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Book SynopsisFresh, original, heartbreaking Reni Eddo-LodgeDevastating, hilarious, unlike anything I have ever read. Destined to be a classic Pandora Sykes''A must-read ... as mesmerising as it is poignant'' Stylist, SPRING MUST-READ BOOKS TO FEEL EMPOWERED''This utterly distinctive memoir, written almost out loud in Nottinghamshire vernacular, hauls you into the world Lees grew up in... it''s shocking, funny, heart-rending and totally brilliant'' The Bookseller, EDITOR''S CHOICE MAY 2021''What It Feels Like for a Girl says it like it is'' Evening Standard, BEST NEW BOOKS IN 2021Thirteen-year-old Byron needs to get away, and doesn''t care how. Sick of being beaten up by lads for talkin'' like a poof after school. Sick of dad - the weightlifting, womanising Gaz - and Mam, who pissed off to Turkey like Shirley Valentine. Sick of all the people in Hucknall who shuffle about like the living dead, going on about kTrade ReviewFresh, original, heartbreaking and optimistic. The subtlety of time passing reminds me of Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie's writing. -- Reni Eddo LodgeParis Lees is the voice of a generation -- Paul FlynnBrilliant, brutal and bitingly funny, Lees is going to rip your heart out and show you the ugly truth about kids Britain would rather pretend don't exist. There's never been a book like this -- Matthew ToddDevastating one page, hilarious the next, What It Feels Like for a A Girl is unlike anything I have ever read. Utterly unique and imbued with hope - it is destined to be a classic. -- Pandora SykesAn important debut -- Édouard LouisA sensational, gut-wrenching read: raw, moving, and ultimately life-affirming -- Owen JonesOften hilarious, sometimes moving, consistently engrossing, always authentic and ultimately uplifting. Reminiscent of Trainspotting and Irvine Welsh. A tour-de-force -- Matt CainA must-read ... as mesmerising as it is poignant * Stylist, SPRING MUST-READ BOOKS TO FEEL EMPOWERED *This utterly distinctive memoir, written almost out loud in Nottinghamshire vernacular, hauls you into the world Lees grew up in... it's shocking, funny, heart-rending and totally brilliant * The Bookseller, EDITOR’S CHOICE MAY 2021 *What It Feels Like for a Girl says it like it is * Evening Standard, BEST NEW BOOKS IN 2021 *A groundbreaking, peerless journey into trauma and the impossibility of fighting for the self -- Sleaford ModsParis Lees has created a totally complete world in the way that something like Trainspotting or Skins or It's A Sin did... made a universe, populated it with people that you absolutely care about, dialect that you're completely absorbed by, then smashed your heart to smithereens -- Alexandra HemingsleyNothing is off-limits in this unputdownable memoir ... her wit and expert storytelling soften some heartbreaking experiences * British Vogue *Heartbreaking, hilarious and impossible to put down: Paris Lees' What It Feels Like For a Girl is genuinely singular. It's raw, viscerally real and Byron is a character who will stay with you long after you've finished -- Yomi AdegokePowerful and authentic, a memoir with the depth and writerly virtuosity of a fine novel. -- Katherine O'DonnellA truly fresh, exciting take on the genre of memoir * Cosmopolitan *Raw, heartbreaking, and scorchingly funny, What It Feels Like For A Girl is a boldly-written and truly transformative account of an extraordinary life story. Please do yourself a favour and read it -- Otegha UwagbaLees has lived an extraordinary life, and it makes for extraordinary writing -- Rebecca Nicholson * Guardian *A ketamine-laced coming of age memoir... recalls being in a nightclub where you can still smoke and euphoric music blares non-stop ... a dark comedy from a little-heard perspective. Even when there's blood dripping on the page as a result of bullying, Lees manages to make it read like a sketch ... very powerful -- Kadish Morris * The Observer *Heartbreaking and hilarious * Dazed Magazine *Smart and exuberant... By excavating her painful past in her memoir, [Lees] has crafted a vivid story of trauma, rebellion and astonishing resilience -- Fiona Sturges * The Guardian *Fast and funny and furious... the writing is so alive and warm that you don't feel remotely miserable while reading it, even while your heart is pounding for her -- Sophie Heawood * Grazia *It is so vivid, and the use of dialect so clever, that it feels as if you are living her life with her. -- David WalliamsWritten in a chatty, instantly endearing vernacular, What It Feels Like For A Girl is a crank-it-up-to-11 account of the British trans experience. * Refinery29 *Written entirely in Midlands dialect, with each chapter named after a Noughties hit, Paris Lees's novelised account of her Nottingham childhood will make you shake with laughter and weep with heartbreak in the space of a few pages. * British Vogue Summer Reads *Set to be one of this summer's must-reads, Paris Lees' debut book is a coming-of-age memoir about her early life in the East Midlands. Written in Nottingham dialect, it's a story of growing up in a small town, with deliciously evocative tales of Noughties nights out. * Evening Standard *Energetic, dark and hilarious. Paris Lees, with her loud and proud sense of self, is set to explode.. if you read one book this summer, make it What It Feels Like for a Girl... radically cool, explosive and riotous ... long may Lees' voice shine neon bright -- Shivani Kochnar * The Daily Mail *Like Alan Sillitoe on acid... it's got to be a film. I've never read anything like it. -- Vicky McClureRaw and original * Elle Magazine *Extraordinary, riotous, furiously unique, moving and funny, What It Feels Like for a Girl is a deeply important book as well as being a fantastic read -- Elizabeth DayClever, gripping, messy, sad. I loved it. -- Travis AlabanzaSadness and joy also go hand-in-hand in What It Feels Like for a Girl, an exuberant account of Paris Lees's tearaway teenage years in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, where "the streets are paved wi' dog shit". Her gender nonconformity is just one aspect of an adolescence that also features bullying, violence, prostitution, robbery and a spell in a young offenders' institute. Yet despite the many traumas, Lees finds joy and kinship in the underground club scene and a group of drag queens who cocoon her in love and laughter. -- Fiona Sturges * The Guardian, Best Books of 2021 *Bold and compulsively readable... She writes with humour about heartbreakingly harrowing moments while simultaneously capturing the dazzling joy of Nottingham nightlife and the importance of finding those who accept you for who you truly are -- Emma Hanson * Harper's Bazaar, memoirs and autobiographies to be inspired by *

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Book Synopsis''Odets''s warm and lyrical voice, his inspiring picture of how imaginative gay life can be, has sent me queuing for the couch.'' Evening Standard''A gay man could read this book as if his life depended on it - and perhaps it does'' Andrew Holleran, author of Dancer from the DanceEven in our modern progressive world, it''s not easy to be a gay man. While young men often come out more readily, even those from the most liberal of backgrounds still struggle to accept themselves and experience stigma, shame and difficulties with intimate relationships. They also suffer from ongoing trauma wrought by the AIDS epidemic, something that is all too often relegated to history.Drawing on a lifetime''s work as a clinical psychologist, Walt Odets uses the stories of his patients as well as those of his own deep relationships with other gay men to illuminate how these difficulties may be overcome. From a 74-year-old who only felt able to come out after his wife had died, to the boy raised in a strict religious family who worked his way to San Francisco, to the middle-aged defence lawyer who left everything behind to embrace a new life, the experiences here explore everything from grief to survival, childhood pain to the definition of gay itself. Out of the Shadows shows us how a new way forward is possible through learning to accept ourselves and others as they are, and independently inventing our own lives.Trade ReviewOut of the Shadows is several books: A snapshot of three generations of gay men and the effect AIDS has had on them, an argument for the gay sensibility in a time of assimilation, and a memoir. But most of all it is stories, fascinating stories gleaned from the gay men who came to Odets for talk therapy. They make it both riveting and moving. A gay man could read this book as if his life depended on it -- and perhaps it does. -- Andrew Holleran, author of Dancer from the DanceDrawn from a lifetime of thinking about the lives of gay men... [this book is] the best manifesto on which to build a platform of queer love and self-acceptance, and ensure the foundations of our community are not further eroded. * The Observer *A copy of this vital book should be given to every politician, every educator, every journalist to help transform the inadequacy of our dialogue about queer lives -- Andrew McMillanOut of the Shadows is the story of what it is to be gay and alive now... I wept with sorrow and pride at the persistent and contradictory life-force running in a seam throughout the book. Out of the Shadows is a major addition to the literature of gay life and death, of the difficult task of finding forms of intimacy that humans need in order to thrive -- Jon Robin Baitz, playwrightWalt Odets does what few other writers have done before. Drawing deeply from the diversities of gay male culture, the lives of his clients, and his own experience, he skilfully and loving explores the emotional and psychic realities of being a gay man today. Compelling, compassionate, and at times even humorous, this is an important, vital book that takes with great seriousness both the demands of intimacy and powers of sexuality. -- Michael Bronski, Professor, Harvard University, and author of A Queer History of the United StatesHis writing is poignant and achingly beautiful - so much so, in fact, that I occasionally had to put the book down to avoid weeping on the subway. There's sadness in Odets's life story, but there's mostly resilience, tenderness and a willingness to fashion an unapologetic gay life, sometimes against all odds -- Benoit Denizet-Lewis * The New York Times *A soaring combination of social critique, memoir, and manifesto. Odets's greatest strengths are his moving prose and ability to make the psychological material accessible and as fascinating and thought-provoking as the poignant stories. Gay men will find much to ponder here, but any reader can find meaning in this extraordinary, stirring invitation to re-examine assumptions about what it means to be gay and to have a good life. * Publisher's Weekly *Call it a shadow, a trauma, or simply a past. I trust that Odets has saved many from it, and his book might save many more. * Bookbrunch *Exploring true stories of gay men over several generations...lays bare the trauma that coming out and living your truth has for all queer people. Heartbreaking, enlightening but much needed. -- Niven GovindenPoignant and achingly beautiful * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisSimon Baron-Cohen''s The Essential Difference: Men, Women and the Extreme Male Brain is an unflinching look at the scientific evidence behind the innate sex differences of the mind. Men and women have always seemed to think in entirely different ways, from conversation and communication to games and gadgets. But are these differences created by society, or do our minds come ready-wired one way or another, with female brains tending towards interaction and male towards organisation? And could this mean that autism - rather than being a mental anomaly - is in fact simply an extreme male brain? Why are female brains better at empathasing? How are male brains designed to analyse systems? And what really makes men and women different? Simon Baron-Cohen explores list-making, lying and two decades of research in a ground-breaking examination of how our brains can be male or female but always completely fascinating. ''Compelling ... Inspiring''  Guardian ''This is no Mars/Venus whimsy, but the conclusion from twenty years of experiment''   Evening Standard ''A devastating contribution to the gender debate''  Mail on Sunday ''A fascinating, thought-provoking book''  Observer Simon Baron-Cohen is Professor at Cambridge University in the fields of psychology and psychiatry. He is also the Director of Cambridge''s internationally renowned Autism Research Centre. He has carried out research into social neuroscience over a career spanning twenty years. He is the author of Mindblindness and Zero Degrees of Empathy.Trade ReviewThis is no Mars/Venus whimsy, but the conclusion fron twenty years of experiment * Evening Standard *This is a fascinating, thought-provoking book. Women will want to talk about it. Men will sit silent and brood over its details * Observer *Compelling... the book's final and probably most controversial argument is a treat for those who simply enjoy a good idea * Guardian *A thought-provoking take on the minds of men and women * Evening Standard *A devastating new contribution to the gender debate...dynamite * Mail on Sunday *The minds of men and women are very different - and here at last is the scientific proof... scholarly but never dry, this will definitely provoke lively discussion * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis''Everyone should read Down Girl. It should be distributed in schools and every board room, athletic department and legislative space'' - Soraya ChemalyA transformative book on how misogyny works from a hugely influential thinkerMisogyny is a hot topic, yet it''s often misunderstood. What is misogyny exactly? Who deserves to be called a misogynist? How does misogyny contrast with sexism, and why is it prone to persist - or increase - even when sexist gender roles are waning? In Down Girl moral philosopher Kate Manne argues that misogyny should not be understood primarily in terms of the hatred or hostility some men feel toward all or most women. Rather, it is primarily about controlling, policing, punishing and exiling the bad women who challenge male dominance. And it is compatible with rewarding the good ones and singling out other women to serve as warnings to those who are out of order.An incredibly forensic analysis of the logic of misogyny from a brilliant thinker, Down Girl is essential reading for the #MeToo era.Trade ReviewAn important and compelling analysis of a phenomenon that's everywhere. Out of Manne's thoughtful analysis, of not just much-debated high-profile events but also everyday experiences, emerge insight after insight into the what, why, when, and how of misogyny -- Cordelia Fine * Big Issue *Fiercely argued and timely -- Paul Bloom * New Yorker *Manne's book is a forensic and clever analysis which provides the cogs and wheels of how the system of patriarchal policing works, in our minds, as well as in our world. . . Down Girl offers a sharply cut prism through which to view our everyday experience -- Afua Hirsch * Times Literary Supplement *Everyone should read Down Girl. It should be distributed in schools and every board room, athletic department and legislative space -- Soraya Chemaly, author of Rage Becomes HerThe moment is ripe for a reckoning, and Manne offers the language and theory I've found myself grasping for. . . She combines the hyper-articulateness of a philosopher and the energy and humor of a down-to-earth millennial, which is electrifying -- Regan Penaluna * Guernica Magazine *A must-read. . . should be in every feminist's library. . . Down Girl is destined to become a feminist literary classic alongside the likes of The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf or Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique -- Jennifer Taylor Skinner * The Electorette *Really excellent. . . timely and intellectually rigorous -- Nigel WarburtonKate Manne does a jaw-droppingly brilliant job of explaining gender and power dynamics which have always been purposefully muddied, but which shape how and to whom sympathy and presumptions of full humanity accrue. . . Perceptive, bold, stylishly written and bracingly clear eyed, Down Girl is one of the best books I have ever read on gender and power; I will never stop learning from it -- Rebecca Traister, author of Good and MadAn exciting next-generation feminist philosopher -- Elizabeth AndersonDown Girl is excruciatingly well-timed, providing a theoretical framework for a phenomenon baring itself before us, perverse and pervasive. . . It reminds us that while revealing individual misogynists is hard, uprooting misogyny is much harder -- Carlos Lozada * Washington Post *

