Diamond, Jed 1943-

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DIAMOND, Jed 1943-

PERSONAL: Born 1943.

ADDRESSES: Agent—John Wiley and Sons, 909 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Psychotherapist and author. Director of MenAlive (health center for men); member of board of advisors of Men's Health Network; member of International Society for the Study of the Aging Male.

WRITINGS:

Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places: Romantic and Sexual Addictions, Putnam (New York, NY), 1988.

The Warrior's Journey Home: Healing Men, Healing Planet, New Harbinger Publications (Oakland, CA), 1994.

Male Menopause, Sourcebooks (Naperville, IL), 1997.

Surviving Male Menopause: A Guide for Women and Men, Sourcebooks (Naperville, IL), 2000.

The Whole Man Program: Reinvigorating Your Body and Spirit after Forty, John Wiley and Sons (New York, NY), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: Therapist and author Jed Diamond has studied men's health issues for more than thirty years. Drawing on his experience as a licensed psychotherapist, he has written books addressing matters of sexual addiction, male menopause, and the spiritual and physical aspects of aging men. He has also worked with various organizations, such as the Third Age Wellness Center, the Men's Health Network, and the International Society for the Study of the Aging Male. Pinksunrise.com contributor Sue Spataro noted, "Diamond has been a successful licensed psychotherapist for thirty-four years and is a nationally recognized educator and trainer in the area of men's health."

Diamond's first book, Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places: Overcoming Romantic and Sexual Addictions, outlines with real-life examples the symptoms and causes of sexual addiction. Booklist reviewer Mary Banas commented, "This thorough and lucid primer on an increasingly recognized problem will appeal to a wide readership."

After publishing The Warrior's Journey Home: Healing Men, Healing Planet, Diamond went on to write Male Menopause. In the latter book, he asserts that men over the age of forty suffer symptoms very similar to those of female menopause. Issues such as hormonal changes, emotional turmoil, and diet are all addressed. Continued non-debate about male menopause is blamed on cultural attitudes and societal patterns. James Swanton in an article for Library Journal remarked, "Unfortunately, despite the bibliographic apparatus, Diamond's text is repetitive and simplistic and remains pop psychology masquerading as scholarship." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly noted that "While sometimes overstating his case ('without the active involvement [of elders] even the healthiest nuclear families are doomed to failure'), Diamond nonetheless presents a compelling case for men to embrace their midlife passage and to move on to their 'second adulthood' as mature mentors."

Surviving Male Menopause: A Guide for Women and Men, Diamond's follow-up book, addresses the health-related and personal issues that arise as a result of male menopause. Douglas C. Lord, in a review for Library Journal, said, "Unfortunately, it duplicates verbatim many passages from Diamond's earlier Male Menopause." But Lord also noted that "This solid and practical book directly responds to readers' concerns about male menopause by raising awareness and lending support."

In The Whole Man Program: Reinvigorating Your Body, Mind, and Spirit after Forty, the author returns to his psychotherapist roots and outlines an eight-week program to help men deal with the difficult hurdles of middle age. Some of these problems, according to Diamond, include loss of passion, irritability, and lack of a spiritual life. James Swanton, writing for Library Journal, called the book "Less scientifically rigorous" than Diamond's earlier books.

Diamond continues his work as a psychotherapist with a special focus on men's health. His books are part of a growing awareness and public dialogue on the issues surrounding aging men around the world.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, June 15, 1988, Mary Banas, review of Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places: Overcoming Romantic and Sexual Addictions, p. 1690.

Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 1988, review of Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places, p. 892.

Library Journal, August, 1997, James Swanton, review of Male Menopause, p. 110; October 15, 2000, Douglas C. Lord, review of Surviving Male Menopause: A Guide for Women and Men, p. 87; March 15, 2002, James Swanton, review of The Whole Man Program: Reinvigorating Your Body, Mind, and Spirit after Forty, p. 101.

Publishers Weekly, August 4, 1997, review of Male Menopause, p. 59.