Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters
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- Create Date：2021-05-05 21:31:04
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Abigail Shrier
- ISBN：168451228X
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Summary
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2021 BY THE TIMES AND THE SUNDAY TIMES
Until 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， high schools， and even middle schools across the country 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 are awakening to find their daughters in thrall to hip trans YouTube stars and “gender-affirming” educators and therapists who push life-changing interventions on young girls—including medically unnecessary double mastectomies and puberty blockers that can cause permanent infertility。
Abigail Shrier， a writer for the Wall Street Journal， has dug deep into the trans epidemic， talking to the girls， their agonized parents， and the counselors 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。 She offers urgently needed advice about how parents can protect their daughters。
A generation of girls is at risk。 Abigail Shrier’s essential book will help you understand what the trans craze is and how you can inoculate your child against it—or how to retrieve her from this dangerous path。
Until 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， high schools， and even middle schools across the country 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 are awakening to find their daughters in thrall to hip trans YouTube stars and “gender-affirming” educators and therapists who push life-changing interventions on young girls—including medically unnecessary double mastectomies and puberty blockers that can cause permanent infertility。
Abigail Shrier， a writer for the Wall Street Journal， has dug deep into the trans epidemic， talking to the girls， their agonized parents， and the counselors 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。 She offers urgently needed advice about how parents can protect their daughters。
A generation of girls is at risk。 Abigail Shrier’s essential book will help you understand what the trans craze is and how you can inoculate your child against it—or how to retrieve her from this dangerous path。
Reviews
Erin Stewart
，
Right wing backlash isn't really my thing。 I only read this because I came across a free copy。I was startled by the level of factual inaccuracies and disingenuous representation of research and "researchers" by this book。 The PLOS one study she talks about， for example， surveyed parents whose teens had "suddenly" come out as trans （i。e。 without a long period of gender dysphoria） and found that almost all the teens had suddenly come out as trans。 Like， sample bias couldn't be a factor here？ Anoth Right wing backlash isn't really my thing。 I only read this because I came across a free copy。I was startled by the level of factual inaccuracies and disingenuous representation of research and "researchers" by this book。 The PLOS one study she talks about， for example， surveyed parents whose teens had "suddenly" come out as trans （i。e。 without a long period of gender dysphoria） and found that almost all the teens had suddenly come out as trans。 Like， sample bias couldn't be a factor here？ Another finding was that most had come out after an increase in internet use， so the author of this book （not the study's author） attributes coming out to internet contagion - "too much" trans content on the YouTubes or whatever （which the author refers to as "propoganda"）。 It reminds me a lot of parents attributing autism to vaccinations just because the ages of some vaccines and the age of onset of signs of autism tend to coincide。 There's a whole big section on skeletal sexual dimorphism as though sex estimation of the skeleton is an exact science and not。。。 an estimation。 In fact skeletal differentiation is hard out of specific cultural contexts （certain activities have a masculinising effect on the skeleton） and age （being younger is feminising）。 The pelvis is most reliably dimorphic but not perfectly so - skeletons get graded on a continuum where "male" and "female" traits often overlap。 The author also makes out the existence of intersex people as statistically negligible but that's 1-2% of the population。I can't go through the factual issues one by one and others would be more qualified to do it， but my goodness！ The stuff on "autogynophilia" is menorably problematic， and I'd refer those interested to a YouTube video by Contrapoints on the topic。I think this is a moral panic。 Points the author makes about the role of contagion when it comes to teens understanding themselves as trans could be fair I guess。 There's not enough information to know。 Especially when it comes off the bat of spurious associations and weird assumptions about biology。 As well as the unquestioned feeling that transition is itself a bad thing。The author has to contend with the fact that transition is demonstably good for some proportion of people （she thinks it's a small proportion）。 In order to accommodate this， she divides trans people into two groups， good trans （people who have had gender dysphoria their whole life， people who aren't proud of their identity and just want to pass） and bad trans （people who suddenly claim to be dysphoric despite no obvious signs in childhood or never were， people who don't seem to mind if they pass， people who transition because of social contagion）。 This is a very common strategy when arguing to take away rights。 Think of the good abortion （because you'd die without one） versus the bad abortion （because you had sex）。 This is exactly how you go about making individuals jump through hoops to establish legitimacy before they assert any rights or get treated with respect。The biggest problem for me was the lack of curiosity and empathy about what the teens the author talks about are going through。 She interviews parents， and detransitioners， but not the teens themselves。 Instead， the author just puts weird speculations about Tumblr in there。 This lack of empathy seems sort of the author's point， one of her theories （based on nothing） is that teens become trans because their parents are too understanding so don't have anything to rebel against。 Yikes。 。。。more
Piss lizard boi
，
