Book Description
This trusted text examines the biological, psychological, and social science of human sexuality, provides practical information needed for everyday living, and familiarizes students with research methods used in sexuality. The author team features a unique combination of a psychologist and a sociologist, which gives this text a distinct interdisciplinary perspective. The thoroughly revised ninth edition features cutting-edge research, a new photo program, and a new companion SexSource CD-ROM packaged free with every new copy of the text.
Customer Reviews:
Undersatnding HumanSexuality with SexSource CD-ROM and PowerWeb.......2007-01-11
The textbook is well organized and informative. A wealth of information that is not only informative but very enlighten. With the addition of the CD-ROM and PowerWeb it becomes an excellent well rounded textbook.
Covers all aspects of understanding human sexuality.......2004-01-06
Covers operant conditioning theories, classical conditioning theories, ect... This book is a true gem for anyone who is taking a course in understanding human sexuality, or even if you want to self teach in this area. Very well written, research topics and studies are well documented.
Go ahead, see for youself!
Book Description
Robert A. Johnson, noted lecturer and Jungian analyst, updates his classic exploration of the meaning of being a man, and adds insight for both sexes into the feminine side of a man's personality.
Customer Reviews:
HE : A must have / read book for every man growing up.......2006-07-17
After gaining personal insights that I had never seen articulated so well, I gave HE to all my sons -5 - one of whom told me "that HE was a book which should be made mandatory reading for every boy in high school. HE helps put the forces which drive male psycholgy in perspective and balance incredibly well.
The Grail serves God in Johnson's interpretation........2006-07-10
This small book actually began with 10 lectures given by Robert Johnson at an Episcopal Church. Thus they are concise and do not offer a broad array of examples. I found the book to be excellent and found it much more to the point that Emma Jung's long study of the Holy Grail myth in all it permutations.
Of course, as a Jungian, Johnson sees mythology as reflecting underlying psychological and spiritual processes that take place in the human psyche. These myths are spontaneous images from the unconscious and contain both psychological and spiritual truths. Myths allow the interaction of archetypes, which are patterns of life that are universally true for humans. Myths are to mankind as dreams are to an individual. Therefore a dream shows the dreamer a truth about themselves whereas the myth shows mankind a truth that applies to all of us.
Individuation is a process that Jung describes as a life long movement toward wholeness and completion. It involves the life long expansion of consciousness and the ability of the conscious ego or personality to reflect the total self. One interpretation of Jesus Christ is that of a man who has been able to allow the unconscious to fill up the self and be always present in the personality. Because God the Father moves through and emerges in the world through the human unconsious, Christ may say that he and the Father are one.
A primary first step in the individuation process is the confrontation with the Shadow. Actually the confrontation with various aspects of the Shadow continue throughout a lifetime, but the first encounter is usually of great psychological power. The negative repressed side of the personality, that longs for acceptance and integration, continually follows the ego until the strength is mustered to face the shadow, accept the shadow, and then integrate the shadow into the personality which increases the energy and strength of the personality/psyche because energy is no longer used to suppress the shadow.
After the shadow is integrated, many people then may develop to the point where they can integrate the anima/animus, which is the characteristics of the opposite sex into their more complete psyche. It is here that Johnson points out the Parsifal and quest for the Holy Grail is in fact a myth of the male reconciliatoin with the anima who becomes a guide and leads him to the Grail.
Here Emma Jung and Robert Johnson would have slightly different interpretations of the Holy Grail myth. Whereas both see the anima as being essential to reaching the Grail, Johnson believes the integration of the feminine, the Anima, is a major and tricky task for young men. Also, whereas Emma Jung saw the grail as serving mankind as an expanded consciousness through which much psychic material may now flow; Johnson sees that the grail serves mankind through and expanded consciousness but also serves God because it is through this expanded consciousness that God flows into human interactions and becomes real and active in the world. This is a philosophical and theological issue of great importance. The first question is: Is God an active participant in the world and in the lives of men? Johnson goes beyond Deism, which would acknowledge God acting through nature, and would assert that God acts through the unconscious of mankind and it is through expanded and integrated consciousness that God becomes real in the world of men. Thus the Grail, the symbol of the accessible unconscious, serves man and God. This is the key to both Emma Jung's and Robert Johnson's work. She would emphasize that the Grail serves man and Johnson would emphasize that the Grail serves God, but both would acknowledge that the Grail serves both. This is the point of Johnson's book but he takes you down many fruitful trails to reach this point. I will point out some of these paths:
The Fisher King has wounds so severe that he cannot live, yet he is incapable of dying. The kingdom is dependent on the virility and power of its rule. As an adolescent, the Fisher King is burned on the fingers when he tries to eat hot broiled Salmon. He touches the divine part of his own unconscious but it is too hot for his consciousness to handle. He touches his individuation but can not hold it. His life becomes barren, his wound never heals, and he can not cure himself even though he and the Grail are in the same castle. The fool must come to cure the king.
