pb Smart, delightful . . . a splendidly entertaining education in ethics, activism, and science. iThe New York Times Book Review iEditor s Choicebbr bbbr An impassioned defense of intellectual freedom and a clarion call to intellectual responsibility, iGalileo s Middle Fingeriis one American s eye-opening story of life in the trenches of scientific controversy. For two decades, historian Alice Dreger has led a life of extraordinary engagement, combining activist service to victims of unethical medical research with defense of scientists whose work has outraged identity politics activists. With spirit and wit, Dreger offers iniGalileo s Middle Finger ian unforgettable vision of the importance of rigorous truth seeking in today s America, where both the free press and free scholarly inquiry struggle under dire economic and political threats. br This illuminating chronicle begins with Dreger s own research into the treatment of people born intersex once called hermaphrodites. Realization