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Book Synopsis''A breeze of a read, makes you see our male-manufactured world a little differently'' Matt Haig''GRAYSON PERRY FOR KING AND QUEEN OF ENGLAND. Imagine how BRILLIANT our country would look if he was'' Caitlin MoranGrayson Perry has been thinking about masculinity - what it is, how it operates, why little boys are thought to be made of slugs and snails - since he was a boy. Now, in this funny and necessary book, he turns round to look at men with a clear eye and ask, what sort of men would make the world a better place, for everyone?What would happen if we rethought the old, macho, outdated version of manhood, and embraced a different idea of what makes a man? Apart from giving up the coronary-inducing stress of always being ''right'' and the vast new wardrobe options, the real benefit might be that a newly fitted masculinity will allow men to have better relationships - and that''s happiness, right?Grayson Perry admits he''s not immune from the stereotypes himself - as the psychoanalysts say, ''if you spot it, you''ve got it'' - and his thoughts on everything from power to physical appearance, from emotions to a brand new Manifesto for Men, are shot through with honesty, tenderness and the belief that, for everyone to benefit, upgrading masculinity has to be something men decide to do themselves. They have nothing to lose but their hang-ups.Trade ReviewAn eloquent and witty tour guide through the fun house that is masculinity ... He's just the man for the job -- Dwight Garner, Books of the Times * The New York Times *A funny, engaging, and at times penetrating trek through the tricky landscape of contemporary masculinity ... [Perry is] a cultural luminary -- Jason Heller * NPR *Pithy and insightful ... The Descent of Man fits into the tradition of the 18th-century treatise, a plea for a new, enlightened social order in the manner of Mary Wollstonecraft or William Hazlitt -- Sophie Gilbert, * The Atlantic *A joy to read -- William Leith * Financial Times *[Perry] is thoroughly engaging and charismatic ... His personality shines through -- Clive Davis * The Times *GRAYSON PERRY FOR KING AND QUEEN OF ENGLAND. Imagine how BRILLIANT our country would look if he was. -- Caitlin MoranThoughtful, clearly written and a joy to read * Evening Standard *A fabulous book -- Victoria HislopWith its non-macho slender girth and personal, engaging approach, [The Descent of Man] is a breeze of a read, and one that makes you see our male-manufactured world a little differently ... Grayson Perry has written the very book I wanted to write -- Matt Haig * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review'A scholarly, compassionate and courageous examination of a subject that’s sparked an unhelpful civil war within the LGBTQ community. Unlike those of her online counterparts, Joyce’s arguments are well researched, soundly made and avoid the toxicity that mars so much conversation on this topic.’ * Observer, Books of the Year *‘A frighteningly necessary book: well-written, thoroughly-researched, passionate and very brave.’ -- Richard Dawkins‘A courageous, intelligent and important work, rooted in good science and common sense.’ -- Jenni Murray'I'm off the fence...This rigorous and brave book nails the absurd idea that sex is just a “social construct”' -- David Aaronovitch, The Times'A superlative critical analysis...With this fact-filled, humane, and brave book, a grown-up has entered the room.' -- The Telegraph'Reasonable, methodical, sane, and utterly unintimidated by extremist orthodoxy, Trans is also a riveting read.' -- Lionel Shriver‘Thank goodness for Helen Joyce… Trans is a searing and at times devastating analysis of an ideological shift that has had a profound influence on many institutions in the West… With the rigour of an investigative journalist, she looks at the history of the trans movement over the past century.’ -- Christina Patterson, Sunday Times'A tour de force. With a fine eye for detail, she brings all the elements of gender ideology together with clarity and precision...simply a must-read' -- Evening Standard‘anyone wanting to understand how transgender rights became such a flashpoint in identity politics – and why a generation of feminists is so determined to stand its ground – should start here with this polemical book by Helen Joyce.’ -- Patrick Maguire * Times, Books of the Year 2021 *'An intelligent, thorough rejoinder to an idea that has swept across much of the liberal world seemingly overnight. Even those outraged by Joyce’s positions would benefit from understanding them...Open conversation about such fraught issues is the only realistic path forward.' -- Jesse Singal, New York Times'A passionate defence' * Financial Times *‘Incisive, compassionate and nuanced…In the first decade of this century, it was unthinkable that a gender-critical book could even be published by a prominent publishing house, let alone become a bestseller.’ -- Louise Perry, New Statesman‘I was knocked out by Trans… Biology vs magical thinking has become such a violent debate that most people involved (myself included) can’t set verbal foot in it without effing and jeffing till the air is blue. But Joyce is always cool, calm and in complete possession of her extensive collection of facts.’ -- Spectator Books of the Year'A sane, humane book.' -- Daniel Dennett, author of Consciousness Explained‘There are few subjects which need treatment that is at once delicate, thoughtful and brave. Helen Joyce manages all of these things in Trans. Anyone looking to understand this most fraught of issues should start here.’ -- Douglas Murray, author of The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race, Identity'How do we want to live? How do we want our children to live? Helen Joyce tackles this matter. Buy her book for your teenagers. Give it to your boss. Send it to the head of HR. Place it on a bench at the Royal Academy. Sex matters. Tell everyone.' -- The Article'Helen Joyce has written a very important, enlightened and powerfully-argued book on one of the most controversial issues of our times. For anyone who wants to understand the spirit of the age, its complexities and challenges, and how to map a truly progressive way forward. Riveting from start to finish.' -- Matthew d'Ancona, Editor and Partner, Tortoise Media‘A searing analysis of the transgender debate that has dominated much of public discourse in Scotland in recent years, at least among feminists… I urge you to read Helen Joyce’s book… It may well offer you a new perspective on this most troubling of national conversations. It may even change your mind.’ -- Susan Dalgety addressing Nicola Sturgeon in the Scotsman‘This is the book every woman should read. It explains how we’re being erased, how our arguments are being distorted, and the cost of standing up...Brilliant, coruscating, brave.’ -- Joan Smith, author of Misogynies'The author brave enough to take on the trans lobby' -- Mail Online‘If… you look to grasp the extent to which gender identity ideology, both academic and popular, bears comparison with the worst sort of pseudoscience, then Joyce is your pick… Perhaps because of her use of biology, Joyce’s feminism is disciplined and thoughtful… [a] careful use of science.’ -- CapX'Well-researched, compelling...a deeply compassionate reminder that there are real trade-offs to be made in human rights activism.’ -- Ayaan Hirsi Ali‘[Joyce] is sharp, lucid and brilliant in analysing how the recent surge of sexual ‘transitioning’ and insistence on self-declared ‘gender identity’, has undermined feminism’s achievements.’ * Spiked *'The book I wish I’d had the foresight to pitch and the insight to write.' -- Jo Bartosch, The Critic'An ambitious, wide-ranging, yet incredibly economical book… Trans is an enormously readable and widely accessible book, full of righteous anger and common-sense feminism.' -- The Radical Notion

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Book SynopsisThe Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick''Every once in a while, I read a book that opens my eyes in a way I never expected'' Reese Witherspoon (Reese''s Book Club x Hello Sunshine book pick)''It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think'' Liane Moriarty, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Little LiesThis is how a family keeps a secret...and how that secret ends up keeping them.This is how a family lives happily ever after...until happily ever after becomes complicated.This is how children change...and then change the world.This is Claude. He''s five years old, the youngest of five brothers, and loves peanut butter sandwiches. He also loves wearing a dress, and dreams of being a princess.When he grows up, Claude says, he wants to be a girl.Rosie and Penn want Claude to be whoever Claude wTrade ReviewI was lucky enough to receive an advance reading copy of this very special book about a family with a secret. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think. -- Liane Moriarty, bestselling author of THE HUSBAND'S SECRET and TRUE LITTLE LIESAn astonishing balance of humour, complexity, and above all, kindness -- Ruth Ozeki, bestselling author of A TALE FOR THE TIME BEINGHuge heart, humour and compassion. A sparkling tale about the power of secrets, loyalty and love, this novel is wonderfully engaging, gorgeously written and has characters that will captivate you * Sunday Mirror *Heart-warming and funny... I found this both unputdownable and enlightening. I'm so glad I've read it - I know so much more about life now -- Katie FfordeA lively and fascinating story of a thoroughly modern family and the giant, multifaceted love that binds them. THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS sparkles with wit and wisdom -- Maria Semple, bestselling author of WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTEAn intelligent, life-affirming, emotionally charged story. This is a very relevant read for today's world - it'll make you laugh and cry * Prima *Wonderful, magical * Red *Thought-provoking and topical * Woman & Home *Written with wry humour and compassion, this is a personal story of parenting, love and understanding * Sunday Express *A touching novel * Good Housekeeping *This wise and often funny novel is a compassionate lesson in discovering and welcoming what makes each of us unique * Redbook *With emotional acuity, admirable bravery, utter compassion, and complete understanding, [Frankel has] created a family attempting to forge a path through one of life's most mystifying challenges: how to define what it is that makes your child who he or she is: unique, beloved, and whole. This is a novel everyone should read. It's brilliant. It's bold. And it's time -- Elizabeth George, bestselling author of A BANQUET OF CONSEQUENCESA beautiful, thought-provoking novel that will make you think differently about the world -- Adele ParksA beguiling tale of a sprawling, loving, ever-changing, unconventional and yet completely typical modern family... Wonderfully moving -- Garth Stein, author of THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAINA fresh new voice * Glamour *Deeply satisfying...An intimate family story...Day-to-day parenting dilemmas are where Frankel shines * New York Times Book Review *Sharp and surprising. This is a wonderfully contradictory story - heartwarming and generous, yet written with a wry sensibility * Publishers Weekly *This big-hearted novel about a family with a transgender child is in the lead for the most sensitively and sincerely told story of 2017... Frankel's portrayal of even the most open-hearted parents' doubts and fears around a child's gender identity elevates this novel * People, 'Book of the Week' *A tender, endearingly human piece of work * Straits Times *A heart-warming and bittersweet story of identity and family * Irish Country Magazine *Brave, complicated, occasionally horrifying and frequently very funny...Frankel is a first-rate storyteller * Seattle Times *

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Book SynopsisTHE BRILLIANT AND HUGELY INFLUENTIAL BOOK BY THE WINNER OF THE 2017 ROYAL SOCIETY INSIGHT INVESTMENT SCIENCE BOOKS PRIZE'Fun, droll yet deeply serious.' New Scientist'A brilliant feminist critic of the neurosciences ... Read her, enjoy and learn.' Hilary Rose, THES'A witty and meticulously researched exposé of the sloppy studies that pass for scientific evidence in so many of today's bestselling books on sex differences.' Carol Tavris, TLSGender inequalities are increasingly defended by citing hard-wired differences between the male and female brain. That's why, we're told, there are so few women in science, so few men in the laundry room - different brains are just suited to different things.With sparkling wit and humour, Cordelia Fine attacks this 'neurosexism', revealing the mind's remarkable plasticity, the substantial influence of culture on identity, and the malleability of what we consider to be 'hardwired' difference. This modern classic shows the surprising extent to which boys and girls, men and women are made - not born.Trade ReviewWe are all in [Fine's] debt. She has the expertise to check the research references cited by academic as well as popular books on the subject, and she has the clarity and wit to impart her findings to the lay reader. She exposes shockingly lightweight research that is taken seriously and nuanced research that is misreported. -- GuardianThe hard data is illuminating, and engaging, but Fine manages a light touch throughout. This is a truly startling book. -- Independent on SundayTwo books came out this year (2010) which, in the long-term, could change how we view gender for ever. ... Cordelia Fine's 'Delusions of Gender: The Real Science Behind Sex Differences' (Icon Books) finally debunked the myth that men and women's minds are significantly different .... Both books were favourably reviewed and hotly discussed. Over time their conclusions could have far-reaching consequences as significant as 'The Female Eunuch.' -- Viv Groskop, GuardianA fascinating subject. A bracing argument. -- Evening Standard'Delusions of Gender' ... carefully and with great precision demolishes the nonsense that pervades the popular and technical literature pretending to be scientific fact, exposing it as truthiness which is nowhere close to truth. ... When I first heard about this book it was clear, even before reading it, that this is the book we've been waiting for. Now, having read it, I can assure you that it is even better than I thought it could be. ... Buy it. Get your friends, your colleagues, your family members to buy it, or buy it for them. Get it to your local school board. Make it required reading, not only in gender studies, but in freshman sociology, biology, education and business courses. Get it on the New York Times bestseller list. ... Our culture is saturated with sloppy self-reinforcing non-thinking about gender. It will take a monumental effort to get it off those tracks. 'Delusions of Gender' is an excellent place to start. -- Professor Judy Roitman, Association for Women in Mathematics NewsletterFine is fun, droll yet deeply serious. Setting a cracking pace, Delusions tackles the power of implicit association (those unconscious associations we make about men and women) and of negative stereotyping, plus the empathising/systematising theory proposed by psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen, and the messy world of brain scans and genetic research. Her conclusion: we are in thrall to "neurosexism". -- New ScientistThe result of Fine's irritation is a witty and meticulously researched exposé of the sloppy studies that pass for scientific evidence in so many of today's bestselling books on sex differences... Can we stop talking about brains now? Those who can't, and anyone else who would like to know what today's best science reveals about gender differences - and similarities - could not do better than read this book. -- Carol Tavris, TLS['Brain Storm' and 'Delusions of Gender' are] well-informed, well-argued and (for science books, perhaps unusually) well-written interventions in ... one of the most important debates in current sexual politics. -- Trouble and Strife JournalIf you believe that the tide of blue and pink that greets children whenever they walk into a toy or children's clothes shop is just about colours ... think again. -- Working MumsThis is a book with such a large scope that it's near-impossible to overestimate its importance. Much like 'The Spirit Level' did for socio-economics, this book ropes together decades' worth of studies on gender differences and casts a cool, calm eye (and an arched brow) over them all... This book will cast a light on gender assumptions you didn't know you had, and it's hilarious - with chapter titles such as 'We Think, Therefore You Are' and 'Sex and Premature Speculation,' Dr Fine is a brilliant tour guide - making light, fun and engaging work of the research. By debunking the rubbish, this book opens up possibilities for a (slightly) clearer vision of the future. Not to be missed. -- Fat QuarterIn 'Delusions of Gender' Cordelia Fine does a magnificent job debunking the so-called science, and especially the brain science, of gender. If you thought there were some inescapable facts about women's minds - some hard wiring that explains poor science and maths performance, or the ability to remember to buy the milk and arrange the holidays - you can put these on the rubbish heap. Instead, Fine shows that there are almost no areas of performance that are not touched by cultural stereotypes. This scholarly book will make you itch to press the delete button on so much nonsense, while being pure fun to read. -- Emeritus Professor Uta Frith, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, Research Foundation Professor, University of Aarhus'Cordelia Fine has a first-rate intellect and writing talent to burn. In her new book, Delusions of Gender, she takes aim at the idea that male brains and female brains are "wired differently", leading men and women to act in a manner consistent with decades-old gender stereotypes. Armed with penetrating insights, a rapier wit, and a slew of carefully researched facts, Fine lowers her visor, lifts her lance, and attacks this idea full-force. Whether her adversaries can rally their forces and mount a successful counter-attack remains to be seen. What's certain at this point, however, is that in Delusions of Gender Cordelia Fine has struck a terrific first blow against what she calls "neurosexism". -- Professor William Ickes, author of 'Everyday Mind Reading: Understanding What Other People Think and Feel.'Fine turns the popular science book formula on its head. -- USA TodayThe author, Cordelia Fine, who has a Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience from University College London, is an acerbic critic, mincing no words when it comes to those she disagrees with. But her sharp tongue is tempered with humor and linguistic playfulness, as the title itself suggests.... It's too late to tell that to Dr. Sax, a proponent of single-sex education, who cited the Connellan study as evidence that 'girls are born prewired to be interested in faces while boys are prewired to be more interested in moving objects.' But it's not too late to read this book and see how complex and fascinating the whole issue is. -- New York TimesSo both sexes should rejoice at Cordelia Fine's new book, Delusions of Gender, a vitriolic attack on the sexism masquerading as psychology that is enjoying a renaissance. -- Rosamund Irwin, London Evening StandardImpeccably researched and bitingly funny. -- Rosamund Irwin, London Evening StandardFine's tone is witty but the citations are detailed and the bibliography extensive...This book is an entertaining weapon in that fight (for education and social justice) and will make a nice "thwok" sound bouncing off the heads of sexists. -- Sarah Ensor, Socialist reviewFine's conclusions provide a timely warning against taking too seriously the deluge of books and articles that would have us believe that men are biologically advantaged when it comes to mathematics, racing, driving or map reading - and that women are naturally more intuitive and nurturing, so better at childcare and multitasking. -- Claire Jones, GuardianIn Delusions of Gender the psychologist Cordelia Fine exposes the bad science, the ridiculous arguments and the persistent biases that blind us to the ways we ourselves enforce the gender stereotypes we think we are trying to overcome. -- Terri Apter, GuardianFine eviscerates both the neuroscientists who claim to have found the answers and the popularisers who take their findings and run with them. -- Katherine Bouton, Deputy Editor of New York Times Magazine.Timely and provocative, her argument is also excellent at debunking oversimplified theories, for instance, that biology is destiny. -- MetroA well-stocked armoury that includes extensive research, sharp whit and a probing intelligence, and which refuses to be satisfied with the delusional myth-making that often passes for popular science. -- MetroFine offers persuasive proof that many of the claims we commonly swallow about male and female brains are based on very bad science indeed. Her entire book ... is worth a read, and perhaps should be taught in high school and college science classes. Maybe if young women were exposed to the truth about their brains, they'd no longer feel like they had to chuck their gender overboard in order to pursue their dreams. -- Anna North, JezebelWith Delusions of Gender, we welcome a brilliant feminist critic of the neurosciences ... In a book that sparkles with wit, which is easy to read but underpinned by substantial scholarship and a formidable 100-page bibliography, she attacks the ready generalisations on sexual differences made by neuroscientists and their media exegetes ... every page of Fine's brilliant, spiky book reminds us that science is part of culture and that the struggle against sexism in the neurosciences and the struggle against sexism in society are intimately linked. Read her, enjoy and learn. -- Hilary Rose, THESAn excellent introduction to the scientific method ... mind-opening ... prepare to be a relative expert on the subject. -- British Neuroscience Association BulletinA pinnacle piece of feminist literature, which I thoroughly recommend and could quote all day. -- Fran Hall, Huffington Post[a] brilliant debunking of "neuro-sexism" ... a powerful case that who we are is much more closely attuned to the culture that surrounds us, than to the biology of our brains. -- MslexiaFor anyone interested in the brain, research methods, applied science, gender, parenting, the workplace, human nature or general sass, this book is an absolute must read. -- Cyndi Chen, Huffington PostPopular science writing at its best ... beautifully and accessibly written ... It is a cracking good read, by turns witty, passionate and learned. -- National Childbirth Trust Journal

