To a casual observer, there’s nothing remarkable about the plastic lump, 3-D-printed from an MRI scan. How absurd. This had more to do with science than trans topics. Unless you know the relevant terms, neural cell biology, most of it will go over your head as it did mine. He speaks with unwavering conviction about his beliefs, which are harsh at times but more often than not inspiring. The book is important for anyone in the trans or scientific community. A leading scientist describes his life, his gender transition, his scientific work, and his advocacy for gender equality in science. The perspective most trans masculine autobiographies/memoirs offer to readers is from someone under 30 years old. In 2007, Stanford University neuroscientist Ben Barres published an essay comparing the experiences of female and male scientists. It's enormously encouraging to read about a high-achieving, kind, loved transgender person with a full life. I got wind of this book through a college class and absolutely loved hearing Dr. Barres' perspective of his life experiences, his dual perspective as a woman and a man, and his advocacy for women in medicine. I mean it covered both but spent way more time on the science stuff. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We are not makers of history. However, the major part of this book deals with Barres’s work as a neurobiologist. Really enjoyed this book. Professor Barres happened to make a big impact on a close friend of mine who stumbled into his graduate level course out of the School of Medicine. Even when he talks about being suicidal he describes it as not being quite depressed, perhaps because it was a backseat to the science in his life, but I guess kudos to him? Glia by Ben A Barres, 9781621820277, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide. Having inhabited both gender roles, Barres brings singular perspective to the question of how to create an even playing field for female and transgender scientists. This had more to do with science than trans topics. I started the book so excited, especially once I realized how involved Ben was with fighting gender based discrimination in academia. It was inspiring to read about a unique and yet really effective advocate for women in STEM. His autobiography will make you laugh, cry, and appreciate the underdogs of the brain....Many scientists--LGBT and otherwise--will find his candid depiction of both his own life and scientific journey to be wholly inspiring. If you don't care about his amazing science on the interaction of glia and neurons, skip the middle portion of the book; I suspect it's quite dry for non-scientists. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Enhances the Rate of Oligodendrocyte Generation Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences . A leading scientist describes his life, his gender transition, his scientific work, and his advocacy for gender equality in science. Find the article here or read more about the the life, values, and achievements of Ben from his own perspective from his book , the Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist, that he finished shortly before he passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2017. Ashley Juavinett in The Spike. That’s ok. Ben’s work was who he was, and I can’t imagine a scientist writing a book that didn’t include their findings over the course of their career. The truly autobiographical part is very short and the rest isn't very accessible, not even for a medical doctor with half a PhD who is married to a neuroscientist. I suspect in the end his main argument was that his preferences were also influenced by his gender identity wanting to align with that of other boys, but that's not at all clear from his book (and may be only my interpretation of his oral presentations). Today we publish over 30 titles in the arts and humanities, social sciences, and science and technology. Barres is as open in memoir as he was in life, and the book teaches important, deceptively simple lessons. In fact, I wish it'd spent more and actually explained the science. by MIT Press, The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist. To my big surprise, after writing against gender stereotypes such as: women are on average less mathematically inclined then men, Ben proceeds to explain how he first realized he. Ben Barres comes off as a really brilliant scientist and deeply good person. Ben Barres was known for his groundbreaking scientific work and for his groundbreaking advocacy for gender equality in science. Ben was a pioneering scientist and a devoted mentor, as well as a relentless crusader for greater inclusivity in science. Ben passed away in 2017, at the age of 63. That entire chapter was heartbreaking - here he was reinforcing those exact stereotypes that he had presumably fought earlier. The rest of the book goes on to describe in depth his scientific achievements, which are very impressive, but make the book inaccessible to the average reader - one who for example is looking for the inspiring journey of a successful transgender. Moreover, this just seems to reinforce the idea that the brain of men are more 'mathematical' and 'mechanical' oriented....which is such an annoying stereotype to fight as a woman! I am having trouble describing how I felt reading this book. little trains) and dislike girl toys (dolls) and wanting to learn how to do wood shop work. Although much of the science was beyond me, it's plain Ben Barres was a formidable scientist. Wonderful to read. As a woman in the middle of an MD/PhD program, who is currently doubting my original dream of becoming a physician scientist, I found reading this book to be both painful and inspiring. People like him make the world a better place. Ben Barres was known for his groundbreaking scientific work and for his groundbreaking advocacy for gender equality in science. This is a brief, intriguing snapshot of a life cut short. A model of Ben Barres’ brain sits on the windowsill behind his desk at Stanford University School of Medicine. While we’ve highlighted his advocacy work and published a memorial post after his death, we haven’t paid nearly enough tribute to his magnificent science career, or to the glial cells he found so enticing. Given how much I love science, and this branch in particular, I liked it a. Please enter a valid email address. A great read about a commitment to science, mentor ship, and advocating for gender equality. MIT Press Direct is a distinctive collection of influential MIT Press books curated for scholars and libraries worldwide. Like most of the reviewers here, I thought the book was really fascinating, especially the part about his life and about his advocacy, while the science section was pretty much unreadable for somebody not in his field. There aren't many narratives of trans people before 2000 and Barres work in STEM provides a powerful testament to dedication and perseverance... Barres' autobiography cements his exceptional legacy – a high-profile scientist who, as another MIT neuroscientist put it, became 'a role model for role models.'