The Technique of the Love Affair by a Gentlewoman -Edited by Norrie Epstein

This 1928 classic–playfully shocking and surprisingly practical–is now back in print, astutely annotated for the nineties. Originally published anonymously by the multitalented Doris Langley Moore (author of many books of nonfiction and fiction, and a much sought-after costume designer for film and theatre), The Technique of the Love Affair is a masterfully written dialogue between the worldly “Cypria” and the naive and sentimental “Saccharissa” on how to conduct–with grace and restraint–successful love affairs.

Moore outlines a pragmatic approach to sexual pursuit and conquest, peppering her advice with incisive comments on the nature of men and women–which (current self-help books notwithstanding) has remained virtually unchanged after seventy years.

A sparkling period piece and a shrewd guidebook for those who consider pleasure a serious business, The Technique of the Love Affair is brimming with unassailable, timeless insight. Now, in this new premillennial edition, it is–more than ever–a wise and witty manual on the art of love for the thinking woman.