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Book SynopsisWe live in a time of uncertainty about relationships. We search for The One but find ourselves staying single because nobody measures up. We long for a happily-ever-after but break-up after break-up leave us bruised and confused. Rewriting the Rules: An Anti Self-Help Guide to Love, Sex and Relationships is a friendly guide through the complicated - and often contradictory - advice that's given about sex and gender, monogamy and conflict, break-up and commitment. It asks questions about the rules of love, such as which to choose from all the rules on offer? Do we stick to the old rules we learnt growing up, or do we try something new and risk being out on our own? And what about the times when the rules we love by seem to make things worse, rather than better? This new edition, updated throughout, considers how the rules are being 'rewritten' in various ways - for example in monogamish and polyamorous relationships, different ways of understanding sex and gender, and new ideas for managing commitment and break-up where economics, communities, or child-care make complete separation impossible. This book considers how the rules are being ârewrittenâ in various ways, giving you the power to find an approach that best fits your situation.Trade Review"Who gets to write the rules about love and sex and relationships? Meg John Barker tells us that you do. Each of you. Each of us. And then goes on to show us a wide variety of choices of how you might choose to connect with others. Your choices. Whatever choices you have made so far in your life, you have to read this book. Then you can quit questioning yourself and take on the freedom - and responsibility - of living by your own vision, with those you love, as entirely your self."Dossie Easton, Marriage & Family Therapist, Co-author of The Ethical Slut"To tackle the dos and don'ts that flood intimate relationships advice, Meg Barker's sharp, insightful, open-minded and friendly guide is here to help you navigate the mazes of modern love. Meg's pen is like a benevolent friend who's hand you don't want to let go. Hold on to Rewriting the Rules."Esther Perel, Author of Mating in CaptivityTable of ContentsContentsList of illustrations ?Preface: Rewriting Rewriting the Rules ?1 Rewriting the rules ?2 Rewriting the rules of yourself ?3 Rewriting the rules of love ?4 Rewriting the rules of sex ?5 Rewriting the rules of gender ?6 Rewriting the rules of monogamy ?7 Rewriting the rules of conflict ?8 Rewriting the rules of break-up ?9 Rewriting the rules of commitment ?10 Rewriting your rules ?Notes ?Index ?

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Book Synopsis''Every parent needs to read this'' Helen JoyceUntil just a few years ago, gender dysphoria severe discomfort in one's biological sex was vanishingly rare. It was typically found in less than .01 percent of the population, emerged in early childhood, and afflicted males almost exclusively.But today whole groups of female friends in colleges and schools across the world are coming out as ''transgender''. These are girls who had never experienced any discomfort in their biological sex until they heard a coming-out story from a speaker at a school assembly or discovered the internet community of trans ''influencers''.Unsuspecting parents now find their daughters in thrall to YouTube stars and ''gender-affirming'' educators and therapists, who push life-changing interventions on young girls including medically unnecessary double mastectomies, and hormone treatments that can cause permanent infertility.Abigail Shrier, a writer for the Wall Street Journal, has talked to the girls, their agonised parents, and the therapists and doctors who enable gender transitions, as well as to ''detransitioners'' young women who bitterly regret what they have done to themselves. Coming out as transgender immediately boosts these girls' social status, Shrier finds, but once they take the first steps of transition, it is not easy to walk back.

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Book SynopsisInferior is more than just a book. It's a battle cry and right now, it's having a galvanising effect on its core fanbase' ObserverAre women more nurturing than men?Are men more promiscuous than women?Are males the naturally dominant sex?And can science give us an impartial answer to these questions?Taking us on an eye-opening journey through science, Inferior challenges our preconceptions about men and women, investigating the ferocious gender wars that burn in biology, psychology and anthropology. Angela Saini revisits the landmark experiments that have informed our understanding, lays bare the problem of bias in research, and speaks to the scientists finally exploring the truth about the female sex.The result is an enlightening and deeply empowering account of women's minds, bodies and evolutionary history. Interrogating what these revelations mean for us as individuals and as a society, Inferior unveils a fresh view of science in which women are included, rather than excluded.Trade Review‘Angela Saini has written a powerful, compelling and much needed account that challenges deeply rooted preconceptions about sex differences’ Adam Rutherford, author of Creation 'An immensely readable and compelling book, providing up to date and evidence-based ammunition for readers who want to rebuff tired myths stereotyping men and women's brains and bodies' Professor Athene Donald 'This is an important book, beautifully written, and with compelling narratives and hard evidence researched through the lenses of anthropology, evolutionary history, psychology, and neuroscience' Aarathi Prasad, author of Like a Virgin ‘An enlightening account that shatters gender stereotypes… Armed with a heavy arsenal of data, Saini provides a gripping and much-needed account of how even the most impartial fields of scientific study have for centuries fallen prey to the biases of the patriarchal foundations they have been built upon…Saini’s work also presents the rest of the scientific community with an important challenge: to acknowledge and correct a deep-rooted bias – and to help rewrite the role of women in the story of human evolution’ Independent ‘Illuminating’ Economist ‘Saini is a meticulous researcher whose attention to detail is evident in her interviews with scientists behind some of the biggest results in neuroscience and psychology … It is my hope that this important book encourages scientists and educationists of the need for more evidence-based approaches to ensure equality and diversity in science’ Physics World

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION?SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING?''This is what journalism is for'' - Observer?Time to Think goes behind the headlines to reveal the truth about the NHS's flagship gender service for children.The Tavistock''s Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) was set up initially to provide talking therapies to young people who were questioning their gender identity.But in the last decade GIDS referred around two thousand children, some as young as nine years old, for medication to block their puberty. In the same period, the number of referrals exploded and the profile of the patients changed: from largely pre-pubescent boys to mostly adolescent girls, who were often contending with other difficulties. Was there enough clinical evidence to justify such profound medical interventions?<

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Book SynopsisIn Fluid, revolutionary fashion designer Harris Reed introduces the world to a new era in fluid fashion. At the centre of Harris Reed’s sartorial journey has always been his desire to change the way people express their identities through clothing. Fluidity’s essence is adaptable, evolutionary, and dynamic, and Harris’s work constantly disrupts the divide between men's and women's clothing. His pieces have been worn by Harry Styles, Adele, Sam Smith, Iman, and Beyoncé—and with each piece he has generated an instantly iconic cultural moment, pushing conversations about gender expression into the mainstream. Fluid examines historical antecedents of fluidity, questions old power structures, and urges people to find their authentic selves in this new avenue of fashion. With stunning photography, resplendent fashion, and illustrations of Harris's design process, Fluid takes readers beyond the idea of clothes as mere garments, reasoning that clothes are a nexus of art, philosophy, and history that can be used to help shape our culture and challenge understandings of gender. With this book, Harris Reed affirms that fluid is the future of fashion.

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Book SynopsisâœI welcome this book because it reminds therapists to engage deeply in reflexive interrogation of clinical privilege, and to centre the narratives and wisdom of the trans and non-binary people we serve.âMatthew Mills (he, him), President of the British Association of Gender Identity Specialists, Lead Consultant Speech and Language TherapistâœThis book is compulsory reading for anyone, personally and/or professionally, seeking to support trans and non-binary individuals and community groups.âDr Paul Simpson (he, him), Lecturer in Sociology, University of Manchester, UK and extensively published in gender and sexuality in later life."This book is a welcome and much needed resource on Gender Affirmative Therapy to guide therapists and practitioners to ensure best clinical practices when working with gender.âChristiane Sanderson, ITable of ContentsChapter 1: Arriving at the world of gender Chapter 2: Working with identity-based trauma by Dr Michael BeattieChapter 3: Strategies to come out Chapter 4: Arriving at the right decision Chapter 5: Beyond the gender binary by Skye Davies Chapter 6: What about the parents? Chapter 7: Sexuality, romance and identity labels Chapter 8: What would god say? Chapter 9: Clients’ relationship with the mirrorChapter 10: What if they ‘clock’ me? Chapter 11: Digital tools and online identities

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Book SynopsisDid you know that the male brain is a lean, mean problem-solving machine that uses analytical brain structures, not emotional ones, to find solutions. This guide follows the male brain from infancy to adulthood. It unlocks many secrets and offers insights into a range of subjects, including emotional intimacy, anger, agression, and winning.Trade ReviewDr Louann Brizendine's lucid, lively, and always fascinating discussion of how the male brain works (and why) has enlightened me in more ways than I can count. * Jane Fonda, actress and writer *Dr Louann Brizendine brings the latest in state-of-the-art science in helping us to understand the most ancient and primal of male passions and desires ... Highly recommended. * Dr Dean Ornish, author of The Spectrum and Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCLA. *The book uses the latest research to follow the male brain from infanthood to old age, with fascinating results. * Daily Telegraph *A fascinating read... you will pick up some valuable tips to help you understand, appreciate and connect with the men in your life. * Helen Fisher, author of Why Him? Why Her? *

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Book Synopsis“An invaluable resource for both new and veteran allies…obvious and necessary” (Library Journal, starred review) information for everyone who wants to learn more about how to navigate gender diversity in today’s families, communities, and workplaces.The days of two genders—male, female; boy, girl; blue, pink—are over, if they ever existed at all. Gender is now a global conversation, and one that is constantly evolving. More people than ever before are openly living their lives as transgender men or women, and many transgender people are coming out as neither men nor women, instead living outside of the binary. Gender is changing, and this change is gaining momentum. We all want to do and say the right things in relation to gender diversity—whether at a job interview, at parent/teacher night, and around the table at family dinners. But where do we begin? From the differences among gender identity, gender expression, and sex, to the use of gender-neutral pronouns like singular they/them, to thinking about your own participation in gender, Gender: Your Guide serves as “a warm, inviting guide to a complicated area” (The Globe and Mail, Toronto). Professor and gender diversity advocate Lee Airton, PhD, explains how gender works in everyday life; how to use accurate terminology to refer to transgender, non-binary, and/or gender non-conforming individuals; and how to ask when you aren’t sure what to do or say. It provides the information you need to talk confidently and compassionately about gender diversity, whether simply having a conversation or going to bat as an advocate. Just like gender itself, being gender-friendly is a process for all of us. As revolutionary a resource as Our Bodies, Ourselves, Gender: Your Guide is “greatly needed…an impactful tool for creating a world more supportive of people of all genders” (INTO! Magazine).Trade Review"This guide is unlike anything else available today, and an obvious and necessary item for collections of all kinds." —Library Journal (starred review)"Lee Airton’s book ‘Gender: Your Guide’ is a vital resource toward understanding and inclusiveness.... A must-have for everyone, and not only those who are trans, gender non-conforming or non-binary—or who have someone trans in their life." —The Washington Post"What I like most about how the author writes is how they combine their knowledge about gender, language and identity with a warm and caring tone. I feel like Airton is both my smartest and best friend on this subject matter." —TED"A helpful primer for those who need help negotiating gender situation and issue at work, in a social situation, and within their families. … The book may just change your thinking and the way you deal with gender diversity." —The Advice Sisters“A wealth of information useful for creating safe and welcoming space for all gender expressions.” —TD Magazine

