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Joan Roughgarden

Evolution’s Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People First Edition

by Joan Roughgarden (Author)

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Evolution’s Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People
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In this innovative celebration of diversity and affirmation of individuality in animals and humans, Joan Roughgarden challenges accepted wisdom about gender identity and sexual orientation. A distinguished evolutionary biologist, Roughgarden takes on the medical establishment, the Bible, social science—and even Darwin himself. She leads the reader through a fascinating discussion of diversity in gender and sexuality among fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals, including primates. Evolution's Rainbow explains how this diversity develops from the action of genes and hormones and how people come to differ from each other in all aspects of body and behavior. Roughgarden reconstructs primary science in light of feminist, gay, and transgender criticism and redefines our understanding of sex, gender, and sexuality. Witty, playful, and daring, this book will revolutionize our understanding of sexuality.

Roughgarden argues that principal elements of Darwinian sexual selection theory are false and suggests a new theory that emphasizes social inclusion and control of access to resources and mating opportunity. She disputes a range of scientific and medical concepts, including Wilson's genetic determinism of behavior, evolutionary psychology, the existence of a gay gene, the role of parenting in determining gender identity, and Dawkins's "selfish gene" as the driver of natural selection. She dares social science to respect the agency and rationality of diverse people; shows that many cultures across the world and throughout history accommodate people we label today as lesbian, gay, and transgendered; and calls on the Christian religion to acknowledge the Bible's many passages endorsing diversity in gender and sexuality. Evolution's Rainbow concludes with bold recommendations for improving education in biology, psychology, and medicine; for democratizing genetic engineering and medical practice; and for building a public monument to affirm diversity as one of our nation's defining principles.

ISBN-10

9780520240735
ISBN-13

978-0520240735
Edition

First Edition
Publisher

University of California Press
Publication date

May 17, 2004
Language

English
Dimensions

6.25 x 1.5 x 9.5 inches
Print length

474 pages
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This brilliant and accessible work of biological criticism has the potential to revolutionize the way readers conceive of gender and sexuality in the natural world. Roughgarden, a professor of biology at Stanford University and a member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, argues that the diversity of gender and sexuality one finds in many species suggests that evolutionary biologists of a strictly Darwinian bent are often misguided, since, according to Roughgarden, they erroneously assume a universally applicable gender binary in all species. The first half of the book brings that sexual diversity to light through innumerable examples among birds, reptiles, fish and mammals provided in highly readable anecdotes. The significance of this first section lies not only in this startlingly original portrait of nature, but also in how it suggests that contemporary Darwinian sexual selection theory is in part a result of cultural bias, since it "predicts that the baseline outcome of social evolution is horny, handsome, healthy warriors paired with discreetly discerning damsels." Roughgarden critiques this theory through an expansive study of biological scholarship, highlighting the frequent contradictions between such claims and the data used (and, she argues, manipulated) to prove them. The second and undoubtedly more controversial section discusses sexual diversity in humans. Taking as a given the presence in our own species of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual and intersex persons, she reads current scientific writing-on a supposed "gay gene," on gender reassignment and other issues-through a perspective that sees diversity as an advantage, not a handicap. Readers more accustomed to traditional categories of gender and sexuality in humans will undoubtedly be surprised at how different a portrait emerges from Roughgarden's deeply personal and insistently ethical point of view.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"A fun read with laudable politics." -- Out Magazine

From the Inside Flap

"Evolution's Rainbow is an expansively creative challenge to the modern orthodoxies of sexual selection. Roughgarden's intellectual generosity may jump-start the careers of a new generation of diversity-affirming Darwinian scientists."—Patricia Adair Gowaty, author of Feminism and Evolutionary Biology

"An entrancing tale of sexual ambiguity in animals and people, but also that rarest of literary beasts—a science book written from the heart."—Steve Jones, author of Darwin's Ghost

"A thoughtful and scholarly, yet deeply personal, perspective from a brilliant theoretical biologist. This articulate and provocative disquisition is must reading for anyone fascinated by one of the most important contemporary social challenges."—Simon Levin, author of Fragile Dominion