Parsifal is the holy fool, the innocent, who emerges from the forrest nieve and full of creative possibilities. He is entraced by the knights and longs to become one. He must break with his poor heartbroken mother, Heartsorrow, on his journey to be a man. All men must be somewhat disloyal to their mother on the path to manhood and toward individuation. His first quest is to fight the Red Knight and gain his armour. He kills the Red Knight and thus takes on masculine power, courage and virility. However when he gets on the Red Knights' horse, he can't steer or stop it but must let it run its course. This is the symbol of a young man's first forray into the world of power where forces can be let loose which no one can control. Johnson points out that a boy gets his red Knight armour by taking it from someone else. This is the way of young male competetion. But a man must not carry the young male competitiveness throughout life, he must move beyond the Red Knight. A young male moves beyond the red Knight when he learns to master his own aggression. So every young man must defeat the Red Knight, take on the armour of power, aggression, virility, strength, courage, but must also not let these attributes consume the entire psyche. Parsifal gets a mentor, Gournamond, who teaches him chivalry and the skills of knighthood. He also tell Parsifal that he must seek the HolY Grail, the ture vocation of all knights, that he must not seduce or be seduced by a woman, and that he must ask "Whom does the Grail serve?" at the right moment in the castle of the Fisher King.
There are many women in the story who play various aspects of the Anima, but it is White Flower and the Ugly Hag who play critical roles as the positive and negative anima, each with a part to play.
The book ends with a really good explanation of why the Holy Grail serves the Grail King (God) and also serves Parsifal. Parsifal asks the question and the Fisher King is healed immediately, he becomes whole. But God now has a path, a window, into the world of Man and thus the Grail ultimately served God's purposes. Even though this interpretation of the Holy Grail story is more Christian in interpretation than that of Emma Jung, both are fantastic and insightful reading.
Every man is on a Quest.......2005-10-16
This book is disjointed, underdeveloped, and, at times, cursorily written. Why, then, the four gold stars?
Because it reveals every man's story: through the retelling of the deeply symbolic Grail Legend, it unmasks many of the landmark trials in man's psychological development, and it does so in an unassuming way.
Some of the trials Mr. Johnson addresses are:
1) The Fisher King Wound - that happy fall that casts him out of his "ignorant paradise" into duality and starts him on the arduous path toward redemption and wholeness.
2) The healing function of the Inner Fool (the childlike unconscious)
3) The Red Knight killing (overcoming the Shadow and using its power for strength)
4) The poison of the Mother Garment (overcoming the mother complex)
5) Learning from the Godfather (furthering one's masculine development)
6) The mother death (the necessary separation from the mother in the transition from boy to man)
7) Blanche Fleur (the Anima, or internal feminine motivator) and her danger
8) The Hideous Damsel (Doubt, Hatred) that motivates a new grail search
9) Consulting the Old Hermit (our wise, introverted aspect within that leads us toward the Grail)
10) The true meaning of the Grail
I saw myself on every page and had many awakenings about my identity, about masculinity, even about the development of western civilization.
The writing at times may be muddled, but this book is a rich and momentous journey which will help you on your own.
Good myth...but of what use?.......2005-09-26
The premise: through an understanding of the Fisher King myth, one may acquire the sufficiency to overcome the obstacles of his or her masculine psychology -- in turn, progressing towards self-actualization.
Although this pamphlet-sized volume offers an interesting read of the myth itself, I find a total absence of applicable psychology. Instead, Johnson reveals similarities between the myth and the universal dilemmas of the stages of masculine psychological development. Nothing more. Even after a second more careful reading, I find no practical approach to masculine psychology. In fact, the book reads more like a selection from the New Age genre -- each chapter posing an imminent revelation, yet failing to deliver.
If one is truly intersted in a layman's introduction to masculine psychology -- along the vein of Jung and Campbell -- then there are more thorough and practical books available. I might suggest Jean Bolen's GODS IN EVERYMAN.
Mythology as a mirror to the male psyche. Slim,but deep read.......2005-01-01
"He" is a book that takes the mythological tale of the Fisher King, and parallels it with stages and traits of the modern male psyche. Granted the book is a slim one with only about 80 pages, but it's something you can read over and over. There are so many characters and parts to the classic tale that it's easy to go beyond the meanings and modern examples that the author gives along the way. After you read it once, I suggest reading it again while sitting down and making notes on the characters and basic outline of the central myth. It's an insightful read no matter what state you feel your life is in right now.
Not too long ago I saw the movie "The Fisher King" (Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges) for the first time. I wouldn't have understood half of what was going on if it wasn't for this book. As the author even explains, there are different variations to the story, and the movie doesn't match up 100% to the book. But after you read the book, it might be fun to rent the movie to see another example of the symbols manifested in modern times.
Although the Fisher King story itself deals with the Holy Grail myth, the lessons and over all message are actually quite secular. The author draws a few religious parallels, but they didn't distract from the main lessons that the myth teaches. And believe me, I'm talking as a guy who's the furthest from being god-fearing or even a philanthropist.
With so many books on feminism, countless commercials and sitcoms that constantly use the male as the butt of jokes, and universities that even offer "Women's Studies" majors, it's refreshing to find a book that looks into male behavior without being guilt-ridden and self-defeating about it.
