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Between XX and XY: Intersexuality and the Myth of Two Sexes
Dr. Callahan explores why humans are so attached to the idea of two sexes, and examines our obsession with sex and sexual intercourse through the ages.
Hardcover, 208 pages
Published
July 1st 2009
by Chicago Review Press
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This is a short read and I did learn some new things from this book. For a long time I've had a sort of fascination with (and doubt about) "gender" and that's grown since I was a child.
I don't remember how long it's been, but at some point I also became fascinated with hermaphrodites. Even though I've learned of the reality of hermaphrodites, human and otherwise, I understood it more as a sort of symbolism that was free of the confines of man or woman. I know my fascinatio...more
I don't remember how long it's been, but at some point I also became fascinated with hermaphrodites. Even though I've learned of the reality of hermaphrodites, human and otherwise, I understood it more as a sort of symbolism that was free of the confines of man or woman. I know my fascinatio...more
If you've never thought beyond the concept of "opposite sexes" this is a really great primer. If you're a gender and sexuality nerd like me, you won't learn a whole lot of brand new stuff from this book.
Callahan spends a lot of time debunking the myth of the two sexes - there's slightly more in the book about that than there is about disorders of sexual development or intersex. If you're looking for a really in-depth read that focuses on intersex, this isn't that book. But ...more
Callahan spends a lot of time debunking the myth of the two sexes - there's slightly more in the book about that than there is about disorders of sexual development or intersex. If you're looking for a really in-depth read that focuses on intersex, this isn't that book. But ...more
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Jukka
added it
Between XX and XY - Gerald Callahan
We read Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides in book club. What defines a person's gender? This book details a range of 'intersex' gender that is far wider and more common than is usually understood.
The book is an interesting mix by turns of biology, history, human behavior, medical and surgical text, personal history, animal behavior, cultural anthropology, medical ethics and opinion, all in one compact package. This is a good reference sourc...more
We read Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides in book club. What defines a person's gender? This book details a range of 'intersex' gender that is far wider and more common than is usually understood.
The book is an interesting mix by turns of biology, history, human behavior, medical and surgical text, personal history, animal behavior, cultural anthropology, medical ethics and opinion, all in one compact package. This is a good reference sourc...more
I loved this book. It was very interesting to not only read about different variations of sex chromosomes in people, but to read first-hand accounts from people with these variations. Seeing how these people were affected by decisions made for them by surgeons and parents and how these decisions shaped their lives physically and mentally was very eye-opening.
I also enjoyed reading about other cultures and how they view intersex people compared to our culture. The sections on the...more
I also enjoyed reading about other cultures and how they view intersex people compared to our culture. The sections on the...more
Students LOVED this book- everyone should read this...if you think that there are only 2 sexes out there and everyone fits into one or the other...
You'd be surprised to know that intersex conditions are more common than colorblindness, more common than cystic fibrosis...they're just talked about much less often. This book discusses both the biological and psychological factors involved in the 'making of gender' and addresses why our society has such a hard time with anomalies. Great read!
You'd be surprised to know that intersex conditions are more common than colorblindness, more common than cystic fibrosis...they're just talked about much less often. This book discusses both the biological and psychological factors involved in the 'making of gender' and addresses why our society has such a hard time with anomalies. Great read!
An informative, positive primer on intersexuality. After a historical survey of Western ideas toward the two sexes since the ancient Greeks, it gives the causes, common responses to, and results of many conditions of ambiguous sexuality, drawing also of interviews which personalize the subject. As a pathologist, the author explains the medical and genetic material very clearly. There are also some examples of the ways different cultures have dealt with intersexual people.
I want to give this more stars - it is a very readable, very interesting introduction to many forms of intersex conditions. Unfortunately, some of the scientific information is incorrect and/or poorly written throughout. For someone who is interested in learning about intersex conditions, and won't likely remember every scientific detail, this would be a good book. I wanted it to be great, as I really wanted to use it in a class I teach. Unfortunately, the factual errors will prevent me from...more
This book really opened my eyes to the amazing genetic and physical diversity that exists in the human sexes . There were also interesting chapters on how other cultures perceive the sexes and how intersex people feel about their own situations. The book is very clearly written and not overly technical. I gave it five stars because this is an area I knew very little about and I came away from this book thinking, "Wow!" I don't think anyone could read this and not be amazed at how littl...more
A highly readable book about how gender exists on a continuum and is not either/or. I learned a good bit about the genetic and physical diversity that exists in the human sexes.
Shinynickel
marked it as to-read
Off this review: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20...
This is a highly readable and useful book; it would serve as a good primer for people interested in issues of intersexuality and gender/sex in general. I haven't learned much new from it, though, so that's why it's only getting three stars.
Kaethe
marked it as stricken
From what Julie wrote in her review at Feministe, it takes an "us" versus "them" route, and is pretty basic. I'll give it a pass. I already know that sex and gender exist on a continuum, and are not binary.
Very interesting, though I was kind of hoping that he would go more into the psychological and sociological aspects. Very informative though.
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