Through the Jungle: A Traveler's Guide

Rating:
Summary: Through the Jungle to Life
Review: Excellent book covering so much of the underlying events of transition. The questions, the feelings, and the excitement of changing oneself so completely are written for all to see. This is one of the important "must read" books for transgendered people, their therapists and doctors; along with friends and anybody interested in transgender life. Many of us have difficulty expressing the feelings as Samantha so nicely does in her writing. Anyone can point to a line in any of the chapters and say "this is how I feel" and be understood.
Life is not easy, but it can turn out to be wonderful once you start living it your way, Samantha does that.

Rating:
Summary: Through the Jungle: A Travelers Guide
Review: I found this book to be a no nonsense well done book. The author shares her personal experiance and fears of transitioning from one gender to another. It's well done and written by a person who shares her innermost thoughts and feelings. As a Clinician I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants true facts about GID and how one person dealt with it. I will include it in my resourse recommendations on my site and will recommend it to my Clients.

Rating:
Summary: Nature / Nurture - Now we know
Review: Now that the professionals are thoroughly confused in their notions of nature and nurture as it applies to gender assignment, it's time we heard from someone who really knows - a person who has actually done gender transition. This story of the day-by-day struggles through childhood and on through adulthood touched me deeply. The genuine feelings expressed on each page say so much more than any statistical analysis done by professionals. By sharing her journal of her own transition, Samantha Walker Adams shows us the inner reaches of her heart. While each person must walk their own path through transition, the path she walked was a long and a tough one.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is considering transition or who has a friend or relative who is doing so. This story of one person's path shows just how heart-wrenching and, at the same time, fulfilling this can be.

Rating:
Summary: An extraordinary journey
Review: Of all of the autobiographies of transsexual women that I have read, "Through the Jungle" is by far the most real and honest. Samantha Adams was never a medical doctor, never climbed Mt. Everest, is not a university professor, and never played professional sports. She is a regular woman who endured the transition from male to female.

For three years, during her transition, she kept a diary. Here, we see that this "ordinary" woman used extraordinary courage and stamina to endure hardships caused by family, "friends," co-workers, and even being thrown out of her church just for having the birth condition known as GID.

GID (gender identity disorder, a.k.a. transsexualism) is an embarrassing and emotionally painful birth disorder where the brain gender does not match the physical anatomy. The only known cure for this is social and surgical transition from the wrong gender to the right one. The transition can be the most difficult thing that a person ever does, and we read of Samantha's personal endurance of this important time. In the end, Samantha is now a wonderful and thoughtful woman with an inspiring personal history, and the pain of transition was well worth the rewards.

The book is not sensational, nor is it adult reading material--transsexuality is about gender, not sexuality. It is, however, brutally honest as well as heartwarmingly endearing. It should be required reading for anyone preparing to undergo gender transition themselves.

Rating:
Summary: A Traveler's Guide
Review: This is the personal story of three years of Samantha's life as she transitioned male to female. It is told as a series of diary entries written as the events happened, interspersed with dream sequences and discussion added later as the book was written. More than just a story of what happened; it is an examination of her emotional highs and lows throughout this period.
Every person experiences their transsexual feelings differently, yet there are similarities. Samantha expresses her experience as the Beast of fear chasing her through the jungle of her emotions as she pursues her unknown future. Her diary format chronicles the highs and lows of accomplishment and setback. She loses friends, but gains new friends in unexpected places. Her father and wife are supportive throughout, while her mother gains acceptance only slowly. She transitions while employed; most coworkers react negatively, while a few are supportive. Late in her transition, her wife leaves her for a woman Samantha had considered a close friend.
Like many transsexuals, Samantha begins transition self-dosing with various hormones without professional medical care. Once she consulted a physician, she was told that she may have damaged her liver and sped up the effects of her diabetes. She cautions those following her NOT to self-dose hormones, since there can be many unexpected side effects and each person's dosage may be different.
"Making the change male to female is not all bad and dark," she reports. "The worst parts came from my own thoughts and imagination trying to make mountains out of nothing."
Samantha's book includes a lengthy series of 23 steps to full transition, with the caveat that these are HER steps. It also includes a wonderful letter to her church - which refused to baptize her as scheduled when the pastor was told she was transgendered.
The book closes with a brief story by female to male Miles Newman, close friend to Samantha and copy editor of her book.
"Not every single person who you meet wants to do you harm; sometimes they, just like yourself, simply want not to be alone when they eat their dinner."


Rating:
Summary: Three years of hell and now finally free to be her own woman
Review: You can tell this book was written from the heart and soul of Samantha Adams. The three years of her transition was "Hell on Earth"...but she prevailed! She takes you with her on her journey into the depths of despair, and the highs of her triumphs. I was saddened for Walker, no one should have to live feeling that way. On the other hand, I was happy for Samantha. It took courage to take the road she chose. It took a whole lot of guts to go forward with everything she had to tolerate. I don't know that the average person would come out of it sane. I do believe that everyone should read this book to get an understanding of the emotional roller coaster of anyone in any kind of a transitional period of their life. Words/comments can cut a person to the quick. The book should be a must with educators of all grades, to help stop bullying.

Rating:
Summary: Three years of hell and now finally free to be her own woman
Review: You can tell this book was written from the heart and soul of Samantha Adams. The three years of her transition was "Hell on Earth"...but she prevailed! She takes you with her on her journey into the depths of despair, and the highs of her triumphs. I was saddened for Walker, no one should have to live feeling that way. On the other hand, I was happy for Samantha. It took courage to take the road she chose. It took a whole lot of guts to go forward with everything she had to tolerate. I don't know that the average person would come out of it sane. I do believe that everyone should read this book to get an understanding of the emotional roller coaster of anyone in any kind of a transitional period of their life. Words/comments can cut a person to the quick. The book should be a must with educators of all grades, to help stop bullying.

Rating:
Summary: Every little girl needs someone to buy her a Barbie doll
Review: Your typical small town girl next door from the section of the American Midwest known as the Rustbelt, Samantha Adams has written an extremely readable account of how she has struggled to accept herself and achieve the acceptance of those around her.

A first time author, her lack of the polished level of literary skills as presented by Jennifer Boylan in "She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders" is not a liability, rather quite the opposite. Her down to earth writing is easier to relate to, all the more real for the grit in the gears.

Following her as she grapples with her own fears as well as those of the people around her while blazing her path of self determination, one can only admire her capacity for pain and her determination. Remarkable by anyone's standards, her perseverance can serve as an inspiration for all, as she presents the so very human face of a reality that is far too often distorted by sensationalism and misconception.

Who should read this book? I would suggest it to anyone who has ever felt out of place and like they didn't belong. A must read, "Through the Jungle: A Traveler's Guide" belongs on everyone's book shelf and should be on the required reading list of diversity programs everywhere.