Fuck you。 You're a TERF and ya know it now please research what is actually going on while I read "poor old rabbit" from the "biff and chip" franchise because they have better quality facts then you'll ever have Fuck you。 You're a TERF and ya know it now please research what is actually going on while I read "poor old rabbit" from the "biff and chip" franchise because they have better quality facts then you'll ever have 。。。more
Joanne
，
Thank you thank you Abigail shrier for your courage and the amazing amount of research you put into the book。 （Her bibliography is more than 20 pages！） This topic has because such a “hotspot” it is hard to have a discussion without people becoming so incensed。 I was searching for a book about this current “craze” as shrier calls it， one that doesn’t come from a moral perspective and one that is not just about affirming “feelings” of the transgender community。 Shrier is not a “transphobe” as some Thank you thank you Abigail shrier for your courage and the amazing amount of research you put into the book。 （Her bibliography is more than 20 pages！） This topic has because such a “hotspot” it is hard to have a discussion without people becoming so incensed。 I was searching for a book about this current “craze” as shrier calls it， one that doesn’t come from a moral perspective and one that is not just about affirming “feelings” of the transgender community。 Shrier is not a “transphobe” as some have accused her， that could not be any clearer in reading her book cover to cover。 The book delves into the social issue that has spiked in this society in the last decade and the dangers of this particular “fad” which affects in particular our daughters。 This is so well researched and comes from a place of wanting to help our teenagers， not hurt them。 I urge any people who are in particular the school systems （as I am） to read this front to back and educate yourself about the hurts， dangers， and desires of these children that are so lost and confused。 。。。more
Katie Reader Bear
，
Every parent and teacher should read this book。 It is compassionate and well researched。 I've heard many criticisms of this book and they all have one thing in common: it is very clear that the people voce Every parent and teacher should read this book。 It is compassionate and well researched。 I've heard many criticisms of this book and they all have one thing in common: it is very clear that the people voce 。。。more
Heather Caputo
，
Fantastic book。 For all those people who think this is an anti-trans book， I wholeheartedly disagree。 Ms。 Shrier does an excellent job of providing information， testimonials and insight regarding the world our little girls are growing up in and how they are influenced。 Social media， cell phones and 24/7 internet access has done so much harm to the children of this country， and to the children all over the world。 It's sad to see that based on someone's "feelings，" therapists， doctors and surgeons Fantastic book。 For all those people who think this is an anti-trans book， I wholeheartedly disagree。 Ms。 Shrier does an excellent job of providing information， testimonials and insight regarding the world our little girls are growing up in and how they are influenced。 Social media， cell phones and 24/7 internet access has done so much harm to the children of this country， and to the children all over the world。 It's sad to see that based on someone's "feelings，" therapists， doctors and surgeons are rushing these children into hormones and irreversible surgeries for something that they may， quite possibly， be something they grow out of and would likely regret。 Thankful to the author for bringing this practice to light and letting others know what's going on in our schools， health clinics， therapist offices and doctor's offices。 This needs to stop。 Save our children。 。。。more
Sarah O'Hara
，
This book was such an interesting read！ I had no idea this was as much of a problem in this country as it is！ Wonderful research and detail done by the author！ There should be more counseling for these young kids and make sure they understand that most of the time this isn't reversible。 Social media has impacted us in ways no one could have predicted。 This is just one of the many but deserves to be addressed。 The path to happiness is rough and once you get something in your head that might make This book was such an interesting read！ I had no idea this was as much of a problem in this country as it is！ Wonderful research and detail done by the author！ There should be more counseling for these young kids and make sure they understand that most of the time this isn't reversible。 Social media has impacted us in ways no one could have predicted。 This is just one of the many but deserves to be addressed。 The path to happiness is rough and once you get something in your head that might make you happy， its all that is thought about。 But is it what is best for you for the rest of your life？ For some the answer is yes and those people become the best versions of there former self。 but for others they go down a dark hole of depression， pain and anxiety。 。。。more
L
，
This is a brave book considering the abuse and trolling that happens towards anyone who has any negative thoughts about children （especially the rise in young girls） transitioning。 It is scary that the amount of influence from online 'support groups' hold over young people who are questioning their sexuality。 Once on the internet， they fall down a rabbit hole and it's difficult for parents to pull them back out of the nightmare/wave they find themselves carried along with。 The current stance on This is a brave book considering the abuse and trolling that happens towards anyone who has any negative thoughts about children （especially the rise in young girls） transitioning。 It is scary that the amount of influence from online 'support groups' hold over young people who are questioning their sexuality。 Once on the internet， they fall down a rabbit hole and it's difficult for parents to pull them back out of the nightmare/wave they find themselves carried along with。 The current stance on the use of puberty blockers will have huge ramifications on these children in the future。 It's bleak！ 。。。more
Maur
，