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Book SynopsisTrade Review'A scholarly, compassionate and courageous examination of a subject that’s sparked an unhelpful civil war within the LGBTQ community. Unlike those of her online counterparts, Joyce’s arguments are well researched, soundly made and avoid the toxicity that mars so much conversation on this topic.’ * Observer, Books of the Year *‘A frighteningly necessary book: well-written, thoroughly-researched, passionate and very brave.’ -- Richard Dawkins‘A courageous, intelligent and important work, rooted in good science and common sense.’ -- Jenni Murray'I'm off the fence...This rigorous and brave book nails the absurd idea that sex is just a “social construct”' -- David Aaronovitch, The Times'A superlative critical analysis...With this fact-filled, humane, and brave book, a grown-up has entered the room.' -- The Telegraph'Reasonable, methodical, sane, and utterly unintimidated by extremist orthodoxy, Trans is also a riveting read.' -- Lionel Shriver‘Thank goodness for Helen Joyce… Trans is a searing and at times devastating analysis of an ideological shift that has had a profound influence on many institutions in the West… With the rigour of an investigative journalist, she looks at the history of the trans movement over the past century.’ -- Christina Patterson, Sunday Times'A tour de force. With a fine eye for detail, she brings all the elements of gender ideology together with clarity and precision...simply a must-read' -- Evening Standard‘anyone wanting to understand how transgender rights became such a flashpoint in identity politics – and why a generation of feminists is so determined to stand its ground – should start here with this polemical book by Helen Joyce.’ -- Patrick Maguire * Times, Books of the Year 2021 *'An intelligent, thorough rejoinder to an idea that has swept across much of the liberal world seemingly overnight. Even those outraged by Joyce’s positions would benefit from understanding them...Open conversation about such fraught issues is the only realistic path forward.' -- Jesse Singal, New York Times'A passionate defence' * Financial Times *‘Incisive, compassionate and nuanced…In the first decade of this century, it was unthinkable that a gender-critical book could even be published by a prominent publishing house, let alone become a bestseller.’ -- Louise Perry, New Statesman‘I was knocked out by Trans… Biology vs magical thinking has become such a violent debate that most people involved (myself included) can’t set verbal foot in it without effing and jeffing till the air is blue. But Joyce is always cool, calm and in complete possession of her extensive collection of facts.’ -- Spectator Books of the Year'A sane, humane book.' -- Daniel Dennett, author of Consciousness Explained‘There are few subjects which need treatment that is at once delicate, thoughtful and brave. Helen Joyce manages all of these things in Trans. Anyone looking to understand this most fraught of issues should start here.’ -- Douglas Murray, author of The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race, Identity'How do we want to live? How do we want our children to live? Helen Joyce tackles this matter. Buy her book for your teenagers. Give it to your boss. Send it to the head of HR. Place it on a bench at the Royal Academy. Sex matters. Tell everyone.' -- The Article'Helen Joyce has written a very important, enlightened and powerfully-argued book on one of the most controversial issues of our times. For anyone who wants to understand the spirit of the age, its complexities and challenges, and how to map a truly progressive way forward. Riveting from start to finish.' -- Matthew d'Ancona, Editor and Partner, Tortoise Media‘A searing analysis of the transgender debate that has dominated much of public discourse in Scotland in recent years, at least among feminists… I urge you to read Helen Joyce’s book… It may well offer you a new perspective on this most troubling of national conversations. It may even change your mind.’ -- Susan Dalgety addressing Nicola Sturgeon in the Scotsman‘This is the book every woman should read. It explains how we’re being erased, how our arguments are being distorted, and the cost of standing up...Brilliant, coruscating, brave.’ -- Joan Smith, author of Misogynies'The author brave enough to take on the trans lobby' -- Mail Online‘If… you look to grasp the extent to which gender identity ideology, both academic and popular, bears comparison with the worst sort of pseudoscience, then Joyce is your pick… Perhaps because of her use of biology, Joyce’s feminism is disciplined and thoughtful… [a] careful use of science.’ -- CapX'Well-researched, compelling...a deeply compassionate reminder that there are real trade-offs to be made in human rights activism.’ -- Ayaan Hirsi Ali‘[Joyce] is sharp, lucid and brilliant in analysing how the recent surge of sexual ‘transitioning’ and insistence on self-declared ‘gender identity’, has undermined feminism’s achievements.’ * Spiked *'The book I wish I’d had the foresight to pitch and the insight to write.' -- Jo Bartosch, The Critic'An ambitious, wide-ranging, yet incredibly economical book… Trans is an enormously readable and widely accessible book, full of righteous anger and common-sense feminism.' -- The Radical Notion

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book Synopsis''Rae McDaniel is a leader in their generation, matching compassion with clear-sighted vision for a sex-positive future'' Emily Nagoski, PhD, author of Come As You Are and BurnoutTaking everything they know from more than a decade of working with the queer and trans community, their personal journey of gender exploration, and clinical best practices, licensed therapist, coach and speaker Rae McDaniel created the Gender Freedom Model. A uniquely supportive narrative for gender exploration and transition grounded in queer joy, their nine-pillar model has helped thousands of transgender and nonbinary individuals explore gender through play, pleasure and freedom. And now, it can help you too.Whether you''re transgender, non-binary, cisgender or still exploring, this compassionate and practical guide will help you experience your gender in new, expansive ways by teaching: How to move from anxiety, self-doubt, and fear to a confident, proactTrade ReviewRae McDaniel is a leader in their generation, matching compassion with clear-sighted vision for a sex-positive future. Emily Nagoski, PhD, author of Come As You Are and BurnoutForegrounding agency and joy without glossing over real challenges, nonbinary therapist Rae McDaniel weaves research, clinical wisdom, their own and their clients' lived experience, and powerful love magic into a book that will debunk toxic nonsense and unlock gender euphoria. Carol Queen, PhD, Co-Founder of the Center for Sex & Culture, author and activistGender Magic reroutes the hero's journey by insisting that all bodies are sites of profound creativity and pleasure, ever generating innovative meanings. A cutting-edge triumph that will likely save lives on its way to illuminating new stories to live by. Lidia Yuknavich, critically acclaimed author of The Chronology of WaterIn a culture that frames being trans as either suffering or surviving, Rae McDaniel provides a travelogue of the potential, the pleasure and the possibility of living gender with deliberate cultivated joy. From mapping your complex gender galaxy to examining hopes, fears, anxieties, even regrets, Gender Magic is an able companion for anyone seeking better self-esteem, better sex and better relations with others. Dr Tey Meadow, associate professor of sociology at The Institute for the Study of Gender & Sexuality, Columbia UniversityRae McDaniel offers a hopeful path forward for gender explorers and those who love them, teaching folks how to find joy and meaning in the journey towards authenticity. Gender Magic is full of valuable guidance that honours and prepares people for the complexities within this particular life journey. Dr. Scott Mosser, surgeon and founder of the Gender Confirmation CenterGender Magic is a masterclass in authenticity, worthiness and letting your full self be seen-written from the lens of gender freedom. It's a must read for anyone on a journey to joyfully break out of confining gender 'boxes' and live their biggest, best life. Rachel Rodgers, bestselling author of We Should All Be MillionairesThe Gender Freedom Model will be a life-changing guide to help folks navigate their gender journey from a place of strength and help them live their very best life. Truly magical! Neil 'Nelly' Cannon, PhD, LMFT, CST, AASECT-certified sex therapist and supervisor, clinical director, the Cannon InstituteGender Magic is a fresh and audacious guide to gender freedom, helping readers find the courage and momentum they need to confidently be themselves in the world. Andrea Owen, author of How to Stop Feeling like Sh*t, global keynote speaker, and professional certified life coachRae has written an as-promised magical book that takes you by the heart and leads you through both their own and your own journey from gender-surviving to gender-thriving. A must-read for anyone with a gender worth celebrating (that means you!). Yana Tallon-Hicks, LMFT, sex therapist and author of Hot and UnbotheredGender Magic is a bold and accessible look at gender diversity that had me screaming, 'Yes!' all the way through. This book is a celebration of gender freedom for all of us and provides a powerful and hopeful vision of a world where each of us gets to live without shame as our true selves. Susan Hyatt, Master certified life coach and bestselling author of BareGender Magic is fascinating; it is joyful, and it will change you. Lauren F. Streicher, MD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityThis gem of a book should be required reading for all humans. Rae McDaniel is a masterful and delightful genius and this book is a gift to us all. Get it and then get another because you'll end up giving your dogeared copy away, with love. Jennifer Pastiloff, bestselling author of On Being Human

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Book SynopsisChild and Adolescent Psychology provides an accessible and thorough introduction to human development by integrating insights from typical and atypical development. This integration cements understanding since the same processes are involved. Knowledge about atypical development informs the understanding of typical development, and knowledge about typical development is a necessary basis for understanding atypical development and working with children with disorders.Based on international research, and informed by biological, social and cultural perspectives, the book provides explanations of developmental phenomena, with a focus on how children and adolescents at different age levels actually think, feel and act. Following a structure by topic, with chronological developments within each chapter, von Tetzchner presents and contrasts the major theoretical ideas in developmental psychology and discusses their implications for different aspects of development. He also Trade Review‘A hugely impressive achievement, offering a broad panoply of understandings of development from a wide diversity of perspectives and disciplines, spanning all the key areas, and forming a comprehensive, detailed and extremely useful text for students and practitioners alike.’ Dr. Graham Music, Consultant Psychotherapist, Tavistock Clinic London, UKThis book provides an extensive overview of the field of developmental psychology. It illustrates how knowledge about typical and atypical development can be integrated and used to highlight fundamental processes of human growth and maturation. The author has written an accessible text which will be of value to undergraduates and postgraduates alike. I can strongly recommend it to all who are keen to learn about this fascinating and rapidly changing field. Dr. John Coleman, PhD, OBE, UK‘This book is magnificent. It is an extraordinary blend of depth of scholarship with a lucid, and engaging, writing style. Its coverage is impressive: both thorough and timely. An admirable feature of the book is its skillful presentation of typical and atypical development in each chapter. The book is comprehensive, instructive and inviting. Both new and advanced students will love the coverage of this text, will appreciate its use of headers and enjoy its illustrations.’ Professor Joseph Campos, University of California, USAAn amazing achievement. Stephen von Tetzchner's volume has an encyclopedic breadth combined with an unerring eye for the central research across developmental psychology, particularly for the period of its explosive growth since the 1960s. It is remarkable for its even-handed representation of the American and European literatures. Both a text and a reference work, this will be the go-to resource for any teacher, researcher or student of the discipline for the foreseeable future. Professor Andy Lock, University of Lisbon, PortugalTable of ContentsChapter 1: Developmental psychologyChapter 2: Theoretical perspectivesChapter 3: Methods of gaining knowledge about childrenChapter 4: Child and adolescent disorders Chapter 5: Genes, evolution, heredity and environmentChapter 6: Stimulation and activity during fetal developmentChapter 7: Brain developmentChapter 8: Perceptual developmentChapter 9: Motor developmentChapter 10: Theories of cognitive developmentChapter 11: Attention, memory and executive functionChapter 12: Conceptual development and reasoningChapter 13: Mind understandingChapter 14: IntelligenceChapter 15: Learning and instructionChapter 16: The development of communication and languageChapter 17: Emotions and emotion regulationChapter 18: Temperament and personalityChapter 19: AttachmentChapter 20: Sibling and peer relationsChapter 21: Self and identityChapter 22: Moral developmentChapter 23 Prosocial and antisocial developmentChapter 24: Gender developmentChapter 25: PlayChapter 26: Media and understanding of societyChapter 27: Toward adulthoodGlossaryBibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBecome an ally with your son and help him to overcome fear of failure with this informative book written by a child psychologist.

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Book SynopsisSexology: The Basics is the contemporary manual of human sexuality, eroticism, and intimate relationships. It takes you to every corner of the human erotic mind and physiological arousal response for a thorough understanding of all the functional parts of our sexualities, including how we bond, love and have sex from a broad perspective of diversities in sex, gender, and relationships, from monogamy to polyamory, Vanilla to Kink. This book bridges the gaps in our knowledge of sex education. It is the ultimate guide to answering all the questions you never dared to ask, whether you are a student or a professional, or want to make sense of our often confusing erotic world.Trade Review'Sexology: The Basics is a wonderful introduction to what we know about sex from research, theory, and therapeutic practice. Packed full of interesting facts, thoughtful reflection, and real-world examples, Silva has done a brilliant job of gathering together current knowledge and presenting it in a super accessible and engaging form. Each chapter ends with helpful questions we can ask ourselves, and signposts for how we can find out more. An inclusive and entertaining read, that highlights the diversity of sexual identities, desires, practices, and more.'Meg-John Barker, author of Sexuality: A Graphic Guide'This book is a positive, normalising and informative contribution to us all learning more about sexology. Silva clearly explains the biopsychosocial approach to sexology with all of the moving parts that contribute to our sexual wellness. It offers context, both historical and current, explaining the current sexual and relationship landscape we live in today. Silva asks us to consider our own biases and position as a reader, in order to be more informed as professionals.'Kate Moyle, EFS & ESSM Certified Psycho-Sexologist & Host of Podcast: The Sexual Wellness Sessions 'This book is an absolute triumph! Silva shares his clinical expertise in a way that feels so accessible, there's a rich array of information, all presented with kindness and enthusiasm. He covers a broad range of topics to provide foundational information about his field, as well as looking at the ways in which sex and relationships can play out in the wider context of our lives. A must read for everyone interested in the world of sexology.'Ruby Rare, author of Sex Ed: A Guide for Adults'Not to be pigeonholed into one area of clinical sexology (his book on compulsive sexual behaviour is a best seller and core text on many courses), but he has produced another fine book within a year of publication. I loved the breadth of content and the clarity and ease of approaching contemporary sexology. Still, most of all, I enjoyed the case vignettes which beautifully illustrate his key concepts.'Dominic Davies, Psychotherapist, Sexologist and Founder, Pink TherapyTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. What Is Sexology? 2. Sex and Gender 3. Sexuality 4. Eroticism 5 The Basic Physiology of Sex 6. Sexual Behaviours 7. Pornography 8. Relationships 9. Sexual Offending 10. Sex Is an Important Part of Overall Health

