A recommended reading list, spanning leather history, skills, relationships, psychology, and community.

The list

Authentic Kink: Create Your Best Experience

Princess Kali · Erotication Publications · Various kinks, women voices · Buy on Amazon

Kinksters often have to depend on erotica and porn to learn what kink looks and feels like, and that can create a lot of myths, misunderstandings, and accidental mistakes. BDSM is focused on activities, but just going through the motions won't guarantee a happy, healthy experience. It can take years, and plenty of bad scenes, to learn exactly what you enjoy and why, but it doesn't have to if you spend time reflecting on your needs and limits ahead of time. In this workbook, Princess Kali teaches a straightforward method she has developed over two decades in the scene for discovering your most authentic kinky self through journaling and self-reflection. Inside you'll find a personal evaluation, space to write out fantasies and plans for future scenes, over 100 thought-provoking questions, an extensive activity and interest list, an aftercare plan and trigger plan, safewords and other verbal shortcuts, guidance on creating rituals and protocols, a negotiation form, a verbal vocabulary list, a kinky wish list, and more.

Black Men in Leather

Cain Berlinger · Adynaton Publishing · Leather, POC-centered · Buy on Amazon

Cain Berlinger is one of the most celebrated leaders in the leather community. With over forty years as an activist, judge, promoter, bar owner, and writer, Cain knows what he speaks of when dealing with the diversity of a community he knows and loves so well. Black Men in Leather has been profiled and well received by reviewers and scholars alike as the first definitive book that talks to Black men and their perspective on what it means to be a man of color in a predominantly white segment of the gay community. Social, economic, historical, and religious factors all play into the book's subtitle, "why you see them and why you don't."

The Brainwashing Book: Hypnotic, Erotic Behaviorism and Beyond

sleepingirl · Independent · Erotic hypnosis · Buy on Amazon

"Brainwashing" is a concept that titillates and mystifies. It implies an intense kind of control over another person and a surrender of will. Within the context of erotic hypnosis, it might be considered a sort of holy grail to some, but what does it mean to achieve this in an ethical, effective, and mutually enjoyable way? In The Brainwashing Book, sleepingirl explores a model that teaches and takes advantage of well-researched psychological principles and intermediate-to-advanced hypnosis skills in order to pursue this fun, hot form of play, and to find how it can improve your trancing as a whole.

Building Open Relationships

Dr. Liz Powell · Psychology, poly and non-monogamy · Buy on Bookshop.org

Have you read "that book" on non-monogamy and still wondered how you do this in practice? Are you great on the theory of open relationships, but feel like you don't know how it works day to day? Join Dr. Liz Powell, psychologist, speaker, and coach, as she draws on her education, research, and life experience to bring you Building Open Relationships, an all-inclusive guide to beginning and maintaining your non-monogamous life, no matter where you fall under the non-monogamous umbrella. Complete with worksheets, discussion starters, examples, and hard-won lessons, this book gives you the tools you need to be more successful in non-monogamy.

The Color of Kink: Black Women, BDSM, and Pornography

Ariane Cruz · NYU Press · POC-centered, women-centered · Buy on Amazon

The Color of Kink explores Black women's representations and performances within American pornography and BDSM from the 1930s to the present, revealing how they negotiate pain, pleasure, and power. Based on personal interviews with performers, producers, and professional dominatrices, along with visual and textual analysis and archival research, Ariane Cruz reveals BDSM and pornography as critical sites from which to rethink the links between Black female sexuality and violence. Drawing on feminist and queer theory, critical race theory, and media studies, Cruz argues that BDSM is a productive space from which to consider the complexity and diversity of Black women's sexual practice.

The Deep Psychology of BDSM and Kink

Douglas Thomas · Routledge · Psychology and mental health · Buy on Bookshop.org

This volume investigates how the concept of soul is connected to BDSM and kink, exploring alternative sexualities through the psychology of C. G. Jung and James Hillman. Contextualized in both sexual history and contemporary events, it unveils points of correspondence between the fantasy-images of Jung's The Red Book and the modern world of BDSM, and describes a soul-centered perspective that affirms the psychological value of fantasy. Kinksters will discover a psychological language that clarifies why these activities and relationships can be so intimate, pleasurable, and transformative, while therapists and enthusiasts of Jungian psychology will find fresh insights supporting BDSM as a form of individuation.