Book Description
A revised edition of a landmark work of psychology; the author uses the ancient myth of Amor and Psyche as the springboard for a brilliant, perceptive exploration of how one becomes a mature and complete woman.
Customer Reviews:
A Revealing Treatment of the Psyche/Eros Myth.......2005-08-01
"It is very easy to relegate mythology to a far away place long ago and thus isolate it from the mainstream of here-and-now life." So says Robert A. Johnson in the final chapter of SHE. This short, easy to read book, like Psyche's lamp, sheds light on the inner life of women, as well as the feminine within the male psyche. I've been aware of the Myth of Psyche for many years and have read several books mentioning it. However, I felt the authors often got lost in intellectual jargon or digressive personal experiences, so the meaning of the myth always eluded me. While I had a general idea of its importance, its deeper meanings always remained just out of reach. Johnson systematically takes each stage of the myth apart and shows the reader how it applies to the psyche, and there were many revelations for me in this book. For those who have read SHE and come away unenlightened or confused, I would suggest that perhaps this is not the fault of either author or reader. It does help to have at least a little knowledge of Jungian thought (although Johnson's book could serve as an intriguing introduction to Jungian psychology). I would say that if you're interested in the topic, keep reading about it. Keep building on your knowledge. Over time, your mind will sort out the information--just as the ants help Psyche to sort out the seeds--and you'll come to your own epiphany about the Myth of Psyche, just like I did when I read Johnson's book. I wish readers well in their search.
complex & obtuse.......2001-07-02
I admit, I didn't get it. I bought this book on the strong recommendation of a psychology major, who praised He, She & We (all three books by Johnson). Perhaps my lack of understanding of Jungian theory interfered with my ability to glean meaning from the text.
The book is a short, readable eighty pages, developed around the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche. In Johnson's explanation of how femininity evolves (including the man's feminine side, or anima), a person must go through certain rites of passage, in sequential order, to develop fully as a woman. Psyche must complete four tasks assigned by Aphrodite. Failure to complete any task before nightfall will result in death. The tasks include sorting a pile of many different seeds, collecting golden fleece from rams, filling a crystal goblet with water from the river Styx, and collecting a cask of beauty ointment from Persephone, goddess of the underworld. Johnson explains how each of these tasks represents an evolution in a woman's life (choosing one of the many seeds a man gives to a woman to begin the miracle of birth, gathering the fleece as acquisition of a bit of masculinity necessary to survive in the world, the single goblet of water from Styx as focusing on a single item at once from the vast choices in the universe). The text is rich with metaphor -- marriage as both death and resurrection for a woman, a beautiful oil-burning lamp as a woman's natural consciousness, etc. Interesting, but (at least for me) not particularly enlightening. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I didn't come away with an enhanced understanding of female psychology.
Approachable, Casual Jungian Interpretation.......2001-02-09
This is a short, easy read (about 80 pages) of large-typed, generously-spaced, amply-margined words. Johnson's style is light and casual. Whilst not as in-depth as Marie-Louise Von Franz' treatments, for example, it is also much more approachable and less academically inclined. Still, it provides a concise forray into Jungian thought as related to færy tales and myth.
Whilst the readers of Von Franz might find it too light, I suggest it simply adds to the analytical repertoire. If you enjoy Clarissa Pinkola Estes' work relative to færy tales, you should also enjoy this, too.
Let the Animas Out of Their Cages.......2000-08-15
I picked up this book because I wanted to know more about women. I've been fascinated by them, and irresistably, magnetically attracted to them all of my life. I wanted to understnad a little more about this powerful pull. Women are beautiful, mystical, and wonderfully different. There's that quality in a woman's voice that just doesn't exist in a man's that can make all of the world feel like it's suddenly become light as a feather. There's always been that bewitching paradox about the sexes. We're all human, but our perspectives are inherantly different.
In this slim but nourishing volume, Johnson lucidly examines the Greek myth of Psyche and Cupid. Using Jungian pysychology, he shows that the trials a girl must undertake to become a woman are no different today than they were in the ancient world. Johnson tells us why myth is so important to us as humans. It's one of the truest, clearest records of ourselves. When a myth is passed on from one generation of storytellers to another, it is refined and slowly given its truest shape. The parts that glow are given more emphasis and the parts that don't are left along the way.
As the author stresses, this book is not really about women, but rather about the 'feminine' that exists in both women and to a lesser degree men. In learning to understand the psychological imperatives of the female, not only will a man be more adept in his relationships with women, but he will also better understand his own complex nature.
Very Enjoyable.......1999-11-29
A great presentation of the myth of Psyche and her trials, and integrating that knowledge with his own Jungian analysis. Tells the story well and simple, explaining what the trials in the story of Psyche are telling modern day women and men. The feminine aspects of the human have been trapped somewhere from Ancient Greece to about 1960, and is now slowly revealing itself. Johnson may have a good start and understanding of this knowledge for those who are looking for more of a balance in their lives.
Average customer rating:
- A Must have Book for Friends and Families of Transgendered Persons
- Must Read
- True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism--For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals
- Understanding Transgenders
- True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism
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True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism--For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals
Mildred L. Brown , and
Chloe Ann Rounsley
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0787967025 |
Book Description
Combines authoritative information and humanitarian insight into the transsexual experience
Filled with wisdom and understanding, this groundbreaking book paints a vivid portrait of conflicts transsexuals face on a daily basis--and the courage they must summon as they struggle to reveal their true being to themselves and others. True Selves offers valuable guidance for those who are struggling to understand these people and their situations.
Using real life stories, actual letters, and other compelling examples, the authors give a clear understanding of what it means to be transsexual. They also give other useful advice, including how to deal compassionately with these commonly misunderstood individuals--by keeping an open heart, communicating fears, pain and support, respecting choices.
Customer Reviews:
A Must have Book for Friends and Families of Transgendered Persons.......2007-10-10
The book, True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism, is a well-written and informative tool. It is written through the eyes of a professional who seems to have such love and understanding of her transgendered patients. I bought several copies to send to relatives while in the process of educating them on a very misunderstood subject. Of the 5 books I purchased on transsexualism, this one seems to be the most appropriate and an excellent choice to use for the general public in explaining my loved one's new self.
Must Read.......2007-05-22
This book is excellent as an introduction to the topic. It covers all the topics in a matter-of-fact kind of way.
True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism--For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals.......2007-05-17
Definately a keeper in the FTM personal library. Filled with a lot of insight, and information in regards to any FTM considering transition, as well as answers for family members, friends, and co-workers.
Understanding Transgenders.......2007-05-10
If you have a friend or family member who is transgender, this book will help you understand what they are going through.
True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism.......2007-05-07
As a grandmother of a transgendered individual, I found this book very helpful. It is informative, unbiased and yet sympathetic to all persons involved in trying to understand and help a person decide what steps to take next after affirming his/her transgendered status. It offers scientific facts as well as personal annectdotes. It recognizes the genuine confusion, hurt and often guilt experienced by loving relatives. In other words, it offers support not only to the transgendered individual but to counselors and family members as well.
This is the only book of its kind that I have found, so I have nothing to which to compare it. It also clarifies the diffrences among gay and lesbian people, cross dressers and truly transgendered folk. They are not the same and all deserve to be treated with respect.
Book Description
"An exciting and inspiring book for any man who wishes to understand himself better--and for any woman who wishes to understand men."
NATHANIEL BRANDEN, Ph.D.
Author of THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ROMANTIC LOVE
Nationally known therapist Marvin Allen explores the root causes of men's emotional problems and offers a comprehensive solution to restore their sense of joy and well-being: men working together in therapy groups. Drawing on the life stories of scores of men as well as the author's own personal experience, this landmark book dramatizes the groundbreaking techniques that men can use not simply to discuss their buried emotions but to release them in the healing company of other men. It provides a powerful catalyst for changing men's lives.
Customer Reviews:
A must read for men and women.......2006-07-20
Marvin Allen's straightforward, easy-to-read style of writing makes this book a must for anyone who wants to understand why men think and act the way they do, and how they differ from women emotionally. Many clients' stories and first-hand accounts help illustrate the points the author makes. The appendix offers additional resources for further study/help. As a quote on the front cover states, this is especially "a perfect book to give to a man who is suspicious of therapy and therapists" as well as a must-read for the women they love.
Where's the Man's Anger??.......2003-11-04
The book was good at describing how a man may have obtained his anger and was insightful. It did lack the father who was hostile in a psychological manner through manipulation, subtle verbal abuse, and unfair treatment in comparison to other siblings. There was a mention of obvious verbal abusive but nothing on subtle abuse. What about the man who wasn't physically abused or told outright that he was a loser?? Also, the chapters on love relationships were geared toward the passive angry man and did not take into account the angry man who uses things like verbal abuse and control against his spouse. Men who are angry are often abusive themselves. The controlling man already has control over his "dominion" and the wife does not get to pick the "furniture", etc.... To an angry verbally abusive man telling him that he should have his way at home when he already has control issues will only make things worse. It is good to address the passive man who never speaks up but there was a lack of attention to the angry man who will only allow his way. Lets not go to extremes in either the Men's movement or Women's movement. Each individual is valuable. The book does not talk about how to create mutuality and work as a partner or team (compromise in decision making). It merely talks about men taking control. This book may be good for the passive man who is angry but may further enhance characteristics of the man who is the "nice" guy to everyone outside his intimate relationship and a controlling verbally abusive guy to his spouse. The book would be much better if it had addressed the issues of a mutual relationship and the extreme of being vebally abusive versus speaking up. Speaking up for oneself does not mean disregarding your partners feelings or desires. A relationship should involve both parties making decisions and compromising when there is a difference of opinion.
My dear sir, everything I do is masculine! . . ........2001-05-21
Angry Men, Passive Men - understanding the roots of men's anger and how to move beyond it. This excellent volume is replete with personal stories, examples from real life men's support groups, and knowledgeable advice from a practicing therapist. It was, apparently, first published as "In the Company of Men."
