T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us

by Carole Hooven

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.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Biology, Psychology, Gender, Medicine, Health

352 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2021

About the author

Carole Hooven, PhD is Lecturer and Co-director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. She earned her PhD at Harvard, studying sex differences and testosterone, and has taught there ever since. Hooven has received numerous teaching awards, and her popular Hormones and Behaviour class was named one of the Harvard Crimson's 'top ten tried and true.'

Reviews

[Stetson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carole Hooven's T: The Story of Testosterone 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 or 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 T: The Story of Testosterone.

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.

*I received this book for free ahead of print to review through NetGalley.

P.S. I also want to point out to those curious or skeptical of sex differences that male vs female differences run deeper than testosterone alone. The biggest reason for this is male heterogametism, meaning the male sex is characterized by different sex chromosomes. The consequences of heterogametism on the genome are myriad: X dosage compensation, no X inactivation, >Xchr heritabilities, X/Y-driven interactions with the genome, and the perils of hemizygosity.

[Morgan Blackledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Testosterone (T) is a cultural ubiquity and a mystery all at once.

We misattribute certain traits and behaviors to it.

And undervalue it’s impact on our lives and society at large in important other ways.

Researcher Carole Hooven has gifted us this clear, accurate, relatable and interesting guide to this important hormone.

It literally couldn’t be more crucial and timely to much of the current topics du jour, including male aggression and gender identity.

The later is where the book SHINES.

Hooven interviews and features many intersex, transgender and gender non conforming individuals.

Several of whom have undergone gender reassignment, and gone back to there birth gender.

They provide fascinating first person perspective on the powerful role T plays in our identity and behaviors.

Additionally, Hooven goes into detail on the role of T from a third person, scientific perspective.

The results are super clarifying and BEYOND fascinating.

This is a GREAT science book.

Up there with Sapulsky and other behavioral biologists.

Trust me (with a capital T).

You don’t want to miss out on this crazy cool read.

Even if you think you’re not interested.

You are.

Put it on the top of your short list.

5/5

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Mircea Petcu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Testosteronul și agresivitatea

Sarcina principală a testosteronului este să coordoneze anatomia, fiziologia și comportamentul sexuale masculine în serviciul reproducerii. Pentru mulți masculi din diverse specii de animale care trebuie să concureze pentru partenere, cum sunt cerbii roșii din Scoția, unul dintre comportamentele care sprijină cel mai direct reproducerea este agresivitatea.

Există dovezi că bărbații ar fi adaptați pentru o competiție potențial violentă pentru partenere cu alți bărbați?
Da, chiar foarte multe. Bărbații sunt mai mari și mai puternici decât femeile, își ating maximul de agresivitate la vârsta propice reproducerii și își asumă mai multe riscuri fizice (de exemplu, în accidentele de mașină mor considerabil mai mulți bărbați tineri decât femei). Băieții, ca mulți alți masculi tineri de primate, se joacă mai dur decât fetele, o practică utilă pentru concursurile fizice reale de mai târziu. Bărbații sunt suprareprezentați în sporturile de contact violente, cum ar fi artele marțiale mixte și boxul.

Cu toate acestea, relația testosteronului cu agresivitatea nu este o simplă relație cauză-efect, fiind, în schimb, modulată de factori precum experiența anterioară, ierarhia socială, personalitatea, genetica și cultura. Cercetătorii au observat că bărbații orientați către dominație care mai sunt și impulsivi sunt cei care au tendința să răspundă cu agresivitate la o creștere a nivelului de testosteron (cum se poate întâmpla atunci când un bărbat anticipează concurența). Statul Singapore are un număr redus de infracțiuni violente comparativ cu sudul SUA (în care predomină "cultura onoarei). Cultura singaporeză încurajează respectarea legii, disciplina strictă în familii și lipsa sărăciei. Mediul contează.

În ciuda acestor variațiuni, un lucru care rămâne constant este tiparul în funcție de sexe: aproape indiferent de spațiu și timp, bărbații sunt mai violenți decât femeile. Aceasta este o realitate izbitoare, care necesită o explicație, și cea mai simplă dintre ele, compatibilă cu volumele uriașe de dovezi provenite din regnul animal, invocă selecția sexuală și testosteronul.

Recomand

[Jason Furman · Rating 5 out of 5]

“T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Divides and Dominates Us” is a superb piece of science writing about the role that testosterone, or T, plays in the development of sex differences and their expression throughout life. Carole Hooven consistently acknowledges and highlights the importance of culture and conscious choices as shaping the way in which T is expressed but is scathing about those who deny a role for T at all. In telling this story Hooven draws mostly on endocrinology (a subject I have never really read about before) but also some more familiar ground in human evolutionary biology and other disciplines as well. She also includes some fascinating history of science from the 19th century discovery that T operated through the vascular system by transplanting testes into the wrong place in young male chickens through many more recent large-scale experiments.

