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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Four stars until I read that chunk of bio-essentialism at the end. This is such an important book but when you write a lightning rod like this, I don't think Shrier's highly emotional voice (trying not to sound sexist lol, but it's true. It's very, very steeped in emotion) is the best way of approaching? Moreover there were one or two 'citation needed' areas that showed her bias, as well as one or two places where emotionality did escalate to disgust or gross-out tactics. This is fine when used to underline the dangers of the highly experimental procedures these girls are getting, not so much to ridicule trans women's appearances. And no, undercutting it with a comment one sentence later about how elegant they look does not work lmao. Overall I still do recommend, but take uncited statements with a grain of salt, as there is a reason far-right propagandists like Ben Shapiro endorse this book.
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/irreversible-damage-to-the-trans-community-a-critical-review-of-abigail-shriers-book-irreversible-damage-part-one/
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Wonderful and needed book
Really made me think. Glad to have been able to read it and hope to find someone to discuss it with in the future. Would recommend this to people as part of an education on the subject.
informative
fast-paced
I was nervous to read this book because the title does indeed sound transphobic, but I saw Abigail Shreir on Joe Rogan's podcast and it made me want to read it. The book isn't transphobic, it's very well researched, and it's terrifying. It's about young, impressionable, lonely, anxious/depressed teenage girls with no history of any kind of gender dysphoria self diagnosing themselves as trans (sometimes in entire friend groups) and how therapists, doctors, and schools fail these girls by celebrating this decision, throwing hormones at them, and encouraging surgery rather than getting to the root of their mental health issues. Obviously it's more complicated than that but overall this book is about an epidemic of young girls coming out as trans who aren't really and the damage being done to them because no one is allowed to study or talk about it. It's a classic case of society trying to help one group of people and accidentally damaging another in doing so. There's a lot of interviews with trans people, parents, doctors, etc. I think the author was brave to write this book and I enjoyed reading it.
I did not read this book nor do I need to. Does this author actually think that accepting trans children is "seducing our daughters" into... what? Saying they're trans because it's "trendy"? Who exactly, as she claims, is painting womanhood and girlhood as passive and boring? Perhaps "adolescents were reporting a sudden spike in gender dysphoria—the medical condition associated with the social designation “transgender.”" because they are finally able to recognize what is different about themselves and voice it. Before now there was much less knowledge and acceptance available to trans kids, but this woman is mourning their newfound voice as a danger to women and girls? This book is going to hurt trans kids and make the world safer for no one. I've already seen one review of someone who now questions their child's identity as a fad, and who knows how many children will be hurt, rejected, or even physically harmed because of this book. Despicable. It should not be under "Women's Studies" - it is hate speech that will directly harm ACTUAL CHILDREN.
If you're willing to read this, it's pretty interesting!
Once you go beyond the false pearl clutching and cancel culture hysterics this book actually has a lot to offer. Shrier isn't an expert on psychology nor pretends to be, but allows those who shared their stories to be heard. This work was far less a look at transgender culture and dysphoria itself and focuses on those that instead manipulate both, turning them in to a social subculture with harsh and rigid stereotypical ideals. "Transtrenders" as I've heard people call it. The argument being made is simply: Because you, as a female, don't fit in to prescribed gender roles or what people perceive as feminine it just means you're you. You don't have to rush out to give yourself a title and subculture just because you prefer sports over tea parties and dolls. Be yourself. Shrier also gives space to pointing out the pressure to conform and how cancel culture plays such a deep role in pushing this boxed in sex role stereotype at growing girls and young women trying to navigate the world. How it often tries to negate both lesbians and a more natural emotional/mental progression of identity and maturity through false psychology and peer pressure. There's also the broaching of the problem with girls and women's spaces and outlets being taken away more and more often by overreaching identity politics and the need for safe spaces that aren't subject to pop culture whim.
Overall it wasn't a deep investigation of transperson issues but an honest look at things in a twisting of trans identity issues, largely from those whom have gone through it themselves, family members dealing with the phenomena, the bullying and cancel culture mindset that goes on inside, the ostracizing done on those who don't conform and even those persons ostracizing their own friends and family for not conforming. There is a lot of flap over this one by cancel culture fainting couch pseudo intellectuals but at the end of the day these are issues that need talking about and censorship doesn't accomplish anything versus people willing to speak up.
Overall it wasn't a deep investigation of transperson issues but an honest look at things in a twisting of trans identity issues, largely from those whom have gone through it themselves, family members dealing with the phenomena, the bullying and cancel culture mindset that goes on inside, the ostracizing done on those who don't conform and even those persons ostracizing their own friends and family for not conforming. There is a lot of flap over this one by cancel culture fainting couch pseudo intellectuals but at the end of the day these are issues that need talking about and censorship doesn't accomplish anything versus people willing to speak up.