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This handsome reprint of Jorgensen's 1967 memoir makes it abundantly clear how moments of grace can descend on even the most ordinary of lives. When ex-G.I. George Jorgensen went to Copenhagen in the early 1950s to consult experts in sexual deviance, he was afraid they'd simply proclaim him a fairy. A full battery of hormonal and psychological tests revealed that, while he was drawn to men, he was no garden-variety homophile; he was a lady. Keeping the secret from his family, Jorgensen endured a groundbreaking series of operations, finally emerging in November 1952 as a delicately beautiful young woman. "I merely wanted to correct what I considered a misjudgment of Nature," wrote Jorgensen, who died in 1989. No one seeing the photographs included here (many of them new to this edition) can doubt the success of Jorgensen's transformation or wonder too long at the fascination she engendered back home, where a newspaper bought her story for $20,000 and she was proclaimed New York City's Woman of the Year. A stage and screen career soon followed. As Susan Stryker points out in a new introduction, Jorgensen offers a somewhat flattering and selectively abridged account of herself in the autobiography, but no more so than any plucky girl smiling her way through what must have been, at times, a harrowing and lonely journey, but one that she conducted with remarkable dignity. --Regina Marler
Book Description
On December 1, 1952, readers of the New York Daily News were greeted with a banner headline: EX-GI BECOMES BLONDE BEAUTY: OPERATIONS TRANSFORM BRONX YOUTH. In the ensuing 18 months, more than half a million words about Christine Jorgensen rolled off the world's presses. In her own personable style, Jorgensen offers an intimate account of her groundbreaking life as the first world-renowned transsexual. "Nature made a mistake," she writes, "which I have corrected."
An entertainer who played clubs from Las Vegas to Havana, Jorgensen was both "banned" in Boston and named "Woman of the Year" in New York City. She hobnobbed with many of the celebrities of the day, including Judy Garland, Tennessee Williams, Natalie Wood, and Truman Capote.
Customer Reviews:
The Quintessential Transsexual Fairy Tale.......2007-07-16
Equal parts Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, the Christine Jorgensen story, as cheerfully recounted in her 1967 autobiography, demonstrates the ideological attractiveness of the passive reinvention of the persona. There's no shortage of 1950s Prince Charmings in shining armour here: Jorgensen's primary doctor informs her "No, I would not charge you anything" for HRT or SRS. In gratitude, she names herself after him. Later, another Father-Knows-Best magic man sweeps Jorgensen off her feet - a talent agent who grooms her for a lucrative show business career. Presto - Sleeping Beauty awakens upon the American Idol stage. This is the fairy godmother of all TS memoirs - the loveliest, silkiest read ever.
[This edition has a solid preface by Susan Stryker and updated, occasionally 'naughty,' photos.]
Transexualism.......2005-09-07
I had read this book before. I am a gay male, 48, and i first read it about 15 years ago. I now have a trans-gendered friend. I never understood transexuals until I read Christine Jorgensen's story. Then, I did. She is candid, very forthright, and a good example for everyone. I recommend that anyone who is inquisitive about the subject, first read this book. It is excellent. She was a pioneer, perhaps and American heroine.
THE WORLD'S FIRST FAMOUS TRANSSEXUAL..........2001-08-12
This is a must read book for those interested in gender identity issues, as well as for those who enjoy memoirs. Ms. Jorgensen was the first American to have a sex change operation and undergo such public scrutiny. Though she never intended to have her transformation become public knowledge, it was leaked to the press, and from then on, her life was never the same. In the cultural milieu of the nineteen fifties, Ms. Jorgensen's sex change was big news.
Starting her life out as George Jorgensen, she never quite felt that she fit in and became a loner by inclination. One striking issue in the book, however, is that she came from an extremely loving and supportive family who always unconditionally accepted her as she was, both before and after her metamorphosis. Not every transgendered individual is as lucky as Ms. Jorgensen appears to have been with respect to familial relationships. Perhaps it was because her parents were of Danish descent, and Scandinavian people tend to be more accepting of these issues.
Relentlessly upbeat, the book is a flattering and politely idealized memoir, as if anything too dark were exorcised from its pages. The chapters which cover Ms. Jorgensen's time in Denmark, where her change took place, are somewhat superficial and non-clinical. There is no real indication of any personal struggle or self-doubt with respect to her decision to undergo a life changing transformation. One has to remember, however, that this book was originally published approximately thirty five years ago, when the public's sensibilities on such issues were far more delicate.