Just reading about how animals have two systems that interact internally to shape development, behavior, and more—the neural system which sends targeted electrical signals and the hormonal system which sends broad communications that can only be received and interpreted by some cells—was very basic biology but still fascinating to me because it was explored with such detail and nuance in this one specific case.

Human males have three major surges of T: one around 20 weeks gestational, one a few months after birth, and one starting around age 12 and lasting for the rest of life. Hooven explains in detail how these surges play a role in the differentiation of primary sex characteristics (the first one) and secondary sex characteristics (the third one, which brings about puberty). She also acknowledges that scientists do not understand that second surge in babies, one of a handful of places throughout the book where she acknowledges and highlights what scientists do not (yet?) understand—which is also part of the never-ending excitement of science because it is a process of discovery not a full truth.

Hooven then has chapters that focus on issues like the role of sexual selection, different performance in sports, vastly different levels of violence, also differences in willingness to risk one’s life for a stranger (a trait heavily skewed towards males), and more. She also discusses the role of T in people transitioning, a very well done chapter that largely tells a set of stories through extended quotes from interviews with a number of people that have transitioned.

Hooven draws on animal studies to illustrate the continuity with humans but also the variety of evolutionary strategies. For example, part of a chapter is devoted to the extraordinary set of studies of red deer in the Isle of Rum off Scotland and the way in which some males maintain harems, fighting off the solitary males who are mateless. She then explains that red deer differ from human babies in that they can fend for themselves almost from birth and so require almost no parental input while paternal input—not just fathering lots of children—is a key input to evolutionary success in humans.

I had mixed feelings about how much of the T was devoted to arguing against a recent set of popular and in some cases scientific writings denying that T matters in humans, instead arguing that humans are a blank slate and that gender differences are entirely socially constructed. I sympathized with how frustrating the reach of these writings given the mountain of evidence against them: animal studies, human studies, examples of humans who had their T cut off (eunuchs and castrati), humans with different types of genes (e.g., XY’s that cannot process T), humans who have transitioned, and other evidence. You can sense Hooven’s frustration about some of the pseudo-science that gets amplified in the press, even on basic factual questions like one person arguing that T levels are not hugely different in men and women when in fact even the highest T women are below the lowest T men. But I did not always like it as a foil.

Hooven, however, is interesting in speculating about why there is this tendency to deny nature--arguing that for some it has become a proxy in the fight for feminism and equality. She is scathing about this view, arguing (correctly in my view—although she does not actually develop and prove the case) that if we downplay or ignore biology we will miss opportunities to improve women’s safety and equality. She also argues that the difference-deniers are making the mistake of implicitly accepting that what is “natural” is good and that instead it is better to argue that people and cultures can change and reshape the way people behave—while acknowledging there are natural differences and these differences themselves are often grounded in one particular chemical and the role it plays throughout our lives, T.

Overall, I learned a lot from this book and found the writing very engaging—highly recommended.

[Cheenu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is primarily a rundown of the arguments and supporting research that sex differences in behaviour are mainly biological rather than cultural - with T and other androgens being the main culprit

Behaviours examined are play preferences in prepubescent children, aggression, libido, sexual novelty and one scenario where it isn't the culprit (orientation).

There's also a chapter where the controversial topic of trans woman in athletic sports is examined from the perspective of do they gain a physiological advantage from naturally high T levels?

(This is entirely separate issue from whether they should be allowed to compete in women's sports - though it is easy to mix the two issues).

There's a chapter on transiting and the behavioural changes but I found that really weak - as mentioned by the authors, there are no long term studies and, therefore, all her conclusions will be speculative.

Made brief notes on how convincing I found each of the claims - Link to google doc

If you are already in the sex differences in behavior are mainly biological camp - then I don't think this will change or add much. If you are in the cultural camp and willing to read with an open mind, then I think this is a good summary of arguments and research.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clear and approachable explanations about the important and powerful effects of testosterone in human bodies. Warm and engaging writing, with nice touches of humor. She covers effects in “normal” men and women and also discusses topics about people who are different than the mainstream. She discusses all of this with sensitivity and respect, keeping science and humanity in the foreground. I bet she’s a great teacher.

[Khari · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the first 8 chapters I raved about this book to my friends, family, and colleagues.

These chapters set up what testosterone is and what its effects are, and how we learned about them.

I learned a lot about how castration effects humans, chickens, stags, mice, and even lizards. I learned a lot about how the increase of testosterone affects humans, chickens, stags, mice, and even lizards. The book is chock full of tidbits of knowledge that are absolutely fascinating. Put it this way, for the duration of reading this book, I wanted to change my career path and go study endocrinology. The experiments sound like a ton of fun and go off in the oddest of directions. I mean who would think to measure testosterone in the saliva of football viewers???! And then discover that there's a significant difference in testosterone production based on if their team won or lost? Who would predict that???!! It's fascinating! It shows that behavior can affect hormone production! How cool is that?!

