Sympathy for the Devil

Norah Vincent, and Nora as Ned

Norah Vincent took on the mission of passing as a man. Her book, "Self-Made Man: One Woman's Journey into Manhood and Back Again," details her year and a half experience as "Ned," her male incarnation. She infiltrated a bowling league, strip clubs, a monastery, and even a men's movement retreat. In addition, she dated women and worked in Glengarry Glen Ross-type workplaces. This book is pretty fascinating. "Male privilege" isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's freighted with societal pressures with the only acceptable emotional outlet being rage. By the end of the book, you realize that being a woman ain't so bad.