"This book challenges not only the assumptions about male-female differences in behavior and homosexual-heterosexual differences, but also the very meanings of ‘maleness’ and ‘femaleness’ in physical and biological terms. Roughgarden builds a strong case for biological diversity related to what humans call sex, gender, and sexuality."—Bonnie Spanier, author of Im/partial Science: Gender Ideology in Molecular Biology

"Joan Roughgarden asks, and indeed tries to answer, all the big questions about sexual diversity among humans and animals. She takes her readers on a wonderful journey through ecology and evolution and is a brilliant and talented narrator. Evolution's Rainbow will fundamentally change many ongoing conversations on sexuality and science."—Judith Halberstam, author of Female Masculinity

"Every now and then science focuses on a subject that matters. Gender and gender differences matter to us social primates. And we will judge, condemn, restrict or incarcerate people based on our notions of biologically normal variability in gender and sexuality. Thus, it is immensely important when a book comes along, written clearly and authoritatively by an eminent scientist, that demonstrates how wrong most people’s ideas are about this subject. This is such a book."—Robert Sapolsky, author of A Primate’s Memoir

From the Back Cover

"Evolution's Rainbow is an expansively creative challenge to the modern orthodoxies of sexual selection. Roughgarden's intellectual generosity may jump-start the careers of a new generation of diversity-affirming Darwinian scientists."-Patricia Adair Gowaty, author of Feminism and Evolutionary Biology "An entrancing tale of sexual ambiguity in animals and people, but also that rarest of literary beasts-a science book written from the heart."-Steve Jones, author of Darwin's Ghost "A thoughtful and scholarly, yet deeply personal, perspective from a brilliant theoretical biologist. This articulate and provocative disquisition is must reading for anyone fascinated by one of the most important contemporary social challenges."-Simon Levin, author of Fragile Dominion "This book challenges not only the assumptions about male-female differences in behavior and homosexual-heterosexual differences, but also the very meanings of 'maleness' and 'femaleness' in physical and biological terms. Roughgarden builds a strong case for biological diversity related to what humans call sex, gender, and sexuality."-Bonnie Spanier, author of Im/partial Science: Gender Ideology in Molecular Biology "Joan Roughgarden asks, and indeed tries to answer, all the big questions about sexual diversity among humans and animals. She takes her readers on a wonderful journey through ecology and evolution and is a brilliant and talented narrator. Evolution's Rainbow will fundamentally change many ongoing conversations on sexuality and science."-Judith Halberstam, author of Female Masculinity "Every now and then science focuses on a subject that matters. Gender and gender differences matter to us social primates. And we will judge, condemn, restrict or incarcerate people based on our notions of biologically normal variability in gender and sexuality. Thus, it is immensely important when a book comes along, written clearly and authoritatively by an eminent scientist, that demonstrates how wrong most people's ideas are about this subject. This is such a book."-Robert Sapolsky, author of A Primate's Memoir

About the Author

Joan Roughgarden is Professor of Biological Sciences at Stanford University. She is the author of Primer of Ecological Theory (1998), Anolis Lizards of the Caribbean: Ecology, Evolution, and Plate Tectonics (1995), and Theory of Population Genetics and Evolutionary Ecology: An Introduction (1979).

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0520240731
Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press; First Edition (May 17, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 474 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780520240735
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520240735
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1360L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.12 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.5 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #283,035 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #107 in Movie Guides & Reviews
- #291 in General Anthropology
- #619 in General Gender Studies

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4.6 89 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

89 global ratings

5 star		75%
4 star		14%
3 star		4%
2 star		5%
1 star		1%

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Windwolfess

An accesible work on the biological origins and usefulness of transgenderism

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 26, 2014

Verified Purchase

Roughgarden's readable work on transgenderism touches upon two subjects simultaneously: the widespread existence of transgender, gay and transsexuality in virtually all species; and its usefulness in terms of species survival of gay and transsexual individuals in the species. Basic concepts and terminology in evolutionary biology are for the most part explained in terms that an average person can grasp. Well-documented examples of gay and transsexual behavior in species ranging from insects to fish to birds to mammals are presented. I particularly liked the example of the domestic and wild sheep.