I mean we all know that to some extent. If you eat right, you start to crave good food. If you exercise, your body starts to get toned up, you lose weight, you release more endorphins, you get happier. Sure, we know that. But behavior changing how our body works has effects on so much more than that. In fact, how you live can change how your offspring's body works!!! I knew that having a father in the home means that his daughters undergo a later puberty, (who knows maybe that's related to testosterone somehow too), but I didn't know that fathers in the home produce less testosterone. If they produce less testosterone, they are less aggressive, if they are less aggressive, they do less stupid things and live longer. All of a sudden there is a logical (albeit vastly simplified) explanation for an observed effect that we have known about for a long time: married men on average live longer than single men. (Not a point Dr. Hooven made, just to be clear, an application of what she said that I thought of, so if it's completely off, blame my ignorance).

So the first 8 chapters were great and wonderful, then I started the 9th chapter and wanted to throw the book across the room and seriously considered giving up the endeavor.

Why, do you ask?

Because in the commendable endeavor to handle a controversial topic in as understanding way as possible, I feel that Dr. Hooven sacrificed scientific clarity. The point of this book is multifaceted, but to boil it down to its three major points it would be that: males and females are different. They are different physiologically speaking and this causes them to be different psychologically as well. This does not mean that either sex is inherently inferior or superior, or that either sex has more inherent value than the other, it just means that they are different. The second point is that there are indeed populations of people that do not fit easily into the male and female binary.

What do you call a person who was born with testes and a vagina? They exist. They look like a woman from the outside, but don't have any of the internal plumbing. They can't make any eggs. They also can't make any sperm. They are infertile. They produce all sorts of testosterone and can't use it. They are something that falls outside of the binary, they are neither sex. We call them intersex, and they can be perfectly healthy humans.

The third point, and the most controversial one, is that the existence of intersex people does not negate the first point, that males and females are different. We are not born as blank slates that our society writes behaviors onto. We are born male, female, or neither, and the neither is a vanishingly small proportion of the population. They are not less valuable. They are not inherently inferior. But they are outliers. Hooven's point is that we shouldn't dictate what is normal by those outliers.

It's a point that goes directly against the presiding narrative of our day. Not just in the transgender movement, but in a plethora of other locations. In our quest for justice for all, we often listen to those in the position of the minority and ignore the voices and problems of the majority.

What I found disappointing in the 9th chapter is that Hooven's point about how we cannot ignore what is standard for the majority of the human population because of outliers was undercut by a sudden confusion of terms. She switched from talking about males and females to 'sex assigned at birth', as if it is not a biological reality. The confusion only got worse when she started to use gender and sex interchangeably when throughout the rest of the book she had been referring solely to sex. It made even less sense when she started talking about natal females and natal males. If there is such a thing as a natal male and a natal female, a biological reality from the point of conception, then there is not such a thing as 'sex assigned at birth' except in the extremely rare case of someone who is born with aspects of both: ie., intersex people.

I understand why she did this. She is trying to be understanding to a group of people who can and do suffer a lot, but I'm not sure the best way of doing that is to adopt their narrative. Especially when it goes against everything else that you've been arguing. At one point she talked about sex-change surgeries, without ever making the point that this is a misnomer. It is not possible to change sex by having surgeries (at least not at this point, and I'm not sure it ever will be), because by her own definition of sex: males having the necessary internal mechanism to make small mobile gametes, and females having the necessary internal mechanism to make large immobile gametes, the surgery she is talking about does nothing about these features except make it so that the person produces no gametes whatsoever. That's not sex change. That's castration.

These surgeries are not about changing sex. They can't do that. They are about changing the outer body to look more like the semblance of whichever sex the person wishes to emulate. Dr. Hooven is an extremely intelligent person, she knows that, but she chose not to make it clear and instead chose to accept those surgeries at face value. I think that is an abrogation of duty. Of course...I'm a member of a tiny minority in this sense, I think that most plastic surgery, done for the sole sake of vanity, is basically unethical. But I think that the transgender surgeries in particular are barbaric and motivated more by the desire for money by the medical industry than by any concern for the person undergoing the procedure. Dr. Hooven only dances around that point by talking about how those who transition become patients for life and have to continue paying an enormous amount of money and time to maintain the surgical changes and says nothing at all about how there is very little quantifiable evidence showing long term positive outcomes for those who undergo them.

On the other hand, one thing that I deeply appreciated about Dr. Hooven's approach to this book is that in every chapter, including chapter 9, she presented evidence from both sides of the argument. It's a problem that I've seen in several other books I've read on transgenderism. Either they present only the people who are perfectly happy and content with their transition, or they present only the people who have detransitioned. Hooven presents the narratives of both. The interesting thing, though, that she neglected to point out, is just that. These are narratives. They are subjective interpretations of events. They are not facts. Everything else in the book is. This is not to say that narratives are unimportant. That is not the case. We live by the stories we tell ourselves, but they should never be presented as the same as facts.

