The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana: The Classic Burton Translation (Dover Thrift Editions: Philosophy)

Kama means desire, love, and lust; sutra means teachings and "verses." The Kama Sutra, then, is the book of love, teaching the best methods of cultivating sensual pleasure, sexual desire, and loving union. A classic of world literature for 1,700 years, this is the most explicit and fascinating book ever written for lovers.
This immortal work also serves as a window into Indian culture and mysticism. Its unique approach —combining meditations on politics and social customs with counsel on love and intimacy — features frank, direct advice on bodily pleasures, from aphrodisiacs and kissing to orgasm-delaying techniques. This edition is the renowned translation by the great 19th-century explorer and writer Richard Burton. Its crisp style sets a new standard for Sanskrit translation, and its unblushing faithfulness to the original text sparked controversy in certain corners of the Victorian world. A wellspring of erotic knowledge, it remains an inspiration to readers of every era.

Sir Richard F. Burton's translation of "The Kama Sutra remains one of the best English interpretations of this early Indian treatise on politics, social customs, love, and intimacy. Its crisp style set a new standard for Sanskrit translation.
"The Kama Sutra stands uniquely as a work of psychology, sociology, Hindu dogma, and sexology. It has been a celebrated classic of Indian literature for 1,700 years and a window for the West into the culture and mysticism of the East.
This Modern Library Paperback Classic reprints the authoritative text of Sir Richard F. Burton's 1883 translation.