Testosterone Rex: Myths of Sex, Science, and Society

by Cordelia Fine

Many people believe that, at its core, biological sex is a fundamental force in human development. According to this false-yet-familiar story, the divisions between men and women are in nature alone and not part of culture. Drawing on evolutionary science, psychology, neuroscience, endocrinology, and philosophy, Testosterone Rex disproves this ingrained myth and calls for a more equal society based on both sexes’ full human potential.

• ISBN10: 0393355489
• ISBN13: 9780393355482
• Publish Date: 16 February 2018 (first published 13 January 2017)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: WW Norton & Co
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[Joséphine]

Initial thoughts: Some interesting observations but for a book that has such a focussed topic, Testosterone Rex didn't cover as much breadth and depth as I'd expected. Perhaps that's because the intent wasn't to provide an academic study for readers but rather to distill the essence of gender studies.

Much of the book was spent discussing the similarities between males and females and how the brains don't diverge as much as many believe. That biological assessment understandably mattered a great deal. With Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus guiding many beliefs about gender, it's definitely important to demonstrate the little scientific merit that message holds.

What was lacking for me was how do we account for the differences? If it's not testosterone (which the author took for granted as debunked), then what are the factors that contribute to the apparent differences based on sex and/or gender? The explanations offered were remarkably brief and didn't entirely answer the questions the book started out with in the preface.