Testosterone: The Story of the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us
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- Create Date：2021-08-17 08:51:38
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Carole Hooven
- ISBN：1788402928
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Summary
Testosterone: Misunderstood。 Mythologized。 Controversial。
A Harvard evolutionary biologist debunks the myths and cultural stereotypes surrounding testosterone and reveals its far-reaching effects on gender and sexuality， sports， relationships， and many more aspects of our everyday lives。
The biological source of virility and masculinity has inspired fascination， investigation， and controversy since antiquity。 From the eunuchs in the royal courts of ancient China to the booming market for “elixirs” of youth in nineteenth-century Europe， humans have been obsessed with identifying and manipulating what we now know as testosterone。 And the trends show no signs of slowing down—the modern market for testosterone supplements is booming。 Thanks to this history and the methods of modern science， today we have a rich body of research about testosterone’s effects in both men and women。
The science is clear: testosterone is a major， invisible player in our relationships， sex lives， athletic abilities， childhood play， gender transitions， parenting roles， violent crime， and so much more。 But there is still a lot of pushback to the idea that it does， in fact， cause sex differences and significantly influence behavior。
Carole Hooven argues in T that acknowledging testosterone as a potent force in society doesn’t reinforce stifling gender norms or patriarchal values。 Testosterone and evolution work together to produce a huge variety of human behavior， and that includes a multitude of ways to be masculine or feminine。 Understanding the science sheds light on how we work and relate to one another， how we express anger and love， and how we can fight bias and problematic behavior to build a more fair society。
A Harvard evolutionary biologist debunks the myths and cultural stereotypes surrounding testosterone and reveals its far-reaching effects on gender and sexuality， sports， relationships， and many more aspects of our everyday lives。
The biological source of virility and masculinity has inspired fascination， investigation， and controversy since antiquity。 From the eunuchs in the royal courts of ancient China to the booming market for “elixirs” of youth in nineteenth-century Europe， humans have been obsessed with identifying and manipulating what we now know as testosterone。 And the trends show no signs of slowing down—the modern market for testosterone supplements is booming。 Thanks to this history and the methods of modern science， today we have a rich body of research about testosterone’s effects in both men and women。
The science is clear: testosterone is a major， invisible player in our relationships， sex lives， athletic abilities， childhood play， gender transitions， parenting roles， violent crime， and so much more。 But there is still a lot of pushback to the idea that it does， in fact， cause sex differences and significantly influence behavior。
Carole Hooven argues in T that acknowledging testosterone as a potent force in society doesn’t reinforce stifling gender norms or patriarchal values。 Testosterone and evolution work together to produce a huge variety of human behavior， and that includes a multitude of ways to be masculine or feminine。 Understanding the science sheds light on how we work and relate to one another， how we express anger and love， and how we can fight bias and problematic behavior to build a more fair society。
Reviews
Chris Boutté
，
If you didn’t read this book， based on some of the backlash as well as discussions in the media about the book， you’d think the entire thing was about the trans debate。 While Carole Hooven does touch on these topics in a few different chapters， the book is so much more than that。 I’m more of a psychology person than a biology person， and biological topics usually go way over my head， but Hooven is clearly an incredible teacher。 She was able to explain everything from fetal development to puberty If you didn’t read this book， based on some of the backlash as well as discussions in the media about the book， you’d think the entire thing was about the trans debate。 While Carole Hooven does touch on these topics in a few different chapters， the book is so much more than that。 I’m more of a psychology person than a biology person， and biological topics usually go way over my head， but Hooven is clearly an incredible teacher。 She was able to explain everything from fetal development to puberty and so many other biological factors by making great analogies and talking in a way that the average person can understand。 As a parent， I’ve been curious about topics of how gender norms shape children versus biological factors as well as how testosterone plays a part in aggression。 This is an incredible book， and thank goodness for people like Carole Hooven。 I can’t imagine trying to be a scientist simply studying what you’re interested in and getting dogpiled just for discussing your findings。 It’s clear throughout this book that Hooven is an open-minded， caring， and compassionate person。 When touching on sensitive subjects， I saw her go above and beyond to be careful of her language and to clarify as much as possible。 This book is great， and I hope people gain a lot more from it than the conversations around transitioning。 。。。more
Linus
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Hooven is clearly initiated and knowledgable in the topic， the book is structured and well written。 The topic is sensitive but Hooven presents facts in a scientific manner and presents alternative interpretations and explanations throughout the text。 Science works， like it or not， but chew it up and make the best of it。
mark propp
，
