T: The Story of TESTOSTERONE, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us.
Carole Hooven.
Henry Holt and Company, 338 pages.
At last – a book about my favourite hormone!
“Imagine a few different animals: a frog hopping on the edge of a pond, an elephant grazing on the African Savannah, a seagull circling overhead. And now imagine a man (naked, like the rest of the animals) walking his dog along the street. On which of the five animals can you see testicles?”
I had to smile about the mental picture this generated in what passes for my mind: a seagull swooping down really low in order to grasp a fry from my fingers, its exposed family jewels barely missing my head…
Turning to the more serious side of the subject, so-called gender “experts” tell us that human nature, and thus human behavior, is almost entirely shaped by the environment, as if genes and the hormones they code for are mere innocent bystanders rubbernecking at the turmoil of human life. (Yes, Judith Butler, I'm looking at you.)
This does not imply that environmental stimuli should be regarded as unimportant, but the fashionable tendency to sweep the roles of genes and hormones under the carpet is not only bad science but does a disservice to the study of human biology. The effect of testosterone on men, and in particular on male sexual behavior, is undeniable and whatever one may think about human conduct and its causes, one cannot escape the fact that who we are, what we do and how we do it are to a significant extent determined by something we can to some extent modify but cannot entirely escape: our biology.
The publication of this book is therefore fortunate inasmuch as that it may counteract at least some of the abundant politically correct misinformation which can be found almost everywhere (as, for example, in Cordelia Fine’s book on the same subject). Hooven’s statements, as befits a real scientist, are richly supported by references to the relevant biological/genetic research foundational to her thesis.
Testosterone levels in men are about ten to twenty times higher than in women, but as this book admirably explains, this hormone does much more than just influence behavior – it also has major effects on other aspects of human physiology. Hooven describes these effects in reasonable detail and in the process gives readers a very sympathetic account of the complicated situation of unfortunate people like the athlete like Caster Semenya.
Fortunately, she is careful not to attribute all differences between men and women solely to testosterone - an important principle to bear in mind. Personally, I would rather have liked to read a little more about the role of the Y chromosome as such on human physical achievement, but that would probably have expanded the context of the book somewhat too much.
Hooven gives readers a clear explanation of physical and sexual development, as well as abnormalities, both in utero (when male fetuses already have more testosterone than female fetuses) and also after birth when psychological factors also come into play. Which parent has not experienced the puberty of a daughter or son?
She is not afraid to take a stand on puberty blockers, disorders of sexual development and the pernicious effects of contemporary gender “studies.”
As such, this book is a must-read for anybody interested in this subject. I would even go so far as to say that it is the definitive popular review of the present state of our knowledge of hormones, behavior and sexual development.
Anyone who wants to learn more about this fascinating subject can listen to Dr. Hooven at the link below. At one hour and twenty minutes, it may perhaps be too long for some readers but I do urge anyone who finds this subject interesting to persevere – it is well worth the time.
