Sex Is a Spectrum

“In clear, accessible language, Agustín Fuentes has written The Book explaining the expansiveness of human biology based on scientific evidence and biocultural reality.”—Karla J. Strand, Ms. Magazine“

At its heart, Sex Is a Spectrum is not an argument against difference. It is a celebration of diversity—of the subtle, shifting, and beautifully complicated ways we inhabit our bodies and our identities. It doesn’t ask us to reject biology, but to embrace it in its fullest, most generous form. Fuentes has given us more than a book. He’s offered a lens—a way to see ourselves more clearly, and each other more kindly.

”—Lixing Sun, Psychology Today“Fuentes does a good job of summarizing what we know about the evolution of sex…. Sex Is a Spectrum will be important for introducing a wide readership to the nuances of scientific understandings of variability in sex and of the biocultural constitution of humans… there is much for biologists to appreciate in the book as well.”—Malin Ah-King, Science“Reproductive anatomy is more variable than commonly understood, according to this eye-opening study….The raft of research convincingly debunks the idea that sex anatomy has much consequence on behavior, character, or cognitive ability…and the illuminating discussions of animal biology demonstrate the profound diversity of sex expression in nature…. [Sex is a Spectrum is] a resounding refutation of the idea that there’s anything natural about the gender binary.” * Publishers Weekly *“Fuentes … flexes his considerable powers of communication to lay out the argument that human gender cannot be understand as binary… . [Sex is a Spectrum] is a highly readable popular science investigation of sex and gender, rich with ‘did you know’ moments for those who love the extraordinariness of nature and human bodies.” * Library Journal *“A timely cri de coeur that seeks to reset the distorted and politicised public discourse about the biology of sex and gender. The book is a zingy, concise exposition of the variation in sexual forms and systems found in the animal world….Fuentes respectfully explains science in plain language to a wider public, presents biological knowledge as one among many sources of sense-making about the world, and recognises biomedical scientists’ responsibility to respond to harmful deployments of inaccurate, overly simplistic, and reductionist science by those attempting to naturalise and depoliticise their hateful views. This interdisciplinary, scientist humanist voice is vital in our time.”—Sarah Richardson, The Lancet”[Sex is a Spectrum is] bursting with biological complexities, entering into a debate that many…want to inflame with the use of broad brushstrokes.”—Javier Salas, El País