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Book SynopsisBarbie or Lego? Reading maps or reading emotions? Do you have a female brain or a male brain? Or is that the wrong question? On a daily basis we face deeply ingrained beliefs that our sex determines our skills and preferences, from toys and colours to career choice and salaries. But what does this mean for our thoughts, decisions and behaviour? Using the latest cutting-edge neuroscience, Gina Rippon unpacks the stereotypes that bombard us from our earliest moments and shows how these messages mould our ideas of ourselves and even shape our brains. Rigorous, timely and liberating, The Gendered Brain has huge repercussions for women and men, for parents and children, and for how we identify ourselves.‘Highly accessible… Revolutionary to a glorious degree’ ObserverTrade ReviewA highly accessible book. It’s also an important one… it has the power to do vastly more for gender equality than any number of feminist “manifestos”… revolutionary to a gloriuos degree ... supremely clear-eyed … thought-provoking -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *A treasure trove of information and good humour, The Gendered Brain offers thought-provoking perspectives on the latest debates about sex, gender and the brain. -- Cordelia Fine, author of TESTOSTERONE REXEssential reading -- Katy Guest * Guardian *A smart and witty addition to the literature on sex differences. Gina Rippon is one of the most outspoken scientists in this area, and she debunks a whole host of sexist stereotypes in her new book. -- Angela Saini, author of INFERIOR[An] excellent…book… it will reward those willing to put in the effort… [and] put weapons in the arsenal of those trying to tackle sexism -- Rosamund Urwin * Sunday Times *A brilliant and thorough debunking of the popular myths around sex differences in brains and behaviour. -- Dr Emily Grossman, broadcasterA fresh and much-needed perspective on the gender debate -- Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, founder of STEMETTESThe history of sex-difference research is rife with innumeracy [and] misinterpretation… Rippon, a leading voice against the bad neuroscience of sex difference, uncovers so many examples in this ambitious book that she uses a whack-a-mole metaphor to evoke the eternal cycle… a juicy history… [and] the book accomplishes its goal of debunking the concept of a gendered brain -- Lise Eliot * Nature *Rippon…takes a scalpel to the research surrounding sex differences in the brain with precision and humour, exposing everything… [The] examples are what makes The Gendered Brain so enjoyable… [and] enlightening -- Sue Nelson * Financial Times *Rippon… [writes] in a cheerful, no-nonsense style, she draws on a dizzying array of studies to conclude, rather thrillingly, that the premise underpinning over 150 years of scientific endeavour is plan wrong… a convincing case -- Charlie McCann * Tablet *The Gendered Brain expertly and meticulously argues that essential sex differences are grossly overstated * Institution of Engineering and Technology *

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Book SynopsisTrans clients are frequently doubted, misunderstood, infantilised and judged by professionals, and this book presents an approach that ensures psychological wellbeing and trust is built between counsellor and client. This person-centred, affirmative approach is based around unlearning assumptions about gender and destabilising professionals' ideas of 'knowing better' than, and judging the client, so that they can forge a relationship and connection that is on an equal footing. The book explores a range of topics such as the overlap of gender diversity and autism, sex and sexuality, intersectionality, unconscious bias and reflective practice. Essential reading for professionals that want to support trans people's mental health and social wellbeing.Trade ReviewThis excellent book provides therapists, counsellors, and other practitioners with all they need to know about working with trans and gender-diverse clients. Given the current climate of panic and misinformation in this area, the book provides a much-needed counterbalance: a straightforward, accessible, and engaging overview of how sex and gender work, what key terms mean, what is involved in various forms of transition, the impact of transphobia, and the importance of community, among other topics. The chapters covering autism and other forms of neurodivergence, and diversity within trans communities, were particularly welcome. I would heartily recommend this to any clinician or practitioner wanting to improve their knowledge in this area. Absolutely superb. -- Dr Meg-John Barker, author of How to Understand Your Gender and Queer: A Graphic HistoryThis is a deeply inclusive book and a must read for therapists and anyone working with trans and gender diverse people. I spent most of my time reading this book nodding and saying 'YES!' emphatically. Highly recommended. -- Yenn Purkis, Autistic and non-binary advocate author and presenterTable of ContentsPreface; A Note About Terminology; 1. The Story of Gender and Sex; 2. Who Are the Trans Community?; 3. Is it the Right Thing to Transition?; 4. Transitioning and its Impact; 5. Divergent People; 6. Minority Stress and its Causes; 7. A Diverse Community; 8. Trans Sexuality; 9. Do's and Don'ts for Counsellors; Glossary; References

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Book Synopsis'Zimbardo has put his finger on a great challenge of the modern era' - The Sunday TimesMasculinity is in meltdown. Young men are failing as never before — academically, socially and sexually. But why? And what needs to be done?Internationally-acclaimed psychologist Philip Zimbardo, and research partner Nikita Coulombe, show how symptoms include excessive gaming and porn use, apathy and drug abuse. They argue that digital technologies create alternative worlds that many boys find less demanding and more rewarding than real life, yet which are ultimately harmful.There is hope. Man Disconnected reveals where the solutions are to be found, and what action we can take. Controversial, provocative and insightful, this book is an alarm call ignored at our peril.Trade Review"Detailed and absorbing...masterly and honest." -- Mary Warnock Times Higher Education Supplement, The Lucifer Effect "Formidable." Observer, The Lucifer Effect "Will change forever the way you think about why we behave the way we do." Malcolm Gladwell, The Lucifer Effect

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Book SynopsisThis book urges those invested in social justice for 2SLGBTQ people to interrogate the biomedical model of mental illness beyond the diagnoses that specifically target gender and sexual dissidence. In this first comprehensive application of Mad Studies to queer and trans experiences of mental distress, Pilling advances a broad critique of the biomedical model of mental illness as it pertains to 2SLGBTQ people, arguing that Mad Studies is especially amenable to making sense of queer and trans madness. Based on empirical data from two qualitative research studies, this book includes analyses of inpatient chart documentation from a psychiatric hospital and interviews with those who have experienced distress. Using an intersectional lens, Pilling critically examines what constitutes mental health treatment and the impacts of medical strategies on mad queer and trans people. Ultimately, Queer and Trans Madness: Struggles for Social Justice explores the emancipatory promise of queer and trans madness, advocating for more resources to respond to crisis and distress in ways that are non-coercive, non-carceral, and honour autonomy as well as interdependence within 2SLGBTQ communities. Table of Contents1. Chapter 1 Introduction: Queer and Trans Madness: Struggles for Social Justice2. Chapter 2 Reclaiming the Lunatic Fringe: Toward a Mad-Queer-Trans Lens3. Chapter 3 Expanding the Struggle Against Queer and Trans Pathologization: Challenging Biomedicalism4. Chapter 4 The Biomedical Model in Practice I: Encounters with Mental Health Care Practitioners5. Chapter 5 The Biomedical Model in Practice II: Inpatient Chart Documentation on Trans and Non-Binary People6. Chapter 6 Creating Social Change: The Emancipatory Promise of Queer and Trans MadnessIndex

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Book SynopsisWith a foreword from acclaimed psychologist, Dr Elaine Aron, comes a timely and invaluable book that will help redefine masculinity and reveal how high sensitivity can enrich men's lives, their communities, and the lives of those who love them.Highly sensitive people think deeply, empathize instinctively, and behave in an ethical way that benefits everyone. Today, with the negative effects of toxic masculinity' and aggressive behaviour in evidence all around us, we need highly sensitive people especially men more than ever. Yet for men, being highly sensitive brings distinct challenges, such as gender stereotypes that portray them as too emotional or not manly' enough.Cognitive behavioural psychotherapist Tom Falkenstein offers the first psychological guide that specifically addresses highly sensitive men and those who care about them, and explores the unique advantages and obstacles they face. Drawing from his training with pioneer in the field Dr. Elaine Aron, and his own ground-brTrade Review‘This book not only shows why highly sensitive men are particularly suffering in the current masculinity crisis, but also why they have exactly the right qualities to turn this crisis into an opportunity. It’s an important book that relieves the pressure of being a highly sensitive man and offers practical tools to the reader. Thank you Tom Falkenstein’ – Georg Parlow, author of Highly Sensitive ‘Tom Falkenstein’s book is characterised by a clear, precise and practical style. It’s a unique and encouraging book for all of those men who want to understand and use their sensitive temperament better’ – Brigitte Schorr, author of Highly Sensitive in Relationships ‘High sensitivity is a fascinating and increasingly popular topic. Tom Falkenstein’s book about highly sensitive men is an important addition to this relatively new field. The scientific foundation and the countless practical tips and techniques that this book offers will help men and women to understand their high sensitivity better and to live well with it’ – Dr Michael Pluess, Queen Mary University of London ‘Finally! A professionally grounded and thoroughly researched book specifically for highly sensitive men. The book engages deeply with masculinity and sensitivity and will help to strengthen the self-worth of 2 highly sensitive men who feel insecure. The book powerfully motivates men to accept and use their sensitivity well. It’s an important addition to the empowerment of highly sensitive men’ – Ulrike Hensel, author of Understanding and Appreciating High Sensitivity ‘It’s a breath of fresh air in the midst of a cultural determination to reduce toxic masculinity. This book is a balm, a movement, and a revelation… The integrating of the knowledge in this book would allow for a complete cultural sea change around what it is to be a man.’ – Alanis Morissette, singer and songwriter

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Book SynopsisProviding advice on how professionals working with autistic trans youth and adults can tailor their practice to best serve their clients and how parents can support their trans autistic children, this book increases awareness of the large overlap between trans identities and autism.By including chapters on gender diversity basics, neuroqueer trauma and how to support neuroqueer individuals, this book sets out strategies for creating more effective support that takes into account the unique experiences of trans people on the spectrum. Written by a therapist who identifies as neuroqueer, this book is the perfect companion for professionals who want to increase their knowledge of the experiences and needs of their trans autistic clients.Trade ReviewThis concise, appropriate, necessary book offers explanations, answers and research for understanding gender differences journeyed by autistic, neurodiverse individuals. I cannot stress enough the importance of this book! -- Dr. Wenn Lawson (PhD), CPsych, BPSs, AFBPSs, MAPsFor those new to the field and those who already know so much, you will all discover so much more to learn in Finn Gratton's brilliant and comprehensive book taking us on a journey alongside trans autistic people, in their everyday lives and in the offices of the professionals there to help them. Gratton reminds us throughout Supporting Transgender Autistic Youth and Adults that as we learn, it is the trans autistic people who will be our teachers in both their neuro- and gender diversity. -- Diane Ehrensaft, Ph.D., Director of Mental Health, Child and Adolescent Gender Center, University of California San Francisco Author of The Gender Creative Child and Gender Born, Gender MadeGratton opens readers' eyes and hearts to the experiences and realities of neuroqueer individuals. Brimming with practical resources and strategies, a true gem and essential reading for families and professionals willing to take action to make the world a more welcoming place for trans autistic youth and adults. -- Katherine A. Kuvalanka, Ph.D., Department of Family Science and Social Work, Miami UniversityTable of Contents1. Autistic and Transgender. 2. Recognizing an Autistic Transgender Person. 3. The Inside Experience of Being Trans and Autistic. 4. Working with Trauma and Minority Stress. 5. Working with Connection, Attachment and Relationships. 6. Working with Families. 7. Health Care Issues. 8. Navigating the Cisgender Neurotypical World. 9. Crisis Interventions and Preparing for Crises. 10. Looking Forward.

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Book SynopsisWritten by two specialist speech and language therapists, this book explains how voice and communication therapy can help transgender and non-binary people to find their authentic voice. It gives a thorough account of the process, from understanding the vocal mechanism through to assimilating new vocal skills and new vocal identity into everyday situations, and includes exercises to change pitch, resonance and intonation. Each chapter features insider accounts from trans and gender diverse individuals who have explored or are exploring voice and communication related to their gender expression, describing key aspects of their experience of creating and maintaining a voice that feels true to them.This guide is an essential, comprehensive source for trans and non-binary individuals who are interested in working towards achieving a different, more authentic voice, and will be a valuable resource for speech and language therapists/pathologists, voice coaches and healthcare professionals.Trade ReviewYour body can feel like it's betraying you with Gender Dysphoria. Upset by your appearance? Shut your eyes and avoid mirrors. But an incongruous voice? You hear that night and day. So this book is invaluable. The authors show how speech therapy really can move mountains and produce happy confident speakers, at home in their own skin. -- Christine Burns MBE, author and transgender activistThis pithy, practical guide is a treasure trove of rare and wonderful gems - particularly the exercises for trans men and non-binary people, often neglected but vulnerable to crippling self-consciousness and even phobia around speaking. Clinicians and clients alike, I unreservedly recommend The Voice Book to anyone looking to feminise, masculinise, neutralise or just explore the potential of voice. -- Dr Stuart Lorimer, Consultant PsychiatristChanging the gender expression of your voice and communication? This book is essential for your journey. Speech and language therapists will find it equally invaluable. Presented with clarity, sensitivity and optimism - it is enriched by reflections from people who have used this work to find their unique and authentic voice. Enjoy the journey! -- Annie Elias FRCSLT, Consultant Speech and Language Therapist in VoiceThis book will be one of the most constructive, practical go-to manuals on the speech pathologist's desk. It is crammed full of useful practitioner tips for those working with transgender people on their vocal presentation. This book has real clarity, but is also very readable. It not only explains the vocal problems that many transgender people face as they progress through hormonal therapy, but it is also full of usable exercises to help the practitioner help them. This will be an excellent addition to the practitioner's toolkit. -- Stephen Whittle OBE, transgender activist and Professor of Equalities Law, The Manchester Law School[This book] is an invaluable resource for voice specialists wishing to increase their confidence with trans clients...An essential text for client and clinician alike. -- Dr Sean Pert, senior lecturer in speech and language therapy, University of Manchester * Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, Bulletin *Table of ContentsPreface. Trans and Gender Diverse Contributors. Introduction. 1. Let's Start at the Very Beginning. 2. Understanding the Challenge of Change. 3. Understanding the Anatomy and Physiology of Sound. 4. Putting Exercises into Lived Practice. 5. Moving from Exercises into Situations. 6. Supporting Change and Integration of Vocal Identity. 7. The Wider Journey. References.