What does come across in this autobiography is that Ms. Jorgensen had the courage to make a decision that for the time was somewhat unique and cutting edge, as there was virtually no literature available for the general public on transsexualism, and gender identity studies were still in their nascent stage. Ms. Jorgensen essentially paved the way for others by bringing to the public consciousness issues that had not before been the subject of public discussion. In bringing these issues into the public domain, she was subject to a torrent of abuse, as well as discriminatory practices, and seemed to be the endless butt of jokes. She took these problems in stride, however, and always managed to have the last laugh. Laughter, indeed, appears to have been the best medicine.
Ms. Jorgensen, an attractive natural blonde, who personified the stereotypic feminine ideal of the time, became an entertainer. Given her notoriety, her career options were limited, as she gathered a crowd whenever her identity became known. Playing the hand that was dealt her, she parlayed her notoriety into a successful club act, digressing into acting. She managed to make a success of herself, living a life that was interesting, but hardly scandalous. While this is an intriguing memoir, it is not an in depth profile of Ms. Jorgensen. The reader comes away knowing about Ms. Jorgensen, rather than knowing her. Still, all in all, it is a worthwhile read.
Christine Jorgensen: The Lady Revisited........2000-10-20
I had read Jorgensen's book and this is a great reissue of her very polite autobiography originally published in 1967. Susan Stryker's introduction adds a great deal of insight into Christine as she truly was: ambitious,tough,witty, and truly talented. Jorgensen was not a successful nightclub performer because of her sex change, she had taste and talent. She strived for more such as films and theatre. She was successful in the latter a few times. This new edition has great photographs never seen before. Jorgensen had written, at least in part, a new auto-biography that did not hold back intimate information which she felt the audience of the 1960s were not ready for. Why Christine Jorgensen has been largely forgotten (she made TV appearances into the 1980s and died far too young in 1989)is something that I don't understand. She was constantly in the newspapers throughout the 1950s and when this book was originally released, she was on several talk shows. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand transsexualism. Christine was not the first, but she was the first major celebrity sex change. The lady had class, dignity, intelligence, and a great wit. It is an intriguing read of a shy lad who was troubled and catapulted into a celebrity status and become very comfortable with herself. One cannot help but to admire her courage. If the reader wants to find out about her love life,back issues of such periodicals as The Advocate will have to be perused.Details of her three surgeries are not described indepth. Nevertheless,she was a phenomenon who is often left out of books on the 1950s. The reissue of her book will enlighten many, bring back memories to others. It will also cause several to wish someone would do a biography on Christine Jorgensen.Susan Stryker's introduction evokes great intrigue and I wish it had been much longer and filled in the many gaps which Jorgensen's publishers persuaded her to leave out. A very worthy read of an all but forgotten lady of history! I highly recommend it. Christine Jorgensen unintentionally moved the sexual revolution along. She caused society to re-evaluate what gender is during a politically conservative climate. If you have never heard of her, it is a must. If you heard of her but forgot her, revisit her. It is worth the time to get to know Ms.Jorgensen.
Customer Reviews:
THE WORLD'S FIRST FAMOUS TRANSSEXUAL..........2002-05-28
This is a must read book for those interested in gender identity issues, as well as for those who enjoy memoirs. Ms. Jorgensen was the first American to have a sex change operation and undergo such public scrutiny. Though she never intended to have her transformation become public knowledge, it was leaked to the press, and from then on, her life was never the same. In the cultural milieu of the nineteen fifties, Ms. Jorgensen's sex change was big news.
Starting her life out as George Jorgensen, she never quite felt that she fit in and became a loner by inclination. One striking issue in the book, however, is that she came from an extremely loving and supportive family who always unconditionally accepted her as she was, both before and after her metamorphosis. Not every transgendered individual is as lucky as Ms. Jorgensen appears to have been with respect to familial relationships. Perhaps it was because her parents were of Danish descent, and Scandinavian people may tend to be more accepting of these issues.
Relentlessly upbeat, the book is a flattering and politely idealized memoir, as if anything too dark were exorcised from its pages. The chapters that cover Ms. Jorgensen's time in Denmark, where her change took place, are somewhat superficial and non-clinical. There is no real indication of any personal struggle or self-doubt with respect to her decision to undergo a life changing transformation. One has to remember, however, that this book was originally published approximately thirty five years ago, when the public's sensibilities on such issues were far more delicate.