. In his new, posthumously published book, Ben Barres's candor and love for science transform his personal story into a portrait of a singular personality that was shaped by his status as an outsider. While the neuroscience chapters quite literally flew over my head I was struck by Ben’s example of humility and moral courage. As a fellow Neuroscientist who has a great admiration for Ben I found this an interesting read. I am sorry to Ben and everyone doing similar amazing research on the brain, but there is a large portion of the book devoted to explaining his research that I could barely. https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/autobiography-transgender-scientist, International Affairs, History, & Political Science, The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist. That being said, I was disappointed by how short it was and how little was said about his life and feelings about being transgender! He reports he felt nothing but relief on becoming his true self. Unless you know the relevant terms, neural cell biology, most of it will go over your head as it did mine. Barres describes his life, his scientific body of work, and his advocacy. A quick read only if you are a scientist, The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist is less an autobiography and more a review article about the scientific achievements of Ben Barres. Barres BA, Burne JF, Holtmann B, Thoenen H, Sendtner M, Raff MC. If that's what makes sense to him I do not want to negate that, but he makes it sound as if that is the only way someone could identify as gender dysphoric. Ask Ben Barres whether women in science are treated fairly. Ben Barres was a neurobiologist who made groundbreaking discoveries regarding the structure and function of the brain that may have implications for … PMID 8954629 DOI: 10.1006/mcne.1996.0053 Ben Barres was born Barbara Barres in 1954 and was raised in West Orange, New Jersey. This tale is phenomenal not just because it's an excellent autobiography of a really interesting person (but it's phenomenal for that reason too). As an undergraduate at MIT, Barres experienced discrimination, but it was after transitioning that he realized how differently male and female scientists are treated. Start by marking “The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist” as Want to Read: Error rating book. The suggestion that women are not advancing in science because of innate inability is being taken seriously by some high-profile academics. The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist is also more personal than the The Double Helix in which we discover the characters of the principals embedded in the chronicle of one of the great scientific achievements of our time ( 2 ). We’ll send you the latest updates from Ben Barres. I appreciate his contribution to science and his continual advocacy for diversity and mentoring within STEM fields. The circumstances under which he wrote his life story are sad (terminal cancer diagnosis), but I'm glad he had enough time and support to share his story with the world. I am grateful that this book got to be published. The interesting thing about that science section though, is that I felt it was a wonderful love letter to his students in his lab, and it was also a To-Do list for them and future scientists! Dr. Barres living life as both a man and a woman and the fact that he was already established in his career allowed him to implement policies and affect change to a degree I haven't heard of before. But first make sure you have plenty of time to hear his answer. Tote Bag Awards 2018. SHARE: SMS; Related Articles. How do we get a copy before the start of the book club? Unfortunately, the text is very dry and not very detailed. Be respectful, but be honest and express your opinion even (or especially) if it's not popular. Really heartbreaking that he wasn’t able to continue his scientific work and mentorship, grateful that he left this autobiography for us to read and reflect upon. That being said, I was disappointed by how short it was and how little was said about his life and feelings about being transgender! I have pretty mixed views on this book. Ben Barres was known for his groundbreaking scientific work and for his groundbreaking advocacy for gender equality in science. When she initially hesitated he told her: "If you were a man, you wouldn't think twice.". However, I do not know how I feel about his continual need to justify his identify based off of hormone exposure. Ben Barres was known for his groundbreaking scientific work and for his groundbreaking advocacy for gender equality in science. A beautiful love letter to neuroscience and all the mentors and opportunities that supported Ben Barres on his journey to a leading neuroscientist, transgender man, and an incredible advocate for women in science. A highly influential neurobiologist and advocate for women in science, Barres lived an unusually interesting life. The first part of the (very small) book discusses Barres' training, his lab, and his decision to transition from female to male. Discover more authors you’ll love listening to on Audible. I was curious about his life and the effects of his transition but I wished it was expanded one. See 1 question about The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist…, Fall 2018: The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist by Ben Barres '76 (selected by Prof. Nancy Hopkins), New African American Histories and Biographies to Read Now. He was proud to be a role model for transgender scientists. I read this book because I wanted to hear about the unique experience of being both a man and a woman. Science is exhilarating, and we have a responsibility to do it well, with fairness to all involved. Even in just the Foreword, Barres’ blistering ferocity AND humor comes through clearly. The first part of the (very small) book discusses Barres' training, his lab, and his decision to transition from female to male. I've studied it a little and got the gist but when he talks about how profound his findings were I'm like, "Okay, if you say so." We’d love your help. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. In this book, completed shortly before his death from pancreatic cancer in December 2017, Barres (born Barbara Barr A leading scientist describes his life, his gender transition, his scientific work, and his advocacy for gender equality in science. Ben Barres was known for his groundbreaking scientific work and for his groundbreaking advocacy for gender equality in science. The Life of a Transgender Scientist. However, that impression stands in contrast to his devotion to mentoring and his battles to fight sexism in organized science. A leading scientist describes his life, his gender transition, his scientific work, and his advocacy for gender equality in science. I listened to the audiobook version while working, which was probably a bad idea. MIT Press began publishing journals in 1970 with the first volumes of Linguistic Inquiry and the Journal of Interdisciplinary History. In fact, I wish it'd spent more and actually explained the science. Ben was an influential neurobiologist and advocate for women in science. Ben Barres was known for his groundbreaking scientific work and for his groundbreaking advocacy for gender equality in science. Welcome back. Clearly the work is the same and people are judging it differently due to bias. An unstoppable force of nature, unfazed by headwinds, managing to will all of us onwards and upwards: this was Ben Barres. She was the only freshman in the large class and one of few undergraduates. Email Address. Like Sacks, who also confronted his LGBTQ identity, Ben Barres is not campaigning for higher office, attempting to make money or maintain celebrity. The writing is pretty matter of fact and succinct. The interesting thing about that science section though, is that I felt it was a wonderful love letter to his students in his lab, and it was also a To-Do list for them and future scientists! It is too bad that this scientist's story got distilled into this slim volume. I've studied it a little and got the gist but when he talks about how profound his findings were I'm like, "Okay, if you say so." Unfortunately, the text is very dry and not very detailed. Refresh and try again. I am having trouble describing how I felt reading this book. Ben Barres was known for his groundbreaking scientific work and for his groundbreaking advocacy for gender equality in science. This realization included him wanted to play with boy toys (e.g. As a woman in the middle of an MD/PhD program, who is currently doubting my original dream of becoming a physician scientist, I found reading this book to be both painful and inspiring. Barres’ autobiography cements his exceptional legacy – a high-profile scientist who, as another MIT neuroscientist put it, became ‘a role model for role models.’ —INTO— An unstoppable force of nature, unfazed by headwinds, managing to will all of us onwards and upwards: this was Ben Barres. A quick read only if you are a scientist, The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist is less an autobiography and more a review article about the scientific achievements of Ben Barres. Having been asked to speak about advances in “glioscience” at a university in the Netherlands with a particularly unsavory record of excluding females, Dr. Barres responded to the invitation with the following (again from Nancy Hopkins’ Foreword): Not because I'm not excited about learning about how science works, but because it ended up being minutes upon minutes of repeating initials that I was either expected to recognise or had missed their meaning in the nanose. Not yet available on Amazon. That being said it definitely reads as a book written by a Neuroscientist and isn't going to be for everyone. I hope that when I re-read it in a few years, things will have changed in me and around me so that it is less painful and more empowerin. So for a non-neuroscience person, it might not be interesting and can be too much information. Learn more about Ben Barres. Dr. Barres living life as both a man and a woman and the fact that he was already established in his career allowed him to implement policies and affect change to a degree I haven't heard of before. While I was extremely interested in learning more about Ben Barres, and while he seemed like an fascinating man, the chapters of nothing but specialised neurological lingo were incredibly tiring. The middle section was an epic tribute to the lab's body of work and the efforts of his many excellent trainees. Be the first to know! Ben A. Barres I have not yet retired but was diagnosed about two years ago, at the age of 61, with advanced pancreatic cancer. He started after his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and passed away in December of 2017. Only buy this book if you happen to be interested in neuroscience. I listened to the audiobook version while working, which was probably a bad idea. It wasn't long before he took an interest in her and encourage, A beautiful love letter to neuroscience and all the mentors and opportunities that supported Ben Barres on his journey to a leading neuroscientist, transgender man, and an incredible advocate for women in science. His candor and love for science transform the ensuing story into a portrait of a singular personality that was shaped by his status as an outsider.
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