Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality

Well researched. Well written. Must read.

This book is written by a clearly knowledgeable author with a clear and sensible view point. I felt that it hadn't been written to ignite either side of the debate. It contains fair and constructive information with interesting historical detail. A good read if you would like to learn more about the trans movement away from the nonsense on social media

Helen Joyce, a mathematician, journalist and former editor of The Economist has the capability and bravery to do what few others have: i.e. conduct a rigorous evaluation of the transgender movement, from its historical origins to its recent prolific global spread.A majority of people feel confused about what trans actually means – but are afraid to say so. Yet Joyce has taken on this job with rigour, clarity and at the same time compassion, to provide the reader with the facts he/she needs to form his/her own conclusions on the subject. She spells out the consequences of failing to understand and challenge the implications, not just for women and children, but for society as a whole.A truly eye-opening read. Highly recommend.

Helen Joyce has produced a fascinating account of the way in which an activist lobby has largely captured the support of those who are terrified of being considered a bigot. This is in spite of the strong likelihood that the majority who are currently unaware of the issues are unlikely to think it reasonable that rapists with intact male anatomy are incarcerated in women's prisons, or that unhappy teenage girls are railroaded into irreversible transition as a magic solution to all their problems. She documents the shift of focus of well-funded lobby groups to trans issues once gay marriage was accepted. She points out the differences between support for gay marriage, which in no way infringes the rights of those not involved, and the conflicts of interest between the demands of trans-activists for "self-ID" and the legitimate concerns of (natal) girls and women. The book is explicitly about how the current situation came about and criticism that it does not cover the viewpoints of transgendered people have misunderstood the aim.The book is easy to read and reflects the author's background as a journalist. A list of sources is provided to allow follow-up. It would have been nice to have an index.There are disturbing accounts of the aggressive treatment meted out to those who even dare to raise these topics. It is disturbing that people seem to feel that no holds need to be barred if the victim can be characterized as a bigot. The response to JK Rowling's measured contributions was appalling. It is an indication of the unfortunate effects of this bullying that there are so many examples of institutions withdrawing invitations and even issuing groveling apologies for imaginary "harm".Some hardline radical feminists seem to dislike men on principle, and reserve particular animosity for transgendered biological males who they see as trying to invade "womanspace". For example they consistently "misgender" transwomen and refer to them with male pronouns. This book is free of this tendency and anyone claiming it is "transphobic" has not read it carefully.At least one review on the internet has made much of an insignificant detail. The platypus is considered a mammal and lays eggs rather than producing live young. The lineages producing live young - marsupials (kangaroos) and placental mammals including humans - have been around for about 160 million years. Of course this is entirely irrelevant to the biological fact that reproduction in humans and related animals involves the fusion of a large egg - produced by females - and a small motile sperm produced by males. These are the only two possibilities and claims that "sex is a spectrum" require a redefinition of "sex" to be a synonym of "gender" which is itself considered as a subjective internal feeling which escapes definition except in terms of stereotypes..

This is an excellent, thoroughly researched and well argued book on the big questions today about transgenderism. Joyce is coming at it from a broadly gender critical or radical feminist perspective, so in general she is hostile to a lot of the changes in the last ten years, particularly in the US, such as the explosion in trans identification, and policy moves to make it easier to legally identify as the opposite sex. She thinks that transgenderism is being over-diagnosed in teens (particularly girls), and that female-only spaces should exclude transwomen.The main criticism I have is that it tries to cover too much ground, and not always sequentially. It touches episodically on the history of transgenderism, then at various points on on the biology, and then at other points interweaves personal testimony of those affected. In some places it ends up not doing any of them very well.Otherwise it's a very good complement to recent books by Debra Soh and Abigail Shrier on the same topic, and has a more UK than North American focus.

Absolute essential reading to understand Gender Identity Ideology - Helen Joyce clearly defines her terms and goes through every aspect and the history of gender ideology in a way that is easily accessible to any reader

I can't say enough about this book! Just read it. Your eyes will be opened.Also, it's a page-turner. I whizzed through it and have re-read parts.I 100% recommend Mrs Joyce's thoroughly-researched, captivating epistle.

This book is a thoughtful, well researched book that gives accurate context to understand the current shift in gender ideology.

This book by Helen Joyce, PhD, is everything you would expect from a professional journalist and statistician who was an editor for The Economist. It’s clear as water and full of real life information. There is no nonsense or flights of philosophy. If you want to read only one book about the current state of trans rights activism, this is the book. If you want to explore this postmodern phenomenon, this book is a solid start.

Good arguments. It is very useful to consider how an ideology is promoting the sterilization of children and taking out women rights.

I never write reviews, but this was a great book. I really enjoy listening to Helen Joyce speak, and this book did not disappoint

Terrific book: Lucid, open-minded, sane, well-researched, and compellingly argued. I cannot see how one can reasonably dispute the author's science and evidence-based arguments; I just hope that public opinion-makers will eventually find the courage to support them loud and clear.