title: Testosterone Rex: Myths of Sex, Science, and Society
author:  Cordelia Fine 
description: <strong><a href="//www.amazon.com/b/?node=390919011">An Amazon Best Book of January 2017:</a></strong> Fine knocks it out of the park with her smart and eye-opening investigation into why we give credit to (or blame) testosterone for so many behaviors. With a writing style that reminds me of Mary Roach and her gift for seeking out the ridiculous, Fine puts under the microscope our assumption that testosterone is the wonder hormone that makes men risk takers and competitive and, in its absence, women less so. This might sound like heavy stufflike the gender studies classes I avoided in collegebut Fine invites you to laugh with her as she punctures outdated notions and points out obvious weaknesses in the mighty social (not scientific) barricade of sex-specific dogma and the daily throwaway comments that carelessly reinforces that wall. After reading <em>Testosterone Rex</em>, my new resolution is to never say "Boys will be boys" again. Because while boys are, of course, boys, we owe it to themand to girlsto understand that they are not defined by this single hormone. <em>Adrian Liang, The Amazon Book Review</em>
zlib_text: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![image](../cover1.jpeg)
  
  
  ![image](images/title.jpg)
  
  
  _For Isaac and Olly_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  CONTENTS
  
  
  
  
  
  [INTRODUCING TESTOSTERONE REX](intro.xhtml#int-1)
  
  
  [A NOTE ABOUT TERMINOLOGY](fm.xhtml#fm-1)
  
  
  
  
  
  [PART ONE | PAST](part1.xhtml#part-1)
  
  
  
  
  
  [CHAPTER 1 FLIES OF FANCY](chapter1.xhtml#ch-1)
  
  
  [CHAPTER 2 ONE HUNDRED BABIES?](chapter2.xhtml#ch-2)
  
  
  [CHAPTER 3 A NEW POSITION ON SEX](chapter3.xhtml#ch-3)
  
  
  
  
  
  [PART TWO | PRESENT](part2.xhtml#part-2)
  
  
  
  
  
  [CHAPTER 4 WHY _CAN’T_ A WOMAN BE MORE LIKE A MAN?](chapter4.xhtml#ch-4)
  
  
  [CHAPTER 5 SKYDIVING WALLFLOWERS](chapter5.xhtml#ch-5)
  
  
  [CHAPTER 6 THE HORMONAL ESSENCE OF THE T-REX?](chapter6.xhtml#ch-6)
  
  
  [CHAPTER 7 THE MYTH OF THE LEHMAN SISTERS](chapter7.xhtml#ch-7)
  
  
  
  
  
  [PART THREE | FUTURE](part3.xhtml#part-3)
  
  
  
  
  
  [CHAPTER 8 _VALE REX_](chapter8.xhtml#ch-8)
  
  
  [ACKNOWLEDGMENTS](ack.xhtml#ack-1)
  
  
  [NOTES](notes.xhtml#note-1)
  
  
  [INDEX](index.xhtml#idx-1)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _But in addition to being angry, I am also hopeful,  
  because I 