Science and religion are often pitted against each other as polar opposites. Science is all that is objective and open to change and revolution; religion is all that is dogmatic and closed to change and resisting revolution. While this book has nothing directly to do with the science/religion issue, it nonetheless highlights facts that often sworn enemies are kissing cousins. The medical establishment's refusal to reevaluate the standards for dealing with infants born with ambiguous genitals despite overwhelming evidence that such a second-look is necessary can only be compared to the dogmatic instance of the church that Galileo was wrong, that evolution is a lie, that the Earth is the center of the universe. It shows that far from being objective, scientists can be just as ideologically hard-headed as the most fanatical religious believer.

However, that spotlight on medical dogmatism is, in some ways, a minor concern in this book, with the center of it being an incredibly tragic human story. In some ways, it's a triumphal story, as David is now living a productive, happy life. The tragedy returns, though, when one considers the fact that children with ambiguous genitals are still being treated in the same manner that virtually destroyed David and his family.

Also interesting is the question, raised later in the book, of the way manhood is equated with a "normal," fully developed penis. As the Bruce/Brenda/David story shows, it takes much more than that to be a "man."

Anyone interested in a concrete example of the nature/nurture question need look no further