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Book SynopsisFocusing on reproductive and sexual justice, this important book explores in detail both the challenges that trans people face when negotiating reproductive and sexual health in restrictive social contexts, and their agency in advocating for change. Chapters cover a breadth of topics such as intimacy, sexual violence, reproductive intentions, sexuality education, oncology, and pregnancy, introducing readers to the latest research in the field as well as key emerging concepts. The authors identify core principles for trans reproductive and sexual justice, providing a broad overview of what is currently succeeding and what can be built on going into the future.Trans Reproductive and Sexual Health offers a comprehensive exploration that is essential reading for academics and students in psychology, sociology, gender studies, and related areas, as well as clinicians and policy makers, offering direct implications for professional audiences working in health and sociTrade Review'Positioned under the banner of trans reproductive and sexual justice, this book extends scholarship in this area beyond the "simple and unreflexive" binary view of gender. It presents an array of contributions by leading voices in the field on issues pertinent to trans people's reproductive and sexual health, from sexual pleasure to reproduction. Theoretical rigour stands out as a strength of this book, which promises to make an important theoretical and empirical contribution to scholarship.'Dr Tracy Morison, Massey University, New Zealand'This vital collection moves the study of trans people’s sexual and reproductive lives beyond transnormative logics, calls for inclusive language, and damage-centred research. We are reminded that even in light of the myriad of barriers to reproductive and sexual health and justice, trans people can and do experience joy, pleasure, happiness and euphoria.'Dr A.J. Lowik, Gender Equity Advisor, Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, US'This book demands we confront the gendered and sexual hegemony that have limited the life chances, self-determination, and agency of not only trans people, but all of us. The authors reveal new pathways to justice, and indeed liberation, through an explicit focus on the experiences of trans and gender diverse people in the arena of reproductive and sexual health and rights. The exacting prose, rigorous engagement with extant literature, and skillful argumentation make this volume essential reading for anyone interested in reproductive and sexual justice, contemporary feminism, human rights, or queer and transgender studies.'Dr. Avery Everhart, incoming Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Information and School of Public Health, University of Michigan, USTable of Contents1. Introduction 2. Why pleasure? 3. Violating bodily boundaries: Sexual violence experiences of trans women 4. Transgender men and pregnancy 5. “We need to be heard, respected and supported”: The impact of sexual health care interactions and discrimination on the mental health of trans and gender diverse people 6. Holistic sexuality education and fertility counselling for trans children and young people 7. Erasure of identity or gender euphoria: The impact on cancer on trans embodiment 8. Views on fertility preservation amongst trans young people and their parents 9. Men, trans/masculine and non-binary people’s views about pregnancy 10. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisJane Ussher takes a unique approach to the study of the material and discursive practices associated with the construction and regulation of the female body.Trade Review'The book is thought provoking and represents an exciting advance in Jane Ussher’s scholarship over the past twenty years, initially expressed through her original and challenging accounts of the psychology of the female body and women’s madness. Overall there is an upbeat message for women and a rallying cry and inspiration to challenge the ‘patriarchal gaze’ and its impact on our mental and physical well-being.' - Paula Nicolson, Royal Holloway University of London, UK'This is a terrifically readable account of the wrongs done women by rendering ‘the fecund female body’ a site of meaningless, monstrous abjection. Together with ways of combating this with examples from Jane Ussher’s own personal life, as well as with examples from the visual arts, and from group and individual women’s re-telling of their experiences, Managing the Monstrous Feminine does much to render speakable the unspeakable, specifically regarding ‘PMS’.' - Janet Sayers, University of Kent at Canterbury, UKTable of ContentsManaging the Monstrous Feminine: Regulating the Reproductive Body. Mad, Bad, Bloody Women: The Shame of Menarche and Pathologizing of Premenstrual Change. Embodying the Grotesque Feminine: The Pregnant and Postnatal Body. The Horror of this Living Decay’: Menopause and Aging Body. Regulation and Resistance: Women's Negotiation of Embodied Subject Positions. Appendix One: Details of the Interviews with Women on PMS, PND and Widlife. Appendix Two: Details of Women Centred Psychological Therapy Package

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Book SynopsisThis seminal work utilizes the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) to understand people's actions. It provides a framework for the study of social injustices that moves beyond just condemning others for their oppressive behaviors, outlining solutions that help work towards a more socially just society.Divided across three main sections, the book outlines the basic principles of applied behavior analysis, considers key tenets of social justice work, and examines how social justice work can be carried out on an individual and a wider institutional level. The first section focuses on the principles of behavior and how it expounds on the causes, reasons, and purposes behind one's actions. The subsequent sections pay particular attention to how prejudice, stereotypes, and bias play out in society, and how prejudices and biases make us more likely to participate in social injustices. The third section provides a behavioral description of various -isms and discusses the di

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Book SynopsisUnderstanding how your brain works is an essential step in gaining control over your healthTrade ReviewThe neuroscientist looks at the workings of the female brain, with relation to our hormones in particular. Fascinating * PSYCHOLOGIES *A great insight into how different life stages and hormones affect our brains * WOMAN'S OWN *Reassuring reading * MSLEXIA *Debunks some of the enduring myths about the female mind * DAILY MAIL *Demystifying the Female Brain by neuroscientist Dr Sarah McKay sheds light on exactly how your mind works * WOMEN'S HEALTH *

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Book SynopsisHow did the Civil War, emancipation, and Reconstruction shape the masculinity of white Confederate veterans? Drawing on personal letters and diaries, James Broomall argues that the crisis of defeat ultimately necessitated new forms of expression between veterans and among men and women.

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Book Synopsis'A treatise on empathy and grace in extraordinary circumstances' Jojo MoyesWhat does it mean to be a woman? To live in a woman's body?Alexandra Heminsley thought she knew, but then her world turned inside out. Having just resurfaced from fertility issues, childbirth and early parenthood, she was told her then-husband was going to transition.Some Body to Love is Alex's profoundly open-hearted memoir about losing a partner but gaining a best friend, and together bringing up a baby in a changing world. By baring her own unique scars, Heminsley makes a vital manifesto on the unifying resilience that can be found in modern motherhood. ______________________Praise for Some Body to Love: 'Insightful and wise, generous and kind' David Nicholls'A brave, thoughtful and timely book' Naomi Alderman'A testament to how family and love can be whatever shape we want them to be' Red'It took my breath away' Bryony Gordon'A book with a wild, deep, joyous, tender love of people at its heart' Emma Jane UnsworthTrade ReviewJaw-dropping... This is an extraordinary, kind, and generous book about what it means to live in a woman's body and the questions you ask yourself along the way. * Independent, *Books of the Year* *Staggering... Heminsley is unflinching in her exploration of her feelings. -- Daisy Goodwin * Sunday Times *Heartbreak and happiness sit in tandem in Alexandra Heminsley's wise and generous book. -- Eithne Farry * Daily Mirror *Generous, calm and thoughtful... Some Body to Love argues cogently for greater openness and understanding towards different gender expressions...also page-turningly compelling -- Holly Williams * Observer *A vital call for compassion and awareness...a hugely hopeful and deftly written book - and one that might encourage greater empathy in how we respond to all kinds of difference -- Gwendolyn Smith * i *

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Book SynopsisThe killing took place outside a busy coffee bar in Naples in broad daylight. Pupetta was eighteen years old and six months pregnant when she pulled the gun from her bag.The victim?A man known as Big Tony who had ordered the hit on her husband just months earlier...In this unputdownable exposé of women in the Mafia, investigative journalist Barbie Latza Nadeau tells the stories of the women who have risen to prominence in the Italian mob, beginning with the first documented female boss, the infamous Pupetta Maresca. Through personal interviews and groundbreaking research, Nadeau gives us a jaw-dropping 360-degree view of the dark underbelly of Italian society, taking us deeper into the Mafia and its complex realities than ever before.'Takes the reader into the little-known role of the women that underpin Italy's most ruthless mob families' Sara Gay Forden, author of House of Gucci'An unflinching portrait of one the original divas of organised crime' Clare Longrigg, author of Mafia Women'A must for true-crime fans' Publishers WeeklyTrade ReviewMeet 'Lady Camorra', one of the first female mafia bosses, as she sips coffee and drums her black-lacquered fingernails on her kitchen table. The Godmother takes the reader into the little-known role of the women that underpin Italy's most ruthless mob families and are forced to reckon with the social and sexual codes governing the violent reality of mafioso rule * Sara Gay Forden, author HOUSE OF GUCCI *An unflinching portrait of one the original divas of organised crime * Clare Longrigg, author of Mafia Women *Nuanced and skillfully reported, Barbie Latza Nadeau's work brilliantly reveals the unique prism of gender that both disenfranchises and facilitates women in the mafia * Koa Beck, author of White Feminism *

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Book SynopsisCan a boy be “trapped” in a girl’s body? Can modern medicine “reassign” sex? Is our sex “assigned” to us in the first place? What is the most loving response to a person experiencing a conflicted sense of gender? What should our law say on matters of “gender identity”? When Harry Became Sally provides thoughtful answers to questions arising from our transgender moment. Drawing on the best insights from biology, psychology, and philosophy, Ryan Anderson offers a nuanced view of human embodiment, a balanced approach to public policy on gender identity, and a sober assessment of the human costs of getting human nature wrong. This book exposes the contrast between the media’s sunny depiction of gender fluidity and the often sad reality of living with gender dysphoria. It gives a voice to people who tried to “transition” by changing their bodies, and found themselves no better off. Especially troubling are the stories told by adults who were encouraged to transition as children but later regretted subjecting themselves to those drastic procedures. As Anderson shows, the most beneficial therapies focus on helping people accept themselves and live in harmony with their bodies. This understanding is vital for parents with children in schools where counselors may steer a child toward transitioning behind their backs. Everyone has something at stake in the controversies over transgender ideology, when misguided “antidiscrimination” policies allow biological men into women’s restrooms and penalize Americans who hold to the truth about human nature. Anderson offers a strategy for pushing back with principle and prudence, compassion and grace.

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Book Synopsis'The book we all need for this moment in time.' CN LESTER'An absolute must read' FOX FISHER'A genius book' LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEWMuch of society's thinking operates in a highly rigid and binary manner; something is good or bad, right or wrong, a success or a failure, and so on. Challenging this limited way of thinking, this ground-breaking book looks at how non-binary methods of thought can be applied to all aspects of life, and offer new and greater ways of understanding ourselves and how we relate to others.Using bisexual and non-binary gender experiences as a starting point, this book addresses the key issues with binary thinking regarding our relationships, bodies, emotions, wellbeing and our sense of identity and sets out a range of practices which may help us to think in more non-binary, both/and, or uncertain ways.A truly original and insightful piece, this guide encourages reflection on how we view and understand the world we live in and how we all bend, blur or break society's binary codes.Trade ReviewThe authors go to great lengths to make their language and framing inclusive; each chapter features "slow down pages" that invite the reader to "pause and tune in to yourself." Barker and Iantaffi's feel-good approach will reassure readers questioning their gender identities and expand any reader's philosophical horizons. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisFor any student or practitioner needing to gain a sound understanding of the complex fields of gender variance, gender identity and gender dysphoria, this book provides the ideal starting point for the knowledge and skills that you need. Emphasising the need for affirmative practice in gender care, it provides an overview of the subject areas and process issues which most commonly arise in counselling, combining theoretical with practical perspectives. It explores the diverse range of identities including masculinity, femininity, non-binary, gender dysphoria, trans and cisgender. It also addresses challenges which many clients experience in their daily lives - in the workplace, when coming out, when transitioning and in intimate relationships.The authors highlight the importance of education and reflection to enable good practice. They feature case studies, vignettes and reflective exercises throughout the text, making it a useful tool for professional development as well as suitable as a text for students.Trade ReviewThis book is essential reading for all counsellors, therapists, and mental health practitioners. It explains current psychological and sociological thinking about femininity, masculinity, and non-binary gender in a highly accessible way, and demonstrates clearly how gender is relevant to all of our clients. Numerous case studies bring the material to life and help the reader to understand how best to work with clients across gender diversity, drawing on various therapeutic approaches and practices. The book particularly provides an excellent introduction to working with trans clients, including a thorough description of best practice in this area, as well as a good sense of the key issues facing trans people today. -- Meg-John Barker is a Senior Lecturer in psychology at The Open University, psychotherapist, and author of How to Understand Your Gender, Queer: A Graphic History, and many other booksA timely and important book. A fundamental read for all therapeutic professionals working with clients exploring their gender variance. At a time when society's understanding of gender identity is experiencing a state of flux this book offers clarity on a controversial and complex subject. -- Madison-Amy Webb Gender Variant Woman, Psychotherapist and Director of Transitions Counselling & ConsultancyTable of Contents1. Introduction; PART I - Gender Identities. 2. What is Gender?; 3. Exploring the Psychology of Masculinities; 4. Working with Issues in Masculine Gender Identities; 5. Exploring the Psychology of Femininities; 6.Working with Issues in Feminine Gender Identities; 7. Non-Binary Forms of Gender Identity; PART II - Working with Gender Dysphoria; 8. An Introduction to Gender Dysphoria; 9. Trans in the UK; 10. Diagnosis and Transition; 11. Non-Psychological Treatments and Interventions; 12. Coming Out, Acceptance and Cisgender Privilege; 13. Shame, Stigma and Trans People; 14. Trans Sexualities and Intimate Relationships; 15. Trans in the Workplace and Social Spaces; 16. Gender and Intersectionality; PART III - Practitioner Self-Care; 17. Supervision and Self-Care; Glossary; References; Appendix One - Professional Guidelines