This book promotes a deranged conspiracy theory akin to Qanon。 With no evidence other than the "genderbread person" drawing's existence， Shrier claims the American school system， big pharma， the Affordable Care Act， and psychiatry are all colluding to steal children away from their parents via the promotion of "gender ideology。"The book offers zero scientific or empirical evidence to its claims。 Shrier contradicts herself constantly。Eg: Shrier repeatedly claims that a handful of trans men having This book promotes a deranged conspiracy theory akin to Qanon。 With no evidence other than the "genderbread person" drawing's existence， Shrier claims the American school system， big pharma， the Affordable Care Act， and psychiatry are all colluding to steal children away from their parents via the promotion of "gender ideology。"The book offers zero scientific or empirical evidence to its claims。 Shrier contradicts herself constantly。Eg: Shrier repeatedly claims that a handful of trans men having played with barbies， high heels， and pink things when children is evidence of them not really being men。 A page later， Shrier will flip-flop to accusing the "gender ideology cult" of telling youth that pink things are the realm of women， with this being why Shrier believes trans men exist: because they didn't like pink things and thus concluded they must not be girls。 Another page on， and Shrier is back to using "has flower tattoos" and "doesn't spend any time swilling beer or ogling women" as proof these same trans men aren't really men。 It's an agonizing read。In perhaps the most ignorant passage， the author compares gender theory to the Holocaust （ca page 88）。 Following her absurd statement that "Of all the brutality and psychological scarring inflicted by the Holocaust， among the most abject of its survivors were those who spent years living under an assumed identity"， Shrier compares trans men to these holocaust survivors， as she believes trans men are forced by the "gender gurus" to live under a false identity instead of being women。The shamelessness of this ahistorical and demonstrably incorrect view is terrifying to me， a Pole。 Trans people were mass murdered in the death camps。 Fascists do not support trans rights， no matter how many propagandists like Shrier claim "being criticized for my views is just like the nazis burning books！"Shrier coats her screed in a thin veneer of concern for the children， yet every single example of a "brainwashed little girl forced to undergo transition" she brings up was in fact an adult in their 20s when transitioning。 In order to marry this illogical premise， Shrier argues that these adults must have been brainwashed by gender ideology as children， thus rendering any and all choices they make as adults null and void。I don't have the energy to get into everything disturbingly harmful and alarming in this book， so here are some further bullet points:- Shrier describes being trans as a "psychic disease between adolescent girls"， an "epidemic，" and "another psychic craze。" Other examples of psychic crazes， according to Shrier， are: mass shootings， serial killings， bulimia， cutting and suicide。- Shrier offers the following statements as proof of what makes a man a man: having a penis， "ogling women，" "swilling beer，" being larger than the average woman， urinating while standing， and NOT having tattoos featuring "cartoons or flowers。" Since the trans men Shrier chooses to discuss don't fulfil all of these requirements， she believes this to be convincing proof that they're not really men。- Shrier does not mention the existence of gay trans men or intersex people， at any point whatsoever， as doing so would undoubtedly weaken her already preposterous claims。- Shrier states， with no evidence， that contemporary trans rights activism is a plot to get rid of all lesbians。- Shrier repeatedly states her belief that the low rates of phalloplasty are proof of trans men not being real men。 Then she dedicates a chapter to explaining how she believes phalloplasty is revolting， deadly， and doesn't make you a man。 （Packers， STPs， and prosthetics are not mentioned at all， of course。）- Shrier discusses surgery results with open disgust， describing post-mastectomy nipples as "cooked hamburger meat"， "oozing，" "skin flaps，" etc。- Shrier's rating of "adolescent women's" top surgery results mirrors the dangerous manner in which the parents she interviews claim eternal， absolute ownership over their female children's chests and sex organs， often citing how much MONEY they have spent raising their children as proof of ownership。 It's deeply disturbing， to say the least。- Shrier spends half the book discussing how expensive transitioning is （in America）， and how this financially ruins these "poor， brainwashed girls" who go through with it。 The next half of the book is spent claiming the opposite: that transitioning is so cheap， and so readily available， with testosterone being handed out forcibly to youth visiting LGBT community centers， and that this is the reason diagnoses of gender dysphoria are on the rise。 There is no attempt to bridge the two entirely contrary statements。 This is de rigueur for all of the book's "evidence。"TLDR: I wasted my time so you don't have to。 A hateful， ignorant， regressive book promoting a hateful， ignorant， regressive conspiracy theory。 Both will undoubtedly be buried in history。 。。。more
Mark McFerren
，
This book is an investigation into the recent anomalous spike in transgender identification among teenage girls。 Shrier presents evidence indicating that this population is affected by a transgenderism “craze” （a specific term for a type of social contagion） which idolizes gender politics and provides a false， convenient explanation for a swath of mental symptoms that these girls are experiencing。Traditionally， transgender individuals with legitimate dysforia show symptoms and extreme discomfort This book is an investigation into the recent anomalous spike in transgender identification among teenage girls。 Shrier presents evidence indicating that this population is affected by a transgenderism “craze” （a specific term for a type of social contagion） which idolizes gender politics and provides a false， convenient explanation for a swath of mental symptoms that these girls are experiencing。Traditionally， transgender individuals with legitimate dysforia show symptoms and extreme discomfort with their bodies in early childhood。 In many cases， these people undergo gender transition therapies and thrive as transgender adults。 