Deviations: A Gayle Rubin Reader

Gayle S. Rubin · Duke University Press · Queer and kink culture, sociology · Buy on Bookshop.org

Deviations is the definitive collection of writing by Gayle S. Rubin, a pioneering theorist and activist in feminist, lesbian and gay, queer, and sexuality studies since the 1970s. Rubin first rose to prominence in 1975 with "The Traffic in Women," an essay that had a galvanizing effect on feminist thinking. In "Thinking Sex," she examined how certain sexual behaviors are constructed as moral or natural and others as unnatural, and that essay became one of queer theory's foundational texts. Alongside such canonical work, Deviations features insightful writing on lesbian history, the feminist sex wars, the politics of sadomasochism, and the historical development of sexual knowledge.

The Ethical Slut

Janet W. Hardy and Dossie Easton · Ten Speed Press · Buy on Bookshop.org

For over 20 years The Ethical Slut, widely known as the "poly bible," has dispelled myths and showed readers how to maintain a successful polyamorous lifestyle through open communication, emotional honesty, and safer sex practices. The third edition is revised to include interviews with poly millennials, tributes to polyamory pioneers, tools for conflict resolution, and new material on topics such as asexuality, sex workers, and LGBTQ terminology. The authors also address non-traditional relationships beyond the polyamorous paradigm of "more than two," using nonbinary gender language and terms that have come into common usage since the last edition.

Flogging

Joseph W. Bean · Greenery Press · Impact play, dominance and submission · Buy on Bookshop.org

The craft, the science, and the loving art of flogging, from a 30-year veteran master flogger. Possibly the most popular activity in the erotic power exchange lexicon, flogging offers sensations ranging from gentle massage through tearing agony. Leatherman and educator Joseph W. Bean explains how to choose a flogger, negotiate a scene, read your partner's mental and physical state, and select patterns and strokes to create a palette of sensations, and much more.

The Heart of Dominance

Anton Fulmen · Dominance and submission · Buy on Amazon

The Heart of Dominance is a how-to guide to the concepts and skills at the heart of consensual dominance. If you are new to dominance, still figuring out what it is all about or what you want it to mean to you, this book provides a solid foundation to start from. If you already practice dominance and want to improve your ability to create deep and lasting power dynamics, you'll find advanced concepts and concrete techniques to integrate into your own style. It is for anyone interested in the bedrock principles of inspiring, deepening, maintaining, and enjoying control over a person who dearly wants you to control them.

KINK IS: True Stories about Sex, Power, and Joy

Various · Unbound Edition Press · Various kinks, POC, women, and trans voices · Buy on Amazon

In this anthology, with a foreword by Margaret Cho, kinky people from around the world reveal in intimate detail their true stories of embracing non-traditional practices that have informed or defined their identities, sexualities, relationships, and communities. Filled with first-person narratives and photographs, Kink Is captures the universal presence of kink across cultures, private lives, and public events. Featured here are activists, rebels, and professionals alike: a teacher, a technology guru, a priest, a political prisoner, a therapist, an astrophysicist, and a grandmother, among many others. In the end, Kink Is uncovers how common life on the sexual frontier really is, making it surprisingly relatable even for people who think they are not kinky.

Kinky NLP: Neuro-Linguistic Programming for Erotic Hypnosis

sleepingirl · Independent · Erotic hypnosis · Buy on Amazon

Within the world of erotic hypnosis, neuro-linguistic programming has a reputation for being pseudoscientific, hard to understand, and ethically questionable. But it is also deeply intertwined with our culture, history, and current practice as hypnotists. Where did it come from? Are there any salvageable techniques? How can it be useful for hypnokink specifically? And what, really, is it? Kinky NLP moves to answer these questions and is suitable for hypnokink practitioners across experience levels, exploring a framework for NLP that is explicitly focused on effective, realistic hypnosis between intimate partners.

Somatics for Rope Bottoms

Natasha NawaTaNeko · Rope, bondage · Buy on Amazon

Twelve embodied inquiries for transforming your experience in rope bondage. Natasha NawaTaNeko developed a structure for rope bottoms to deepen their experience in rope, making it more internal, conscious, and safe, and to access a profound state of true surrender.

