Encounter Books
Encounter Books is an American non-fiction publisher based in New York and known for its conservative authors. It is an activity of the nonprofit organization Encounter for Culture and Education. The name refers to the magazine Encounter, founded in 1953 by Stephen Spender and Irving Kristol.
What you can find
The website features the catalog, author pages, and background articles. The list includes politics, history, religion, education, and current affairs.
Why it is included on this list
In 2018, Encounter published When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment by Ryan T. Anderson. The book criticizes medical transition and the use of gender identity as a basis for legislation, and it is controversial: Amazon removed it from sale in 2021. It is still available directly from the publisher. For the broader discussion, see critical perspectives.
History and funding
Encounter Books was founded in 1998 by Peter Collier (1939–2019), in cooperation with the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. That foundation is also one of the major funders of the organization FIRE. Roger Kimball is now editor and publisher. The publisher states that its aim is to strengthen the free market of ideas and educational activities that help preserve democratic culture. Regarding the magazine from which it takes its name, the publisher itself writes that it was secretly funded by the CIA during the Cold War, through the Congress for Cultural Freedom.
Anderson's book
When Harry Became Sally was published on February 20, 2018, and runs to 408 pages. Anderson argues that sex is a physical reality, discusses gender dysphoria and medical treatment, and gives a voice to people who regretted their transition, particularly those who had been encouraged to transition as children. The book's page features endorsements from, among others, Johns Hopkins University psychiatrist Paul McHugh, Princeton's Robert P. George, Oxford's John Finnis, and Harvard's Mary Ann Glendon. Anderson is now president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and was the first editor-in-chief of Public Discourse.
How to assess this source
The book page is sales material. The endorsements come from like-minded academics, and critics' objections are not included. The publisher does refer on the page to articles about Amazon's removal of the book. The book is an argument, not medical research. Readers can compare its claims about treatment and regret with the overview under medical.