However， the massive increase in transgender identification within the last 5 years is composed mostly of scholastically precocious， socially exiled teenage girls who showed no symptoms whatsoever in childhood。 These girls generally haven’t had any romantic contact with another person。 They are introduced to the world of gender ideology through social media （bolstered by far-left political encouragement） and are roped in by the status and belonging that such communities promise。 In this book， Shrier is asking the simple question: are these girls really trans？ And if not， what’s to become of the girls who make a terrible mistake？The current brand of gender theory takes the radical stance that your child is whatever gender they claim to be。 The problem is that children have simply no concept of who they are as a person。 Certain governmental bodies that have adopted radical gender policies allow children to receive hormone blockers and gender transition treatments without parental consent。。 With the help of medical institutions， children can self-diagnose （the first time， legally， that this practice has been allowed） as transgender and start their therapies without any note from a mental health professional。 Indeed， it’s become quite dangerous for a doctor’s career if they were to question a child’s gender identification。 The result is a huge number of mentally unstable teenagers who are able， at the age of 15 or 16， to remove their breasts and start a chemical treatment that can cause irreversible damage such as infertility， stunted growth， heart problems， osteoporosis， altered brain development， etc。One of the main arguments in favor of transition， especially at young ages， is that it’s “dangerous” not to affirm your child’s gender identity， no matter the reason。 Transgender teens are undoubtedly at a much higher rate of suicide than the average person。 However， Shrier claims there is exactly no scientific evidence indicating that transition decreases suicidality among those experiencing dysphoria; especially not those who are simply caught up in an extreme， gender-crazed identity crisis。 In fact， it could be doing just the opposite。It’s amazing to see the kind of hate directed at Shrier from a community that claims to be open-minded and accepting。 She is nothing but respectful toward the transgender community （taking care to address people by their preferred pronouns where appropriate） and she even believes that transition therapies are a good solution in certain situations。 Her main concern is for the well-being of an already confused and vulnerable population of girls。 This is an awesome book and was presented with less bias than the title seemed to imply。 I hope it comes across the radar of every parent of a teenage daughter who spends time online。 。。。more
Moth
，
I had a hard time getting into this for the first hour or two， and the reader was a bit annoying at times （I listened this as an audiobook）， but the good aspects overshadow the bad ones by a lot， and I really think everyone should read this book。 The majority of this book is pretty easy to understand even as a non-native speaker。It's not a phobia to ask questions， and this book asks a lot of very relevant ones。（I would take out the recommendations written by a few right wing dudes from the print I had a hard time getting into this for the first hour or two， and the reader was a bit annoying at times （I listened this as an audiobook）， but the good aspects overshadow the bad ones by a lot， and I really think everyone should read this book。 The majority of this book is pretty easy to understand even as a non-native speaker。It's not a phobia to ask questions， and this book asks a lot of very relevant ones。（I would take out the recommendations written by a few right wing dudes from the printed version though， they really don't do this cause any good and they are not approaching the issue from the same side anyway。） 。。。more
Suzan Kadri
，
Basically perfect。
Nancy
，
Important book for our current culture climate。
Lauren Williams
，
This book sparked a lot of good conversations。 I would suggest it to parents to be aware of the tough challenges young people are facing。
Juraj Sido
，
Difficult topic to read， yet absolutely necessary in times where moral sense， ethics and science is trumped by the current flow of politics。Reading this book gives you perspective and part of experience from ALL points of views。 Personal stories are equally balanced with scientific data and questions when lack of scientific data is encountered。Very well written book with intention to only write truth。
Kristen
，
I listened to this on audiobook and really enjoyed the author’s style and the voice actor’s reading。 The compassion and concern of the author came through in the reader’s tone。 I think I originally chose to read this book because it was getting cancelled and I wanted to see what the fuss was all about。 I am glad I did。 I did not realize that cutting and anorexia could be observed in friend-group clusters。 I did know about suicide clusters。 Now I know a little bit about trans clusters。I think the I listened to this on audiobook and really enjoyed the author’s style and the voice actor’s reading。 The compassion and concern of the author came through in the reader’s tone。 I think I originally chose to read this book because it was getting cancelled and I wanted to see what the fuss was all about。 I am glad I did。 I did not realize that cutting and anorexia could be observed in friend-group clusters。 I did know about suicide clusters。 Now I know a little bit about trans clusters。I think the author made many good points about the dangers of social media （if you haven’t watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix， check it out）， the questionable practice of medically harming healthy bodies and tissue， the harmful side effects of affirmative therapy， and the power of social groups。I would encourage anyone with a teen or preteen daughter to read this。 I hope that gender therapists and medical personnel would read it。 It asks some tough questions of the people we trust to take care of our hurting and impressionable youth。 。。。more
Theresa
，
Not transphobic。 She interviews a wide range of people and includes an extensive bibliography。
Forrest
，
