Items related to Testosterone Rex: Myths of Sex, Science, and Society

Testosterone Rex: Myths of Sex, Science, and Society - Hardcover

Fine, Cordelia

  • 3.79 out of 5 stars
    3,616 ratings by Goodreads
 
9780393082081: Testosterone Rex: Myths of Sex, Science, and Society
Hardcover
ISBN 10: 0393082083 ISBN 13: 9780393082081
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2017

Synopsis

“Goodbye, beliefs in sex differences disguised as evolutionary facts. Welcome the dragon slayer: Cordelia Fine wittily but meticulously lays bare the irrational arguments that we use to justify gender politics.”―Uta Frith, emeritus professor of cognitive development, University College London

Many people believe that, at its core, biological sex is a fundamental, diverging force in human development. According to this overly familiar story, differences between the sexes are shaped by past evolutionary pressures―women are more cautious and parenting-focused, while men seek status to attract more mates. In each succeeding generation, sex hormones and male and female brains are thought to continue to reinforce these unbreachable distinctions, making for entrenched inequalities in modern society.

In Testosterone Rex, psychologist Cordelia Fine wittily explains why past and present sex roles are only serving suggestions for the future, revealing a much more dynamic situation through an entertaining and well-documented exploration of the latest research that draws on evolutionary science, psychology, neuroscience, endocrinology, and philosophy. She uses stories from daily life, scientific research, and common sense to break through the din of cultural assumptions. Testosterone, for instance, is not the potent hormonal essence of masculinity; the presumed, built-in preferences of each sex, from toys to financial risk taking, are turned on their heads.

Moving beyond the old “nature versus nurture” debates, Testosterone Rex disproves ingrained myths and calls for a more equal society based on both sexes’ full, human potential.

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About the Author

Cordelia Fine is a professor of history and philosophy of science at the University of Melbourne. The author of highly praised works, including Testosterone Rex, which won the Royal Society science book prize, and Delusions of Gender, she lives in Melbourne, Australia.

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Publisher
W. W. Norton & Company
Publication date
2017
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0393082083
ISBN 13 
9780393082081
Binding
Hardcover
Edition number
1
Number of pages
272
Rating
  • 3.79 out of 5 stars
    3,616 ratings by Goodreads