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The Gendered Brain

The new neuroscience that shatters the myth of the female brain

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The Gendered Brain

By: Gina Rippon
Narrated by: Catherine Bailey
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About this listen

Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Gendered Brain by Gina Rippon, read by Catherine Bailey.

'A treasure trove of information and good humour' CORDELIA FINE, author of Testosterone Rex

Do you have a female brain or a male brain?
Or is that the wrong question?

Reading maps or reading emotions? Barbie or Lego? We live in a gendered world where we are bombarded with messages about sex and gender. On a daily basis we face deeply ingrained beliefs that your sex determines your skills and preferences, from toys and colours to career choice and salaries. But what does this constant gendering mean for our thoughts, decisions and behaviour? And what does it mean for our brains?

Drawing on her work as a professor of cognitive neuroimaging, Gina Rippon unpacks the stereotypes that bombard us from our earliest moments and shows how these messages mould our ideas of ourselves and even shape our brains. Taking us back through centuries of sexism, The Gendered Brain reveals how science has been misinterpreted or misused to ask the wrong questions. Instead of challenging the status quo, we are still bound by outdated stereotypes and assumptions.

By exploring new, cutting-edge neuroscience, Rippon urges us to move beyond a binary view of our brains and instead to see these complex organs as highly individualised, profoundly adaptable, and full of unbounded potential.

Rigorous, timely and liberating, The Gendered Brain has huge repercussions for women and men, for parents and children, and for how we identify ourselves.

Biological Sciences Gender Studies Science Social Sciences Human Brain

Critic reviews

A treasure trove of information and good humour, The Gendered Brain offers thought-provoking perspectives on the latest debates about sex, gender and the brain. (Cordelia Fine, author of TESTOSTERONE REX)
Essential reading (Katy Guest)
A smart and witty addition to the literature on sex differences. Gina Rippon is one of the most outspoken scientists in this area, and she debunks a whole host of sexist stereotypes in her new book. (Angela Saini, author of INFERIOR)
[An] excellent…book… it will reward those willing to put in the effort… [and] put weapons in the arsenal of those trying to tackle sexism (Rosamund Urwin)
A brilliant and thorough debunking of the popular myths around sex differences in brains and behaviour. (Dr Emily Grossman, broadcaster)
A fresh and much-needed perspective on the gender debate (Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, founder of STEMETTES)
The history of sex-difference research is rife with innumeracy [and] misinterpretation… Rippon, a leading voice against the bad neuroscience of sex difference, uncovers so many examples in this ambitious book that she uses a whack-a-mole metaphor to evoke the eternal cycle… a juicy history… [and] the book accomplishes its goal of debunking the concept of a gendered brain (Lise Eliot)
Rippon…takes a scalpel to the research surrounding sex differences in the brain with precision and humour, exposing everything… [The] examples are what makes The Gendered Brain so enjoyable… [and] enlightening (Sue Nelson)
Rippon… [writes] in a cheerful, no-nonsense style, she draws on a dizzying array of studies to conclude, rather thrillingly, that the premise underpinning over 150 years of scientific endeavour is plan wrong… a convincing case (Charlie McCann)
All stars
Most relevant
Fantastic book and a great listen during commutes and house tasks! Further inquiry would probably require a second reading, though, and I have heard that much more information (that critics claim to often go against Rippon's arguments) is given in the form of footnotes. I do not believe this version narrates the footnotes at all, which is a shame. Hence 4/5 for performance.

The "story" - or, rather, the argument - is compelling, but it would benefit from discussing opposing literature in a more neutral tone. Rippon frequently dives into critique too soon and gives no space for entertaining differing viewpoints to data. She also uses the argument of brain plasticity to explain away any differences found between male and female brains, even though I do not recall her ever overviewing the key literature relating to it. Hence the mentions of plasticity feel somewhat flat; Rippon does not give room for the reader to decide for themselves whether they are convinced by plasticity is being a valid explanation or not. I also wish Rippon had touched on the topic of brains in transgender and gender non-conforming identities, but I suppose in the current political climate it was the right choice to tread carefully.

Overall, the book is a very good starting point to the topic. Listening to this book has certainly made me interested in looking further into the difference, or lack thereof, between male, female, and sex/gender non-conforming brains.

An in-depth look at the gendered biology of brains

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Found myself exclaiming out loud through out this book. Have already recommended it to others.

Loved it!

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At times it got technically tedious, but that is necessary to prove a point and direct to the appropriate research. At times it got a tad bafflingly funny but that is needed to be inside enough to the joke. At times it got you the much needed “a-ha!”moment. An always it keeps the steady, structured, solid build of a scientific, if popular, stance of a worthy brain science book. Well done!

Great continuity from Cordelia Fine’s books

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Reveals implicit biases in the field of neurological research. Overturns loads of pernicious gender myths.

Excellent writing and analysis!

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Contains recentbrain science research information. Debunks most myths about correlation of sex with ability, brain features, preferences.

Thought provoking and informative

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