The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man's World Author: Alan Downs | Language: English | ISBN:
B007XUGCUM | Format: PDF
The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man's World Description
Today’s gay man enjoys unprecedented, hard-won social acceptance. Despite this victory, however, serious problems still exist. Substance abuse, depression, suicide, and sex addiction among gay men are at an all-time high, causing many to ask, “Are we really better off?” Drawing on contemporary research, psychologist Alan Downs’s own struggle with shame and anger, and stories from his patients, The Velvet Rage passionately describes the stages of a gay man’s journey out of shame and offers practical and inspired strategies to stop the cycle of avoidance and self-defeating behavior. Updated to reflect the effects of the many recent social, cultural, and political changes, The Velvet Rage is an empowering book that has already changed the public discourse on gay culture and helped shape the identity of an entire generation of gay men.
- File Size: 618 KB
- Print Length: 274 pages
- Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0738215678
- Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books; Second Edition edition (June 5, 2012)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B007XUGCUM
- Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray:
- Lending: Not Enabled
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,061 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #4
in Books > Gay & Lesbian > Nonfiction > Coming Out - #11
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Gay & Lesbian > Nonfiction - #13
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Gender Studies
- #4
in Books > Gay & Lesbian > Nonfiction > Coming Out - #11
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Gay & Lesbian > Nonfiction - #13
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Gender Studies
While the author is thorough in exploring his worldview, it was difficult to relate to. In this world, there are only gay and straight people, strongly defined by their jobs, and at some point "wildly successful" in some sort of capitalist pursuit. I suspect that the author is limiting his worldview to the men who can afford his therapy or would choose to pursue therapy, the cost of which, I'm guessing, excludes variety and the type of person who spend thousands of dollars to pursue the lack of meaning in their own "fabulous" lives. The author also tips his hat the limitations of stereotypes and then dives right in and reinforces every gay stereotype there is. Not being a "fabulous" gay man who has never been wildly successful, it's a stretch for me to find myself, or anything of value on a personal level, in this book.
By BillUpstateNewYork
I really did enjoy this book and found it to be very insightful and interesting. The only criticism is I would have liked more practical information on how to get rid of the shame that we feel as gay men. The book builds up to it then all of a sudden moves into the phrase " now that we have overcome our shame"..... For me I would have like more techniques and ideas to move past the toxic past that gay men have to go through. That being said I thought the information on handling different emotions/situations section in a relation was very good. Overall I would suggest gay men read this book.
By glen
The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man's World Preview
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