I don't think that was Dr. Hooven's intent. After all, in chapter 10, she returned to being her normal empirical self. She even went so far as to say that we should all look at ideas and evaluate them based on their proof and evidence, not on how they make us feel. That is what it means to be a scientist. I agree, I just wish that had been a little more in evidence in chapter 9.

All in all though, I have profound respect for this author and wish I could take all of her classes. The book is absolutely fascinating. If you read it, you will learn a lot.

[Rebeka · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into this one with high hopes. To me, testosterone or T isn't some boogeyman other. I am a high T woman, and I've lived with its effects, both beneficial and detrimental, all my life. I've felt the difference when it was suppressed in my body for a while, and now I'm feeling the difference when it's coming back. I wanted to learn more about this prodigal son of mine and in turn about me.

Where basic, uncontroversial endocrine facts are concerned, Carole Hooven, the author, does a great job of explaining it to the lay reader. Sometimes she even uses similes a bit too much - there were moments where I had to reread a paragraph to understand which particular concept she means by what. This would definitely not be a fun book for a professional. She even explicitly stops herself from getting into more detail by going all "oh whew that was some scary deep science, don't worry, I'll not expose you to the boogeyman anymore". I was left standing like Vincent Vega in the Wallace home lobby in Pulp Fiction. What do you mean, let's not get into the science? Why do you think I'm reading a science book, if not to get into the 'mechanistic weeds'?

Some new and exciting research, however, suggests that T could have important, and more rapid, "nongenomic" effects - meaning, actions not inside the cell on gene transcription, but instead right on the cell surface, more like a neurotransmitter or protein hormone. We are getting into the mechanistic weeds here. But speaking as someone who was turned off by science until college, asking seemingly simple questions about T's action helped me to realize how interesting even the nitty-gritty neurological, hormonal and genetic influences on the body can be.

Yes, please, I would love to get into the nitty-gritty of testosterone in a book about testosterone. Instead, what I got was some academic controversy. Carole Hooven wrote this book not to inform folks about testosterone, but rather stake her camp in the great debate about impacts of testosterone on human behavior.
It's like being in a lesson where the teacher every now and then goes 'now this is how atoms and chemistry work, which is the correct and logical way, unlike what stupid and silly Miss Anne is teaching you right next door! Did you know that she is wrong about...'. If you're not really invested in the lesson on atoms, this might provide some entertainment. If you're invested, like me, in knowing more about atoms, you might think 'hey what gives? stop talking about Miss Anne and get back on track!'

This really is a great detriment to the book, because the tangents are distracting from her message and what's more, she uses rhetorical tactics that make me doubt her intellectual honesty in portraying her side. And the thing is, I'm even on 'her' side of the debate. I'm strongly in the camp of 'mostly nature, a bit of nurture', but I'm also in the camp of 'let's follow the evidence, but let's not extrapolate'. Hooven seems to be in the camp of 'a little bit of embellishment never hurt anybody'.

Here is an example of the cherry-picking fallacy. She explains Occam's razor, and then gives an example of an occasion where Occam's razor is supported by practice. It's all very rational on surface, but she does not mention all the myriad of cases where Occam's razor fails. Some small examples - maximum parsimony tree is not the best way to resolve phylogenetic trees. An easier to comprehend one - quantum physics would not exist if we wanted to always apply the simplest explanation.

The scientific principle of parsimony is useful here: all else equal, we should choose the simpler theory over the more complex one. The Greek astronomer Ptolemy tried to square observations of the planets with his theory that they revolve around the Earth by postulating weird and complicated planetary movements, or "epicycles". But the theory on which the Earth and the other planets all revolve around the sun was much simpler. We know who won that one.

Here is an example where she employs scare quotes when describing the field of another scientist. For some reason she never uses these when describing people in her own camp - say, when she would say that someone is a professor in endocrinology who specializes in "pituitary adenomas and acromegaly".
She also fails to mention that the professor she's trying to discredit is actually in her own field, with similar education credentials. While Carole Hooven tries to imply that she herself is an endocrinologist, a simple pubmed search reveals the truth - she publishes in child and teen psychiatry journals. Her main body of work is in at-risk youths and suicide and violence prevention. She has two publications on testosterone and mental rotation. This is a stark difference to the picture she paints about herself as an expert and participating in animal studies. There could be many reasons and I don't know her field practices. Could be that only the writers are included as authors, could be that the principal investigator never includes PhD students, or could be that she didn't do enough to qualify for authorship. Be that as it may, she does obfuscate her credentials and depth of knowledge.

Sari van Anders is a professor of psychology, gender studies and neuroscience at Queen's University in Canada who specializes in "social neuroendocrinology, sexuality, gender/sex & sexual diversity, and feminist and queer science".

These are, of course, not the only times where she uses rhetoric smoke and mirrors to get her point across. And while I may agree with her ideas and facts, my academic bullshit detector is sending out alarms. If your theory stands on its own, you wouldn't need to stoop to using hasty generalizations, non sequiturs, strawmanning and begging the question. You could just focus on presenting your side, presenting contestable points and strong arguments of your opponents, and you would still come out largely correct.

