Book excerpt: A middle-aged transvestite presents his unusual life story in a fiction-inspired-by-fact account, describing his complex struggles with crossdressing and gender identity and his efforts to deal with various chronic addictions, including those involving alcohol, call girls, strippers, sex, and spending money. The diverse stories in the book range from serious to funny to outrageous and are written in an unflinchingly personal style that is also earthy, sexy, and sometimes politically incorrect.