Speaking of masturbation, I have an interesting observation:
When doing things very slowly, focusing on the sensations, and sitting on the edge for a while the experience ends up being more around the journey and not the climax itself. In fact, I've found the greatest pleasure is before ejaculation when masturbating in this fashion.
However, masturbating quickly is different. There isn't as much separation between build-up and climax. Yes, there is clearly a build-up but the peak of pleasure tends to happen almost exactly at climax rather than preceding it.
In some ways, I prefer the second way because pleasure is more closely tied to physical release. However, the first way allows me to experience the pleasure longer and observe the reactions of my body in a more full way.