very good， highly readable & friendly counter to the blank-slateism that depressingly still seems to still seems to dominate so much of the discourse these days。 mostly not technical at all - there are a few sections where she does have to get into details， and as always i find that kind of bio talk numbing and impenetrable， even when it's as user friendly as it is here。if you've read the moral animal or the blank slate or have a basic knowledge of ev/psych， this probably won't add to much to yo very good， highly readable & friendly counter to the blank-slateism that depressingly still seems to still seems to dominate so much of the discourse these days。 mostly not technical at all - there are a few sections where she does have to get into details， and as always i find that kind of bio talk numbing and impenetrable， even when it's as user friendly as it is here。if you've read the moral animal or the blank slate or have a basic knowledge of ev/psych， this probably won't add to much to your intellectual quiver， but it's certainly a fine read and worth your time。 。。。more
Arif Ramadan
，
Clear and balanced。 Exactly what this conversation needs。
Elle
，
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 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。 。。。more
Socrate
，
Antropologul și biologul de la Harvard， Carole Hooven， urmărește istoria evoluției testosteronului până la cele mai recente cercetări pentru a ilumina biologia reală a masculinității 。 Testosteronul poate fi cel mai faimos jucător din lumea biologiei umane。 O prezentăm ca o explicație pentru masculinitatea toxică și agresiunea sexuală， un motiv pentru a împiedica unele femei să concureze în anumite sporturi ， o sursă mistică de vitalitate și atracție sexuală și chiar un factor determinant în mod Antropologul și biologul de la Harvard， Carole Hooven， urmărește istoria evoluției testosteronului până la cele mai recente cercetări pentru a ilumina biologia reală a masculinității 。 Testosteronul poate fi cel mai faimos jucător din lumea biologiei umane。 O prezentăm ca o explicație pentru masculinitatea toxică și agresiunea sexuală， un motiv pentru a împiedica unele femei să concureze în anumite sporturi ， o sursă mistică de vitalitate și atracție sexuală și chiar un factor determinant în modul în care copiii aleg diferite jucării cu care să se joace 。 Dar poate un hormon - o moleculă excepțională， formată din hidrogen， oxigen și carbon - să explice într-adevăr o astfel de gamă de trăsături comportamentale？ În T， Hooven se bazează pe cele două decenii de studiu ale testosteronului la oameni și alte mamifere pentru a arăta că T este mult mai influent decât își dau seama majoritatea oamenilor。 T - și modul în care vorbim despre asta - ne afectează relațiile， grupurile sociale， obiectivele profesionale， identitățile， rolurile parentale， siguranța fizică， sistemul de justiție și multe altele。 。。。more
Johno
，
I read this shortly after reading Testostone Rex by Cordelia Fine and this is just a much better book。 It seems to take a much more objective look at the science and is less obviously biased （although， of course that might be my own biases blinding me a little）。 At times it got a little bit too down into the weeds of the actual science for me personally， but it was still enjoyable and well written。 I found it particularly interesting how rats get treated differently by their mothers based on the I read this shortly after reading Testostone Rex by Cordelia Fine and this is just a much better book。 It seems to take a much more objective look at the science and is less obviously biased （although， of course that might be my own biases blinding me a little）。 At times it got a little bit too down into the weeds of the actual science for me personally， but it was still enjoyable and well written。 I found it particularly interesting how rats get treated differently by their mothers based on the hormones levels of the young rats。 Basically the hormones affect the socialisation， making "maleness" both nature and nurture。 。。。more
Chris Logan
，
To be fair I ended up skimming many of the chapters of this book。 Once I got the main idea - testosterone is a major if not THE major factor in mammalian sex differences - I just didn’t feel up to the charts & statistics。 This is a reflection on me， not the book， which has a good， clear style laced with humour and humanity。 Recommended！
John&Gill Macnab
，
FascinatingI had hormone treatment for prostate cancer and this book explained a lot about the effects of that treatment that no one told me at the time。
Owen
，
A fascinating book and introduction to the latest science on testosterone。Carole Hooven wrote it in response to feeling that good science has come under attack by a movement to dismantle and discredit it， as well as to downplay the importance of testosterone in terms of how it shapes sex differences， including the body， brain and behaviour。
Jan
，
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。 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。 。。。more
Kennedy
，
Dialogue and writing about biology as it pertains to sex differences can easily devolve into either side using the "science" to beat one over the head with。 Dr Hooven does the opposite of that。 In this fascinating and accessible book， she goes through the evidence as it is currently understood to show how testosterone plays an important role in the average differences we observe between men and women。 The research is presented using a writing style that makes it easy to follow and understand。Thr Dialogue and writing about biology as it pertains to sex differences can easily devolve into either side using the "science" to beat one over the head with。 Dr Hooven does the opposite of that。 In this fascinating and accessible book， she goes through the evidence as it is currently understood to show how testosterone plays an important role in the average differences we observe between men and women。 The research is presented using a writing style that makes it easy to follow and understand。Throughout the book， the views of critics/skeptics are presented then addressed fairly， with acknowledgement being made where critics have valuable points。This would make a good addition to the library of anyone seeking to be a well informed layman or taking a Behavioural Endocrinology 101 class。 An enjoyable and educational read！ 。。。more
Freddie
，
