As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl

I first heard of this case three years ago, in an undergraduate sociology class. At this point in time, the case of the "John/Joan" baby raised as a girl was reported to be a total success. What a shock to learn the real truth behind this sordid story; the bewildered, trusting parents, the arrogance of the medical world, and the misery of the unfortunate victim of the incident, David. For me, the most fascinating part of the book was hearing in David's own words what the experience was like for him. However, for those interested in the nature/nurture issue, or gender research, this book also gives intriguing, detailed information about these topics.

I read this book mainly out of a morbid curiosity, but found myself touched by David's unique story. His confusion and attempts to fit into the female world were truly heartbreaking. I also felt empathy for his well-meaning parents. Whatever your reason for reading this book, you will not be dissapointed. Those interested in the scientific information also gain an understanding of the painful confusion that a sexually ambiguous individual feels. The readers who are mainly interested in the personal aspects of the story will also find themselves learning a great deal about the fascinating, age-old nature/nurture argument. I highly recommend this book!

In the hands of a less skilled writer the telling of this sad tale could have been a mess... but luckily for us all Mr. Colapinto is a talented writer and scrupulous researcher who reports on the "John/Joan" story with remarkable clarity and compassion. I am grateful to the entire Reimer family for going public with their personal tragedy in the hopes of preventing such medical incompetence and inhumanity in the future. It is absolutely outrageous that even today there appears to be no unanimous condemnation among health care professionals against the tawdry and irresponsible practices and flawed scholarship of Dr. John Money. There are heroes in this story, even within the medical establishment... read the book to find out about those precious few who dared to demonstrate the courage of their convictions.

John Colapinto has written a remarkable work, giving insight to a story that should be science fiction, but is not. Nobody listened to David/Brenda during the first 14 years of his life when he made clear he was unhappy with his "reassignment" to a girl. His parents, especially his mother, tried earnestly to make this experiment work. Blind to reality, the parents chose to ignore all signs that their son was not turning into a girl. When David is finally able to assert himself and live as he was born to live, he begins to flourish. It is amazing that external genitalia, or the lack of, has lead to boys becoming girls or vice versa. That one man, Dr. Money, was able to make a name for himself at Johns Hopkins based on this one very failed experiment with Brenda/David, is astounding. Where were his peers? It seems everyone was so awed by Dr. Money's huge ego and personality that nobody in the medical profession, was willing to question results, which were very different that those results published in Dr. Money's many books and publications. That David is able to forgive his parents for the ruse of his first 14 years is incredible. His parents tried their best, yet they made terrible mistakes. This book is highly charged. While Mr. Colapinto generally sticks to the facts, the emotional underpinnings of this story are devastating and one will be hard pressed not to feel for this little boy. Highly recommended.

A must read for everyone!

John Colapinto has done such a marvelous job in sharing David Reamer's compelling, courageous, and heartbreaking story. The facts are presented without condemnation, (even where they were fairly deserved), for the medical/psychological community involved in this boys life. They are equally presented with the upmost respect to the very hard choice these parents had to make and then live with.

As the reader, you are taken through the very difficult, unimaginable, journey of David's life. In painstaking detail, you are brought to understanding the decisions that were made, due to very misguided medical/psychological advice. The unthinkable...to take an obviously male child, injured in a freak accident, and raise him as a girl. I walked away with such compassion for David's parents and such respects for David Reamer himself. He has shown so much courage, to come forward now, sharing the details of his childhood. His perseverance has made him a champion of the human spirit! I wish I could meet this man, give him a loving hug, and tell him I wish I could have been his friend, when he needed one the most!

Wow. This book may change the way you see the world. It is captivating on several levels at once. First and most important, it is an engrossing real-life exploration of a basic question about our human natures, a question that has to be of fundamental interest to almost anyone: In our essential personalities and drives, are we the product of nature or nurture or some combination of them? The book goes a long way toward a definitive answer to that question in one central aspect of our beings (our sexual identity). Second, it is the utterly absorbing, painful, ultimately triumphant true story of a remarkable individual forced to grow up in a harrowing situation we can all barely imagine but have to wonder about. Third, it is a riveting suspense story, with genuine good guys and bad guys some of whom have had frightening power over people's lives. The book is fast-paced and beautifully written, with the kind of all-to-rare clarity and straightforwardness that can make the most complex matters seem simple by getting right to the heart of them with no nonsense. I read it in one sitting--something I never ever do. I'm going to read it again, there's so much in it.