It would be horrifying to imagine that educators， school administrators， and even medical professionals would enable and even encourage children to undergo life altering treatments to conform with a sexual fad without the knowledge of their parents。 It is even more disturbing that these same children are prescribed medication such as testosterone and provided medical treatments， also without parental consent。 This is happening now in America。 Public educators and healthcare professionals in some It would be horrifying to imagine that educators， school administrators， and even medical professionals would enable and even encourage children to undergo life altering treatments to conform with a sexual fad without the knowledge of their parents。 It is even more disturbing that these same children are prescribed medication such as testosterone and provided medical treatments， also without parental consent。 This is happening now in America。 Public educators and healthcare professionals in some parts of the United States are engaging in the psychological abuse of children and their actions are being defended under the guise of social justice。 In a world where people are striving to be themselves， love who they are， and appreciate their own unique qualities， this is a horrifying and compelling insight into a sick and depraved craze that influences children to hate who they are and subject themselves to irreversible damage and self harm。 The author Abigail Shrier who grew up in the same era I did， performed a lot of research before writing this book， interviewing many people including trans people and others who are returning to normalcy after realizing the mistake they made。 Author admits that her use of 'craze' is not a pejorative， but a technical term denoting a cultural fad。 Gender dysphoria = Gender Identity Disorder ROGD- rapid onset gender dysphoria。 Harmful phrases used by social media trans influencers which lead to trans teen suicides: "If you think you are trans you probably are" ie。 Not feminine or masculine enough。 "Doubts should never stop your transition。"Trans children are pushed into wearing a binder which is used to flatten the breasts when worn， but it can cause dangerous side effects。 Trans activists rarely admit to the pain， irreversible harm and dangers associated with taking testosterone for women It suggests that parents who do not accept their children's new "trans identity" despite the self abuse and harm don't really love their children and then encourage these kids to leave their families。 They offer tips and advice on how to deceive parents and doctors concerned for their health。 Some popular influencers such as Chase Ross will go as far as to send harmful products to children to assist them in their "transition"。 In 2018 California schools passed a law allowing children to Leave school during school hours to obtain horrible and treatment without parental consent or knowledge。 Essentially， the state of California is encouraging and supporting child abuse。 https://thefederalist。com/2018/09/24/。。。California schools are so corrupt and twisted， they indoctrinate children with misleading and dangerous material behind the parent's backs。 It is now permissible for vulnerable children to receive "hormonal therapy" while in school。 California schools are effectively abusing children， inflicting irreversible harm and damage to their bodies。 Some of the abusive material inflicted upon children by California schools includes teachers forcing children as young as kindergarten age to commit to memory the various different trans identities。 Young children are duped into believing， without scientific backing， that they are assigned a gender at birth based on their body parts but that their gender can change over time。Otherwise normal children are directed to question their gender identity。"Positive Prevention Plus" Is a school curriculum that requires students to imagine that they were a different gender。 The author mentions that so many of these kids who suffer from dysphoria are politically "progressive"。 This is no surprise considering that the values these children learn in the home or the lack of values taught are probably the leading contributor to these children adopting a harmful self degrading mentality。 The Kelsey Coalition - https://www。kelseycoalition。org/https://4thwavenow。com/ A community of people who question the medicalization of gender-atypical youth 。。。more
Diane
，
I like how another reader put it， "This book is not remotely an indictment of transpeople; rather it's an indictment of the therapeutic and medical practitioners who have abdicated responsibility for actually responding to individual mental health needs and instead do nothing but provide drugs and surgeries whenever someone says they're trans。" This is a MUST READ for parents。 I like how another reader put it， "This book is not remotely an indictment of transpeople; rather it's an indictment of the therapeutic and medical practitioners who have abdicated responsibility for actually responding to individual mental health needs and instead do nothing but provide drugs and surgeries whenever someone says they're trans。" This is a MUST READ for parents。 。。。more
Camilla
，
This was an eye-opening story。 I thought the title was indicative of some politically incorrect discussion， but this book was actually more of an expose of the dangerously harmful aspects of the current transgender movement in America。 Shrier explains that adults who consider themselves transgender （whether or not they've undergone any sort of physical or surgical transition） have the right to do so and should feel free and included in American society。 The thesis of her book focused instead on This was an eye-opening story。 I thought the title was indicative of some politically incorrect discussion， but this book was actually more of an expose of the dangerously harmful aspects of the current transgender movement in America。 Shrier explains that adults who consider themselves transgender （whether or not they've undergone any sort of physical or surgical transition） have the right to do so and should feel free and included in American society。 The thesis of her book focused instead on the inherent dangers of allowing schools， therapists， and social media to "seduce" young women toward a path of transgenderism when these girls previously showed no inclination or history toward body dysmorphism。 