"Satisfaction: The Art of the Female Orgasm"
Kim Cattrall and Mark Levinson
(Warner Books)

Those looking for the perfect gift for their special girl today may want to consider giving them the gift that keeps on giving. That's right: orgasms, and lots of them. That's the focus of the new book "Satisfaction: The Art of the Female Orgasm," by Kim Cattrall and Mark Levinson.

Cattrall plays sexual free-spirit Samantha on HBO's "Sex in the City." In one episode, she discusses her orgasms with her friends.

"You can have them when you're on bottom?" someone asks.

"Bottom, top, upside down, backwards - so what?" she replies.

But, as she says in "Satisfaction, " the real Kim Cattrall didn't achieve sexual satisfaction until three years ago, when she met her current husband, the book's co-author Mark Levinson.

One might wonder if someone who didn't achieve sexual happiness until so recently is qualified to write a book on sex. On the flip side, as someone left unfulfilled by her sexual experiences for so long, Cattrall has a great deal to say on overcoming dissatisfaction.

The book is comprised of suggestions and tips based on Cattrall's experiences with her husband. The couple stresses that they are not experts of any kind; after all, the book refers to female orgasms as an art, not a science.

"Satisfaction" is clear about its limitations. The book wasn't written for men looking to become sexual Don Juans for every girl they meet. Nor was it written for women who believe that they can steer themselves into orgasm during intercourse without their partners' help. Specifically, it was meant for couples that can discuss their sex lives openly and frankly. Consequently, the book's tone is honest, anecdotal and just a little dry.

The book can get tedious for couples less interested in improving communication and more interested improving their sex lives. The book's "tasteful" illustrations are indeed tasteful, but something a little more - well, graphic - might be more beneficial to some readers.

"Satisfaction" does do a good job of presenting couples with many ways to achieve orgasm orally, manually, and through intercourse. There are enough techniques to make the book interesting for lesbian as well as straight couples, or even couples who aren't having intercourse yet but want to make their sex life more enjoyable. The discussion on how to achieve G-spot orgasms, usually more difficult for females than clitoral orgasms, would be useful for even experienced couples.

Any discussion of masturbation is noticeably absent. Many experts consider masturbation the first step for females who want to achieve orgasms with their partners later on. It's a worthy topic for any book on female sexual pleasure, even if the focus here is on couples.

"Satisfaction: The Art of the Female Orgasm" would be a good primer for any couple new to sex or looking to enhance their partner's pleasure. For more seasoned couples, the information may help them find new ways to get to familiar territory.