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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
I received a copy of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
I adored this book! As a person who identifies as queer, I was excited to see this book delve into so many topics around gender, in addition to sexuality, race, and other forms of identity. Despite the lighthearted approach with illustrations throughout, the book does not shy away from serious topics including the HB2 bill and intersectionality.
I would recommend this book to anyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, race, etc. It could be a valuable resource for those first learning about the difference between gender and biological sex, but it also digs deeper. The book was also very affirming, doing a great job of emphasizing that all identities are valid.
I adored this book! As a person who identifies as queer, I was excited to see this book delve into so many topics around gender, in addition to sexuality, race, and other forms of identity. Despite the lighthearted approach with illustrations throughout, the book does not shy away from serious topics including the HB2 bill and intersectionality.
I would recommend this book to anyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, race, etc. It could be a valuable resource for those first learning about the difference between gender and biological sex, but it also digs deeper. The book was also very affirming, doing a great job of emphasizing that all identities are valid.
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Great introduction to gender, sexuality, and intersectionality. I didn’t learn much from it myself, but for someone just starting to learn, such as an ally, a parent, or a teenager, this would be a wonderful book! There were a couple small things I didn’t like but again, for someone new-ish to the topic, I think it is perfect.
This book has lots of helpful information. I recommend it to all
Definitely a gorgeous coffee table book with a purpose! My favorite parts of this text were the histories about queer and intersectional identities, and the cultural awareness the queerness does not equal whiteness. Not as thorough as my absolute favorite, "Queer: A Graphic History", but still beautiful!
On the one hand, I thought this made for a unique and accessible introduction to a wide variety of topics. On the other, I thought the book felt fairly scattershot and maybe bit off a little more than it could chew. I thought the last section of the book, following Iris's personal gender journey, was a standout and added human context for some of the topics addressed throughout the text. Overall, not a perfect volume, but a welcome addition to the texts on these topics.
Free ARC received via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I'm glad I read this book. It does a good job of, if not untangling, then at least recognising the many complexities of gender. The artwork is beautiful, often either underscoring a point or paying homage to an important figure. I think that Gottlieb does a genuinely great job of touching on myriad subjects - I didn't expect a book on gender to touch on the depiction of black men and police brutality, but I'm very glad it does. This is a hugely wide reaching book, and although its breadth often comes at the expense of depth, that's really not a bad thing. It gets the balance just right, giving enough detail to inform the reader on a topic and pointers to know where to do further research.
I identify as a cis woman and my presentation is pretty femme, but I didn't feel excluded by this book or like this book was meant for other people. I've definitely learnt from it. As someone who always aims to be inclusive, I know that there are things I get wrong, and this book has helped me to understand where I can do better; it's particularly good at offering tangible ways to do this, rather than simply saying 'try harder'. Recommendations such as checking pronouns and minding language are helpful to have.
It's not without fault, though. There were several instances of language that I feel could be improved; the use of the term 'poc women' rather than 'woc' or 'women of colour' was fairly frequent (although 'women of colour' was also used, the term 'poc women' is just nonsensical; it literally means 'people of colour women'). The assignation of the identity of 'transgender woman' to Marsha P. Johnson was a bit iffy, seeing as she never claimed this identity herself and I find it problematic to assume gender after someone's death; a large part of the book is dedicated to not assuming someone's gender identity, and I don't think this should go out of the window posthumously. Finally, the use of content warnings is inconsistent. Sections which discuss sexual assault are given content warnings, but that's it. Sections discussing, for example, the murder rate of trans sex workers or black men and police brutality are not. I personally think that using content warnings should be consistent; either use them in all potentially triggering cases or none.
These are fairly small points, and I really do only bring them up because the book itself is so important and so beautifully realised. I would absolutely purchase this as a primer on gender for all those with even a peripheral interest in the topic. The addition of the author's personal experience with gender at the end was a wonderful touch. I'm glad this book exists.
I'm glad I read this book. It does a good job of, if not untangling, then at least recognising the many complexities of gender. The artwork is beautiful, often either underscoring a point or paying homage to an important figure. I think that Gottlieb does a genuinely great job of touching on myriad subjects - I didn't expect a book on gender to touch on the depiction of black men and police brutality, but I'm very glad it does. This is a hugely wide reaching book, and although its breadth often comes at the expense of depth, that's really not a bad thing. It gets the balance just right, giving enough detail to inform the reader on a topic and pointers to know where to do further research.
I identify as a cis woman and my presentation is pretty femme, but I didn't feel excluded by this book or like this book was meant for other people. I've definitely learnt from it. As someone who always aims to be inclusive, I know that there are things I get wrong, and this book has helped me to understand where I can do better; it's particularly good at offering tangible ways to do this, rather than simply saying 'try harder'. Recommendations such as checking pronouns and minding language are helpful to have.
It's not without fault, though. There were several instances of language that I feel could be improved; the use of the term 'poc women' rather than 'woc' or 'women of colour' was fairly frequent (although 'women of colour' was also used, the term 'poc women' is just nonsensical; it literally means 'people of colour women'). The assignation of the identity of 'transgender woman' to Marsha P. Johnson was a bit iffy, seeing as she never claimed this identity herself and I find it problematic to assume gender after someone's death; a large part of the book is dedicated to not assuming someone's gender identity, and I don't think this should go out of the window posthumously. Finally, the use of content warnings is inconsistent. Sections which discuss sexual assault are given content warnings, but that's it. Sections discussing, for example, the murder rate of trans sex workers or black men and police brutality are not. I personally think that using content warnings should be consistent; either use them in all potentially triggering cases or none.
These are fairly small points, and I really do only bring them up because the book itself is so important and so beautifully realised. I would absolutely purchase this as a primer on gender for all those with even a peripheral interest in the topic. The addition of the author's personal experience with gender at the end was a wonderful touch. I'm glad this book exists.
This would be a great coffee table book! The illustrations were beautiful and really added to the topics that were discussed. I would definitely use this in reference for the future.