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veridae's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
alicebme's review against another edition
4.0
Highly recommend. I learned some stuff that was helpful to me and my trans daughter. I was fascinated more often than I was angry, so that’s good.
jerbil's review against another edition
5.0
This has to be in my top 10 for nonfiction. Rachel Gross did such a great job going over the broad topic of vaginas.
There were so many standout parts that I really want to read further about. The differing genitals of other animals. The history and process of gender affirmation surgery. (People that think being transgender is fake should really read that section cause I guarantee you no one would do that excruciating surgery for nothing.) The fact that women basically carry their grandchildren in the womb for a hot minute. The batshit history of gynecology. The Greeks thinking sperm were tiny people that unfolded in the womb (literal tf). The atrocious surgeries and experiments performed on women throughout history, mostly without their full knowledge or consent. Removal of the clitoris on babies, especially when knowing essentially nothing about the area. Transplanting animal sexual organs onto humans and even thinking transplanting straight men`s balls would heterosexualize gay men. Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsy — 3 enslaved women that were experimented on by the “Father of Gynecology” and whose suffering led to the creation of the field and are known as the “Mothers of Gynecology.” Truly, if you don`t already hate evil men this book will make you wish death on dead people. It`s absolutely INSANE how recent most of the history in this book occurred and how men have assumed women were only baby factories since the beginning of time.
I honestly think the book could`ve been 200+ pages longer. Cases like David Reimer were glossed over — even though it doesn`t exactly fit the book topic it would`ve fit great with the chapters on sexual organs/growth hormones. I also hate John Money and felt he wasn`t aggressively damned enough in the short section about him.
This was just an enthralling read where I would have to stop reading just to tell anyone around me about the line I just read.
There were so many standout parts that I really want to read further about. The differing genitals of other animals. The history and process of gender affirmation surgery. (People that think being transgender is fake should really read that section cause I guarantee you no one would do that excruciating surgery for nothing.) The fact that women basically carry their grandchildren in the womb for a hot minute. The batshit history of gynecology. The Greeks thinking sperm were tiny people that unfolded in the womb (literal tf). The atrocious surgeries and experiments performed on women throughout history, mostly without their full knowledge or consent. Removal of the clitoris on babies, especially when knowing essentially nothing about the area. Transplanting animal sexual organs onto humans and even thinking transplanting straight men`s balls would heterosexualize gay men. Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsy — 3 enslaved women that were experimented on by the “Father of Gynecology” and whose suffering led to the creation of the field and are known as the “Mothers of Gynecology.” Truly, if you don`t already hate evil men this book will make you wish death on dead people. It`s absolutely INSANE how recent most of the history in this book occurred and how men have assumed women were only baby factories since the beginning of time.
I honestly think the book could`ve been 200+ pages longer. Cases like David Reimer were glossed over — even though it doesn`t exactly fit the book topic it would`ve fit great with the chapters on sexual organs/growth hormones. I also hate John Money and felt he wasn`t aggressively damned enough in the short section about him.
This was just an enthralling read where I would have to stop reading just to tell anyone around me about the line I just read.
beleaguered_reader's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.5
Informative and well-written. Rachel Gross is a master science writer!