You Don't Know Dick

Not to be confused with You Don't Know Jack, the popular software quiz party game, You Don't Know Dick interviews a bunch of guys who were originally girls. How serious are these guys? Testosterone therapy serious. Double mastectomy serious. Using the men's room instead of the women's room serious. Not a tabloid-type overview, this insightful look into the lives of six female to male transsexuals examines childhood pain and confusion, difficulties with early relationships, the liberating decision to transform, reactions of family and friends, and day to day life. Ranging from an endlessly self-documenting bodybuilder (Loren, whose amazing photographs you may have seen before in Utne Reader) to a down-to-earth car mechanic, the men profiled here share painful memories, courageous decisions and downright fascinating details (such as how transsexual men who have not undergone "bottom surgery" use a Cool Whip lid as a funnel at a urinal in the men's room--and, no, I'm not going to explain further.) Absolutely true to its title, You Don't Know Dick is sure to astound (trust me, you cannot tell that these guys were once girls), inform and entertain audiences. Highly recommended. (Note: Libraries without superflush budgets might want to consider A&E Home Video's Investigative Reports: Transgender Revolution, an examination of transsexual life which is not as good as You Don't Know Dick, but is priced at $19.95.) Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)