T: The Hormone That Dominates and Divides Us by Carole Hooven is one of the most interesting and beautifully written science books I have ever read。I cannot imagine that there is a book that does a better job of describing the far-reaching effects of testosterone （T） on humans while being such a joy to read。 Not only does Carole Hooven display a thorough knowledge of her subject， but she understands how to weave her own compelling stories and those of others into her narrative in a way that make T: The Hormone That Dominates and Divides Us by Carole Hooven is one of the most interesting and beautifully written science books I have ever read。I cannot imagine that there is a book that does a better job of describing the far-reaching effects of testosterone （T） on humans while being such a joy to read。 Not only does Carole Hooven display a thorough knowledge of her subject， but she understands how to weave her own compelling stories and those of others into her narrative in a way that makes complex science accessible to the average reader。 Whether using baking cookies as an analogy for gene expression， or describing researchers who have implanted wires in a rat’s skull as （ tongue firmly in cheek） “evil scientists，” Dr Hooven gives us stories and images that bring the science of （T） to life for the non-scientist。 Beyond the detailed workings of T on male and female bodies and brains， the book is also a powerful and passionate defense of scientific inquiry and its value in our lives。 Using her own journey toward becoming a scientist， Dr。 Hooven describes how she came to see that while emotions may be vital and important in our lives， we should not let resistance to what is emotionally uncomfortable keep us from acknowledging what good science reveals。 Throughout her book， Hooven provides a master class in how to interpret scientific information。 At a time when too many “ experts，” are choosing to focus on only the evidence that supports their positionsand ignoring what does not， Hooven takes great pains to show that her arguments are guided by a thorough review of the evidence。 If the evidence is limited or mixed， she says so， and explains why。 When the evidence for the role of T in human behavior is strong， as in the case of controversial topics like male violence， she describes exactly what strong evidence consists of: multiple studies showing similarly large effects， in different populations， using a wide variety of methods。Hooven has chosen to enter what I understand – after reading her book – is highly contentious territory。 I suspect she will be vigorously attacked by those who insist that the role of nature in influencing behavior is relatively minor compared to nurture。 Those attackers however， would have to ignore how strongly Hooven makes the case for the tremendous power of humans to shape our destinies。 Ultimately， there is not only nothing to fear here， but as Hooven argues， much to be optimistic about， if we follow the science。 And Dr。 Hooven shows us that following the science can make for a gripping and enjoyable read as well。 。。。more
Hendrik Strauss
，
Really engaged well with this central subject matter。 Invokes a deep sense of curiosity of the wonders and blueprints for brutalities and sheer energies that lay in the human condition and more concisely: Are organized and maintained via the endocrine system。 The hormones， secreted by glands travelling through the bloodstream。 This work of scholarship and communication layed out both the history and the biology which testosterone and humans share。 With examples drawn from mammals， foremost prima Really engaged well with this central subject matter。 Invokes a deep sense of curiosity of the wonders and blueprints for brutalities and sheer energies that lay in the human condition and more concisely: Are organized and maintained via the endocrine system。 The hormones， secreted by glands travelling through the bloodstream。 This work of scholarship and communication layed out both the history and the biology which testosterone and humans share。 With examples drawn from mammals， foremost primates， and endocrinological variant humans a very concise， plausible and ambivalent reality is implicated by the data。To use jargon: Both proximate and ultimate causes are under investigation。 Proximate:What is happening biochemically when behavior and metabolism is mediated and activated by Testosterone？ What activates testosterone secretion？ What is activated by it？ Ultimate: How did Testosterone come to act in the way it does？ Why did it evolve？ The book is a very carefully laid out argument as this is a very sensitive topic including violence， human sexual differences and the ever debated about realm of the nature nurture sphere。In Hoovens assesment， and I tend to agree， the biology of human subjects interface with a complex social world。 No explaination should seek primacy by claiming to render the other sphere（biology/sociology） as irrelevant。 Both propably will turn out to be true in not incommensurable terms。To quote Daniel N。 Robinson:The truths of philosophy are written with a semicolon ; 。。。more
Jennifer Dawson
，
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 fact 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。 。。。more
Lizzy
，
*This was an ARC GoodReads Giveaway*A well done， fairly easy to read presentation of research in testosterone。 I appreciated how she examined it in animals as well as humans， and that she covered many topics including different chromosomes and gender transitioning。 I was also impressed with how she did her best to examine the science without imposing judgment。
Annie
，
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 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 Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 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。 。。。more
Andréa
，
Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss。
Tom Schulte
，
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。 The book has an exploration of Caster Semenya， an Olympic athlete and intersex w 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。 The book has an exploration of Caster Semenya， an Olympic athlete and intersex woman， assigned female at birth， with XY chromosomes and naturally elevated testosterone levels。 Similarly revealing is the material on transition including interviews and experiences of people， including one that de-transitioned。 。。。more
Stetson
，