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Reviews
Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource by and for Transgender Communities by Laura Erickson-Schroth
msmaravilla's review against another edition
5.0
Helpful resource for information and language to support and accompany my young adult trans child. Offers an array of experiences and data.
cassiacow's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Amazing resource! Would recommend particularly to people early in transition. FtM and MtF are both well covered, as well as non-binary identities.
peachprince's review against another edition
3.0
I am nearly 150 pages from the end of this book but I feel that I've read enough to review it, since it isn't meant to be read cover-to-cover anyway.
I would have been very impressed with this book had I read it in 2012. But unfortunately, it wasn't published until 2014, and I didn't read it until 2021.
There is a second edition set to come out later this year, and had I known that before I started reading I might have waited. I look forward to seeing how the authors improve upon the original.
I honestly expected a lot more from this book based on the praise it gets, not just from other goodreads users who I don't know, but from trans people I've met in real life. But the truth is that much of the information in this book is stuff I learned on my own just from existing as a trans person for the past decade.
What is gender identity? Expression? What pronouns can you choose from? Do all trans people agree about trans-related topics and issues? What options do you have for social and medical transition? How do you date as a trans person? How do you have sex?
None of these were questions I still had in 2021.
And even more disappointing, the information feels lacking in several areas. Ace bandages are mentioned as a binding method and not condemned for their danger nearly as strong enough as they should have been, and this method's propensity to break ribs and disfigure torsos has been common knowledge among transmasculine people at least since 2013. "The Vagina Bible", a book on gynecology for cis women, contains more vital information in its single brief chapter on trans vaginas, such as the effects of taking testosterone on pap tests, than TBTS contains in its entire medical section.
How do you come out to your doctor? Well if you're an adult, you simply choose a doctor who isn't transphobic. If you're a minor you ask to speak to your family doctor privately. What if you're coming out to an established doctor as an adult? What if your doctor is transphobic? What if you live in conservative BFE and there are no trans-friendly doctors to be found? TBTS offers no hints for you. Which is frustrating, that was the one thing I really hoped to learn from this book.
The language also feels dated, but that was bound to happen and just makes it an interesting artifact of trans history, in my opinion. If there were no 2nd edition in the works I might have more of a problem with the language. Won't it be interesting to see how the 2nd edition dates itself by the time the authors are ready to publish a 3rd?
As for the good: I really liked the snippets from trans people from various backgrounds. The writings from trans people from the global south were of particular interest to me, because their voices are seldom platformed in white-majority, USAmerican spaces. I was also intrigued to learn that the loss of bone density from puberty blockers, something transphobes have been fear-mongering about in recent years, is completely reversible. We've known this since before this book was published and yet the public discourse is still going "Well bone density is just a sacrifice we have to make for these kids," when it isn't even being sacrificed!
I expected this book to be revelatory. Instead it wasn't much more than a foundation for what might in later years be an invaluable resource, with a few interesting tidbits throughout.
I would have been very impressed with this book had I read it in 2012. But unfortunately, it wasn't published until 2014, and I didn't read it until 2021.
There is a second edition set to come out later this year, and had I known that before I started reading I might have waited. I look forward to seeing how the authors improve upon the original.
I honestly expected a lot more from this book based on the praise it gets, not just from other goodreads users who I don't know, but from trans people I've met in real life. But the truth is that much of the information in this book is stuff I learned on my own just from existing as a trans person for the past decade.
What is gender identity? Expression? What pronouns can you choose from? Do all trans people agree about trans-related topics and issues? What options do you have for social and medical transition? How do you date as a trans person? How do you have sex?
None of these were questions I still had in 2021.
And even more disappointing, the information feels lacking in several areas. Ace bandages are mentioned as a binding method and not condemned for their danger nearly as strong enough as they should have been, and this method's propensity to break ribs and disfigure torsos has been common knowledge among transmasculine people at least since 2013. "The Vagina Bible", a book on gynecology for cis women, contains more vital information in its single brief chapter on trans vaginas, such as the effects of taking testosterone on pap tests, than TBTS contains in its entire medical section.
How do you come out to your doctor? Well if you're an adult, you simply choose a doctor who isn't transphobic. If you're a minor you ask to speak to your family doctor privately. What if you're coming out to an established doctor as an adult? What if your doctor is transphobic? What if you live in conservative BFE and there are no trans-friendly doctors to be found? TBTS offers no hints for you. Which is frustrating, that was the one thing I really hoped to learn from this book.
The language also feels dated, but that was bound to happen and just makes it an interesting artifact of trans history, in my opinion. If there were no 2nd edition in the works I might have more of a problem with the language. Won't it be interesting to see how the 2nd edition dates itself by the time the authors are ready to publish a 3rd?
As for the good: I really liked the snippets from trans people from various backgrounds. The writings from trans people from the global south were of particular interest to me, because their voices are seldom platformed in white-majority, USAmerican spaces. I was also intrigued to learn that the loss of bone density from puberty blockers, something transphobes have been fear-mongering about in recent years, is completely reversible. We've known this since before this book was published and yet the public discourse is still going "Well bone density is just a sacrifice we have to make for these kids," when it isn't even being sacrificed!
I expected this book to be revelatory. Instead it wasn't much more than a foundation for what might in later years be an invaluable resource, with a few interesting tidbits throughout.
ainabarad's review against another edition
5.0
Every trans* person and ally should own a copy of this invaluable resource.
teelight's review against another edition
4.0
I've had this book for awhile and just noticed I didn't write a review of it. This is a really good resource about the transgender community and our history. It is in textbook format and it does a good job of laying out the information. Just by the fact that it is a text book it is eventually going to start aging out of relevance, so hopefully new editions get released from time to time. Especially after everything that has happened this year in 2020.
I would definitely recommend this book to people looking for more information on the transcommunity and our history. It makes a good book to use as a guide for further research.
I would definitely recommend this book to people looking for more information on the transcommunity and our history. It makes a good book to use as a guide for further research.
agirlushouldknow's review against another edition
4.0
I feel I can give fair feedback on this, since I am a transgender woman. I want to say this is absolutely a good resource, if a little dated. It is more of a textbook and not something most people will read from cover to cover. Instead it is good to go back to the specific sections and read those sections.
If you are newly out as transgender, or if you want a little bit of insight, I highly recommend this book. Just understand that the society/cultural/historical changes in the transgender community are moving at an incredibly fast clip, and that not everything here is up to date.
It is a good read for those wanting to understand though, I encourage you to get it.
If you are newly out as transgender, or if you want a little bit of insight, I highly recommend this book. Just understand that the society/cultural/historical changes in the transgender community are moving at an incredibly fast clip, and that not everything here is up to date.
It is a good read for those wanting to understand though, I encourage you to get it.