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rachelgryounger's review
4.0
It's rare to read a book that is accurate, nuanced, brief, and laugh-out-loud funny, but this one accomplished all of the above. I was pleased with the nuanced treatment of topics like sexual orientation and intersex variations. Dreger generally did an excellent job of reflecting the state of the research in many areas (as I'd expect from an accomplished academic like herself). The chapter on anatomy is one of the best brief readings I've seen, and I'd consider assigning it in a human sexuality course. That said, I would like to see an update of gender identity coverage in the next edition. To be fair, this is a controversial area of research, and most texts are having trouble keeping up with the state of the research. Olson's (2016) article, titled "Prepubescent transgender children: What we do and do not know," explains the methodological issues that make many researchers skeptical of the conclusions Dreger describes in this book. That said, I'd recommend this book (with reservations about the trans sections) to fellow parents and to professors looking for accessible readings for courses in public health, psychology, biology, and women's, gender, and sexuality studies.
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