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The Gender Games: The Problem with Men and Women, from Someone Who Has Been Both by Juno Dawson
n0niim's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this for making me think and reconsider this thing called gender being set in stone. It's nice to get insight into another perspective, and I would encourage anyone to read this.
backtoblighty's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
chronikle's review against another edition
4.0
I thought the Gender Games was a well-written and often engaging book about the issues of societal gender roles and the way in which they're inflicted on kids as well as Juno Dawson's own memoir about her experience with gender and her realisation that she was a straight trans woman rather than a gay cis man. I think, if you're already well-versed in the politics and issues surrounding trans people and trans women especially, this book won't shed light on any new debates or arguments. Dawson acknowledges several times that she has experienced and benefited from her privilege in many other ways throughout her life and that she cannot--and does not wish to--speak for other trans women and their experiences.
That said, her memoirs are interspersed with well-researched information (there are footnotes!) and interviews with other people, both cis and trans, which results in an informative primer peppered with her own experiences and insights. If nothing else, I think this would be a useful resource for trans people to direct their friends and family too if they're struggling to understand what it means to be trans and what that process of realisation and transitioning looks like for some people.
My only real issue with this book is that I felt some of the jokes were uncomfortably off-colour, and the very casual, child-like way of referring to certain anatomical parts of the body was immensely jarring given the mature and insightful way that the rest of the book is addressed, but I can let that slide given its otherwise positives.
That said, her memoirs are interspersed with well-researched information (there are footnotes!) and interviews with other people, both cis and trans, which results in an informative primer peppered with her own experiences and insights. If nothing else, I think this would be a useful resource for trans people to direct their friends and family too if they're struggling to understand what it means to be trans and what that process of realisation and transitioning looks like for some people.
My only real issue with this book is that I felt some of the jokes were uncomfortably off-colour, and the very casual, child-like way of referring to certain anatomical parts of the body was immensely jarring given the mature and insightful way that the rest of the book is addressed, but I can let that slide given its otherwise positives.
kizzabell's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
bookph1le's review against another edition
4.0
This book really helped me to think about gender and my relationship with it, something that's interested me a lot over the last ten+ years or so. As a Gen Xer, I'm really glad to see conversations like this becoming more prevalent, and I hope younger generations have a much better and healthier relationship with gender than I think people my age and older have had. I honestly think the world would be a much better place if we could all get on board with viewing gender as a spectrum instead of a binary. Though I identify as cis, I've always felt uncomfortable with the expectations attached to women, and the older I get, the more I'm willing to chuck aside whatever I don't like rather than trying to stuff myself into a box that doesn't fit me. I have no problem with people of any gender identity enjoying things like makeup, dresses, etc., but I've never personally been a big fan of those things, and it feels so freeing to realize that I don't have to use them in order to be considered a "real" woman. I love the idea of defining gender on my own terms rather than feeling pressured to perform so that I pass muster with whatever society deems acceptable. And let's face it, as a woman, no matter how great you are at performing femininity, you can never actually win, so in my ideal world the binary would be blown up and we'd focus on the content of other people's character rather than their body parts.
maggiebook's review against another edition
4.0
Juno Dawson provides a different spin (for me at least) on the subject of gender. She discusses gender as a being used to categorize humans even before they are born--placing labels and expectations on humans that may not be what they are. Juno shares her story and a few stories of other people who were, due their anatomy, categorized as a gender and treated in a gender specific way. She provides a lot evidence that this traditional way of raising 'boys and girls' is harmful and confusing for all people.
I found Ms. Dawson's writing completely honest and thought provoking. To me, she is spot on when she talks about feminism, privilege of specific genders, races and sexual orientations and our current political climate (this book was publish this year 2017 so the issues she writes about are very current).
Overall The Gender Gamesis so interesting and really makes you think, I learned a lot and as one reviewer said 'this book answers questions I didn't know I had'.
I found Ms. Dawson's writing completely honest and thought provoking. To me, she is spot on when she talks about feminism, privilege of specific genders, races and sexual orientations and our current political climate (this book was publish this year 2017 so the issues she writes about are very current).
Overall The Gender Gamesis so interesting and really makes you think, I learned a lot and as one reviewer said 'this book answers questions I didn't know I had'.