Mr. Allen presents material here that may not at first seem new to anyone reading in men's studies these days. But the added value is in the second half of the book where, after convincing us that there are serious reasons to consider why men suppress their feelings, he gives us some ideas of how to break through the barriers. He explains how we will be able to open up to a full range of feelings if we simply stop accepting "the rules written on The Man Box" we're in.
Just as the women's movement has begun to dismantle the systemic reasons for being put in "the Woman Box," men are encouraged to review how and why we are so well indoctrinated by society to fill the stereotype of "man." We have to start at home and in the society at large to correct limiting views while saving the good aspects of being male. "What men need to do," Allen tells us, "is draw some distinctions between beliefs and behaviors they want to keep and ones they want to discard. For example, they may see that being able to hide their feelings in a poker game or in the middle of a business deal works to their advantage; there are times when it's important not to show your hand. But hiding their feelings from their wives and their friends keeps them isolated and alone."
I suppose the best recommendation, or review, of this book I can give you is to mention that I have ordered a dozen copies (from Amazon.com of course!) to give to friends and to use in my own men's group. I recommend this excellent work for any man or woman interested in learning more about the male psychology.
A guide to breaking free of deadly male stereotypes.......1999-06-22
Marv Allen provides an insightful journey through male psychology. I found the book very helpful.
Book Description
For the past two generations, extensive research has been conducted on the determinants of homosexuality. But, until now, scant attention has been paid to what is perhaps the most mysterious--and potentially illuminating--variation of human sexual expression, bisexuality. Today, as ignorance and fear of AIDS makes greater awareness of all forms of sexual behavior an urgent matter of private and public consequence, leading sex researchers Martin Weinberg, Colin Williams, and Douglas Pryor provide us with the first major study of bisexuality. Weinberg, Williams, and Pryor explore the riddle of dual attraction in their study of 800 residents of San Francisco. Fieldwork, intensive interviews, and surveys provided a wealth of data about the nature of bisexual attraction, the steps that lead people to become bisexual, and how sexual preference can change over time. They found that heterosexuals, more often than homosexuals, become bisexual; that bisexual men and women differ markedly in their sexual behavior and romantic feelings; that most bisexuals ultimately settle into long-term relationships while continuing sexual activity outside those relationships; and they also explain why transsexuals often become bisexual. Moreover, the authors discovered that as the AIDS crisis unfolded, many bisexual men entered into monogamous relationships with women, and bisexual women into more lesbian relationships. Recent media accounts attest that a growing number of researchers and writers are narrowing the fundamental cause of sexual preference to a single factor, biology. But if, as this study shows, learning plays a significant part in helping people traverse the boundaries of gender, if past and present intimate relationships influence their changing preferences, and if bisexual activity is inseparable from a social environment which provides distinctive sexual opportunities, then a mosaic of factors far more complex than those previously considered must be entertained in explaining the fuller spectrum of sexual preferences. Dual Attraction is one of the most significant contributions to our understanding of sexuality since the original Kinsey reports and Bell and Weinberg's 1978 international bestseller, Homosexualities. It is must reading for all those interested in the study of sexual behavior--especially now, since the onset of AIDS.
Customer Reviews:
For people who genuinely care about friends and family who are bisexual.......2006-04-10
For people who are trying to make sense of their bisexual drives, or for people who are trying to be considerate of people they love who have bisexual drives, this book provides considerate feedback.
I really appreciated the work that went into gathering the data for this book. The authors genuinely cared about the ethical, health, and life-affecting characteristics of bisexual behavior. The authors didn't just "mail it in". They moved in to the Bisexual Center in San Francisco, engendered the trust of the bi-sexual survey respondents and asked many significant questions.
The book sets out to "show that sexual preference is a more complex, fluid, and emergent outcome than today's biological determinism dictates." They note that Kinsey reported that the direction of a person's sexual attraction or behavior does not necessarily remain stable: a considerable number of people change the heterosexual and homosexual mix in their sexuality during their lives." The authors' data & interviews appear to support that finding. The book uses "the term 'sexual preference' to emphasize that people take an active part in construcitng their sexuality, as opposed to 'sexual orientation', which suggest that sexual preference is established at birth or fixed thereafter."
The book is about 300 pages long, but there are about 150 additional pages of notes, citations, and table data. Browsing through the easy to read tables, showing the bi-sexual respondents answers to relationship questions, is fascinating. An easy critique of that data is the statistical sampling is way too small - but something is better than nothing.
The book also seems to imply that the AIDS crisis strongly changed bisexuals' behavior - making this reviewer wonder if bisexuality may have become a larger trend, but for the AIDS virus.
The book does not wax positive on bisexuality. I don't think people who read this book will walk away thinking: that sounds interesting & fun. Rather, as the book states "Bi-sexuals found it impossible to make sense of their sexuality by adopting either a heterosexual or homeosexual identity."
