The Better Half

On the Genetic Superiority of Women

Sharon Dr Moalem author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Penguin Books Ltd

Published:25th Mar '21

£10.99

Available to order, but very limited on stock - if we have issues obtaining a copy, we will let you know.

This paperback is available in another edition too:

The Better Half cover

An award-winning physician and scientist makes the game-changing case that genetic females are stronger than males at every stage of life

'A powerful antidote to the myth of a "weaker sex"' Gina Rippon, author of The Gendered Brain

From birth, genetic females are better at fighting viruses, infections and cancer. They do better at surviving epidemics and famines. They live longer, and even see the world in a wider variety of colours. These are the facts; they are simply stronger than men at every stage of life. Why? And why are we taught the opposite?

Drawing on his wide-ranging experience and cutting-edge research as a medic, geneticist and specialist in rare diseases, Dr Sharon Moalem reveals how the answer lies in our genetics: the female's double XX chromosomes offer a powerful survival advantage. And he calls for a long-overdue reconsideration of our one-size-fits-all view of the body and medicine - a view that still frames women through the lens of men. Revolutionary, captivating and utterly persuasive, The Better Half will make you see women, men and the survival of our species anew.

'Brilliant, original and groundbreaking, highly readable and genuinely useful' Daily Mail

Let's hear it for the X-chromosome! After decades, if not centuries, of bad press for women and their vulnerable biology, The Better Half gives chapter and verse to show that 'almost everything that is biologically difficult to do in life is done better by females'. An eye- and mind-opening celebration of the reserve genetic horsepower that having two X-chromosomes can bestow, The Better Half is a powerful antidote to the myth of a 'weaker sex'. * Gina Rippon, author of The Gendered Brain and Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Neuroimaging at Aston University, Birmingham *
Moalem's essential thesis is valid and important, and deserves attention both within the scientific community and beyond. This is a readable and lively book, making an argument long overdue * The Irish Independent *
Although Dr. Moalem had me at the subtitle, I tore through this fascinating, eye-opening book in one sitting. Provocative, crackling with wit and insight, THE BETTER HALF argues that science has shortchanged women in all levels of research and convincingly reveals that the true differences between men and women come down to longevity, intellect, resilience, and immunity to disease. Now it all makes sense why 95 percent of people who have reached the age of 110 are women. -- Jancee Dunn * New York Times bestselling author of 'How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids' *
A mind-opening celebration of women -- Kate Garraway, broadcaster and journalist
This book provides the crucial scientific reasoning behind why it is essential to include males and females, both in people and animals, in order to get accurate results in medical research. * Temple Grandin, New York Times bestselling author of 'The Autistic Brain' and 'Thinking in Pictures' *
A compelling argument for the resilience seen in women. But the real genius is the poetic justice he metes out by highlighting the brilliant women who remain unsung heroes in these discoveries. -- William J. Sullivan * Showalter Professor at Indiana University School of Medicine and author of 'Pleased to Meet Me' *
The Better Half explores the genetic differences between males and females in a way that is both original and scientifically compelling. This book provides a great read, and lots to think about, for specialists and the public alike. -- Han G. Brunner, MD, PhD, Professor of Human Genetics at Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, and Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands.
Moalem brings deep, yet highly-readable, scientific analysis to the perennial question of what makes men and women different. Ideally, this book will re-set that conversation in research labs, doctors' offices, classrooms, and dinner tables around the world." -- E. Kinney Zalesne, New York Times bestselling collaborator on 'Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes'

ISBN: 9780241396896

Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 17mm

Weight: 213g

288 pages