What does come across in this autobiography is that Ms. Jorgensen had the courage to make a decision that for the time was somewhat unique and cutting edge, as there was virtually no literature available for the general public on transsexualism, and gender identity studies were still in their nascent stage. Ms. Jorgensen essentially paved the way for others by bringing to the public consciousness issues that had not before been the subject of public discussion. In bringing these issues into the public domain, she was subject to a torrent of abuse, as well as discriminatory practices, and seemed to be the endless butt of jokes. She took these problems in stride, however, and always managed to have the last laugh. Laughter, indeed, appears to have been the best medicine.
Ms. Jorgensen, an attractive natural blonde, who personified the stereotypic feminine ideal of the time, became an entertainer. Given her notoriety, her career options were limited, as she gathered a crowd whenever her identity became known. Playing the hand that was dealt her, she parlayed her notoriety into a successful club act, digressing into acting. She managed to make a success of herself, living a life that was interesting, but hardly scandalous. While this is an intriguing memoir, it is not an in depth profile of Ms. Jorgensen. The reader comes away knowing about Ms. Jorgensen, rather than knowing her. Still, all in all, it is a worthwhile read.
Average customer rating:
- The greatest driver in modern F1
- From a former Senna's school colleague
- Awsome book
- Masterpiece
- Interesting but not more
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Ayrton Senna: As time goes by
C. Hilton
Manufacturer: Haynes Publishing
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Ayrton Senna: The Whole Story
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Memories of Ayrton Senna
ASIN: 1859606113 |
Book Description
Senna's F1 career is captured here by the touching memories of those close to him. Hilton examines the Imola crash, analysing and reproducing much of the relevant television images. Includes full coverage of the manslaughter trial against Frank Williams and others and a probe into the mysterious Official Inquiry into the crash. Chronicled also is the work of the Senna Foundation, a charity developed to raise money to feed and educate poor children.
Customer Reviews:
The greatest driver in modern F1.......2003-04-17
Theres no doubt that the late Ayrton Senna was the greatest F1 racer of all time, to be matched only by Jim Clark, Fangio, Stewart, and to a lesser extent Schumacher. Mr Hilton, does an excellent job in covering one of the worlds greatest athletes from his early childhood days, karting to his final race and tragic end at Imola 1 May 1994. The book has many nice photos of Senna in action. This is a must have for any racing fan. This is a tribute to Brazils national hero and king of modern era of Formula One. Long live Ayrton Senna..Sempre Senna!
From a former Senna's school colleague.......2001-05-24
I have studied at the Colegio Rio Branco, during the same time as Ayrton's, and all of us who met him at that time remember him as being a very quiet and nice guy, already a big name in kart racing in Brazil. He indeed was an introspective young man, but was not a bad student at all. The initial chapters of this very good book made me remember our old times at high school, and the author did a very good job in describing the psychological profile of the young genious Senna. This book also recounts nice anecdotes about his life after he'd moved to England, all the way up to becoming the greatest grand prix driver ever. From this book we all can see that the man was not only a great F1 driver, but also an exceptional human being, who left us all too early. A very enjoyable reading.
Awsome book.......2001-05-15
Great book with lots of information that every Senna fan will like. Many good quality photos and interesting well developed story. It covers all personal performance of the driver including comments from people that he knew, he raced agains ant ppl he worked with. A must have for every single Ayrton Senna fan. I'm really happy that I bought it.
Masterpiece.......2001-04-22
people if you are a true Senna fan you have to buy this book. It doesnt contain statistic, numbers, etc.The book goes about Senna s life in and out F1. There are a lot of people who worked with him and they are telling his whole life. How he was, what he did, etc. Bye the way: Schumacher and Senna are also compared a lot of times with each other. That is really interesting. They had almost the same career and abilities.Even his school is written (and pictures of that). This book is very good to read. If you really want to know how the person Senna (in and out F1) was this is a good book.Really
Interesting but not more.......1999-10-16
This books allows us to discover Ayrton Senna through the eyes of people who knew him closely. The thing that disappointed me is that some of the key people in his life weren't a part of this book (Adrienne, his family members) and that some of the anecdotes were too superficial and we would have liked getting in a little deeper in the matter. Overall, an interesting series of "short stories".
