Thank you to the publisher and author for a copy to read and review!

My main reason for wanting to read this book stems from the fact I was on systemic (full body) testosterone for a year due to the birth control pill blocking my production of testosterone in my body. Essentially, I was without testosterone for who knows how long!

I wanted to read a book detailing what testosterone does to the body, and really wanted to be picky and see if this book detailed females being on testosterone. Unfortunately, there wasn't many examples of the type of testosterone treatment I was on, but instead focused on transitioning females to males, as well as hormonal deficiencies in fetuses that affect later life.

This was a very knowledgeable book though about bodily functions, sexual drives, and hormonal changes that testosterone can cause. I recommend reading this book if you have any interest in hormones.

Hooven discusses the role of testosterone in distinguishing male and female behavior, and specifically its effect on male behavior in this book. The first few chapters are very informative and I learnt a lot about how hormones contribute to animal (and human) development and behavior, and the history of endocrinology as a whole. The last four chapters, which I think dealt mainly with testosterone in humans/role of testosterone in human behavior, felt a little more drawn out than the first and I struggled to complete them.

I enjoyed learning all of the new information this book offered me, especially the kind where further reading was readily available from a simple google search (male sopranos, eunuchs, differences in sex development etc.) As an e-book reader, I would have benefited from in-text citations. There were a number of cases where I would have very much liked to refer to data/sources without having to scroll through pages of the notes section on my kindle.

Although very informative, I simply wasn't convinced of some of the points being asserted and in a few cases the citations that were presented at the end of the text were outdated. While the author attributes several differences between men and women to testosterone, she acknowledges that the behavioral effect of hormones specifically of testosterone, in women is understudied,

Lastly, I cringed several times reading this book ("So what is the right response to the male propensity for sexual assault and other problematic male behaviors? Let's not forget that men themselves don't get off easy, since hey are the primary victims of male violence. Women are not the only victims here.)" Unsettling quotes such as these dragged on the reading of this book and detracted from the information presented in this book for me.

A study in the endocrinology of testosterone and it's effects on animals and humans of any gender. Definitely a Publish or Perish, but far more interesting than the usual overly technical presentation and much better than the usual medical tome. I don't think it was ever aimed at the general public but for researchers and paramedical personnel. Like me.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Henry Holt & Company via NetGalley.

I've been reading a great deal about the differences between males and females this year, trying to make sense of the differences between the two genders. Testosterone is obviously a major difference, so I was eager to get my hands on T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us.

Any time you try to compare and contract the genders, you'll hit controversies. "Biology defines who we are." "No, gender is a social construct." I've read dozens of books with scientific facts to back their claims; most are difficult to trudge through.

What I liked most about T: The Story of Testosterone, is that it spans a great deal of information without once feeling overly scientific. It references other books, several of which I've read, and has vital quotes throughout the book. The book covers experiments, research, brutal history, recent scandals, and so much more. There is something for every adult reader.

While this is a text I imagine would be used for research purposes such as my own, I do think a content warning is necessary. Some of the facts may be disturbing for some readers.

T: The Story of Testosterone is a non-fiction layman accessible overview of the biochemical properties of testosterone written by Dr. Carole Hooven. Due out 13th July 2021 from Macmillan on their Henry Holt imprint, it's 352 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a well written and uncontroversial examination of the effects of testosterone on physiology and behavior. It's aimed at the layperson and doesn't require more than an average basic understanding of science and/or biology. The text throughout is well annotated and the links and chapter notes provide ample opportunity for evidence based and peer-reviewed (advanced) reading later. The author has a conversational style of writing and although it's well annotated with proper citations, it's perfectly understandable and accessible.

This is admittedly a niche read, but it would undoubtedly make a good selection for library acquisition or science readers' use. I would also recommend it for lovers of natural history and biology as well as students of the human condition.

Four and a half stars. Rounded up for the comprehensive annotations and clear and concise writing.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is a very impressive study of the famous hormone and the many ways it is involved in human biology. The scope of scientific and cultural knowledge contained here is truly impressive. Particularly enlightening to me is the material on how sexual differentiation forms in the womb and the way the variations there lead to various intersex conditions and even puberty-triggered transformations that can be unexpected. Similarly revealing is the material on transition including interviews and experiences of people, including one that de-transitioned.

Carole Hooven's <i> T: The Story of Testosterone</i> is a muted, well-researched apologia for the titular molecule. This work has arrived at a perfect time, gently refuting much of the contemporarily popular blank slatism and/or extreme social constructivism about sex differences (e.g. Angela Saini). Hooven is an inoffensive narrator of the science, breaking down concepts and research findings from multiple disciplines, all of which concern the potent influence of testosterone on sex differences. These explained differences include morphology (anatomy, size, and strength), athletic performance, sexual preferences and behavior, aggression, and play preference.

Hooven spends most of the book reviewing what should be completely uncontroversial findings on the influence of testosterone on the sexual dimorphism observed in animals and humans. Some of this effort includes extended explorations of case studies of individuals with disorders of sex development (DSDs) and "gender affirming" hormone therapy received by transgender individuals. It makes for easy and engaging reading. To many with backgrounds in the biological sciences, most of what is discussed is familiar or unsurprising, but the book is clearly targeted at lay readers who favor social and cultural explanations for sex differences. I hope those readers come to this work with an open mind and are willing to modify their beliefs in the face of this clear evidence.

Hooven is also extremely careful with her claims. Hooven does not attribute all sex differences to testosterone so any claims to the contrary are deliberate misreadings or pernicious aspersions. She parsimoniously delineates what sex differences can be attribute to differences in testosterone levels between males and females and discusses the amount of confidence one should have in these purported causal relationships. If anything, the one criticism I have of Hooven's book is that she doesn't explore discuss in detail the full extent of known sex differences, especially those related of psychological proclivities and competencies. This work is, of course, more controversial, and is under active study, which is likely why it is either only hinted at or implied in <i>T: The Story of Testosterone</i>.

Overall, I think this is a must read for a lot of cultural commentators and pundits as it will hopefully dissuade them from non-empirical, unscientific perspectives on the biology that underlies sex differences.

Testosterone has some good things in here for sure, but the author struggles in her story telling abilitity for them to really hit home for me. I felt like this could have been a viral youtube video or buzzfeed article and it didnt feel like Hooven knew how to turn it all into an enjoyable read.