Testosterone

Author Name: Rebecca M. Jordan-Young Katrina Karkazis
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Testosterone by Rebecca M. Jordan-Young & Katrina Karkazis
Translated by: Dalal Ishaq.

Winner of the Independent Publisher's Book Gold Medal.

"It's a stimulating pleasure when assumptions and interpretations of scientific findings are subject to significant revision. And it's even more so when that revision concerns the intersection of masculinity, gender, aggression, hierarchy, race, and class. This subtle and important book forces us to rethink not just a particular hormone, but the way the scientific process is embedded in a social context."
Robert M. Sapolsky, author of Behave

Testosterone is a familiar villain, a ready culprit in everything from stock market crashes to the excessive number of men in prison and much in between. But that's more than we can pin on a simple molecule. In fact, your testosterone level doesn't predict your competitive drive, your appetite for risk, your sex drive, your strength, or your athletic prowess. It's not the biological essence of masculinity—it's not even a male sex hormone. So what is it? And how did it give us those superpowers? This biography demystifies testosterone.

The story of T begins when scientists first began searching for the chemical essence of masculinity. Over time, this molecule has provided justification for countless behaviors, from the brash to the enviable. Today, as athletes turn to testosterone for a competitive edge, and as we continue to debate what it means to be a man or a woman, the story of this molecule is once again a hot topic.

What we think we know about T stands in the way of understanding its amazing functions and effects. So the authors focus on what T does in six areas: reproduction, aggression, risk-taking, power, sports, and parenting. All with the goal of providing in-depth insights into this fascinating yet highly beneficial hormone.