The Leather Couch: Clinical Practice with Kinky Clients

Stefani Goerlich · Routledge · Psychology and mental health · Buy on Bookshop.org

The Leather Couch provides a comprehensive overview of the BDSM and kink community and guides clinicians on how to meet the unique relational and mental health needs of the kink community. It offers a 101-style introduction to BDSM before delving into topics from intersectionality within the community to conducting a kink-affirming risk assessment and discerning between domestic violence and consensual power exchange. Interwoven with real-world case studies, each chapter offers practical tools and handouts. Written in an accessible style for clinicians and folks in the community alike, it is the go-to resource for any provider looking to transform their practice from kink-aware to kink-affirming.

The Leather and BDSM Handbook

Vincent L. Andrews · Adynaton Publishing · Leather, dominance and submission · Buy on Amazon

Vincent Andrews focuses his experience and insight on introducing the reader to the greater world of leather sexuality: gay and straight, male and female, D/s and S/M, and kink. Andrews explores the differences that make the leather community so diverse and the commonalities that have brought these groups together. This book gives historical background and a clear understanding of modern leather culture, including thought, art, ritual, fashion, public figures, legislation, and literature. It is designed to provide a foundational understanding to help newcomers and experienced leatherfolk adjusting to the community's growth, giving you the tools, insight, and understanding to succeed in the world of leather.

The leatherboy Handbook

Vincent L. Andrews · Adynaton Publishing · Leather, dominance and submission · Buy on Amazon

The handbook for boys and submissives, with leatherboy history, identity, growth, activities, and a suggested reading list. It includes a timeline of LGBT kink-focused history, petition forms, and expanded cultural, political, and gear history. Although originally written from a gay perspective, the same lessons apply across sexual orientation and gender. This book gives you the tools and insight to succeed in the world of the leatherboy.

Leatherfolk: Radical Sex, People, Politics, and Practice

Mark Thompson (editor) · Daedalus Publishing · Various kinks, POC and women voices · Buy on Amazon

Since its publication, this Lambda Literary Award-nominated book has become a classic must-read on human sexuality and identity. The first co-gender nonfiction anthology to address sadomasochistic sexuality and the subculture around it, Leatherfolk is both historical witness and provocative treatise regarding a distinct subculture that has withstood decades of political harassment. Spanning the decades from the 1940s onward, this collection documents the many eras and shifts of attitude that have affected the gay and lesbian leather underground and its influence on the society beyond. Contributors include Guy Baldwin, John Preston, Pat Califia, Gayle Rubin, and Dorothy Allison.

Leather Mentorship

J. Tebias Perry · Independent · Leather, BDSM, POC voices · Buy on Amazon

All leather folk, in some manner, undergo a form of mentorship, and Sir Tebias skillfully navigates the reader through the many facets and options available. He brings his lived experience through embedded tips, exposing the core benefits of what a person may gain through mentorship. Never ignoring the depths of the subject, he provides core knowledge on the vetting process, insight into the tribulations a person may face, a vital selection process, and a much-needed look into the mentorship process. He offers a practical overview rather than a strict guide, letting readers make adjustments to fit their needs.

The Mayor of Folsom Street: The Auto/Biography of "Daddy Alan" Selby

Jordy Jones · Fair Page Media · Leather, various kinks · Buy on Amazon

A biography of San Francisco entrepreneur and activist Alan Selby, founder of the iconic Mr. S Leather store on Folsom Street. In the introduction, Dr. Jones, a close associate of the late Mr. Selby, offers a biography of the man, who immigrated from London to San Francisco and became world famous as the owner of the Mr. S Leather store and a key figure in the San Francisco gay community during the AIDS crisis. The second part of the book is an autobiography constructed from Selby's own journals, giving a unique inside look at the character and personality of one of San Francisco's most colorful figures.

Mind Play: A Guide to Erotic Hypnosis

Mark Wiseman · Erotic hypnosis · Buy on Amazon

All kinds of people are secretly, or not so secretly, fascinated by the erotic possibilities of hypnosis. Many of us know hypnosis doesn't really have the mind-melting power we see in movies, yet we can't help but get turned on at the thought of controlling someone, or being controlled, into doing things we've been told we shouldn't but kind of want to. Mark Wiseman teaches you how to put your partner into a hypnotic trance safely and effectively, then how to create or intensify arousal, turn the body into an erogenous zone, and get kinky with hypnotic bondage, flogging, or tickling. Whether you are new to hypnosis or have the basics, Mind Play gives you the tools to become a skilled, responsible erotic hypnotist. This 2022 edition is updated to reflect changes in community standards and resources.