A thesis before its time?.......2003-03-07
Perhaps, considering a 2003 survey published in the Journal of Sex Research that concluded "heterosexuals dislike bisexuals more than gays, lesbians and most religous or enthnic groups," and that women tended to feel negative towards bisexual or gay men and women alike while men were more prone to rate bixsexual or gay men lower than they would bisexual or lesbian women. The earlier "Dual Attraction ..." coincidentally hints of similar findings, but goes significantly further than the more recent survey. Most notably, a distinction is made between the bisexual and gay male although both seem mostly to be lumped together in social and research terms. Maybe because of that, any serious study of bisexuality in particular is sparse. The bisexual male, then, is somewhat "invisible," accounting for the fact that most clinicial and social discussion and advocacy come from the bisexual female. And, consistent with the more recent study, the Indiana University sociologists behind "Dual Attraction ..." also come up with a reason that the bisexual male is apparently regarded beneath the gay male and lesbian and bisexual woman. The bisexual man, unlike the gay male, so the theory goes, is self-focused, preoccupied with sex and so sexually experienced with both genders that he feels superior to all, even the straight man. Add to that the apparent belief that bisexual men gave AIDS to the straight community, and the bisexual's social position plummets. Of course, the conclusions in "Dual Attraction ..." are pre-suppositioned on the hotly disputed Masters and Johnson opinion years earlier that sexual orientation is a choice rather than a biological pre-determinant. Even discarding that idea, however, "Dual Attraction ..." still comes out as something of a pioneering effort in acknowledging the existence and explaining the dynamics behind bisexuality. Perhaps no other published work has gone so far as this research. But is it relevant? Quite possibly, considering various surveys put between 25 percent and 75 percent the number of men in America having sex with other men.
Bisexuality at Its Best!.......2001-12-27
This is, without a doubt, the BEST work I've ever seen on bisexuality. Kudos to Weinberg, Williams, and Pryor. Finally ... someone who understands.
A book that gave me a new point of view about sex..........2000-12-15
This book gives a chance to accept a person for the person itself, and I see this as a better way to see and joy sexual and romantical live. Every man once in a while thinks as a bisexual...and if he takes some courage may cross the fear barrier...with the correct person...that may be as long as next door...boy
Just the facts!.......2000-04-10
This book takes away the mystery and delivers the facts of bisexuality. Finally, someone stood up and wrote a book that is actually accurate to bisexuality!
Book Description
In the tradition of Annie Dillard and Natalie Goldberg, this resource for writers and non-writers alike shows the act of writing to be a dynamic means of knowing, healing, and creating the body, mind, and spirit.
Customer Reviews:
A must read, with reservations..........2007-07-28
I purchased this book because the Handless Maiden myth resonates for me, my having first been introduced to it through a dream and then through Clarissa Pinkola Estes book 'Women Who Run With Wolves'. I felt I had more to learn from this myth, and Johnson's book put the Handless Maiden myth in a matrix that helped me to understand it more personally, as a metaphor for the feminine in contemporary society. Placing it in a context I could understand so well brought this myth to life, and was the greatest value of this book for me.
The only off-putting thing, which changed it from 5 to 4 stars, is a small thing but which strikes to the heart of the issue. The author apologised in the beginning for perhaps not being able to do justice to the feminine wounding myth as much as the male myth. It was honest and ethical of him to state such concerns, which makes me respect his integrity, but he is alas, correct. As wonderful as his assessment of the Handless Maiden is, he still put a great deal of emphasis on the male value and aspects of it, which he did very little in reverse for the male Fisher King myth. The section in The Handless Maiden where he abandons such careful integrating of the masculine is the section which resonated most for me. I'm not sure why he did this, but if one goes through both chapters and counts instances of other-gender applicability you'll see what I mean. In one paragraph I almost felt like this myth was being ripped from my "hands" and given to the male, a dynamic of the actual myth.
Nevertheless, the author put the myth into a powerful and broad matrix of understanding for contemporary women, something which 'Women Who Run With Wolves', as much as I love it, didn't allow me to see as clearly. What I would suggest is first reading Johnson's book, and saving Clarissa Pinkola Estes interpretation for last, when you can appreciate it more, in all its profound and subtle complexity.
Wonderful.......2003-04-20
I love all Robert Johnson's work. I find him easy to read and understand.
Healing the wounded feeling function.......2000-09-24
"This book is about our wounded feeling function, probably the most common and painful wound which occurs in our Western world. It is very dangerous when a wound is so common in culture that hardly anyone knows there is a problem." Johnson opens his book with these provocative sentences. The first thing he does is convince the reader that the problem exists, and is of considerable scope. For example, our modern English language is not really adequate for a full description of the problem, having the vague and much abused word "feeling" and only one word, equally vague, for "love". Johnson, a Jungian analyst, explores the problem using myths -- the Fisher King and the Handless Maiden, to demonstrate the wounded feeling function in, respectively, masculinity and femininity. Through the myths, Johnson not only diagnoses the problem, but makes practical suggestions for healing. This wonderful little book, scarcely 100 pages long, can be read in an afternoon, although its insights could change the directions of a life.
