Binary: Debunking the Sex Spectrum Myth

This book has a nice simple structure. The introduction asserts that there is a new pseudo-science called the "sex spectrum"; that this pseudoscience has been supported by generally or at least formerly respected institutions including "Scientific American"; and that the purpose of the book is to explain both the true science of sex and the tactics that proponents of this "sex spectrum" pseudo-science use to advance their claims. The next part, titled "Overview" explains the science of sex in humans at a fairly high-level and then gives an outline of the tactics used by the "sex spectrum" advocates. Expect to have to learn some new vocabulary when reading this section. Then there are ten chapters, titled "Arguments" which are case show more studies of the various arguments for the "sex spectrum" taken from social media, science magazines, and some kind of science journals.

I was glad that in the essay debunking the Scientific American article "Visualizing Sex as a Spectrum", Elliott points out that the spectrum metaphor is sadly abused as well as wholly misleading. The author of the article could not even properly use the spectrum metaphor to lie, because in a spectrum of, e.g., light, there is a measurable quantity that determines where that particular light belongs on the spectrum. The author fails to come up with any measure and the whole spectrum metaphor collapses. I've read really good books put out by Scientific American press in the 1980s, the organization has deteriorated beyond recognition since then.

The book winds down with a conclusion that reiterates some biology basics. It has a promising bibliography and a helpful glossary of at least ten pages. show less