Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.

Quantity:

More Buying Choices

58 used & new from $8.79

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Tell the Publisher! I�d like to read this book on Kindle Don�t have a Kindle? Get yours here.

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

by Mildred L. Brown (Author), Chloe Ann Rounsley (Author) "What would you do if your daughter came to visit one day and confided her deepest, darkest secret: "All my life, I've felt like I..." (more)
Key Phrases: dysphoric teens, transsexual teens, gender dysphoric children, United States, Standards of Care, Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association (more...)

4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (67 customer reviews)

List Price:	$18.95
Price:	$12.89 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save:	$6.06 (32%)
	o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Upgrade this book for $1.89 more, and you can read, search, and annotate every page online. See details

In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, July 21? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

39 new from $10.11 19 used from $8.79

Also Available in:	List Price:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Hardcover (1st)			25 used & new from $5.58

Frequently Bought Together

Price For All Three: $42.01

Show availability and shipping details

This item: True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism--For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals by Mildred L. Brown
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Wrapped In Blue: A Journey of Discovery by Donna Rose
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Wrapped In Blue: A Journey of Discovery

by Donna Rose

4.8 out of 5 stars (36) $18.95

The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals

by Stephanie A. Brill

5.0 out of 5 stars (14) $11.53

She's Not the Man I Married: My Life with a Transgender Husband

by Helen Boyd

4.4 out of 5 stars (25) $10.85

Becoming a Visible Man

by Jamison Green

4.9 out of 5 stars (14) $16.47

Transgender Emergence: Therapeutic Guidelines for Working With Gender-Variant People and Their Families

by Arlene Lev

4.8 out of 5 stars (9) $38.97

› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Brown and Rounsley's solidly based introduction to many aspects of living as a transsexual provides general information about the dilemma of feeling trapped in the wrong physical gender, about such a person's development, and about locating a gender therapist. Brown and Rounsley also detail the process of transition between genders, starting with legal and identity changes and proceeding to changing outward modes of self-presentation (they include sample "coming-out" letters to employers, coworkers, friends, and family members) and dealing with bathroom issues, hormone treatments, surgical options, and guidelines for finding social support. First-person accounts from transsexuals augment general readability and put human faces on the issues discussed. Whitney Scott --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"I would strongly recommend this book as a primer for anyone interested in this topic." (Archives of Sexual Behavior, 35:2)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1st edition (March 24, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0787967025
ISBN-13: 978-0787967024
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (67 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,859 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category: (What's this?)
#13 in Books > Gay & Lesbian > Nonfiction > Transgender

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
What would you do if your daughter came to visit one day and confided her deepest, darkest secret: "All my life, I've felt like I was a boy instead of a girl." Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
dysphoric teens, transsexual teens, gender dysphoric children, transitioning transsexuals, transgendered teens, most transsexuals, transitioning employee, transsexual parent, transsexual issues, transsexuals report, transsexual patients, adult transsexuals, gender incongruity, many transsexuals, sex reassignment surgery, other transsexuals, new gender role, opposite gender role, gender dysphoria, outer presentation, transsexuals experience, gender therapists, transsexual phenomenon, postoperative transsexuals, female transvestites

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, Standards of Care, Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association

New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 16 books:

The Angry Book by Theodore I. Rubin on page 113, and Back Matter
Transsexual Phenomenon by Harry Benjamin on page 28, and Back Matter
The Uninvited Dilemma: A Question of Gender by Kim Elizabeth Stuart in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Transvestites and Transsexuals by Deborah Feinbloom in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Sex and Gender by John Archer in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)

See all 16 books this book cites

4 books cite this book:

Always My Child: A Parent's Guide to Understanding Your Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered or Questioning Son or Daughter by Kevin Jennings in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, Vol 5, No 4 (Thinking Sexuality Transnationally) by Elizabeth A. Povinelli on page 169
Irreconcilable Differences?: Intellectual Stalemate in the Gay Rights Debate by Thomas C. Caramagno in Back Matter
Irreconcilable Differences?: Intellectual Stalemate in the Gay Rights Debate by Thomas C. Caramagno in Back Matter

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Wrapped In Blue by Donna Rose

Discusses:

The Phallus Palace by Dean Kotula

Discusses:

Becoming a Visible Man by Jamison Green

Discusses:

Trans Forming Families by Jessica Xavier

Discusses:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	80% buy the item featured on this page: True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism--For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals 4.6 out of 5 stars (67) $12.89
	6% buy Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity 4.4 out of 5 stars (18) $10.85
	5% buy She's Not the Man I Married: My Life with a Transgender Husband 4.4 out of 5 stars (25) $10.85
	5% buy The Transgender Companion (Male To Female): The Complete Guide To Becoming The Woman You Want To Be 4.6 out of 5 stars (7) $19.95

Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

amazonfail(53)

transgender(13)

gender identity(9)

ftm(5)

gender(3)

crossdressing(2)

transexual(2)

transsexual(2)

berdache(1)

bisexual(1)

body modification(1)

See all 59 tags...