All of her discussions, though, serve another purpose, and that is to contrast how certain aspects of what Darwin believed have been supplanted. For example, there is little reason in Darwinian thought as to why there could possibly be any evolutionary advantage in having a small percentage of gay or transsexual individuals in a population, as they don't typically reproduce. However, Roughgarden shows how having adult members with no offspring actually can increase the odds that the young that are produced survive until they are able to breed. So it is not just about breeding, which is what much of Darwinian thought revolves around, but rather breeding AND ensuring that the young live to sexual maturity and mating themselves.

All in all I found this an engaging, clearly-written, solidly documented work that doesn't require you to be a biologist, just a person with some understanding of science and a willingness to learn new ideas. highly recommended!

10 people found this helpful

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Paul Good

Worldview Update

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 2, 2005

Verified Purchase

I found Professor Roughgarden's book to be very insightful. The incredible diversity of ways the relationship "Two sexes = Progeny who have Progeny" has been expressed in stable populations, even if we look only at the vertebrates, should cause readers to reevaluate what it means for something to be "natural". Documented same-sex activity and how sexual activity is incorporated in the different social structures in all of the anthropoid species (includes humans) came as something of a surprise.

One area that Roughgarden does not discuss in much detail is what is known about the physical mechanisms that result in a preference for same-sex activity. I suggest taking a look at "A critical review of recent biological research on human sexual orientation", Mustanski BS, Chivers ML, Bailey JM, Annu Rev Sex Res. 2002;13:89-140, to supplement the high level discussion given in Evolution's Rainbow.

Existence of widely observed animal behaviors cannot be taken as indicating those behaviors are appropriate for humans. This would be confusing fact with value. However, the documentation of the variety of sexual expression and the theoretical basis for such expressions that Roughgarden has provided should lead many readers to reconsider their worldview of what is natural and unnatural in the very complex societies we inhabit.

10 people found this helpful

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Seke

Keep giving my copy away and buying again!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 27, 2022

Very good book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 20, 2020

Verified Purchase

I am going to make this review short and simple. This book is very interesting, but hard to read. You have to really pace your reading, pause and come back to it because every page is information overload. Its too much at once with no time to decompress what was read. It is interesting, and there is so much to be learned from the book, which is why I gave it three stars. The author obviously has done a lot of research and put a ton of effort into the book and facts, and I would give the author a standing ovation if that were a thing for authors. However, as mentioned above, it is hard to read, and that is why it lost a few stars.

* I read this book for my Variations of Human Sexuality college course. The reading pace was one or two chapters a week, and some chapters were skipped.

4 people found this helpful

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Olliver Young

great book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 7, 2014

Verified Purchase

I bought a used library copy of this book for starting my research for an exhibition. I wasn't sure what direction I wanted to go and this book was helpful in guiding my project further. It was sometimes difficult to read in certain sections that were very scientific (as I am still in high school) but it was continually an engaging read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

2 people found this helpful

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Lisa G

I use this as a textbook. It's accessible, ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 19, 2014

Verified Purchase

I use this as a textbook. It's accessible, interesting, and thorough (with the exception of a puzzling blind spot when it comes to the kathoey of Thailand). My only complaint is that it's ten years old now (the new edition included no text changes, only a new forward), and much of the research and politics are out-of-date. Will we see an updated version from Joan Roughgarden soon? I hope so, because this is the only book of this scope on this topic available, to my knowledge.

11 people found this helpful

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Sandra

Evolution's Rainbow

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 30, 2015

Verified Purchase

This is a required textbook for my Anthropology class. It talks about diversity (or rainbow) among humans and animals in terms of their sexuality and gender expression. Do I like this book? Yes, it'll help me get through the class. Would I buy it if it's not for my class? Probably not.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Emily Olson

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 15, 2016

Verified Purchase

Good book in general, but a little bit politically biased, not an excellent scientist's way.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

saturdayxiii

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on November 9, 2014

Verified Purchase

My favorite book ever. Joan is always expanding my mind.

ernest reinhart

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on November 22, 2014

Verified Purchase

If you have not read roughgarden now is the time

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