Title: The Better Half
Author: Sharon Moalem
Publisher: Penguin Books UK
Synopsis:
Here are some facts: Women live longer than men. They have stronger immune systems. They’re better at fighting cancer and surviving famine, and even see the world in a wider variety of colours. 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, Dr Sharon Moalem set out to understand why men are consistently less likely than women to thrive. The answer, he reveals, lies in our genetics: the female’s double XX chromosomes offer a powerful survival advantage.
Moalem explains why genetic females triumph over males when it comes to resilience, intellect, stamina, immunity and much more. And he calls for a long-overdue reconsideration of our male-centric, one-size-fits-all view of the body and even of how we prescribe medications – 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.
My Review
The Better Half has some really interesting facts and information in it – the kind I found myself repeating to friends whenever I spoke to them. However I struggled to continue reading past around the half way point. I think I just found it a little repetitive and the stories and anecdotes that accompany many of the facts didn’t grab my attention.
It’s definitely got some interesting information and it provoked a lot of thought in me as I read it, but it’s also a book I found myself impatient to get through at other times, because some parts felt a little long for me. It might just not have been what I fancied reading more of at that moment, so it’s a book I think I will return to at another time and see if the rest grabs my attention better at that point, as like I said the first third or so was very interesting!