30 January 2016

Review: Galileo's Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists, and the Search for Justice in Science

Galileo's Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists, and the Search for Justice in Science Galileo's Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists, and the Search for Justice in Science by Alice Dreger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The politicization of science is not a new situation in the world, but with a lot of social justice concerns taking precedence over good science, we've reached what might be a different version of a recognizable problem. Alice Dreger ran into some of it first-hand with her research on intersex people, and she spends some time in this book talking about similar situations and how the politics got in the way of the science.

While she certainly has a point of view (and not a conservative one, it should be said), she does do her best to present the information as it is. The story is less about the science and more about the reactions to it, though, so those expecting a certain type of scientific fare might be left disappointed. Those also looking for a condemnation of certain types of activists won't find it here - the activism she speaks out about is real, but the target is narrower than you may expect.

Overall, I think it's a necessary read, especially in today's political climate. I'd like to see some rebuttals from the other side, but this is still something that should be on the list of anyone interested in science and sexuality topics.

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