Although often these 'let's be rational', 'let's not needlessly complicate science' and 'the truth is the truth' kinds of arguments are seductive and seem accurate, they somehow always devolve into harming people, instead of helping them. Hooven in her book says that testosterone makes men stronger, more ambitious and violent and the lack of it in women makes them more docile, submissive and catty, though it doesn't mean that we should discriminate!

Yet these days, Carole Hooven is not teaching at Harvard but rather connecting herself with the alt-right. She's appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast, her husband has co-authored a report on transgender minors that impacts Trump administration proceedings - with no appropriate credentials to speak of, and the most tragic of all, she posts youtube videos titled "Do Women Owe Men An Apology" with such content as you can well imagine. The comments on this video say "it's too late for apologies", "actions speak louder than words", "I have absolutely no use for the modern woman", "it's impossible to love something that disgusts you to the core", "I don't care or respect women enough to want their apology", as well as other comments patronizing her and mocking her.

Let it be known that these are the rewards for fawning and pandering to men. If war makes for strange bedfellows, then don't be surprised that when you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.

Overall, I think this book has good information on testosterone and basic endocrinology, though I cannot recommend it to anyone in good conscience because of the wealth of sketchy rhetorical practices the author uses. I simply don't trust her to not misrepresent findings and stay accurate. If someone does read it, I would strongly suggest following it up (or preceding it) with Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart, and Mind. It's not an endocrinology book, but it is the gold standard on academic honesty, good faith and rigor. Even if you don't care about the sense of touch itself, reading this will give you an insight on how science books should be written - and how to spot weaselly and untrustworthy pop sci books.

[Emil O. W. Kirkegaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful popsci book summarizing the studies of testosterone.

[Isabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Low star review due to poor writing (short sections were the one good aspect) and way too many unevidenced claims being discussed (though the main claims on T were fine and factual).

I had a lot of notes in this review, but I got kinda sick of the book so the basics are:
the author is bigoted (middle part of this video);
the book was VERY padded, all the way through the index, including an incredibly patronizing explanation of basic biology at the beginning of the book (like, what DNA is, how proteins are made -- I don't think anyone who hasn't taken high school biology is going to pick up this book) using useless metaphors and irrelevant examples (the metaphors continued throughout the book);
the book was written incredibly unconvincingly even though a lot of the science, to me, seemed accurate -- there were no inline citations, so Hooven was constantly like “Person X wrote in book Y that testosterone doesn’t do Z and group Q gave them an award! But this is wrong." and then her counter-evidence would appear to have no credibility (also way too many anecdotes used as evidence);
furthermore, there are actually many gaps in her research, most prominently the blatant disregard for the comparatively high neuroplasticity of human children, as mentioned by another reviewer;
far, far too many hypotheses which the author then followed up with "there's not enough evidence/it's unclear" -- this got pretty irresponsible in the section dealing with human sexuality -- why would you EVER want to making being queer seen as a birth defect or disease again. You are literally pathologizing it. Like, let’s not go back 60 years -- though this women is actually right out of the 1960s herself, so it's a shame her ideology didn’t grow up along with her. (Hooven is also pretty biphobic, towards both humans and animals — she minimizes queer animals because they aren’t “exclusively homosexual" —, and refuses to acknowledge asexuality which honestly is probably a good thing, as I shiver at the thought of what kind of horrifically re-medicalizing takes she’d have on asexuality.)

Honestly, doing a deep dive on transmasc/trans men's experiences gave me more information about what T exactly is confirmed to do than this book did (though this book explains how it does it far more/better).

Finally, I looked for Testosterone Rex near this book before checking it out, and only felt confidence that it wouldn't be bigoted when I flipped through and saw that there was a section on transition and a seemingly-positive mention Testosterone Rex. It turns out, the author actually 100% disagrees with Testosterone Rex in the first few pages, so that was a turn around. (I've seen the other book recommended before, or at least brought up as interesting in an argument.) Not sure what the point of this paragraph is, but it's one I just wanted to bring over from the original review (11 paragraphs. you should be thanking me.)

[Freddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 positions
and 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.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

*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.

[Chris Boutté · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid book that ends up with a whimper. An easier road to take these days, of course, but still disappointing as it demanded a swerwe from the science to personal testimonies and the standard obligatory moral clarity declarations. Why not just leave this out, rather than abandon the scientific approach?
A fairly good and fair read overall. I will make an effort and abstain from being too judgy due to my pet peeves about the last two chapters.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not ”the story” of a chemical substance. This is some pompous navel gazing from someone who is smart because a committee gave him a diploma.

And no, a hormone does not dominate.

And ”divide us” is bad only from the point of view of a Hitler, or a Stalin.

Worse, the lives of people is affected in many ways by old White men who have almost no testosterone.