To reach her thesis， Shrier points to the shaky definition of what it means to be transgender， the mandatory transgender inclusion training that public schools provide （with no opt-out option for parents）， the promotion and celebration of transgenderism within schools， the terrifying treatment of women in the porn industry， the already difficult and embarrassing process of puberty， the social and group empathy girls often feel and express with their friends， the rising popularity of transgender social media stars， the immoral practices of healthcare practitioners， the legal restraints therapists have placed on them， the cancel culture of social justice warriors， and the ease and simplicity with which even minors can access hormone treatments without parental supervision。 All of her research and interviews paint a terrifying picture of children caught up in a social trend that has lasting and devastating physical repercussions。Shrier's main point was that historically the percentage of the American population who self-diagnosed as transgender was less than 1% for all of the twenty-first century， but once the American transgender movement gained momentum in the last few years， those numbers of transgender people （particular amongst American youth） rose to nearly 40%。 That's an outrageously inflated number and points more to other causes and explanations for the number rather than an anomalous diversion from traditional sexuality。 I think what I appreciated most about this book was the kindness and compassion Shrier demonstrated toward all the people she interviewed and all the people suffering mental and physical pain related to this issue。 She judged no one's actions， and expressed a great deal of love and charity in her writing。 Her very motivation for writing the book stemmed from her deep and growing concern for the future suffering of adolescent girls， including the lasting physical repercussions of girls who undergo testosterone treatment or any of the subsequent surgeries before later determining that those decisions they made before their prefrontal cortexes had fully formed were not the right decisions for them。 She is trying to prevent irreversible damage for those girls who are not actually transgender， but who are merely swept up in the current fervor of the times。 For those who find lasting peace and contentment with their decisions （and she interviewed several transgender and transitioned individuals with great respect in her book）， she has nothing but happiness to convey for their life choices。 For the rest， she urges parents to push back against aggressive school programs and aggressive social media influencers who might be wooing their children toward a path that they don't belong on。 。。。more
Julie
，
Wow， this book was equal parts enlightening， haunting， disturbing and brave。Abigail Shrier does an incredible job tackling an extremely hard subject， one that not many are willing to talk about。 She does it in an incredibly nuanced way， though its not hard to tell where she stands while reading this。 I'd recommend this to any parent， especially any mother。 Shrier does a great job pushing back on some things we are told， particularly as women， to take as gospel。 I admire her bravery and her willi Wow， this book was equal parts enlightening， haunting， disturbing and brave。Abigail Shrier does an incredible job tackling an extremely hard subject， one that not many are willing to talk about。 She does it in an incredibly nuanced way， though its not hard to tell where she stands while reading this。 I'd recommend this to any parent， especially any mother。 Shrier does a great job pushing back on some things we are told， particularly as women， to take as gospel。 I admire her bravery and her willingness to go against the grain。 There are some parts of this that are truly hard to read， and I had to resist the urge to yell outloud at certain points。 It's hard to imagine some of these things are taking place。 In any case， I will continue to follow Shrier's work and am excited to see what she does next。 。。。more
jun felix
，
fuck this book and fuck the author， i'm trans and this is bullshit。 transphobic bullshit。 fuck this book and fuck the author， i'm trans and this is bullshit。 transphobic bullshit。 。。。more
David Luthman
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A well written journalistic account of， mainly， teenage girls suffering from gender dysphoria and the drastic increase in gender dysphoric diagnosis and treamtment o fit among teenage girls。 I believe this is an important book to read for anyone， but especially if you have a daughter。In the book a comparison is brought up， let me paraphrase it:Imagine an anorexic teenage girl going into a therapist's office saying: "I'm fat， I need help to loose weight"， to which the therapist responds "Ok fatty A well written journalistic account of， mainly， teenage girls suffering from gender dysphoria and the drastic increase in gender dysphoric diagnosis and treamtment o fit among teenage girls。 I believe this is an important book to read for anyone， but especially if you have a daughter。In the book a comparison is brought up， let me paraphrase it:Imagine an anorexic teenage girl going into a therapist's office saying: "I'm fat， I need help to loose weight"， to which the therapist responds "Ok fatty， if that's how you feel you're certainly correct in your feelings。 Let's start with setting you up with a prescription of diet pills and then look into scheduling a liposuction and discuss the possibilities of a gastric bypass。"Then exchange anorexic for gender dysphoric， diet pills for testosterone treatments （which after just a few months cause irreversible changes in the patient - hence the name）， liposuction with a double mastectomy and the gastric bypass with falloplastic surgery。 According to the book， this is basically what happens as therapists need to assume a "gender affirming therapy" where they don't question the cause of the dysphoria， not taking other mental issues into account， and in many cases patients can simply walk into "informed consent clinics" - having diagnosed themselves - and get information on the risks of the treatments they want and then get it。Now， mind you， in this book Shrier does not take the stance that gender dysphoria isn't real。 In the example above what is asked for is that therapists don't simply buy into patients self-diagnosis from the get go - they certainly wouldn't in the case of an anorexic teen。 