Painfully Obvious: An Irreverent Manual for Leather/SM

Robert Davolt · Daedalus Publishing · Leather, BDSM, various kinks · Buy on Amazon

Painfully Obvious is a collection of 40 provocative essays by the former publisher of Drummer magazine and popular San Francisco leather columnist Robert Davolt. Originally written for LeatherPage.com, this anthology takes an unorthodox look at leather relationships, community, contests, business, tradition, history, and leadership. Inside perspective and practical tips on "what to wear," "leather on the cheap," and "passing the bar" are delivered with authoritative research and barbed humor. It was nominated for an American Library Association Stonewall Book Award.

Playing Well With Others

Lee Harrington and Mollena Williams · Greenery Press · All genders and sexualities, various kinks · Buy on Bookshop.org

Whether you're a trembling novice or a jaded expert, there's always something new to discover in the changing world of kink. While plenty of books explain how to give a spanking or tie a half-hitch, Playing Well With Others is the first to explain kink culture: the munches, parties, leather bars, conferences, workshops, and fetish nights that turn BDSM and leather from a bedroom predilection to a lifestyle and community. You'll learn to examine your own needs and desires, ease into established communities, understand etiquette, familiarize yourself with the types of events available, care for your relationships as you explore, and negotiate for play and aftercare. Harrington and Williams bring 30-plus years of experience across diverse kink communities as an unbeatable pair of guides.

Principles of Leather Leadership

J. Tebias Perry · Independent · Leather, BDSM, POC voices · Buy on Amazon

Principles of Leather Leadership is a call to lead with intention. In a community where symbolism, trust, and responsibility run deep, true leadership demands more than authority; it requires example. These pages offer a candid journey into what it means to embody the principles you teach, to serve as you guide, and to love as you lead. Blending personal story with hard-won insight, the book provides a deeper blueprint for anyone ready to step into leadership, whether a seasoned titleholder, an emerging community voice, or a curious traveler seeking their path.

Raw Desire

Sir Pusckatt Pumera Onyx · Noire Ascendant · POC-centered, dominance and submission, leather · [purchase link pending]

Raw Desire is an intimate, unfiltered diary that explores power, vulnerability, and connection through deeply personal storytelling. Bold and immersive, this limited release invites you into a world that stays with you long after the final page. This is a small independent release, so a stable retail link is not yet available.

Sodomy Gods

David Lauterstein · Unbound Edition Press · Various kinks · Buy on Bookshop.org

Raw, provocative, and unflinching, Sodomy Gods is the coming-of-age story of David Lauterstein, a young gay man finding his way in the dizzying world of 1990s New York City. From coming out amidst the devastation of the AIDS crisis to falling in love and launching the iconic queer fashion brand Nasty Pig, David's journey is one of self-discovery, resilience, and the revolutionary power of queer identity and community. Both a searing cultural commentary and a tender love story, the book pulses with the energy of the club scene and inspires with the message that one's truth, no matter how transgressive, is always worth fighting for.

Surviving Transphobia

Laura A. Jacobs (editor) · Jessica Kingsley Publishers · Trans-centered, POC voices · Buy on Amazon

The transgender and gender-nonbinary community is forever under siege, and institutional transphobia is enacted by those who would return us to the shadows, or worse. Surviving Transphobia is an anthology by transgender and gender-nonbinary celebrities and experts on endurance during times of severe hostility. Contributors share the moments when they were vulnerable, bullied, dismissed, or discriminated against, and reveal their determination and how they have sometimes managed to thrive. They are activists, actors, athletes, authors, lawyers, doctors, nurses, therapists, clergy, and veterans, of many ethnicities and experiences. "We have survived; here's how. And if we can survive, so can you."

Urban Aboriginals: A Celebration of Leathersexuality

Geoff Mains · Leather, history · Buy on Bookshop.org

A landmark 1984 exploration of the gay leather subculture that celebrates leathersexuality and community through radical forms of connection: pain and pleasure, bondage, and role. One of the first books to take the leather world seriously and sensitively, it remains a touchstone of leather writing.

