Being human entails an astonishingly complex interplay of biology and culture, and while there are important differences between women and men, there is a lot more variation and overlap than we may realize. Sex Is a Spectrum offers a bold new paradigm for understanding the biology of sex, drawing on the latest science to explain why the binary view of the sexes is fundamentally flawed—and why having XX or XY chromosomes isn’t as conclusive as some would have us believe.
In this lively and provocative book, leading biological anthropologist Agustín Fuentes begins by tracing the origin and evolution of sex, describing the many ways in the animal kingdom of being female, male, or both. Turning to humans, he presents compelling evidence from the fossil and archaeological record that attests to the diversity of our ancestors’ sexual bonds, gender roles, and family and community structures, and shows how the same holds true in the lived experiences of people today. Fuentes tackles hot button debates around sports and medicine, explaining why we can acknowledge that females and males are not the same while also embracing a biocultural reality where none of us fits neatly into only one of two categories.
Bringing clarity and reason to a contentious issue, Sex Is a Spectrum shares a scientist’s perspective on why a binary view of sex and gender is not only misguided but harmful, and why there are multitudes of ways to being human.
Agustín Fuentes is professor of anthropology at Princeton University. His books include Race, Monogamy, and Other Lies They Told You: Busting Myths about Human Nature; The Creative Spark: How Imagination Made Humans Exceptional; and Why We Believe: Evolution and the Human Way of Being.
“There has been an outpouring of new research on the nonbinary nature of sex and gender, both in humans and in nonhuman animals. Agustín Fuentes has put it all together in a readable and up-to-date narrative. Sex Is a Spectrum will help us move past the sex/gender binary and allow us to understand and embrace human diversity.”—Anne Fausto-Sterling, author of Sexing the Body: Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality
“Agustín Fuentes is a pedigreed and fearless thinker with a talent for carefully debunking cultural myths using hard facts and ruthless logic. Through a litany of research and great storytelling, he explains how the unique biocultural nature of humans makes binary expectations of our sex biology problematic. A fascinating must-read for anyone interested in the science of human sex and gender.”—Lucy Cooke, author of Bitch: On the Female of the Species
“Invaluable in our era of culture wars, Sex Is a Spectrum shows in clear, accessible language how sex biology is far from a simple binary. Fuentes demonstrates how humans fit into an array of wonderful and often surprising animal sex and reproductive diversity while also highlighting what makes us unique. The result is a fascinating, informative exploration of how people experience the dynamic intersections between bodies, minds, and culture.”—Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death, and Art
“The fact that sex is complicated isn’t weird. It’s weird to think it wouldn’t be. A lively introduction to the topic from a scientist who’s a force for good.”—Cat Bohannon, author of Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution
