3 out of 4 stars
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Lucky me! In his introduction, K. G. Golden promises to “satisfy even the most discerning sexual deviant” with Odyssey—Inside Out: Memoirs Exposing the Crazy Life of a Massage Parlor Owner. What comes next is a surprisingly polished package of friendships, business, and sex—lots of sex. Chronicling his roughly fifteen years owning and operating the Pennsylvania, Odyssey Health Club, Golden’s account unclothes the prohibition on work-related sexual encounters. Watch out any babes in the woods, what follows is my attempt to respectfully represent the contents within.
Seizing the opportunity to expand on a relatively unrecognized niche market, Golden takes a chance in 1985 to turn a rundown, alley-adjacent, ex-gun shop into the massage parlor to rival all massage parlors. In a time where massage business fell into a gray area of the law, the Odyssey maximized on the precept that as long as there was no penetration, it was legal. Hiring only the most beautiful girls and adhering to the strictest hygiene standards, Golden created a money-making goliath seemingly out of thin air. Massages with entirely nude attendants offering specialty “releases” for only the cost of a tip changed Golden’s life forever.
The heart of the Odyssey was to expound on the customers’ imaginations and literally ooze sex. The creativity with which all roads culminated in “happy endings” (without penetration) was commendable. Breast, thigh, and hand releases were only the tip of the resourcefulness iceberg. To ensure the best quality, Golden not only “trained” each employee but also conducted routine “evaluations.” These work interactions starting with both naked boss and employee serve as opening acts for the book’s fleshier scenes.
Those who enjoy erotic romance or even pornography will be pleasantly stimulated while reading this book. Step-by-step reenactments answer every novice’s questions about the physical world of adults; everything from cunnilingus to anal is heatedly exposed. In all, Golden is a man who leaves no desire wanting, no conquest unchallenged; there was nothing denied him, there were no taboos in his circle. Anything or anyone he wanted, he had.
For a man who details a life of “literally thousands of blowjobs,” he is refreshingly astute. Amidst the physical escapades, readers find many hard-learned life lessons from an honest businessman. It’s possible that the animal instinct he succumbed to in physicality, also propelled him forward in enterprise. Along with recommending this book for those who love sensuality, I suggest it for anyone wanting stories about creating a business edge who don’t mind getting steamy in the process.
Remarkably, the aspect I liked both most and least in the book were one in the same: the author. I grappled with a love-hate relationship throughout most of the book. At times I found myself disgusted by his base treatment of women but he was never vulgar or obnoxious, and his affluent writing helped me applaud him for his candor. His unapologetic confessions made the duality of his nature difficult to despise and made it easier to appreciate him for his humanity. Much of the book uses very considerate language which made the addition of sexual phrases and scenes more inviting and less overbearing.
I would have easily rated this book four stars since it was well-written and his world of normalized casual sex was electrifying and provocative. There were scatterings of type errors however that forced me to remove a star. Grammatical errors were practically non-existent (aside from the acquaintance-written forward), but the occasionally forgotten space and misused word gave the book a non-perfect look. For these reasons, I am rating this book 3 out of 4 stars. Along with his niche in the massage business, Golden has also found a unique market in non-fiction.
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Odyssey Inside Out
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