Then there are teens who might need help with a weight loss program too - who are in danger for their health because of obesity - but those cases are typically visually apparent。Gender dysphoria has the challenge that there are typically no "markers" the therapist or doctor can look for， and despite this it has apparently become the common practice （in some cases even by law） to affirm and treat the more or less self-diagnosed dysphoria。 Shrier， or the professionals she interviews for the book， believes some need the treatment - but many don't - and if medically treated those would have to live with long term physical consequences of their treatment， even if they choose to "detransition"。Living in Sweden I got curious about how it looked here， and while I still haven't looked all that deep into the situation yet， how easy it is to get a prescription of Testosterone etc。 here， the statistical increase in gender dysphoria especially among teenage girls seems to be similar according to this article from SVT: https://www。svt。se/nyheter/granskning。。。Edit: It seems there was actually a downturn in this trend over the last years， I suppose it remains to be seen where it ends: https://www。svt。se/nyheter/granskning。。。Well， I hope we can find sense in this and not let ideology or politics cloud judgement， which seems to have been the case in many of the instances brought up in this book。 。。。more
David Blayney
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It's an important topic but I think this book is the wrong forum for it。 When the subtitle of your book is talking about a "craze，" I think the damage has already been done in terms of poisoning the well and it's very difficult to come back from it。 I think Abigail Shrier misdiagnoses the cause and misdiagnoses the solution， and the whole project strikes me a little reactionary。 It's an important topic and for that reason I'd still recommend giving it a read， but the truth is that this book is g It's an important topic but I think this book is the wrong forum for it。 When the subtitle of your book is talking about a "craze，" I think the damage has already been done in terms of poisoning the well and it's very difficult to come back from it。 I think Abigail Shrier misdiagnoses the cause and misdiagnoses the solution， and the whole project strikes me a little reactionary。 It's an important topic and for that reason I'd still recommend giving it a read， but the truth is that this book is going to be a battleground， and your decision to read it or ignore it is likely going to be dictated by the views you already have， which is a shame。 。。。more
Randall Marx
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This is journalism and social science research at its best。 While。the author has a conservative perspective， she brings an open mind to empirical and academic research。 What she finds is astounding— a cult- like group that uses peer pressure and social media to pray on girls under duress and a medical/academic establishment that looks the other way。 I hope the woke liberals real this book！
Louise Hewett
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I found 'Irreversible Damage' by Abigail Shrier an interesting， disturbing， and insightful exploration of the subject of the sudden onset of what is called "gender dysphoria。" Shrier's book sets forth a fairly mainstream investigation one might expect in a context of the feminist gains of the past century and within established contemporary capitalism。 Her research seems to have been done with as open a mind as possible， and she refers to adult transgender and transsexual persons in the ways the I found 'Irreversible Damage' by Abigail Shrier an interesting， disturbing， and insightful exploration of the subject of the sudden onset of what is called "gender dysphoria。" Shrier's book sets forth a fairly mainstream investigation one might expect in a context of the feminist gains of the past century and within established contemporary capitalism。 Her research seems to have been done with as open a mind as possible， and she refers to adult transgender and transsexual persons in the ways they prefer。 She also highlights her observations and concerns about the basic neglect shown by many medical professionals （the ones who are apparently safe from criticism！） with regard to many teenager's claims that they have psychological and physical discomfort in their bodies， particularly via the testimonies of "de-transitioners。" But Shrier does this without really tackling an analysis of the patriarchal substructure of Western （her subject， American） society， and the purpose of its basic gender code which has shifted to suit the when and where of it being fostered throughout patriarchal history， and particularly in capitalism。The influence of easy access online pornography was mentioned by Shrier， but a greater exploration of its impact on children's and teenager's developing minds and bodies was not explored in depth。 With a little research into the pornography industry， it wouldn't be hard to figure out that young girls and older teens seeing other girls physically and psychologically brutalised as a matter of course in pornography would create disturbing levels of anxiety about their bodies and the prospect of any future sexual interactions with boys and men。 Better perhaps to become to dominator， or else become "neutral，" "non-binary"， neither？ All the girl's problems are individualised and the focus by affirming doctors and educators is decontextualised and internal， a postmodern stance fitting nicely with the aims of capitalist patriarchy。 Teenagers threatening to hurt themselves is definitely a cry for help， but sometimes it's also a tactic possibly learned from society at large。 Within an exchange "this for that" culture， and where children are often taught from infancy that if they are well behaved， Santa will bring them rewards， threatening behaviours and tactics are designed to get the results the kids want。 We used to call it "negative attention seeking。" Setting boundaries， not giving in to a child's every demand， and fostering responsibility in our children is the normal approach。 Schools undermining normal parenting behaviours seems the stuff of fascism at worst， nightmares at best。 No wonder children， and adults， are confused。 Children are being given authority they are not ready to wield。 