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Book Review(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)  Secret Men's Business: Manhood "The Big Gig" (1998) Author: John Marsden. Secret Men's Business: Manhood "The Big Gig"by John Marsden This book is a good easy read on how to be a functioning adult male. It's aimed at adolescent boys but is very useful for us F.T.M. trying to sort it all out. It gives us a look at what transitioning to manhood would be like for a boy and the issues facing them and us. I found I could relate to many of the fears, lack of experience and confusions felt by the youth that are mentioned. John Marsden's writing style is single, clear, absorbing and non-judgmental. For boys trying to work out what manhood is about, this book is a good common sense starting point. It covers appropriate and inappropriate behaviours at a very practical level. It's not about where and how to buy a suit, it's about how to be a responsible and emotionally mature man. The topics covered include how to separate physically and emotionally from our parents; the lies young people are told about life; what becoming a man is really all about; drugs; puberty; sex (it positively acknowledges gay sexuality); girls and women and solving your problems. A very interesting section is on boys' relationships with their fathers, the need for a positive one, what you can do if you don't have a father to learn from and rely on and how to cope and fill that gap.  Remaking Men: The Revolution In Masculinity (1997) Author: David Tacey. Remaking Men: The Revolution In Masculinityby David Tacey Remaking Men explores the spiritual and emotional dimensions of men's experiences in particular initiation into manhood, rites of passage and the dilemmas facing non-macho men. It moves beyond the "back to the primitive, tribal men in the woods" approach of some men's movement writers, particularly the Americans. The author discusses the shortcomings of this approach - how they are simplistic, unrealistic (based on fantasy) often immature, limit men's development and often inappropriate (steal) another culture's beliefs and ceremonies.  Fire In The Belly: On Being A Man (1992) Author: Sam Keen. Fire in The Belly: On Being A Manby Sam Keen Fire in the Belly discusses being a man in terms of being a hero, a warrior in today's world. It is an interesting read with some provocative ideas. It is the sort of book that the previous writer David Tracey criticizes, but for F.T.M.s wanting to cover the writings and thoughts of some of the men's movement, it's certainly thought provoking. Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health. |
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