SummaryGender reassignment for carefully assessed transsexual patients is now an established and accepted practice in many parts of the world. In other areas customary attitudes to those with sexual differences prevents consideration. A large number of autobiographies by reassigned patients have been published and all throw light on the experience of the writers. The one which may be recommended is that by Morris (1974). For the interested layperson enquiring about the nature of transsexualism the brief book by Hodgkinson (1987) may be recommended.