About the Author

Iris Gottlieb is a Durham, North Carolina-based illustrator and author of Seeing Science (Chronicle Books, 2018) and Natural Attraction (Sasquatch Books, 2017). Her work aims to educate, humour, and provide accessible information through visual storytelling. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, The Exploratorium, and beyond.

Reviews

Starred Review
"Gender, especially when explored through an intersectional lens, can be a fraught and overwhelming topic. Gottlieb takes on the complexities of gender in the modern world through easy-to-digest writing, humor, and powerful illustrations. It's like a series of informative Twitter threads compressed into a book. Despite the brevity, terminology and concepts are explained fully. Each bright spread can stand alone, making this the perfect book to flip through at leisure, while those wanting a deep dive will devour the text cover to cover. Included are short biographies of historical figures and pop culture icons who influenced our understanding of gender. The volume concludes with a poignant section on the author's transition. Gottlieb also covers the connections among sexual assault, race, nationality, poverty, and mental health. Back matter includes help lines, advocacy resources, and recommendations for poetry, essays, and novels to further explore the ideas presented here. Though this text takes on some heavy material, overall, it's hopeful and understanding. If a book can be friendly, this is the one. It's engaging and acknowledges that people are fallible, which will comfort teens who have made mistakes while trying to support friends. VERDICT Give this to anyone who exists in a gendered society. (Which means, as the book points out, everyone.) Highly recommended for school and public libraries."
-School Library Journal

"By looking at the way that gender works from a variety of perspectives, Seeing Gender creates a tapestry that seeks to facilitate a conversation about gender that moves beyond the surface."
-Comics Beat

"No matter what your age or inclination, Seeing Gender presents an extraordinarily helpful discussion in a way that's both personal and powerful. As Gottlieb concludes, 'The process of learning about gender is never finished.'"

"Seeing Gender is an excellent book about free expression and understanding the multi-faced subject of identity. As society's conception of gender changes, books like Seeing Gender will be vital in promoting and encouraging understanding of its myriad complexities."
-GeekDad

"This is the book I wish I had growing up. That I could have handed to family and friends, linked people to in those early pre-social media days, when reaching out was much more limited. It covers so much more than I was expecting-privilege, toxic masculinity, eating disorders, pronouns, advertising. It's a mix of hardcore research and intimate, raw experiences sharing space with Gottlieb's crisp, vibrant art."
-Rachel Swan, Bookshop Santa Cruz

Named one of "19 Best Reads of 2019" by OUTtv.