{"product_id":"the-autobiography-of-a-transgender-scientist-9780262039116","title":"The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist","description":"\u003cp\u003eA 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. In this book  completed shortly before his death from pancreatic cancer in December 2017  Barres (born in 1954) describes a life full of remarkable accomplishmentsfrom his childhood as a precocious math and science whiz to his experiences as a female student at MIT in the 1970s to his female-to-male transition in his forties  to his scientific work and role as teacher and mentor at Stanford. Barres recounts his early lifehis interest in science  first manifested as a fascination with the mad scientist in Superman; his academic successes; and his gender confusion. Barres felt even as a very young child that he was assigned the wrong gender. After years of being acutely uncomfortable in his own skin  Barres transitioned from female to male. He reports he felt nothing but relief on becoming his true self. He was proud to be a role model for transgender scientists. As an undergraduate at MIT  Barres experienced discrimination  but it was after transitioning that he realized how differently male and female scientists are treated. He became an advocate for gender equality in science  and later in life responded pointedly to Larry Summerss speculation that women were innately unsuited to be scientists. Privileged white men  Barres writes  miss the basic point that in the face of negative stereotyping  talented women will not be recognized. At Stanford  Barres made important discoveries about glia  the most numerous cells in the brain  and he describes some of his work. The most rewarding part of his job  however  was mentoring young scientists. That  and his advocacy for women and transgender scientists  ensures his legacy.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45279777947701,"sku":"ByrdShop_0262039117","price":31.34,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780262039116.jpg?v=1780609929","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-autobiography-of-a-transgender-scientist-9780262039116","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}