Now back to work you serf, Hooven wants to hire some more nephews, and he needs more taxes from you.

[Máximo Atunga · Rating 4 out of 5]

A didactic overview under the scope of behavioral endocrinology and evolutionary biology. Apart from this path, also considers the experience of trans people who went under hormone therapy replacement and some debates related to nature/nurture debate, feminism and antropology. Well written and engaging.

[Pau Brunet · Rating 3 out of 5]

És difícil escriure un llibre sobre el tema dels andrògens i estrògens, la seva diferència entre sexes, gèneres, identitats... i els seus efectes a nivell conductual. Un bon jardí. L'autora fa una molt bona recopilació bibliogràfica de la literatura on es relacionen nivells hormonals amb comportaments o actituds, però malgrat parlar de l'impacte fonamental que té l'upbringing i els condicionants socials, gairebé no en cita estudis ni literatura. Crec que li hauria anat molt bé un coautoratge i diàleg amb gent amb background social per intentar separar millor nature i nurture, o almenys poder mencionar on és impossible de diferenciar-los.

"Findings provide some insight into how T might encourage aggression in men. Elevations in T provide incentives, because T increases sensitivity to motivation and reward [...] T is not a potion that turns the meek into warriors or that causes rampant bellicosity. Its effects depend heavily on individual and environmental factors, and in humans especially, winning and achieving high status can often be accomplished without any physical aggression at all. T tends to do what the situation requires. As Sapolsky joked during a lecture, if you shot up a bunch of Buddhist monks with testosterone, it would lead not to violence but to random acts of kindness."

"Let's get rid of the tired idea that the sexes must be born with basically the same brains in order to have equal rights. (That usually seems to mean that women should be more like men, and perhaps sometimes motivates the search for more significant T action in women.) Men and women, and boys and girls, are different, and that is in important ways traceable to differential exposure to androgens, starting in the womb and continuing in later life."

[Hendrik Strauss · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 ;

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5★

I didn't think I liked this book that much, but, upon reflection, it really changed the way I think about the sexes.

When psychology progressed as a field of study, the general public became more capable of identifying defence mechanisms, gaslighting, manipulation, and attachment styles. If you will, what we call emotional intelligence.

This book advances that same concept, but instead of a purely mental perspective, it evaluates how the functioning of our endocrine system can also shape our psychology. There are physiological ways to quantify parts of our personality. To measure, why we are the way we are. It's not perfect. There are still many unknowns in the world of endocrinology. But that's what makes this field of study so fascinating. Because it's still evolving. We're still questioning, debating, and progressing through the scientific method.

Understanding the building blocks of human nature is crucial if we are to ever genuinely be able to empathize with others. This knowledge can prevent us from blaming each other for character traits we might be biologically predisposed to have. It's not about trapping people into a dichotomy of stereotypes. It's about acknowledging the diaspora of gender expression that is naturally occurring within the human race.

[Ifedayo · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a college student, I took Carole Hooven's class over 10 years ago, and it was one of the best courses I took. Glad she turned it into a book. Her book is a concise summary of research that explains the impact of T on male/female development and social behavior. She marries the research with anecdotes and case studies that makes the book accessible to the average reader.

It's interesting, going over the material years later, how my views of the field of evolutionary biology have changed. There are clearly behaviors and biological differences that we have to attribute to T, but I've come to believe that socialization has a much more substantial role in shaping our behavior, especially in adulthood. And our lives have become so disconnected from our ancestors, that it feels unnatural to place our current behaviors in an evolutionary context.

[Simonas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rimta ambicija išnagrinėti ir paaiškinti visus testosterono niuansus, plotis ir apimtis didelė, bet šiek tiek vietomis nuvažiuoja plačiai į šoną. Bet kokiu atveju, tikrai įdomu ir naudinga suprasti giliau kaip tai veikia - parašyta tuo pačiu ir remiantis tyrimais, bet kartu ir suprantamai. Tokiose temose gerą įspūdį palieka kuomet autorė visai neretai pavartoja žodį "nežinoma", "dar neištirta" ar "tyrimai prieštaringi" - nebando visažinės vaizduoti.

[Angie Del Castillo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesante como divulgación científica, no hay conceptos enrevesados, fácil comprensión para el lego; la obra es un viaje a través de la hormona testosterona, narrado en forma de historia, en aras de dar ver cómo la investigadora llegó al objeto de estudio y sus saberes acumulados al respecto.
El problema es pues, que aunque hace énfasis específico en la importancia de lo sociocultural sobre la conducta humana, y la reticencia a la biología por causa de quién pueda considerarla determinista, en simultáneo, es más de nombrar, puesto que el enfoque sigue siendo unifactorial y no termina de convencer, en el sentido que hace extrapolaciones desde la conducta de animales no-humanos hacia el sapiens; a saber, no termina de entenderse por qué el vestido, manerismo y juego infantil responde directamente a la acción hormonal. Por otro lado, existe en toda la narrativa, un hálito descalificativo contra hipótesis alternas, nombrando con claridad, la posición sociopolítica de quién la emite; parece haber cierto sesgo en edulcorar la ventaja aparente de la hormona sobre la conducta, mientras que la desventaja se achaca a otros factores.
La autora insiste en el peso de la evidencia sobre cualquier otra cosa, a su vez que nombra hipótesis no muy corraboradas, lo que se percibe en ocasiones la falacia de la evidencia incompleta, y es muy reduccionista en el momento de avalar estereotipos cuya relación no parece tan sencilla de establecer.
Como introductorio, puede ser de utilidad, más allá de eso, bastante endeble.

