Exploring Feminism Through the Lens of Material Reality: An Analysis of the 'Material Girls' Phenomenon

xavier: This book is a very much needed discussion on the topics of sex and gender and is one of my "Books Of the Year: 2023". It is difficult to overstate how good this book is. Kathleen Stock has a great writing style which makes for a very readable book which only rarely becomes overly academic for the layperson. She takes a methodical approach to the discussion using basic principles of science and debate such as defining terms, creating a hypothesis and then testing it by applying it to the real world to test its validity and coherence; something which is more often than not missing in most discussions on these topics. She is not afraid to challenge and question the usually illogical and incoherent dogma pushed by a number of groups and left unchallenged by many people including politicians and government agencies. However, she does this in a sensitive and understanding way which is in no way transphobic; quite the opposite actually. We need more of this kind of writing and the reasoned and balanced discussion within it if we are to be more accepting of our differences and if we are to prevent the world of "The Emperor's New Clothes" becoming a permanent reality.

United Kingdom on Dec 28, 2023

SP: Superbly written, logical, well-researched contribution to the discussion of sex and gender, written by a philosopher who is also a feminist. If cancel culture confounds you, buy this book to see what all the fuss is about. You won't be sorry. You'll wonder why people don't want to engage in conversation with someone so open to rational discussion.

Canada on Oct 16, 2023

fatbeagle: I have been vaguely aware of this book and author for the past year or so, but did not prioritize reading it. Having just finished this book, my reluctance to read it earlier was a mistake. Stock clearly understands the many complexities and consequences of gender identity ideology and argues forcefully from the evidence. Not from emotion. Not from political expediency. But from what we have objective evidence for. And she does so with great care and compassion, never misrepresenting opposing views.

Understandably, the author kept her focus on humans and human sexuality/gender expression. As a biologist who accepts the reality of biological sex, I also note that humans are just one of the millions of animal species on the planet. And in all species, females are defined as the phenotype capable of producing large, immobile gametes (eggs), regardless of whether any particular individual manifests that trait. Any novel social movement or theory that humans invent regarding sex in society should be premised on basic biological reality. If we cannot meet that minimum standard of intellectual rigor and quality, then we should not be surprised when reasonable people dismiss...

United States on Sep 09, 2023

Maria P.: The author uses the deep, clear, and logical thinking that is characteristic of philosophy conveyed in accessible language and accompanied by accurate references to bring the light of reason into the conceptual and social muddle of hysterical, confused, and at times, ever more violent crowds.

Italy on Jul 25, 2023

William Chickering: A friend of mine was becoming transgender. Bought this book to strengthen my understanding of a rather complex topic. None of this is easy, folks.

United States on Oct 02, 2022

Donald Arteaga: "[𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦] 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦, 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘮𝘢, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘰. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦, 𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦; 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳...

United States on Jun 13, 2022

Ana Letícia Gonçalves: This book is extremely necessary for women's interests nowadays. It contains brilliant insights and didactic reflections on current issues regarding our situation in society.

Brazil on Mar 01, 2022

AuMu: Excelente libro. Ayuda a entender el tema con mucha claridad.

Mexico on Feb 28, 2022

C. Barnard: Kathleen Stock is a philosopher, and her exposition of the various concepts used and often elided in arguments about transactivism vs women's rights is clarifying and refreshing. She has the true intellectual's gift of being able to express very complex concepts in straightforward language without losing detail and nuance. At the very least, the book lays the ground for a common vocabulary, something lamentably absent in this debate.

While completely sympathetic to the distress of trans people, she's extremely clear on the need for a model of trans rights which does not erase women's rights, and she doesn't sidestep any of the most contentious issues. She's equally forthright about the level of policy capture which has brought us to the current situation.

Underlying all this is a very satisfying swipe at the archpriests of 'high' theory, in particular Judith Butler, and a postmodern school of thought which has attempted, with the disastrous consequences we're currently facing, to divorce language from any requirement that it attempt to model reality with any degree of consensual accuracy. Her call for an evidence-based approach to the issue is also an eviscerating...

United States on May 09, 2021