The Bear Book II: Further Readings in the History and Evolution of a Gay Male Subculture (Haworth Gay & Lesbian Studies) (Haworth Gay & Lesbian Studies)

Here is a serious discussion of an emerging gay subculture! Take another fascinating journey into the bear's den with the latest offering from Les Wright, author of The Bear Book. The Bear Book II will show you the contrast between the media image of the fun-loving, carefree bear man and the health, image, psychological, technological, and sexual concerns of bears living in the real world. A continuation of The Bear Book (1997), this study of typically big, hairy, and bearded gay men explores bears on a societal and personal level, giving a wide voice to bears of all ages, nationalities, and cultures. Among the topics The Bear Book II: Further Readings in the History and Evolution of a Gay Male Subculture discusses are: health concerns of bears bear body images self-esteem issues for bears physical and psychological bear attributes as portrayed in the media versus actual individual accounts social and sexual institutions in the bear community the role of the Internet in creating a global bear subculture The Bear Book II will help you to understand the life of a bear. This unique book, the only serious exploration of this topic, offers documentation of a subculture in the making, complete with subjective and analytical perspectives that support this example of postmodern cultural anthropology. Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- About the Editor -- Contributors -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Part I: Bear Bodies -- Chapter 1. Bears and Health -- Sleep Apnea -- Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) -- Arteriosclerotic Peripheral Vascular Disease -- Arthritis -- Cancers -- Cholecystitis and Cholelithiasis -- Diabetes Mellitus -- Duodenal Ulcer -- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease -- Heart Attack -- Hiatal Hernia -- Hyperlipidemia -- Hypertension -- Pediculosis (Body Lice) -- Pilonidal Sinus and Cyst The assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 (I was fifteen at the time), the annual, almost ritualistic summer race riots in American cities, and the mounting frustration with the endless nightly news reports of body counts from the war front in Vietnam had a deep emotional impact on me.