The Other Man in Me: Erotic Longing, Lust and Love: The Soul Calling by Sheldon Shalley is an intriguing, fascinating book on sexuality and identity, one with strong spiritual and psychological underpinnings. This book answers the question that haunts many people: What is the underlying condition of men with same-sex erotic desires? In this book, the author lifts the veil and allows readers to experience his unique struggle with his sexuality and the curiosity to understand his deepest desires and their origins. In turn, a spiritual odyssey and a compelling reflection on sexuality — especially same-sex attraction — this book is the story of a man who must deal with the other man in his soul. He is the Green Man — a masculine spirit that is one with Nature and a companion to the goddess of ancient times. The reader is transported into the intricate world of the author as he explores his multilayered, complex nature, identifying the components of his spiritual character and the bond that binds man to man and man to woman as equals and how this bond is a reflection of primordial energy that moves the human spirit in inscrutable ways. This is the story of a community leader, a father and husband, and a man who experiences an attraction for men.
In The Other Man in Me: Erotic Longing, Lust and Live: The Soul Calling, Sheldon Shalley shares his story with unwonted honesty and provides insights on handling the inner man who is beset with inordinate and incomprehensible passions and desires. In a voice that is irresistible and prose that is crisp, the author lifts the veil to reveal the dark night in his soul and opens a portal through which readers can see the light of understanding, bringing into the writing his experience as a shamanic healer and psychotherapist. This is a well-written book that is both filled with adventure and intrigue, a suitable read for fans of gay literature and readers who want to understand those with same-sex desires — the gay, bisexual, and straight men who wrestle with same-sex desires, fantasies, and attractions, perhaps even wrestle with the idea of having same-sex encounters and those who want to understand the struggles of loved ones in this kind of situation. In sharing his story and his experiences, Shalley offers a fresh perspective to our understanding of human sexuality, a stunning exploration that is brimming with insights, enlivening thoughts, inspiration, and advice that will alter the way many of us think about people with same-sex desires. I particularly enjoyed the connection between our carnal desires and our spiritual vibrations. Sheldon Shalley has the extraordinary ability to communicate complex thoughts with clarity and confidence. This is a book like no other, hugely perceptive and filled with wisdom.
REVIEWED BY FRANKLIN BAUER