I was reminded of the line from the movie 'The Indian in the Cupboard，' which was that "you should not do magic you do not understand。" But threats of suicide， even if they're implanted into the child's head by those on social media， are serious。 I would know this anyway as a normal human being， but I also know this from my personal experience。 My autistic son told me he wanted to kill himself for the first time when he was ten years old （and when I told our psychologist， she told me not to worry too much: kids often say things like that when they feel distressed！）。 Well， I wasn't convinced。 I was on alert。 But in some senses she was right， kids will say all kinds of things， including that they hate you， they are really a dog， and so on。 As it turned out， my son did not try to hurt himself， and never spoke of killing himself until he was fifteen when his suicidal ideation really began。 And in the thick of adolescence， my new psychologist was taking it far more seriously （thankfully！）。 So whilst reading 'Irreversible Damage' I was reflecting on my own handling of my experiences with my son， who tried to harm himself because of puberty and discomfort with the body。 I thought how alarming （and frankly ridiculous） that I might be considered， by some people， a monster for bluntly but lovingly saying to my son that "puberty is the only road to adulthood， and you have to go through it。 We all do。 That's the way humans are designed。" The question I've asked， and which Shrier asks is， why is the distress and possible suicidal ideation experienced by children who feel they're "other" regarding sex and/or gender categorised as more of a highly serious risk than any other kind of suicidal ideation experienced by teens？ The comparison with anorexia is a common one but still， the question remains glaringly unanswered by those supporting "transitioning" of children and teens。I found this book helpful， and of course distressing。 The support human beings need， and the lengths we go to to get it sometimes， is an aspect of our human nature fraught with risk。 In the present cultural climate of late stage capitalism where everyone is a consumer， and simultaneously potentially up for commodification in order to survive， the usual risks and intensity of adolescence are magnified。 Alarming， even in the lives of my own two youngest children （14 and 17）， is the lack for many young people of actual， physical， ordinary， non-screen mediated social life。 Learning to engage with others of varying ages， learning skills， taking responsibility for our lives， learning to creatively manage conflict without dehumanising or "blocking" others， and exploring developing sexuality in the physical rather than just ideologically， is some of the crucial terrain of adolescence。Regardless of the criticisms people might make of the book， for whatever reason， I certainly think it a useful contribution to the subject。 In fact， the author genuinely seemed to be going out of her way to express her empathy and compassion for all whilst pointing out some areas of concern by asking the obvious questions。 。。。more
Kristin Seibert
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Eye opening， truthful， easy-to-read， while also being well-researched。If they say it’s “anti-trans”， you can bet that she was brave enough to find the truth。
Karl
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I like that the angry one-star reviews of this book demonstrate the author's fundamental point 。。。 we are at a point that rational discussion is almost impossible on this subject because there is a fundamentalist gender ideology that interprets any word of caution or attention to the harms of gender transition as equivalent to 'eugenics' -- a word employed frequently in the comments here。 Here I would like to remind everyone of the most fundamental tenet of liberal thought: No subject is beyond I like that the angry one-star reviews of this book demonstrate the author's fundamental point 。。。 we are at a point that rational discussion is almost impossible on this subject because there is a fundamentalist gender ideology that interprets any word of caution or attention to the harms of gender transition as equivalent to 'eugenics' -- a word employed frequently in the comments here。 Here I would like to remind everyone of the most fundamental tenet of liberal thought: No subject is beyond discussion， no idea is immune from criticism， and we should be especially open to thoughtful critiques about ideas that sprung up the day before yesterday。 Either that， or we can go on screaming about eugenics rather than addressing the arguments like the know-nothings here who can't handle a discussion。 。。。more
Claire
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This is not my typical read; however， I was blown away。 I got really interested in why so many teenage girls are buying into the transgender craze and discovered Dr。 Abigail Shrier through Prager University。 I think this book is a must read for people doing ministry with teenage girls， and as a future mom。 I wont go into too much detail， because Shrier does such an amazing job。。。 but the aspects to this craze root so much deeper than I thought and it is concerning。 I REALLY REALLY RECOMMEND！！！！
Amy Denson
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Every parent with a daughter should read this book！Abigail Shrier is so brave for writing this book。 If people could get past the social justice outrage， they would understand this isn't a book attacking the trans community but rather supporting teen women as they navigate the tumultuous waters of puberty， teenage life， and early adulthood。 Parents never think it will happen to their daughter。。。。until it does。 As a society we have allowed the Internet to rear our children and the results are ter Every parent with a daughter should read this book！Abigail Shrier is so brave for writing this book。 If people could get past the social justice outrage， they would understand this isn't a book attacking the trans community but rather supporting teen women as they navigate the tumultuous waters of puberty， teenage life， and early adulthood。 Parents never think it will happen to their daughter。。。。until it does。 As a society we have allowed the Internet to rear our children and the results are terrifying。 。。。more
Carrie Allen
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