Customer Reviews

TransActions

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is easily one of the best books - if not the best - on the life of transsexual women available today. Instead of the American or Canadian approach, what is presented is a wonderfully European, down to earth and insightful view of trnassexuality. Honest, open and candid, without the myths that one normally finds in those books that are strictly "politically correct".

As a transsexual woman, I find that far too often the mythology of transsexuality is overwhelming. No, I was not born a woman, but a male. I am now legally and hormonally female, but that does not erase that portion of my life that I lived as a male, nor can it ever do so. Further, I can and do take pride in what I am, without reservation.

This book will not be popular amongst the many transexual women who claim to be and to have always have been women for it acknowledges and pays homage to reality, not fiction. It presents practicality and common sense, far from the quasi-fictional accounts that most books dwell upon. Nor does it pander to matter of gender generally, for it acknowledges the deep divisions that do exist - like it or not. Quistesentially European, it is as refreshing as a cool sea breeze after a hot an muggy week.

After years of books that sensationalize or sanitize the world of transsexual women, we finally have a book that with clarity and insight looks at us as we truly are. It is an essential addition for any collection of gender studies. A small part is autobiographical; the majority of the book is an exploration of how transexuals fit into society.

I fear that many or the reviews by transexual women wil be negative for many of them are believers in the myths that surround our lives.

This is a book that gives rightful pride to transsexual women, should they but have the courage to embrace it...

Willow Arune

Would you like to get under the skin of a transsexual woman ? This is how close Erica Zander takes you. All her thoughts, feelings, successes and failures are to be found in this book.
In a way, TransActions could have been two books; There's the autobiographical part, with notes from her diary before, during and after her sex reassignment surgery.
And there are chapters with facts, terminology, statistics, scientific finds and different views on what transsexualism really is. And what it isn't.
And then there are the philosophical texts, where Erica presents her ideas about male vs female, the effects of hormones on our bodies and minds, the symbolic value of clothes, jewelry et cetera.
Her book is also beautifully structured, and you easily find the most interesting parts or the information you are looking for. For this reason TransActions is excellent also for references.
But there is so much more.
Personally, I preferred the analyzing chapters, which gave me many new angles to think about or discuss with my friends. On the other hand these texts might well have felt impersonal without the background of the self exposing notes from her diary. The main reason why her book feels so real and alive, is that it was written here & now; Erica wrote it throughout her transition. It isn't a look in the rear-view mirror, no reconstruction. It's a living documentary.

At first this book starts out as a hard read but when ya give it a chance you find that it grips you and pulls you in!!!I found so much truth and wisdom about being trans and transitioning and encouragement that i was uplifted by reading it!!!I did find though that even though erica didnt face alot of ridicule she does aknowledge that the discrimination does exist!!!And like one of the reviews wriiten about this book i did find i cut through alot of myth's which is soooo needed in the trans community !!!! I would recomend this book to anyone no matter what stage of transition they are in!!!Excellent,excellent!!!

Most of us, women with a transsexual history, have little to be positive about in our earlier life.

It usually gets a lot better after our handicap is eliminated, but seldom you hear about people so happy and outgoing as Erica. It might be because of her living in an open society like the Swedish, but it might also be because of the exceptional support of her partner and former wife. Also that is unusual.

Buy the book and get some positive energy.

I can't hide that I also disagree a lot with her, but this book is not primarily an intellectual effort, it is the biography of a journey.

I don't think it can be read as the the political statement that Willow suggest above. It is not a statement about living stealth or in public. It is a statement about a life, the life of Erica. Her life, not about the life of all of us.

Excellently written, funny and poignant. A wonderful read for any gender in transition, and can be helpful for partners too.

Erica, your book captivated me from first up to the last sentence. I never read a book about Gender Dysforia that expound the issue so clearly and made clear the dilemmas we are placed in. You also described it with a great sense of humor. Now I realize I don't have to write the book I was planning for the last 3 years. All I wanted to say and comment on the issue, you did. Thanks for giving me time to do other things. Your book let me discover and have the courage to sa˙: "Gosh, I'm a lesbian!" (inhabiting a male body) Your book gave me the courage to get on with my life and gives hope to achieve my goal, even when it is so difficult.
I'll end with one of the many nice things you wrote: "....I will transition socially so that I can dress in skirts, physically so that I can go back to wearing jeans again".

Gerty

Before reading Ms Zander's book, I had little experience regarding the ins and outs of the non-heterosexual communities. With this being said, Zander's book not only provides her account of transitioning from a male to a female, but also informs people through quotes from her ftm friends, as well as a bit of knowledge on the gay and lesbian communities. Furthermore, Ms Zander also touches on the problems occuring between some radical feminists and transsexuals.

Without having much knowledge on the topic, I found the book to be a bit overwhelming at times. Ms Zander's personal account was very interesting, and as an American with Europe-envy, I cannot imagine how it must feel to be transsexual, and yet seemingly accepted greatly by friends, colleagues and family. I have to wonder if this attitude is partially due to Erica living in an open-minded country such as Sweden, but I cannot comment for sure on this. I also felt Ms Zander's account to be honest and heartfelt, something which I appreciate in an autobiography.

The rest of the book is comprised of information about identity, gender, gay/lesbian/transsexual cultures, etc. I found these parts of the book to be a bit dry at times, though as mentioned earlier, they certainly were informative. Definitely an interesting book though, and worth a read.

I loved this book and made the mistake of lending it out and never got it back. So I,m about to buy another copy for my gender related collection. Erica did a great job of being real and not caught up in the eurphoria of coming out as trans. I found it easy to relate to her and enjoyed the cultural european openness of her transexualism and how she fit into the rest of the world. I often reread a book after a period of time to pull more from it and sometimes do it from a different perspective and this is on my short list to repeat. I highly suggest this as a door to explore what it is like to be one of us.

Miss Zander has written a well documented account of her journey that will (at the least) get you to think about your own life journey whether your trans or not. Her views on sex, gender and transition are uniquely her own and will challenge you to question your own views of these things.

Glad to have the book in my collection. Highly recommended!

This is simply an excellent read. Erica's account of her growing up with transsexuality and her transition, including her relations with family, friends, lovers, work-colleagues and other transgendered people, not to mention her run-ins with radical feminists is told so openly and tenderly. She doesn't hold anything back. And not only does Erica open the doors on to her life, past and present, but she also discusses the issue of transsexuality in a more general sense and offers up to us her own feelings and opinions.

All in all this is a must read. It is much more than the average transition story. It's funny, entertaining, engrossing and heartwarming.

So why are you still sitting here reading this review? Go and buy the book!