Blending science and history, Browning shows that gender is both cultural and biological. While neuroscience can define male and female biology, the categories are often slippery: the early stages of parenthood change parents’ very brains, and responses to aging are determined more by life habits than by gender. His forays into the animal kingdom reveal similar fluidity and variance, putting yet further spins on those old standbys, “nature” and “nurture.” A former NPR science reporter, Browning has contributed to a range of publications including the Washington Post Magazine, Mother Jones, and Salon; his books include The Culture of Desire, A Queer Geography, Apples: The Story of the Fruit of Temptation, and The Monk & the Skeptic.

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