[Anschen Conradie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#Testosterone – Carole Hooven
(The story of the hormone that dominates and divides us)
#Cassell
#JonathanBall

WARNING: ADULT CONTENT

The search for the biological source of masculinity has fascinated scientists, and humanity, for ages. This book is a rich body of research regarding one of the most important factors in that search: the hormone testosterone and discusses the effects of testosterone in both men and women (yes, both); starting with development in the womb, including the history of and rationale behind castrati and eunuchs and the influence thereof on modern day gender identification. I am a complete layman in respect of science, my last encounter with similar facts was probably during matric Biology, almost 40 years ago, but the author provides compelling scientific proof, in clear and understandable language, of the effect of testosterone on how we work and relate to one another; how we express emotions; how we experience and exercise sexuality, our external physical characteristics, aggression and sport performance.

Real life case studies are also referred to: Jenny (p.50), a student with female external genitalia, but with XY-chromosomes; a blind-ended (not connected to the uterus) vagina and internal testes. The syndrome is referred to as CAIS (complete androgen insensitivity); a testosterone producing body unable to respond thereto. Also: Taman (p.73); born with external female genitalia but developing a small penis and descending testes during puberty. And, known to every South African: Mokgadi Caster Semenya (p. 101)

The author does not claim that we are held captive by hormones, however, on the contrary: ‘Increasing levels of testosterone appear to be motivating and rewarding in some men, in the right circumstances, with the right personality, and the right kind of androgen receptor gene.’ See how many variables there are?

Colleen Hooven (the perceived irony of a cisgender female author on the subject of traditionally male testosterone did not escape me) has a Harvard PHD (Department of Human Evolutionary Biology). The amount of research included and referred to in this book is phenomenal; the notes comprise at least 60 pages. The book is definitely not aimed at the scientific community exclusively; it is recommended for all readers interested in human behaviour. In the words of the author: ‘The more we understand the forces that shape us, the more control we have over how we behave.’ (p.182)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#Uitdieperdsebek

[Mediaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Complex, confusing book that proves there are no easy answers to anything involving science, despite what the scientific community and political activists wants to claim. The author tries to draw some conclusions, but for the most part she waffles by making sure to cater to the new concept of there not being gender at birth and that you can fluidly move between male and female, whatever your choice. It's just not that easy.

She spends too much time in the book talking about those wanting to change gender or those that are the less than 1% exception to the rule of gender at birth. Thankfully on the second to the last page she admits that we should stop thinking women need to be more like men and "Men and women, and boys and girls, are different." There are times in the book where she seems to support traditional gender stereotypes as having scientific basis, but even then she switches it up to being environmental influence.

The book is too political and neither side wins because just when you think the author is supporting your side's perspective, she blows it up and gives support to the other side. And this book is proof that science does have sides, as anyone who has done significant knows.

She also depends too much on evolution and observation of animals. In a funny section she talks about observing chimps where a male beats a female with a stick, with the author guessing what he was thinking. Well, hate to break it to the scientists but you'll never fully know or understand what an animal is thinking so to draw conclusions based on simple observation seems futile, though not inconsequential.

She does the same with humans, but attributing "social influences" to just about everything. Namely it's nurture, not nature, that shapes how testosterone impacts us. That may be somewhat true but if so then why are so many spending so much money altering their natural body hormones in order to be something society now accepts as their "true self." No, they aren't "born this way," they are actually choosing to ignore how they are born in order to shape their bodies into what they think will be socially, politically and personally acceptable.

So if you are looking here for solid answers to support your viewpoint you won't find many. Instead it just starts raising a lot of questions and will upset all sides, which is ultimately good science.

[Andy]

DNF. Kind of book that might be good to skim across for information but is hard to listen to on audio.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard Dr. Carole Hooven on Bari Weiss’s excellent podcast, Honestly, discussing aspects of this book and immediately downloaded it from Audible. Dr. Hooven does a masterful job of explaining the science of testosterone. Employing evolutionary biology, endocrinology, and good storytelling, Hooven lays out how testosterone works, why it works as it does it, and what the consequences are of all this. She does not eschew controversial subjects (and there are many when it comes to testosterone!) and is intellectually honest and confident enough to include discussion of the criticisms of, counters to, and gaps in her account.

