Fierce

Full disclosure, I am a cisgender woman, so I know this book is not necessarily geared towards me. But I am still going to write my First Impression because this book is freaking awesome. After reading the first few chapters, I cannot for the life of me understand why something like this has not come out before now (or if it has, why it wasn't more well known). The whole premise of tackling beauty and self-care by highlighting male and non-binary beauty influencers throughout history is brilliant. Not only is it inclusive, it's incredibly useful. On the one hand, there are practical tips for makeup application that even I am dying to use, and on the other, you have proven historical examples of the basic human desire for beauty regardless of gender. It's a win-win! It's also highly informative; I would never have thought to look at Hatshepsut as non-binary because they are never talked about that way in the popular narrative, but after reading the chapter on this Egyptian ruler, it's a perspective that makes so much sense. It certainly helps that the author actually did his research and backs up the things he says with archeological findings so the reader is never left concerned that their desire for inclusion is projection or wishful thinking. The evidence is there and it needs to be spread!
This is clearly an important book for a number of reasons and I personally am going to be using it as my Bible to shut down any toxic ideas about what human, particularly male, beauty is allowed to look like.