Book Description
As relevant today as when written, this timely reprint of a classic in individual psychology shows the way to increased understanding of ourselves and our role in society. What are we? What is our nature and our role? Where are we going and why? It was the psychodynamics behind these central questions that made Understanding Human Nature so important and useful. Originally published in England by Oneworld, and long regarded as a handbook of individual psychology, it introduces the main themes of Alfred Adler's work, including the belief that we are decision-making beings responsible for our own behavior--and capable of changing it. Adler's central aim was to help people live effectively and with a feeling of belonging to the community, and, consequently, Understanding Human Nature's focus is the person in the world, shaping and being shaped by relationships with others. Exploring such themes as the child and society, one's world view, aspects of unreality, character traits, expressions of character, and feelings and emotions, Adler demonstrates his principle's practical application to the conduct of everyday relationships. Adler foresaw that for our survival, we must run the world as a caring, interdependent whole, and his valuable and pertinent insights can help us transform ourselves and life on earth. About the author: A contemporary of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler was born in a Vienna suburb to a Jewish grain merchant. After becoming a medical doctor, Adler went on to found individual psychology and write more than 300 books and papers on child psychology, marriage, education, and the principles of individual psychology. Adler died in 1937 and is recognized along with Freud and Jung as one of the three great fathers of modern psychotherapy. The Adler Collection is also available to you which includes Understanding Human Nature as well as the following two publications: Understanding Life which is an inspiring work that offers direction and wise counsel for increasing awareness of self, one's motivations, and the importance of each person's unique contribution to society; and What Life Could Mean To You where he examines a wide range of themes common to all our lives, including family and school influences; adolescent development; feelings of superiority and inferiority; the importance of cooperation; the "problems of work, friendship, and love and marriage; and the individual and society.
Customer Reviews:
Provocative!.......2005-12-19
An amazing overview of what was considered a very young and questionable science in 1927. A must read for anyone who has interest in psychology.
Very Good, yet somehow unsatisfying.......2002-01-01
Adler is an excellent writer, and his simple language and the clarity of his thoughts make this a great read, but his advice and theories leave me with a bit of a hole. It seems that he too often illustrates all the negative aspects of certain types of human behaviour stemming from various childhood experiences without offering any type of solution to the problems. He might throw in a short paragraph of advice at the end of a passage but overall it is a negative message he seems to be sending out. With his thinking, it seems like any above-average human like an actor or a musician is not a gifted person, but someone who wasn't given enough attention when they were young and is now overcompensating for this. That is a very pessimistic outlook and I don't neccesarily think we can simplify it like that. All of this intellectual and scientific thinking only belittles the human spirit and drive and makes it seem like we are machines rather than souls. Overall, though this is a fine book, but dont look for any solutions of how to be a great social person, read it if you want to understand what kind of a person you don't want to be.
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN NATURE.......2000-11-09
...The purpose of the book is first to point out how the misguided behaviour of the individual affects the harmony of our social and communal life; second, to teach individuals to recognise their own mistakes; and finaly, to show them how to adjust harmoniously to their social environment... This book is thus dedicated to the task of illuminating humankind`s progress towards a better understanding of human nature. {Alfred Adler}
As relevent today as when it was written. Realy pleasure to read.
A must read book for students in the field of psychology........1998-10-06
Colin Brett's translation of Alfred Adlers work is truly a gift to the field of psychology. "Understanding Human Nature" is a must read for up and coming Adlerian Psychologists.
Customer Reviews:
A Controversial Classic.......2003-07-11
A controversial classic on the nature of the male psyche, The Masculine Journey looks at the six stages of manhood. The author builds his thesis on the six Hebrew words used for man in the Old Testament. It is the author's contention that manhood is a journey and that to be the men that God has called us to be, we must develop in our masculinity.
It is readable. It may not be a lot to ask, but too many of these kind of books are poorly written. For example, as I was reading The Masculine Journey, I was also reading Gordon Dalbey's Sons of the Father, the author's intents couldn't be more different. Aside from being almost unreadable, Dalbey sees men as victims, wounded by their father's in search of their manhood; whereas Hicks recognizes father's wounding, refuses to make men victims of their upbringing. Hicks is far more positive.
Although Hicks did try to avoid the cult of victimization he wasn't entirely successful. His reliance on, and quoting of, authors of the men's movement dates this otherwise excellent book. The men's movement authors convey a sense that men are adrift, not knowing which way to go and in doubt of their masculinity. Perhaps some men are adrift, but not all. Yes, there are father wounds, but not all men are wounded. Other reviewers call into doubt the Hicks exegetical scholarship. My Hebrew skills are inadequate to make a critical evaluation myself, but this should raise a flag of caution.
This was an extremely useful book. It helped me recognize the appropriateness of masculine behavior for each stage of life. What behavior is appropriate for a thirty year old, may not be appropriate for a sixty year old. The author also addresses the sexual issues in a way that few authors try; rather than skirting around the issue, he meets confronts it directly. The books also taught me about life's transitions. As we age from young, to middle age, to elderly, we, as men, need to change our perception as to who a man is, and what a man does.
