True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism--For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals

As a MTF Transsexual in the process of transitioning, I have found comming out to my family to be the most difficult hurdle to overcome. Especially my father. All the literature available to help family and friends understand the plight of the transsexual is very clinical. It does not get to the core of who I am, and the excruciating pain I've endured everyday of my life. I purchased this book hoping it would explain to the non-transsexual what it means to be me. This book meets that challenge head-on. I was particularly impressed by the chapters covering Childhood, Adolescence, and Adulthood. I read those chapters and felt as though I was reading from my own journals. That someone had written my biography. If you are a transsexual trying to find a way to come out to family and friends, or you are the family and friends of a transsexual who just came out to you, I highly recommend this book. I am going to have a copy of this book for my father to read the day I come out to him.

I have read a lot of literature about transsexualism, and this one topped them all. Sure, there are other great sources out there, but TRUE SELVES explains it best in layman's terms - Brown and Rounsley did such a lovely job with it that they've outdone themselves - BRAVO! Being a transsexual is not easy and it's nice to know that I'm not the only one, that there are people we can turn to, and that there are resources to help us out of our despair. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I bought his book because I needed a way to explain to my wife what I am, and why I feel the need to change. This book is positive, honest, comprehensive and well worth every cent I paid.I am giving a copy to the important members of my family, and suggesting it as a source of information to friends and associates. Buy it, read it, feel better if you're transsexual, understand better if you're a friend, family, coworker etc.. etc..

This is a very useful book to anyone just beginning to try to understand the concept of transsexualism. It is carefully written, without technical medical descriptions, and balances well between biographical/autobiographical material and factual information. It is neither sensationalist or syrupy, but does convey the difficulties faced by transsexual individuals in the various stages of their lives. For this reason, I would recommend it to anyone recently identifying as transsexual who needs an introductory text for those around them. The title states it is for "families, friends, co-workers and helping professionals" and indeed it is eminently suitable for these groups. As a transsexual man myself, I have two copies which I have lent to people including my father who found it very helpful, and my therapist and have purchased a further copy for my partner's family. Three copies must be a fair recommendation of a book! I find its layout logical and appropri! ! ate, beginning as it does with some basic facts about the subject, leading on to how it affects the individuals in various stages of their lives - childhood, teen years and adulthood. It then goes on to deal with the nuts and bolts of therapy, transition, surgical options and coming out and ends with some biographical text. It covers both male to female and female to male aspects well, where many other texts focus primarily on the male to female route. It is also relatively apolitical - many other texts on the subject tend to have their information tied up with a significant political element which can make them in my opinion difficult for those new to the subject to read. All in all it is one of the best books I have on transsexualism. The only one in my collection which is sufficiently similar to compare is Trans-X-u-all (O'Keefe and Fox) which, while it is a good book, is not such a good introductory text as this.

I've read a number of books describing transsexualism, hoping to find the right one to give to people as I tell them about my own transition. When I read this one, I knew this was it, and I told my parents about myself within the week. They have since told me that this book was essential to their understanding of my condition. I believe the authors have provided an invaluable resource for anyone whose life is touched by knowing a transsexual person.