The Praeger Handbook of Transsexuality - Annotated by Rachel Heath (Hardcover)

About the Book

People born with one gender's sexual organs who are drawn physically, psychologically, and spiritually to life as a member of the opposite gender, are more common than is generally realized. In this unprecedented book, Heath introduces the transsexual mindset, explaining how identity discord develops and what the most recent research shows about a potential biological basis. She details the history of transsexuality, the psychological, social, and family issues transsexuals face, and the associated legal and human rights issues. Diagrams depicting the major elements in Gender Reassignment Surgery are included, as are explanations of the physiological and psychological effects of hormone therapy and associated procedures for transsexuals, their outcomes, and potential complications. Appendices offer lists of support groups and other resources for transsexual men, women, and family members, a link to a list of surgeons worldwide performing GRS, and a glossary of terms.

When the movie Transamerica--about a pre-operative man in the week before he became a woman--won two Golden Globe Awards and was nominated for an Academy Award in early 2006, cheers went up around the world from the real and growing transsexual community. In fact, people born with one gender's sexual organs who are drawn physically, psychologically, and spiritually to life as a member of the opposite gender, are more common than is generally realized. Gender reassignment surgery is being performed worldwide, from Beverly Hills to New York, and from Canada to England, Switzerland, Australia, Thailand and Hong Kong.

In this unprecedented book, Professor Heath introduces the transsexual mindset, explaining how identity discord develops and what the most recent research shows about a potential biological basis. She details the history of transsexuality, the psychological, social, and family issues transsexuals face, and the associated legal and human rights issues. Diagrams depicting the major elements in Gender Reassignment Surgery are included, as are explanations of the physiological and psychological effects of hormone therapy and associated procedures for transsexuals, their outcomes, and potential complications. The book covers pioneers in gender reassignment such as sexologist Harry Benjamin, M.D., and famous transsexed people including Christine Jorgenson, who made headlines worldwide in 1952 and 1953. Appendices offer lists of support groups and other resources for transsexual men, women, and family members, a link to a list of surgeons worldwide performing GRS, a glossary of transsexed terms, and a summary of the Harry Benjamin Gender Dysphoria Association, the largest international organization focused on transsexuality.

Book Synopsis

People born with one gender's sexual organs who are drawn physically, psychologically, and spiritually to life as a member of the opposite gender, are more common than is generally realized. In this unprecedented book, Heath introduces the transsexual mindset, explaining how identity discord develops and what the most recent research shows about a potential biological basis. She details the history of transsexuality, the psychological, social, and family issues transsexuals face, and the associated legal and human rights issues. Diagrams depicting the major elements in Gender Reassignment Surgery are included, as are explanations of the physiological and psychological effects of hormone therapy and associated procedures for transsexuals, their outcomes, and potential complications. Appendices offer lists of support groups and other resources for transsexual men, women, and family members, a link to a list of surgeons worldwide performing GRS, and a glossary of terms.

When the movie Transamerica--about a pre-operative man in the week before he became a woman--won two Golden Globe Awards and was nominated for an Academy Award in early 2006, cheers went up around the world from the real and growing transsexual community. In fact, people born with one gender's sexual organs who are drawn physically, psychologically, and spiritually to life as a member of the opposite gender, are more common than is generally realized. Gender reassignment surgery is being performed worldwide, from Beverly Hills to New York, and from Canada to England, Switzerland, Australia, Thailand and Hong Kong.
In this unprecedented book, Professor Heath introduces the transsexual mindset, explaining how identity discord develops and what the most recent research shows about a potential biological basis. She details the history of transsexuality, the psychological, social, and family issues transsexuals face, and the associated legal and human rights issues. Diagrams depicting the major elements in Gender Reassignment Surgery are included, as are explanations of the physiological and psychological effects of hormone therapy and associated procedures for transsexuals, their outcomes, and potential complications. The book covers pioneers in gender reassignment such as sexologist Harry Benjamin, M.D., and famous transsexed people including Christine Jorgenson, who made headlines worldwide in 1952 and 1953. Appendices offer lists of support groups and other resources for transsexual men, women, and family members, a link to a list of surgeons worldwide performing GRS, a glossary of transsexed terms, and a summary of the Harry Benjamin Gender Dysphoria Association, the largest international organization focused on transsexuality.

Review Quotes

"The Praeger Handbook of Transsexuality takes us through the different stages of a gender transition process that a small number of people go through every year in order to match gender with mindset. It is the kind of book that helps one start thinking about an issue--in this case 'gender'--in a different, more complex way....[A] perfect book for getting a basic introduction to the varied dimensions of gender transition processes, for understanding the basic implications of transsexuality, intersex conditions, the basis of gender identity atypically and its consequences. It is a handbook for anyone whose work involves the understanding of people....It will inevitably broaden the mind and make you more well informed...." --Metapsychology Online Reviews

"This book is offered as a guide to be used by transsexuals, their families, and the mental health professionals who work with these people. Such a book is indeed badly needed. There are few tasks more difficult than having to deal every day with the issues raised by feeling that one in trapped in the wrong body--forced to live a lie. This book has much to offer....[t]his volume provides a very valuable, brief, readable guide to the complex subject of transsexuality. It would be valuable for use by transsexuals and their families; for therapists who work with transsexuals; and as an ancillary text for graduate classes in transsexuality." --PsycCRITIQUES

About the Author

Rachel Ann Heath is Honorary Professor of Psychology at the University of Newcastle, Australia. The author of six books and 18 book chapters, she has earned more than $500,000 in competitive research grants in Australia and the United Kingdom. One of the pioneers in applying chaos theory in both psychology and medicine, she obtained her Ph.D. in psychology from McMaster University in Canada.