Reviewed by Lisa M for Readers' Favorite

'Making a Meal of It' by Jui-shan Chang is centered on Dr. Jui-Shan Chang's cross cultural studies of Taiwan, Hong Kong and China versus the Western cultures in their ideology in relation to the study of sex. Dr. Chang's twenty years of comparative research of Chinese and Western behaviors and understanding of sex has shown the differences between these cultures. Apparently the Chinese culture of understanding sex is started years before a marriage relationship begins because Chinese culture is fundamentally based on a familial intervention whereas in Western culture relationships are based on an individual's choices. Dr. Chang used many methodological surveys to determine that the Chinese culture uses sex as a means for sustenance while Western culture relates to sex as a game.

This book is not what I expected to read in relation to family love and romance books I had read in the past. However, it was a bit intriguing. I think the author seemed to have more than one section of thoughts from the Chinese culture; however, he gives only one section to Western culture, in which the conclusion is that Western culture mostly regards sex as being played as a game in which not much substance is involved with relationships either from marriage or male-female cohabitating partners. I applaud the author's reference to the many types of surveys used for the women of Taiwan and from the Western cultures because most surveys would focus on the thoughts of men.