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mirzapan's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This book may not be perfect, but it came to me at a time when I needed it. As a nonbinary person in academia, and one who works on astrocytes funny enough, this book not only helped my academic work with helpful citations but gave me hope that mentors like Ben do exist in this minefield of a profession. If I am successful at becoming a professor, that is what I want to be.
shannonreadssometimes's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
First of all it feels really weird to try and rate someone's autobiography?? especially one like this, wrote after a terminal diagnosis, from someone who did so much influential world changing work. let it be said that I admire Ben Barres to the highest degree!!
it was one of my resolutions to read more non fiction so, yay🎉 ofc it was LGBT. but don't be fooled, I'd say maybe 20% of this was about Ben's transness, 30% about gender bias and women in science, and the rest a whole lot of very sciencey science. it truly is wild that I learned some of this stuff in school and yet never heard of the transgender scientist that discovered it! what that would have done for me in my youth.
ngl, I had to try very hard not to zone out during the sciencey stuff- although his discoveries are truly fascinating! I think during highschool I had it drilled into me that I was not mathematical enough to even enjoy anything like that, despite having an A in my psychology a-level and am studying nursing now 😂 but I really want to challenge myself and learn more, especially when it comes to lgbt history.
this had some really poignant points on women in stem, and just how much is stacked against them, even today. but honestly my favourite part was how he talked about his students. as a student nurse, I am assigned to a random nurse who 9 times out of 10 does not want a student. I am grateful for all that they do for me, but GOD do I wish they'd take a leaf out of Ben Barres book (literally!)!
this is a great read for anyone who's into anything sciencey, or anyone who wants to pull a trump card at their next transphobic family dinner and tell them about this truly extraordinary man. I lost count of how many years he spent in education but it was surely at least 20oddðŸ˜ðŸ˜‚
mxunsmiley's review
2.0
Bear in mind I listened to the audiobook, the narrator of which was quite monotonous. Aside from that, I think the science section hurt it the most, due to its incomprehensibility. I have an interest in biology and neuroscience, and I found a lot of what I could follow fascinating, but ultimately I don't think it came across as too accessible. There's also a problem I have with his biologization and medicalization of being trans--basically the "brain sex" thing, but he was a scientist, and a neuroscientist at that, so it makes sense that he would conceive it in this way, especially when also considering the generation he grew up in.
I am a fan of how enthusiastic he was about mentorship, too, and vetting for female scientists and professors constantly.
I am a fan of how enthusiastic he was about mentorship, too, and vetting for female scientists and professors constantly.
lysimache's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. A quick note for people who don't work in scientific research or read scientific journals often: this book is more detailed than pop-science books tend towards, so it may be a harder read if you don't have any background in neuroscience, or even just basic biology. Still definitely worthwhile though! It felt like a scientific seminar, but without the slides
graveyardpansy's review
4.0
this definitely isn’t for everyone but I really really enjoyed it!! Barres is a big inspiration for me and reading this just kinda filled me with joy. It’s not literary genius, but you can tell Barres’ heart went into it. I enjoyed the science section more than I thought I would, but if you don’t have background knowledge abt neuroscience you may just wanna skip over that part, honestly? Regardless, my overall review is this was very heartwarming and inspiring to me personally, and if you think you’d be interested based on the synopsis, give it a shot!