The book is not too technical; though there is complex material here. Hooven’s style is more conversational and informal. This is not a medical treatise. There are lots of interesting anecdotes and stories; some personal drawn from Hooven’s own life, but this is not memoir either. She includes the stories of many other people (and animals too). All these serve to concretized the more abstract scientific theories.

In the end, Hooven’s goal is to present the best case for the best current science. Where a careful reading and understanding of the best evidence leads, Hooven follows—even if the conclusions are uncomfortable or not popular. She emphasizes, frequently, that it is only through an honest understanding of how testosterone works, that we can understand ourselves, our interactions with each other, and work to build a better society for all people.

[Cav · Rating 4 out of 5]

T: The Story of Testosterone was a well-written look into the topic.

Testosterone: the male sex hormone. It's got quite a bad rap among some of those in the "progressive" intelligentsia lately, but our modern world would be unrecognizable without it...

Author Carole Hooven, Ph.D. is a lecturer and co-director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. She earned her Ph.D. at Harvard, studying sex differences and testosterone, and has taught there ever since.

Carole Hooven:


Hooven gets the writing off to a bit of a bad start here, with the unironic usage of the super-cringey term "toxic masculinity." She also mentions that some of her colleagues were outraged when she first talked about sex differences. LMAO. Oh boy...

Fortunately, she does write with an easy, engaging style, and the book is very readable. The formatting was also well done, giving the book a great flow. Points awarded here, as there's (almost) nothing I dislike more in the books I read than flat, dry, and unengaging prose.

The needle on my WTF meter jumped a few times early on, however, as Hoover cites a few different academics in the "fields" of gender studies, and "queer" science (whatever that means). I couldn't tell whether the author cited these people facetiously or not...
She also cites a few books among her contemporaries that theorized testosterone plays "no role in male behaviour." Imagine being so daft. LMAO, again. Well, "some ideas are so stupid, that only intellectuals believe them..."
Indeed, "regular" people are rarely so stupid, IMHO. It often takes many years of education to get them to believe such nonsense. Once again; I was not sure if these were included for their absurdity, or not. Kudos to the author for this troll, if that's what it was.

That men and women have differences which manifest at the group level is something patently obvious to almost any 5-year-old child. Of course, it then naturally follows that this seemingly uncontentious biological fact should be the topic of much offense, hyperbolic screeching, and other assorted emotional outbursts from people who are angry at reality...
That this is even a somewhat controversial opinion speaks to how far out into left field society has veered. And although I laughed while reading this, I don't think I would find it as funny if I were in the field of academia, trying to do serious research.

Moving on, the writing in the book proper is a mainly data-driven and scientific look into the topic. Hooven talks about how testosterone works on the body, how it is created, and how it is transported. She also dips into the field of evolutionary biology throughout; presenting some of the basics to the naive reader.
Testosterone is a lipophilic steroidal hormone that crosses the blood-brain barrier. And (spoiler) YES it shapes and affects behaviour; in myriad ways.

Although most of what Hooven covers here was in line with what I've read elsewhere, the book has a few very minor inaccuracies. The ones that stuck out to me specifically were when she talks about bodybuilders using AAS. She needs to be better informed on this topic. The information she presents is not 100% factually accurate, and reeks of only a cursory look into the topic by her.

Some more of what is covered here by Hooven includes:
• Eunuchs.
• Caster Semenya.
• Testosterone in rats.
• Sex differences manifesting in toy preferences.
• Sex differences in sports performance.
• Rutting behaviour in ungulates.
• Sexual selection; dimorphism.
• The greater male variability hypothesis is touched on.
• "Honour" cultures.
• The "Coolidge effect."
• The role of testosterone in females.
• The role of testosterone in sexual orientation. "Lesbian mechanics and gay flight attendants" are discussed. Some interesting writing here.
• The 2D/4D digit ratio.
• Transgendered people.
• Sexual assaults and rape.

Unfortunately, missing from these pages is discussion around the role testosterone plays/played in creating civilizations, exploration and/or conquest, heterodox thinking, and other related big-picture concepts. These things would be difficult to quantifiably talk about in a science-driven book, which may be why they were omitted. I won't penalize the book for it, although it is a fairly large omission, IMHO.

And finally, at the risk of offending some people, I will note that I approached this book with a bit of apprehension. While I am not questioning the author's academic credentials, the subject of testosterone is one that most women will inherently not relate to. The effects of the hormone on the male condition are confusing to many (or most) women, if not downright foreign.
And although the book had small tidbits that reflected the above, I feel that the author did still manage to put together a decent coverage of the hormone here.
Also, to her credit; she managed to abstain from inserting any political rhetoric into these pages. No small feat; many of her contemporaries can't seem to manage this, for whatever reason(s).


*****************************

I enjoyed T: The Story of Testosterone, although most of what was covered here was not new to me.
The book would make an excellent primer on some basic evolutionary biology to those unfamiliar with the field.
4 stars.