This book took more than six years to write. During that time I have had the consistent support of family and friends who put up with my obsession and my withdrawal from polite company whenever I focused on a new deadline. I thank all of them and each of them. Each of you (and you know who you are) provide the bedrock on which I stand.
When I needed to review and synthesize material from fields outside my own, I depended on the generosity of academics and independent scholars to read drafts and let me know when I had some basic concept wrong or had left out some essential work. Each of the people in the long list that follows has a busy schedule and writing projects of his or her own, yet took the time to read and comment on early versions of one or more chapters of this book or to help me formulate some of its ideas. There are those who shared with me early versions of their own work, bringing me quickly up to date. If I have omitted anyone, I apologize in advance. Of course, these scholars bear no responsibility for the final version.
Elizabeth Adkins-Regan, Pepe Amor y Vasquez, Mary Arnold, Evan Bala — ban, Marc Breedlove, Laura Briggs, Bill Byne, Cheryl Chase, Adele Clarke, Donald Dewesbury, Milton Diamond, Alice Dreger, Joseph Dumit, Julia Epstein, Leslie Feinberg, Thalia Field, Cynthia Garcia-Coll, GISP 006, Elizabeth Grosz, Philip Gruppuso, Evelynn Hammonds, Sandra Harding, Ann Harrington, Bernice L. Hausman, Morgan Holmes, Gail Hornstein, Ruth Hubbard, Lily Kay, Suzanne Kessler, Ursula Klein, Hannah Landecker, James McIlwain, Cindy Meyers-Seifer, Diana Miller, John Modell, Susan Oyama, Katherine Park, Mary Poovey, Karen Romer, Hilary Rose, Steven Rose, Londa Schie — binger, Chandak Sengoopta, Roger Smith, Lynn Smitley, Linda Snelling, Peter Taylor, Douglas Wahlsten, Kim Wallen.
The participants in the listserve ‘‘Loveweb’’ have shared references and reprints, have been willing to argue and disagree with me, and in the process have helped me clarify my views. Struggle, intellectual and otherwise, can be the fire that forges better ideas.
The editors formerly or currently at Basic Books have played a major role in the final shaping and writing of the manuscript. I owe a special debt to Steven Fraser, Jo Ann Miller, and Libby Garland. Steve believed in the book at the start and offered insightful comments on several of the early chapters. Jo Ann and Libby produced thoughtful and detailed editing of the entire manuscript, which has immeasurably strengthened the book.
Portions of this book were written while I was on leave of absence from Brown University. I thank my colleagues for putting up with my disappearance and the Brown administration for facilitating my leaves. I thank the Brown administrative assistants and secretaries who helped me. I have had generous support from librarians in the Brown University library system. They helped me find even the most obscure sources and responded with promptness and support to my sometimes urgent requests. No scholar can ply her trade without the help of good librarians. Special thanks go to my research assistants: Veronica Gross, Vino Subramanian, Sonali Ruder, Miriam Reu — mann, and Erica Warp.
Portions of this book were written while I was in residence at the Rockefeller Foundation retreat in Bellagio, Italy. Other portions were written while I was supported by a fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies, and still other portions while I was a Fellow of the Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I thank everyone involved with these institutions for their support, both financial and practical.
Two talented illustrators, Diane DiMassa and Alyce Jacquet, have added immeasurably to the project. I thank them for their thoughtful work. Erica Warp stepped in at the last minute to contribute as well to the artwork.
Last but far from least, my life partner, Paula Vogel, has offered constant support. She has been enthusiastic about the project from the start. She read two drafts of every chapter and provided intellectual stimulation and emotional consistency without which I could not have completed the book. I dedicate Sexing the Body to her.