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Book SynopsisAMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 2021 STONEWALL HONOR BOOKMeet Kimberly, a regular suburban housewife and mother, whose discovery later in life that she was born intersex fuelled her to become an international human rights defender and globally-recognised activist. Charting her intersex discovery and her journey to self-acceptance, this book movingly portrays how being intersex impacted Kimberly's personal and family life, as well as her career. From uncovering a secret that was intentionally kept from her, to coming out to her family and friends and fighting for intersex rights, her candid and empowering story helps breakdown barriers and misconceptions of intersex people and brings to light the trauma and harmful impact medical intervention continues to have on the intersex community. Written from a non-queer perspective, and filled with much-needed, straightforward information and advice about what it means to be intersex, this is a vital and timely resource for intersex people and their families, as well as the general reader.Trade ReviewYou will laugh, cry, and get furious alongside Zieselman as she beautifully shares her raw and unbelievable story that will change everything you thought you knew about bodies, identities, and the white, straight, well-to-do mother next door. -- Georgiann Davis, PhD, sociology professor, scholar-activist, and author of Contesting Intersex: The Dubious DiagnosisIn XOXY Kimberly Zieselman engages and inspires by sharing the intimate details of her burgeoning awareness at mid-life that she was born intersex, and the incredible journey she has been on to help herself and others. It is a gripping narrative that explores how having had information withheld- and lies told to her by her doctors- even more than her unique biology, has impacted her life. It also chronicles Zieselman's tireless efforts as an advocate and leader to educate those unfamiliar with intersex, and to eradicate the shame, stigma, and discrimination that the 1 in 50 of us who inhabit intersex bodies experience almost daily. She documents how organized medicine continues to perpetuate secrecy and shame by performing harmful and largely irreversible cosmetic surgeries on intersex infants with the singular objective of making their bodies conform to gender norms. Zieselman is a caped and capable crusader for change, and her book is filled with glimmers of hope for the current and future generation of intersex children. This book is for anyone who has ever felt different, or has stood up against judgment or intolerance, and for anyone who wants to understand what's at stake. -- Sherri Groveman Morris, Founder, AIS Support Group USAXOXY makes clear how binary notions of gender and sex embedded in U.S. health care contribute to life-long harms of intersex persons. This candid personal narrative shows us an intersex woman who refuses to be erased and chronicles the flourishing of an intersex movement that she helped build. An important and engaging read. -- Charlene Galarneau, Associate Professor Emerita, Women's and Gender Studies, Wellesley College; and, Senior Lecturer, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School - Center for BioethicsZieselman's riveting account of secrets and their consequences should motivate physicians to end the damaging, nonconsensual approach to intersex management of children, and inspire many who have endured similar medical trauma. Her turn to activism for intersex people everywhere as director of interACT is nothing short of remarkable. -- Elizabeth Reis, Ph.D., professor of gender and bioethics at the Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, and the author of Bodies in Doubt: An American History of Intersex.An intimate, searing memoir of an intersex life, XOXY lays bare the trauma of being betrayed by the medical profession, and details how one person finds empowerment through community and advocacy. -- I.W. Gregorio, urologist and author of the Lambda Literary Finalist None of the Above.In XOXY Kimberly Zieselman details the shame, secrecy and lies she's faced as an intersex person since her childhood. Her perseverance and strength in the face of an ignorant medical establishment makes for an astonishing story that you won't be able to put down. Kimberly has been advocating for intersex children 2014 as the director of InterACT, an organization focused on ending harmful medical interventions on intersex children, and she played an essential role in helping me tell my own story to the world, for which I will be forever grateful. This book will help readers understand intersex, and the need to protect the bodily autonomy of all intersex individuals. -- Hanne Gaby Odiele, Internationally Renown Model and Intersex ActivistEarly in XOXY, Zieselman writes, "I felt a rush of anxiety, but there was a simultaneous emptiness that was settling into me." That poetic tension is threaded subtly throughout the book. Zieselman tells her own story mellifluously, but with a sense of palpable unease. After all, the narrative arch is of a woman in her forties learning how she was lied to most of her life, and then learning how that lie was part of a spectacular web of medical misinformation and ill-treatment.If you know the story of how most intersex people have been systemically abused by modern medicine, this will be a read laced with foreshadowing for you. If you don't, some of the most eerily familiar and quotidian passages will expose you to an important, often misunderstood narrative about what it means to be different in this world. There are vignettes about the typical childhood discoveries-the anticipation of getting a period, being studied by classmates at a new school as if an exotic artifact, doing drugs and shoplifting. Zieselman is brutally honest about the vulnerabilities of adulthood, too-from imposter's syndrome at work to anxieties over the chaos of parenting kids with disabilities. These stories all take on a new, textured meaning when the truth is revealed. And then there are plot twists that seem ripped from a science fiction film-Kafkaesque half-truths from your parents, a doctor telling a 16-year-old her vagina is too small for her future husband to be sexually satisfied, and that nagging feeling that, even as you get older and wiser, what seems to be everyone else's reality isn't quite the same for you. Even in these moments, Zieselman delivers her story of trauma with alacrity. At one point, the teenage author-narrator is told there's only one other person in the world like her-a mysterious woman in Canada. She becomes a minor character for the rest of the book-at once desperate and comedic. And in joining Zieselman on her journey in XOXY, you get to take one of your own, and meet the intersex community. A community formed around trauma, strengthened by validation, and liberated by too-often still-elusive truth and justice. This book is part not only of an individual's life, but of a movement. It's a movement demanding the simplest of things-truth, autonomy, dignity.You'd be forgiven for assuming the memoir of a white straight cisgender woman in Massachusetts wouldn't be a story of profound self-discovery in a marginalized community; you'd also be wrong. Therein lies the power of XOXY-in a raw narrative, Zieselman delicately guides you through her own journey as an intersex woman, a mother and a lawyer, and perhaps a not-so-unlikely activist. -- Kyle Knight, Senior Researcher, Human Rights WatchXOXY is a remarkable testimonial to the power of truth and connection to alchemize shame into empowerment. Overcoming the trauma of discovering in adulthood that surgeons lied to her when she was a teenager and removed her gonads without her knowledge or permission, Kimberly Zieselman refused to remain an invisible member of a "silent majority" long assumed by doctors to be satisfied with their treatment. This is the story of how she transformed herself into a fierce international advocate who champions the human rights of intersex children everywhere to discover for themselves who they want to be. -- Arlene B. Baratz, MD, Parent of two intersex children, Coordinator of Medical and Research Affairs: AIS-DSD Support Group, Chair of Medical and Research Policy Committee: interACT- Advocates for Intersex YouthTable of ContentsPart 1: Growing Pains. 1. Christopher; 2. Synchronicity; 3. Disorderly Conduct; Part 2: The New World. 4. Setting a Course; 5. Imposter in the Mirror; 6. Layers of Secrets; 7. Red Threads; Part 3: Becoming. 8. Family Together, Family Apart; 9. Me, an Activist?; 10. No Longer Silent; 11. Advocating Out Loud; 12. Resolving to Change; 13. Intersex Buzz; 14. Circling Back, Moving Forward; Part 4: Fulfillment. 15. So Queer; 16. Do No Harm ; 17. A Global Movement; 18. Intersex en Vogue; 19. The Right to Truth; 20. Until Every Day is Intersex Awareness Day; 21. Fierce Parents, Fierce Allies; 22. Defenderd Assemble; 23. Shanghai Closure; 24. War Hero

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Book SynopsisSexuality is a fascinating phenomenon. Familiar to us all, it pervades the personal, social and cultural areas of life; it also remains an elusive and confusing aspect of our existence. Within a range of disciplines, gender studies, psychology, psychoanalysis and sociology to name but a few, great strides have been made in enriching our understandings of sexuality and it's wide variations of practice, identity, orientation and relationship forms, across context and across culture. The understandings that existential philosophy and psychotherapy can contribute have often been overlooked as they frequently languish one by one, in hard to access journals. Sexuality: Existential perspectives changes all this. Leading voices in existential philosophy and psychotherapy provide clear insight into sexuality and its related manifestations, offering perspectives that warrant consideration both within and beyond the consulting room.Table of ContentsForeword - Dr Elena Manafi Introduction - Sexuality: Debates and controversies - Dr Martin Milton Section 1: Existential perspectives on sexuality Chapter 1 Being sexual: Reconfiguring human sexuality. Prof. Ernesto Spinelli Chapter 2 Being-in-the-world sexually - Dr Hans W Cohn Section 2: Drawing on the philosophers: Merleau-Ponty and Sartre Chapter 3 Merleau-Ponty and existential sexuality - Dr Paul Smith-Pickard Chapter 4 Sexual expression, authenticity and Bad Faith - Richard Pearce Section 3: A gay essence? Chapter 5 The freedom to be fixed: Can I be a homosexual please? - Dr Marc Medina Section 4: Existential perspectives on affirmative therapy Chapter 6 Gay affirmative therapy: A critique and some reflections on the value of an existential-phenomenological theory of sexual identity - Prof. Simon du Plock Chapter 7 Gay affirmative therapy: Recognizing the power of the social world - Prof. Darren Langdridge Section 5: Contemporary concerns Chapter 8 Being sexual: Childhood and sexuality - Prof. Ernesto Spinelli Chapter 9 Open non-monogamies: Drawing on de Beauvoir and Sartre to inform existential work with romantic relationships - Dr Meg Barker Chapter 10 Trans and existential-phenomenological practice - Christina Richards Section 6: Sexuality and the consulting room Chapter 11 A dangerous methodlessness: Sexuality in the therapeutic relationship - Marcia Gamsu Chapter 12 Individual therapy and Foucault's dark shimmer of sex - Dr Paul Smith-Pickard Section 7: Existential contribution to specific modalities Chapter 13 Existential group therapy: Hell is other people? - Christina Richards Chapter 14 Existential sex therapy - Dr Meg Barker Chapter 15 'Three's company, two's a crowd': Existential couple therapy - Prof. Simon du Plock Chapter 16 Family therapy and sexuality: Liminal possibilities between systemic and existential approaches - Dr Alex Iantaffi Epilogue - Dr Martin Milton

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Book SynopsisThe increase in the number of non-binary children and adults in our society raises important treatment questions as well as much controversy. It seems essential that analysts and candidates grapple with the challenges this change in society presents. As we struggle in our psychoanalytic societies to diversify our membership and broaden our understanding of difference, this collection offers an opportunity for further discussion and study of one of the most important issues of our time. The opening essay by editor Shari Thurer provides a clear overview of recent cultural changes and the evolution of thinking about gender identification by the American Psychoanalytic Association. Next is an autobiographical essay by long-term non-binary individual Robin Haas plus a clinical reflection on Haas’ contribution by Rita Teusch. A recent account of an individual becoming non-binary from Francesca Spence is followed by the reactions of their parents, L. Harry Spence and Robin Ely. After that are psychoanalytic thoughts about the body and gender by Malkah Notman and reflections on gender from Dan Jacobs. The book ends with an extensive bibliography on the subjects of transsexuality and non-binary gender by Oren Gozlan Beyond the Binary: Essays on Gender introduces readers to current ideas about gender fluidity and choice, as well as giving voice to those who have chosen to be non-binary. This is a must-read for all practising clinicians that will help broaden their perspective on this growing issue. This is the fourth publication sponsored by the Library Committee of the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute and the first published by Phoenix.Trade Review‘Gender is always arriving, and psychoanalysts seem always to be chasing its coattails. Most often this chase has been an effort to corral gender: to capture, categorize, and conclude. Beyond the Binary – a collection of essays written as history, memoir, guide, critique, bibliography – works to move past the capture of categories. This monograph is possessed of a beguiling intimacy that engages the reader to rethink gender, gendered embodiment, and the analytic enterprise in listening to gender, its vicissitudes, and discontents.’ -- Ken Corbett, Clinical Assistant Professor, New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy‘Beyond The Binary is a deeply personal and beautiful collection of reflections about contemporary understandings of gender in the psychoanalytic community. Eloquently written and accessible to all who are curious, it impresses through its inclusivity and compelling engagement between the reader and its authors.’ -- Dr Daniel Anderson, psychiatrist and group analyst, author of 'The Body of the Group: Sexuality and Gender in Group Analysis'‘Psychoanalysis originated within a nineteenth-century, binary view conflating sexuality with gender. In this matrix, Freud hypothesized a biological, drive-driven, cross-cultural universal theory of mind. Times have changed. Today’s nontraditional gender presentations instead rely on individual subjectivities that call into question universalizing, cisnormative beliefs. These new clinical presentations also challenge psychoanalysts to move beyond procrustean developmental theories, theories that all too frequently lead to countertransferential impositions of therapists’ subjectivity onto patients. Beyond the Binary offers a good introduction for therapists wishing to rethink what they think they know about gender and how it affects their clinical practices.’ -- Jack Drescher, MD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University, Adjunct Professor, New York University, Training and Supervising Analyst, William Alanson White InstituteTable of ContentsIntroduction Rita Teusch 1. Psychoanalysis Meets They Shari Thurer 2. Being Non-Binary Robin Haas 3. A Clinical Reflection on “Being Non-Binary” Rita Teusch 4. Non-Binary Thinkpiece Francesca Spence 5. Thoughts by the Parents of a Non-binary Individual Harry Spence and Robin Ely 6. Some Recent Thoughts on Gender Malkah Notman 7. Reflections on Sexuality and Gender Dan Jacobs 8. Transsexuality Bibliography Oren Gozlan Index

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Book SynopsisLife for girls is a battle of contrasting expectations, being told you should be 'empowered' but also be a 'good girl', putting others first but still striving for perfection yourself. This conflict, internalizing expectations of an impossible standard, has lead to an explosion in mental-health and anxiety-related disorders in young women. The traditional narrative of education feeds the perception that girls are good. They achieve, work hard, are co-operative. They achieve better grades. But where do these high achievers disappear to? They aren't becoming CEOs, politicians or social leaders. Women are still disproportionately the family carers and domestic managers. This book explores: * research around biological difference, and how our schools encode gendered expectations. * how our curricula can provide role-models as well as modes of thinking, valuing traditionally feminine traits as equal to masculine * using psychological approaches to develop girls' independence. * how school systems and leadership can model approaches to encourage all students to create a gender-balanced environment. With practical questions and suggestions at the end of each chapter, this book is a guide to the research and a tool to help teachers and leaders shape a genuinely empowering school experience for young women.

