Philip Rawson, with a background in tantra and museum curation, presents a short, thematic guide to tantric sexual practice and philosophy. He describes tantra as a cult of ecstasy that uses human sexual union as a cosmic metaphor for the nature of reality that emphasizes the interplay of unity and differences. The guide is richly illustrated with photos of cosmic and bodily diagrams, classical images depicting sexual positions and explaining their significance, as well as related sacred objects. In addition to the imagery, he explores ritual and devotional aspects, the sexual ontology, Krishna, death and fire, the subtle body, and the approach to unity. This a reprint of the 1973 publication has been redesigned and reformatted. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)