At least one doctor has attempted to address this state of affairs. The result is Under the Fig Leaf: A Comprehensive Guide to the Care and Maintenance of the Penis, Prostate, and Related Organs, by Angelo S. Paulo, a Florida urologist. Like the V-Book it's a comprehensive catalogue of the ills that can befall the male genitalia. (The prostate's included, too, even though it's internal. No urologist could pass up the chance to write about their most beloved organ.) Unfortunately, unlike The V-Book, Dr. Paulo didn't have the help of a professional writer, and it shows. The book lacks the polish and the organization of The V-Book, although the medical knowledge it contains is just as comprehensive, and just as sound. It reads, unfortunately, like a medical textbook, with frequent references to "the patient," and frequent lapses into medical lingo. Because there are no chapters on the normal anatomy and development of male genitalia, it's often difficult to understand the doctor's explanations - unless you have a background in medicine or are exceptionally well-read in matters genital. He does provide a helpful glossary, but it's a bit of a pain to keep going back and forth from text to glossary.

The book is also hampered by its illustrations. Dr. Paulo's book was put out by a small publishing company, Health Information Press, and as a result, the illustrations are very basic and schematic. The V-Book, on the other hand, has very well-done pen and ink drawings as well as an occasional photograph to illustrate its points. But then, The V-Book was put out by a major publishing house.

Here's an idea. Maybe Paula Spencer could collaborate with Dr. Paulo and bring Under the Fig Leaf up to the caliber of The V-Book. Then we could see some equality of the sexes.

(Ed. note: Amazon says Under the Fig Leaf is out of stock, but you can order it from the publisher here.)