According to a French proverb, "Lovers can live on kisses and cool water." "The Kama Sutra," a Sanskrit sex manual, lists over 30 different types of kisses that lead to arousal. Adrianne Blue, an American journalist in London who covers contemporary culture for the "Sunday Times," has found even more in her book On Kissing.
The joint dance of lips and tongues leads to an endorphic high. Kissing, according to Blue, is healthy too — passionate kissing burns 6.4 calories per minute and produces lots of saliva which helps combat plaque. The author not only covers the biology of this act of intimacy but excavates literary and cultural history for commentary on Catullus, "the Elvis of ancient Rome;" the travesty of the kiss in "Sleeping Beauty;" the vampire's kiss of death that steals the soul; Judas's kiss of betrayal; the art of kissing air with business associates; and the sexiest kisses in movie history. This delightful, informative, and playful book is a real treat to read.