Thought-provoking and challenging.......2002-11-23
The intent of this book is to examine six Hebrew words translated "man," moving from the generic term for a human, through four "masculinizing" stages, to the great end-stage of full maturation identified in The Sage. Well-respected Hebrew and Aramaic lexicons are referenced, enabling this reader to trust that the author was using objective source material and not attempting to get words to fit his agenda. An excellent appendix provides an overview of each of the six stages of manhood, providing, among many other things, an illustration of each term in both a Biblical character and a contemporary individual. The layout of the book could be improved by the publisher, particularly in chapter subdivisions, to more clearly identify the author's progression of thought and argument. However, the content is intellectually stimulating and, to one going through the "wounded" stage, deeply satisfying.
Very Illuminating.......1999-08-27
I found this book to be quite thought-provoking. It characterizes "manhood" in six "stages", each having their own purpose and issues. It put into words notions that I've been meditating about myself, as I get older. "When I was a child, I thought like a child...but when I became a man, I put away childish things." I read the book in one sitting and plan to reread it often for new insights as I go through my own journey.
Blasphemous.......1999-07-08
The author's interpretation of the Bible's comments on masculinity are his very own, and because of that, attempts breach the contract between the believer and God. It's blastphemous (not to mention silly) and the promise keepers fuzzy goal is distinctly UnAmerican.
Average customer rating:
- If You Want Closure in Your Relationship Start with Your Legs
- OLD NEWS FOR OLD PLAYAS
- Time and Money WASTED!!!!
- Big reviews for Big Boom- and he's fine too ladies
- Buy it used if at all
|
If You Want Closure in Your Relationship, Start with Your Legs: A Guide to Understanding Men
Big Boom
Manufacturer: Fireside
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Binding: Paperback
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| Health, Mind & Body
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Human
| Sexuality
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ASIN: 1416546464 |
Book Description
NATIONAL ESSENCE BESTSELLER
Want to find real, committed love? The bodyguard for women's hearts reveals the minds of men in this tough-love guide to relationships.
After decades of preying on women as a pimp and a hustler, Big Boom knows all the games men play. He's now given up his player card, exposing the motivations of men and providing women with down-to-earth advice on how to create a fulfilling, loving relationship.
From sex with the ex to first dates, from the first look to the morning after, Boom leaves nothing out. His straight-talking advice exposes women's weaknesses and is invaluable to any woman determined to avoid common mistakes that lead to heartbreak.
This unique guide will show women not only how to find true love with Mr. Right, but also how to avoid Mr. Never-Gonna-Happen, Mr. Infidelity, and a variety of other Mr. Wrongs.
Customer Reviews:
If You Want Closure in Your Relationship Start with Your Legs.......2007-10-10
This book is excellent with matters that concern many women in the world today. I would reccomended every women to get this book and read it. I have read mine and passed it on to other women to read as well. All of the women say the same thing. "Any women who's a real women has experienced this at one time in there life". I can't wait for the next one.
OLD NEWS FOR OLD PLAYAS.......2007-10-10
"A Guide to Understanding Men" taught me absolutely nothing. I am very disappointed in author Big Boom for giving this old and known advice. This is the millennium and most of the issues have occurred and are already known - or should be known. I expected this book to teach me some new techniques about men. Offer some new insight. However, it did not, and as a result, it was not good. It refreshed my memory of the past relationships I encountered in my life. I felt like this book should've targeted "chicken-heads" or younger adults, but it was not suitable for women.
Overall, I rate this book a 3. I believe Big Boom could have added more updated news about "THE GAME," however the Game remains the same. I will urge younger adults to read this book because maybe it will make a difference in their lives.
Reviewed by: Tekisha
Time and Money WASTED!!!!.......2007-09-25
Like many others, I saw this book in the store and decided to see what a brotha had to say. I understand that Mr. Boom has turned his life around and wants to inform women about the pitfalls of relationships, but I thought that it was a little over the top. This book is just a national confession of all the tricks and the games that he has played with women. In certain areas of the book, it sounded like he was bragging. After the first few chapters, I thought it was a waste of time, but I continued to read to see if he really had something interesting to say. Unfortunately, that never happened. If you are looking for some good advice, start with ANOTHER BOOK! This is a waste of time and money!
Big reviews for Big Boom- and he's fine too ladies.......2007-09-07
It is not the matter that this book was written by a former pimp, but by an experienced male and from the male perspective. This book puts the spotlight on wolves and the ladies who allow themselves to be devoured by them. This book gets our rave reviews because who really wants to be told that they are a sucker plain and simple. Take heed ladies, this is your warning. You can take it with a grain of salt or push on and learn the hard way. You know that you have ran across one or two men who are like the men in this book. Big Boom, I applaud you and the dogs are hating on your right now. The ladies who are in this predicament are in denial and saying, but I love him! Well there are good men out there who can put it on you and still treat you the way you should be treated. Stop settling ladies, we got to do better.
Buy it used if at all.......2007-08-09
I purchased this book because of the title. Thank God I didn't spend the money on a hard cover book. The organization was horrible, it was all over the place and confusing. I won't even get into the grammar and typos etc. That annoys me to no end. I didn't feel like I got anything out of reading the book. Yeah yeah, he was a dog who found God and changed his life. Still, there are much better books on relationships out there. Don't waste your money on this one. Mr. Boom, please don't write any more books until you learn how to write or hire an editor who knows his job.
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