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New York City has long been inextricably linked with music. A center for jazz, punk rock, street music, avant-garde, and all kinds of other styles, it resonates with the hustle of a city open 24 hours a day. Mike Evans takes the reader on a tour of this rich scene, from the coffeehouses of Greenwich Village, to the blue-collar angst of New Jersey, to the funked-out grooves of Harlem clubs. The book covers the five boroughs and adjacent suburbs, and contains a wealth of interviews with musicians, writers, poets, street performers, promoters, and others who have made the city a preeminent purveyor of good sounds. Insider tips on where to stay and eat, photographs, and a map indicating New York's music hot spots help visitors make the most of their trip.
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Scrapbook for Chinese Collectors
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An important monograph on Chinese painting and the Chinese view of authentication.
Book Description
In Volatility and Correlation 2
nd edition: The Perfect Hedger and the Fox, Rebonato looks at derivatives pricing from the angle of volatility and correlation. With both practical and theoretical applications, this is a thorough update of the highly successful Volatility & Correlation – with over
80ew or fully reworked material and is a must have both for practitioners and for students.
The new and updated material includes a critical examination of the ‘perfect-replication’ approach to derivatives pricing, with special attention given to exotic options; a thorough analysis of the role of quadratic variation in derivatives pricing and hedging; a discussion of the informational efficiency of markets in commonly-used calibration and hedging practices. Treatment of new models including Variance Gamma, displaced diffusion, stochastic volatility for interest-rate smiles and equity/FX options.
The book is split into four parts. Part I deals with a Black world without smiles, sets out the author’s ‘philosophical’ approach and covers deterministic volatility. Part II looks at smiles in equity and FX worlds. It begins with a review of relevant empirical information about smiles, and provides coverage of local-stochastic-volatility, general-stochastic-volatility, jump-diffusion and Variance-Gamma processes. Part II concludes with an important chapter that discusses if and to what extent one can dispense with an explicit specification of a model, and can directly prescribe the dynamics of the smile surface.
Part III focusses on interest rates when the volatility is deterministic. Part IV extends this setting in order to account for smiles in a financially motivated and computationally tractable manner. In this final part the author deals with CEV processes, with diffusive stochastic volatility and with Markov-chain processes.
Praise for the First Edition:
“In this book, Dr Rebonato brings his penetrating eye to bear on option pricing and hedging.… The book is a must-read for those who already know the basics of options and are looking for an edge in applying the more sophisticated approaches that have recently been developed.”
—Professor Ian Cooper, London Business School
“Volatility and correlation are at the very core of all option pricing and hedging. In this book, Riccardo Rebonato presents the subject in his characteristically elegant and simple fashion…A rare combination of intellectual insight and practical common sense.”
—Anthony Neuberger, London Business School
Download Description
In Volatility and Correlation 2nd edition: The Perfect Hedger and the Fox, Rebonato looks at derivatives pricing from the angle of volatility and correlation. With both practical and theoretical applications, this is a thorough update of the highly successful Volatility & Correlation with over 80% new or fully reworked material and is a must have both for practitioners and for students. The new and updated material includes a critical examination of the perfect-replication approach to derivatives pricing, with special attention given to exotic options; a thorough analysis of the role of quadratic variation in derivatives pricing and hedging; a discussion of the informational efficiency of markets in commonly-used calibration and hedging practices. Treatment of new models including Variance Gamma, displaced diffusion, stochastic volatility for interest-rate smiles and equity/FX options. The book is split into four parts. Part I deals with a Black world without smiles, sets out the author's philosophical approach and covers deterministic volatility. Part II looks at smiles in equity and FX worlds. It begins with a review of relevant empirical information about smiles, and provides coverage of local-stochastic-volatility, general-stochastic-volatility, jump-diffusion and Variance-Gamma processes. Part II concludes with an important chapter that discusses if and to what extent one can dispense with an explicit specification of a model, and can directly prescribe the dynamics of the smile surface. Part III focusses on interest rates when the volatility is deterministic. Part IV extends this setting in order to account for smiles in a financially motivated and computationally tractable manner. In this final part the author deals with CEV processes, with diffusive stochastic volatility and with Markov-chain processes.
Customer Reviews:
Very good but missing little things here and there.......2007-02-08
Although the author warns the reader in the Preface, that because he ran out of pages (come on it is more than 800!) he omited dealing with Copulas, it is still a pitty that a book about correlation does not present at least a small chapter on this new (state-of-the-art) area.
Everything else is very good, solid material with a good balance between maths surrounding the topic, explanations and worked out examples.
very informative and reader friendly.......2007-01-09
for the first time I really understood risk neutral probability, explanations are excellent. unfortunately I am only read about 10 chapters int he book, should spend more time with it.
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