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Book SynopsisTraditionally, men’s mental health woes have been attributed to male stubbornness and rigid notions of masculinity. However, there is growing recognition that mental health issues in men are socially determined by a range of factors including family, educational, occupational, and legal issues. These and a variety of other social issues have been collectively labelled ‘men’s issues’ and are being increasingly linked to negative men’s mental health outcomes. This book gives an overview of men’s mental health as well as related men’s issues, adopting a public-health-inspired approach examining the research linking social exposures and mental health outcomes. The book is unique in that it synthesizes and explores men’s issues, men’s mental health, and social determinants in a holistic and integrated manner through assessment of the social scientific and psychiatric literature.In this book, the author discusses the social determinants of men’s mental health and accompanying psychosocial interventions, moving beyond one-dimensional discussions of masculinity. Among the topics covered are: The Social Determinants of Male Suicide Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Young Males: The Medicalization of Boyhood? Why Do Men Have Low Rates of Formal Mental Health Service Utilization? An Analysis of Social and Systemic Barriers to Care, and Discussion of Promising Male-Friendly Practices The Gender Gap in Education: Understanding Educational Underachievement in Young Males and its Relationship to Adverse Mental Health Employment, Unemployment and Workplace Issues in Relation to Men’s Mental Health Men’s Issues and Men’s Mental Health: An Introductory Primer is essential reading for healthcare practitioners and social service providers including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, counsellors, teachers, charity workers, health promotion specialists, and public health officers. It is also a useful text for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in health care, social services, public health, epidemiology and social sciences, particularly sociology, psychology, and gender studies. Finally, the book can be read and understood by an intelligent lay reader, making it accessible for the wider public.Table of ContentsChapter 1: An Introduction to Men’s Issues and Men’s Mental Health 1.1 Beyond Masculinity 1.2 Men’s Issues and Men’s Mental Health 1.3 Common Issues 1.3.1 Gender Stereotypes of Men 1.3.2 Gender Empathy Gap 1.3.3 Male Gender Blindness 1.4 COVID-19 1.5 Conclusion PART I: Men’s Mental Health Chapter 2: The Social Determinants of Male Suicide 2.1 The Global Financial Crisis and its Repercussions 2.2 Which men are killing themselves? 2.2.1 Middle-Aged Men 2.2.2 Men in Rural and Remote Regions 2.2.3 White Men 2.2.4 Indigenous and Aboriginal Men 2.2.5 Military Veterans 2.2.6 Men Involved in the Criminal Justice System 2.3 Social Context and Common Risk Factors 2.3.1 Employment Issues 2.3.2 Marital Status, Divorce and Family Issues 2.3.3 Mental Disorders and Substance Use Issues 2.4 Social Integration and Social Connection 2.5 Conclusion Chapter 3: Wasted Lives: Substance Abuse, Substance Use Disorder and Addictions in Men 3.1 Addictions and Substance Abuse in DSM-5 3.2 Alcohol-Related Disorders and Alcohol Use 3.3 Cannabis-Related Disorders and Cannabis Use 3.4 Opioid-Related Disorders and Opioid Use 3.5 Gambling Disorder 3.6 Internet Gaming Disorder 3.7 Etiology and Causation 3.7.1 Educational Failure and Subsequent Failure to Launch 3.7.2 Unemployment and Employment Issues 3.7.3 Divorce, Separation and Loneliness 3.8 The Consequences of SUD and Addictions 3.9 Treatments 3.10 Conclusion Chapter 4: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Young Males: The Medicalization of Boyhood? 4.1 What Is ADHD? 4.2 The Epidemiology of ADHD 4.3 US Studies on ADHD 4.4 Risk Factors 4.4.1 Middle-Childhood Years 4.4.2 Childhood Maltreatment and Neglect 4.4.3 Low Family Income 4.4.4 Low Parental Education 4.4.5 Single-Mother Families 4.5 Educational Impact 4.6 Impact into Adulthood 4.7 Medication Issues 4.7.1 Side Effects and Misuse 4.7.2 Absolute Gender Differences in Medication Usage 4.7.3 Relative Gender Differences in Medication Usage 4.8 The Medicalization Hypothesis 4.8.1 The Psychiatric Industry 4.8.2 Big Pharma 4.8.3 Mothers and Medicalization 4.8.4 Schools and Education 4.8.5 People with an ADHD Diagnosis 4.9 Social Control 4.10 Conclusion Chapter 5: Risk Factors and Rates of Depression in Men: Do Males Have Greater Resilience, or Is Male Depression Underrecognized and Underdiagnosed? 5.1 The Prevalence of Depression 5.2 Gender Differentials in Prevalence and Treatment 5.3 Male Resilience 5.4 An Artefactual Difference? 5.5 Bias in Diagnostic Criteria: A Male Depressive Syndrome? 5.6 Risk Factors 5.6.1 Low Education Attainment 5.6.2 Unemployment and Financial Strain 5.6.3 Disability 5.6.4 Homosexual Orientation 5.6.5 Divorce 5.6.6 Ethno-Racial Status 5.7 Paternal Postpartum Depression 5.8 Conclusion Chapter 6: Why Do Men Have Low Rates of Formal Mental Health Service Utilization? An Analysis of Social and Systemic Barriers to Care, and Discussion of Promising Male-Friendly Practices 6.1 Masculinity and Men’s Formal Service Use 6.2 Stigma 6.2.1 Stigma in the Media 6.2.2 Stigma in the Workplace 6.2.3 Stigma in the Family 6.2.4 Stigma in Health Services 6.3 Formal Mental Health Services: An Unwelcoming Environment? 6.4 The Different Modalities of Healing 6.5 Making Male-Friendly and Male-Sensitive Services 6.6 Men’s Sheds: An Innovative and Promising Practice 6.7 Conclusion and Recommendations PART II: Men’s Issues and Their Relation to Men’s Mental Health Chapter 7: The Gender Gap in Education: Understanding Educational Underachievement in Young Males and its Relationship to Adverse Mental Health 7.1 Background 7.2 Low Educational Attainment: A Mental Health Risk Factor 7.2.1 Suicide 7.2.2 Substance Abuse 7.2.3 Depression and Anxiety 7.3 The Educational Gender Gap 7.3.1 Primary Education 7.3.2 Secondary Education 7.3.3 Tertiary Education 7.4 Failure to Launch and Male Loneliness 7.5 Conclusion Chapter 8: Employment, Unemployment and Workplace Issues in Relation to Men’s Mental Health 8.1 Gender Differences in Paid Work 8.2 Unemployment 8.3 Employment, Unemployment and Mental Health 8.3.1 Suicide 8.3.2 Substance Abuse 8.3.3 Depression and Anxiety 8.4 Employment Conditions and Workplace Environment 8.4.1 Precarious Employment 8.4.2 Job Stress and Job Strain 8.4.3 Male-Dominated Occupations 8.4.4 Occupational Health and Safety 8.4.5 Workplace Stigma 8.5 The Big Picture: Changing Economic Trends and Gender Differentials in Employment 8.6 Conclusion Chapter 9: Family Ties: Marriage, Divorce and the Mental Health of Men and Boys 9.1 Marital Status and Mental Health in Adults 9.1.1 Depression 9.1.2 Substance Abuse 9.1.3 Suicide 9.1.4 The Psychosocial Impact of Divorce for Men 9.1.5 The Psychosocial Stress of Single Unmarried Men 9.1.6 A Unifying Theory? Durkheim and Social Integration 9.1.7 The Big Picture: A Worsening Situation? 9.1.8 Implications of Trends for Mental Health 9.2 The Effects of Divorce and Father Absence on Offspring Mental Health 9.2.1 Single-Father Households 9.2.2 Plausible Mechanisms and Pathways to Mental Health 9.2.3 The Big Picture: Trends and Social Context 9.3 Conclusion Chapter 10: Men’s Mental Health: Time for a Paradigm Shift 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10.1 Socio-Cultural Determinants of Mental Health 10.2 Traditional Masculinity: Friend or Foe to Mental Health? 10.3 A Strengths-Based Approach 10.4 Stereotypes and Biases 10.5 Male-Friendly Policies, Programs and Procedures 10.6 Conclusion

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Book SynopsisTraditionally, men’s mental health woes have been attributed to male stubbornness and rigid notions of masculinity. However, there is growing recognition that mental health issues in men are socially determined by a range of factors including family, educational, occupational, and legal issues. These and a variety of other social issues have been collectively labelled ‘men’s issues’ and are being increasingly linked to negative men’s mental health outcomes. This book gives an overview of men’s mental health as well as related men’s issues, adopting a public-health-inspired approach examining the research linking social exposures and mental health outcomes. The book is unique in that it synthesizes and explores men’s issues, men’s mental health, and social determinants in a holistic and integrated manner through assessment of the social scientific and psychiatric literature.In this book, the author discusses the social determinants of men’s mental health and accompanying psychosocial interventions, moving beyond one-dimensional discussions of masculinity. Among the topics covered are: The Social Determinants of Male Suicide Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Young Males: The Medicalization of Boyhood? Why Do Men Have Low Rates of Formal Mental Health Service Utilization? An Analysis of Social and Systemic Barriers to Care, and Discussion of Promising Male-Friendly Practices The Gender Gap in Education: Understanding Educational Underachievement in Young Males and its Relationship to Adverse Mental Health Employment, Unemployment and Workplace Issues in Relation to Men’s Mental Health Men’s Issues and Men’s Mental Health: An Introductory Primer is essential reading for healthcare practitioners and social service providers including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, counsellors, teachers, charity workers, health promotion specialists, and public health officers. It is also a useful text for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in health care, social services, public health, epidemiology and social sciences, particularly sociology, psychology, and gender studies. Finally, the book can be read and understood by an intelligent lay reader, making it accessible for the wider public.Table of ContentsChapter 1: An Introduction to Men’s Issues and Men’s Mental Health 1.1 Beyond Masculinity 1.2 Men’s Issues and Men’s Mental Health 1.3 Common Issues 1.3.1 Gender Stereotypes of Men 1.3.2 Gender Empathy Gap 1.3.3 Male Gender Blindness 1.4 COVID-19 1.5 Conclusion PART I: Men’s Mental Health Chapter 2: The Social Determinants of Male Suicide 2.1 The Global Financial Crisis and its Repercussions 2.2 Which men are killing themselves? 2.2.1 Middle-Aged Men 2.2.2 Men in Rural and Remote Regions 2.2.3 White Men 2.2.4 Indigenous and Aboriginal Men 2.2.5 Military Veterans 2.2.6 Men Involved in the Criminal Justice System 2.3 Social Context and Common Risk Factors 2.3.1 Employment Issues 2.3.2 Marital Status, Divorce and Family Issues 2.3.3 Mental Disorders and Substance Use Issues 2.4 Social Integration and Social Connection 2.5 Conclusion Chapter 3: Wasted Lives: Substance Abuse, Substance Use Disorder and Addictions in Men 3.1 Addictions and Substance Abuse in DSM-5 3.2 Alcohol-Related Disorders and Alcohol Use 3.3 Cannabis-Related Disorders and Cannabis Use 3.4 Opioid-Related Disorders and Opioid Use 3.5 Gambling Disorder 3.6 Internet Gaming Disorder 3.7 Etiology and Causation 3.7.1 Educational Failure and Subsequent Failure to Launch 3.7.2 Unemployment and Employment Issues 3.7.3 Divorce, Separation and Loneliness 3.8 The Consequences of SUD and Addictions 3.9 Treatments 3.10 Conclusion Chapter 4: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Young Males: The Medicalization of Boyhood? 4.1 What Is ADHD? 4.2 The Epidemiology of ADHD 4.3 US Studies on ADHD 4.4 Risk Factors 4.4.1 Middle-Childhood Years 4.4.2 Childhood Maltreatment and Neglect 4.4.3 Low Family Income 4.4.4 Low Parental Education 4.4.5 Single-Mother Families 4.5 Educational Impact 4.6 Impact into Adulthood 4.7 Medication Issues 4.7.1 Side Effects and Misuse 4.7.2 Absolute Gender Differences in Medication Usage 4.7.3 Relative Gender Differences in Medication Usage 4.8 The Medicalization Hypothesis 4.8.1 The Psychiatric Industry 4.8.2 Big Pharma 4.8.3 Mothers and Medicalization 4.8.4 Schools and Education 4.8.5 People with an ADHD Diagnosis 4.9 Social Control 4.10 Conclusion Chapter 5: Risk Factors and Rates of Depression in Men: Do Males Have Greater Resilience, or Is Male Depression Underrecognized and Underdiagnosed? 5.1 The Prevalence of Depression 5.2 Gender Differentials in Prevalence and Treatment 5.3 Male Resilience 5.4 An Artefactual Difference? 5.5 Bias in Diagnostic Criteria: A Male Depressive Syndrome? 5.6 Risk Factors 5.6.1 Low Education Attainment 5.6.2 Unemployment and Financial Strain 5.6.3 Disability 5.6.4 Homosexual Orientation 5.6.5 Divorce 5.6.6 Ethno-Racial Status 5.7 Paternal Postpartum Depression 5.8 Conclusion Chapter 6: Why Do Men Have Low Rates of Formal Mental Health Service Utilization? An Analysis of Social and Systemic Barriers to Care, and Discussion of Promising Male-Friendly Practices 6.1 Masculinity and Men’s Formal Service Use 6.2 Stigma 6.2.1 Stigma in the Media 6.2.2 Stigma in the Workplace 6.2.3 Stigma in the Family 6.2.4 Stigma in Health Services 6.3 Formal Mental Health Services: An Unwelcoming Environment? 6.4 The Different Modalities of Healing 6.5 Making Male-Friendly and Male-Sensitive Services 6.6 Men’s Sheds: An Innovative and Promising Practice 6.7 Conclusion and Recommendations PART II: Men’s Issues and Their Relation to Men’s Mental Health Chapter 7: The Gender Gap in Education: Understanding Educational Underachievement in Young Males and its Relationship to Adverse Mental Health 7.1 Background 7.2 Low Educational Attainment: A Mental Health Risk Factor 7.2.1 Suicide 7.2.2 Substance Abuse 7.2.3 Depression and Anxiety 7.3 The Educational Gender Gap 7.3.1 Primary Education 7.3.2 Secondary Education 7.3.3 Tertiary Education 7.4 Failure to Launch and Male Loneliness 7.5 Conclusion Chapter 8: Employment, Unemployment and Workplace Issues in Relation to Men’s Mental Health 8.1 Gender Differences in Paid Work 8.2 Unemployment 8.3 Employment, Unemployment and Mental Health 8.3.1 Suicide 8.3.2 Substance Abuse 8.3.3 Depression and Anxiety 8.4 Employment Conditions and Workplace Environment 8.4.1 Precarious Employment 8.4.2 Job Stress and Job Strain 8.4.3 Male-Dominated Occupations 8.4.4 Occupational Health and Safety 8.4.5 Workplace Stigma 8.5 The Big Picture: Changing Economic Trends and Gender Differentials in Employment 8.6 Conclusion Chapter 9: Family Ties: Marriage, Divorce and the Mental Health of Men and Boys 9.1 Marital Status and Mental Health in Adults 9.1.1 Depression 9.1.2 Substance Abuse 9.1.3 Suicide 9.1.4 The Psychosocial Impact of Divorce for Men 9.1.5 The Psychosocial Stress of Single Unmarried Men 9.1.6 A Unifying Theory? Durkheim and Social Integration 9.1.7 The Big Picture: A Worsening Situation? 9.1.8 Implications of Trends for Mental Health 9.2 The Effects of Divorce and Father Absence on Offspring Mental Health 9.2.1 Single-Father Households 9.2.2 Plausible Mechanisms and Pathways to Mental Health 9.2.3 The Big Picture: Trends and Social Context 9.3 Conclusion Chapter 10: Men’s Mental Health: Time for a Paradigm Shift 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10.1 Socio-Cultural Determinants of Mental Health 10.2 Traditional Masculinity: Friend or Foe to Mental Health? 10.3 A Strengths-Based Approach 10.4 Stereotypes and Biases 10.5 Male-Friendly Policies, Programs and Procedures 10.6 Conclusion

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