The Master's Manual: A Handbook of Erotic Dominance

Jack Rinella · Daedalus Publishing · Dominance and submission · Buy on Amazon

A practical, grounded handbook on erotic dominance, covering the mindset, skills, and responsibilities of taking control. Written for anyone exploring the dominant side of power exchange, with an emphasis on communication and consent.

Different Loving: The World of Sexual Dominance and Submission

Gloria Brame, William Brame, and Jon Jacobs · Villard · Dominance and submission, reference · Buy on Amazon

A classic, wide-ranging survey of dominance and submission, built on interviews across the full spectrum of D/s and fetish practice. A foundational reference that helped bring these worlds out of the shadows and into serious, compassionate view.

Jay Wiseman's Erotic Bondage Handbook

Jay Wiseman · Greenery Press · Bondage · Buy on Amazon

A careful, safety-first guide to erotic bondage from the author of the classic SM 101. It covers techniques, materials, and, above all, the risks to understand before you tie, from nerve safety to positional concerns.

Carried Away: An S/M Romance

David Stein · Fiction, S/M · Buy on Amazon

A novel of ferocious SM, hard-core sex, and demanding bondage, and a love story between two gay men who are equals in intelligence, ability, and character but opposite in temperament and erotic preference.

Redefining Normal: A Modern Gay Man's Guide to Happy and Healthy Living

Brent Heinze · Gay life, wellbeing · Buy on Amazon

A smart, funny, and sometimes irreverent look at the many ways gay men see themselves and relate to one another, spanning dating, flirting, sex, relationships, self-improvement, and building strong support networks.

Ask the Man Who Owns Him: The Real Lives of Gay Masters and Slaves

David Stein and David Schachter · Master/slave, D/s · Buy on Amazon

The first book to present, in their own words, the real lives of long-term gay Master and slave couples and families, drawn from extensive interviews about how these relationships really work day to day.

Diary of a Thought Criminal

Mark I. Chester · Photography, leather · [purchase link pending]

A black-and-white photo book of gay leather and SM images by photographer Mark I. Chester, documenting a community and an era with intimacy and force. A small independent release, so a stable retail link is not yet available.

Black Gloves White Magic

Tim Brough · Leather, fiction · Buy on Amazon

A collection of short stories moving through the leather and kink worlds, from the Boner Books line.

Leathersex Q&A

Joseph W. Bean · Daedalus Publishing · Leather, BDSM · Buy on Amazon

Real questions sent to the author over years as a columnist and leather-magazine editor, answered across a wide range of topics: SM, bondage, relationships, safety, spirituality, and history.

The Killer Wore Leather: A Mystery

Laura Antoniou · Cleis Press · Fiction, mystery · Buy on Amazon

An engaging whodunit and an affectionate, funny tour of the modern pansexual leather contest circuit. A detective navigates a world of Doms and subs, pups and trainers, leather and latex, to find out who killed the late Mack Steel. An award winner from the American Library Association.

Leather and Latex Care

Kelly J. Thibault · Daedalus Publishing · Gear, care · Buy on Amazon

A short, practical guide to keeping your leather and latex gear in good shape, from cleaning and conditioning to storage, so your gear lasts and keeps looking great.

Between the Cracks: The Daedalus Anthology of Kinky Verse

Gavin Dillard (editor) · Daedalus Publishing · Poetry, anthology · Buy on Amazon

An anthology of kinky poetry edited by Gavin Dillard and illustrated with his own photographs of some of the contributors, gathering erotic and leather verse in one collection.

Beneath the Skins: The New Spirit and Politics of the Kink Community

Ivo Dominguez Jr. · Daedalus Publishing · Leather, community, politics · Buy on Amazon

An examination of the leather, SM, and fetish community coming of age. It embraces the idea that people may define themselves and their community by their erotic orientations and preferences, and looks at the politics and spirit that follow.

Not recommended

The Leatherman's Protocol Handbook

John D. Weal · Nazca Plains

This book is highly disputed by many leathermen who also survived the AIDS era and remember the pre-AIDS era of leather culture. It describes a lot of things as fact that were more fantasy, or that may have been true for a single bar but were not truly widespread, and it speaks of traditions that were never really held to or enforced in any meaningful way. It is included here so it is named, not endorsed.