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Reviews

67 Reviews

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (67 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Best taken with a grain of salt, January 12, 2006

By	W.E.B. (USA) - See all my reviews

This book gives a relatively good overall view of transsexualism for people who know nothing about it, but with some serious flaws. The author's descriptions of the experience are based entirely on accounts from therapy clients and her approach is objective, too much so in many regards. She presents outdated information without any genuine effort to refute it, such as the old freudian psycho-model of "gender identity disorder." She also mentions the horrid "treatments" visited on transsexuals, such as "aversion therapy" and "shock treatments" with no mention of their obvious cruel inhumanity. Her statement that we can't "change the brain," is downright sickening, and she presents it as though science should actually strive toward that Stepford Wives solution to transsexualism.

In some cases, the author makes broad generalizations, giving the impression that they apply to all transsexuals. For example, she makes the assertion that most transsexuals come to the realization of their status only after reaching some "turning point," such as debilitating depression. I don't know of any accurate statistics, but her failure to point out those who experienced what Jamison Green spoke of in his book "Becoming a Visible Man" (lighting candle after candle in dark cave), may leave readers with the wrong impression. For some transsexuals, the realization slowly dawns over the course of a lifetime and the decision to seek transition isn't connected to some personal crisis.

Her vehement support of the arbitrary Standards of Care guidelines and assertion that "the system works" suggests a certain level of ignorance of the big picture. Where she mentions those who view therapists as gatekeepers, she gives the impression that she thinks they are being unreasonable. In truth, the arguments against the system are perfectly valid. It doesn't work for everyone. For some, their access to what they need is hindered by it. While there should be some system in place to make sure individuals are making informed decisions and are capable of doing so, mandatory timeframes can hurt those who have already finished processing and are ready to turn to the next chapter in their lives. The author seems to think that therapists should make the final decision about whether an individual is a "real transsexual" based on certain criteria that may not apply to all transsexuals.

Her short sections on the "real life test" basically ignore individuals who are physically incapable of passing without surgery and hormones. She ignores FTMs who've been dressing and behaving appropriate to their inner gender for years, but don't have the right bodies and faces to pass and are perceived as tomboyish women.

The author also shows disrespect for her clients by referring to MTFs as "he" and FTMs as "she," and frequently failing to use their chosen names. She also disrespects the trans community with repeated use of the term "gender identity disorder," which inaccurately represents transsexualism. The problem lies not in gender identity, but in the incongruity between mind and body. It is a medical condition, not a psychological one.

Overall, I recommend this book as an introduction to transsexualism only with great caution. Much of it is best taken with a grain of salt.

Comment Comments (5) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It was as if someone wrote my biography, June 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism-For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals (Hardcover)

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.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, sympathetic introduction to transsexualism, July 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism-For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals (Hardcover)

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.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 67 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Valuable "coming out" tool
As a Transwoman I found this book as a great aid in coming out to my wife and management at my job. Even though the book is not current and sorely lacks information for spouses,... Read more

Published 3 months ago by Michelle Claire

3.0 out of 5 stars Emphasis on MTFs, not very knowledgable about FTMs
I appreciate that this book was written; I bought it for my parents since I'm FTM. Given that though, and having read several other books like 'Becoming a Visible Man' etc, I... Read more

Published 3 months ago by travis reed

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding the unknown side of people
I have recently come to terms with my own identity of being a transgender. So,many years I though I was gay. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Lisa L. Labranche

4.0 out of 5 stars To be a gurl or not to be a gurl
Over all a good book on the subject. I would think in some ways it might be a bit too much of a read for some who just want a basic understanding of transgender phenomenon &... Read more

Published 6 months ago by LeeAnn

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Informatiional Book
True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism--For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals
This book is full of information written in a professional and... Read more

Published 7 months ago by R. Ricketts

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Place To Start
While there are several things about this book that disappoint me, specifically the author's apparent inability to call a person by their proper pronouns or names and the idea... Read more

Published 11 months ago by Falcon

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent read but...
Much like a former reviewer I feel like on could nitpick the book to death however, as a bridge from knowing absolutely nothing about trans people (much like my mother) one I... Read more

Published 11 months ago by S. Emmitt

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Helpful
This book arrived in a good state,very quickly and was most helpful to those who have read it

Published 11 months ago by S. Tait

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Book
I purchased this book after a close family member announced that he was transsexual. I knew very little about transexualism and was spending hours online looking for any... Read more

Published 12 months ago by anonymous

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource and Guidance
'True Selves' is a unique and excellent book. The book cover says "For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals".

It is that and so much more. Read more

Published 14 months ago by JRK

› See all 67 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; }

Customer Discussions

Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (0 discussions)

	Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
	No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight

Start a new discussion

Topic:

First post:

Receive e-mail when new posts are made

Prompts for sign-in

[Cancel]

Guidelines

Active discussions in related forums

Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
health Should we have free healthcare in the U.S.?(and is it possible?)	2811	5 minutes ago
health What do you think of animal testing?	151	33 minutes ago
textbook Textbooks for Kindle DX?	41	16 hours ago
transgender Amazon has a Trans Community?	3	2 days ago
psychology The Best Books On Psychology	4	2 days ago
transgender hair removal	0	4 days ago
textbook Does anyone use Discovering Geometry: An Investigative Approach?	5	5 days ago