was excellent, Gwen. I ordered the book because I'm interesting in pursuing escorting as a career. I thank Amanda for taking the time to write this book and all future ones!

Angel said...

I've never seen Firefly, but I'm definitely going to change that!