Customer Reviews

Male, Female: The Evolution of Human Sex Differences

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Ever wonder why older men are considered attractive (like Harrison Ford and Sean Connery, but rarely older women?

Is beauty in the eye of the beholder when it comes to physical attraction in dating, or is beauty something we can all agree upon?

Why are males more physically aggresive than females? Why are women more involved with the caretaking of children than men?

Is there evidence that gender differences emerge before socialization can occur such as in infancy?

Dr. Geary attempts to explain gender differences from an evolutionary framework by integrating compelling evidence from many social fields such as anthropology, psychology, and sociobiology. Unlike the watered down "Mars and Venus" books, this book is scholarly and offers scientific evidence to support the claims. A must read for any serious student or scholar of the social sciences.

This an extremely comprehensive book. With a bibliography bigger than some books, no one can say that Mr. Geary hasn't done his homework. His ability to distill a vast amount of information into a comprehensible, concise and compelling theory of the reasons for gender differences is remarkable. His writing style, although academicly oriented, is very readable. No words are wasted, and no thoughts are half-baked. Agree with him or not, his arguments are well concieved and well documented. A virtual one stop shop for all the documented differences between the sexes. A great book.

I wasn't sure at first, but after reading this book I was convinced that human sex differences are related to sexual selection. In all, this was the most interesting and thoughtful book that I have ever read on sex differences.

When it comes to human beings, the differences between males and females is not restricted to just their biological 'plumbing'. All of us have observed gender differences and distinctions with respect to emotional maturation, communication, problem solving predilections, and more. Even when taking into account culturally imposed gender roles and expectations, there is an underlying difference in how males and females perceive and interact with the world and people around them. Now in a significantly updated and expanded second edition, "Male, Female: The Evolution of Human Sex Differences" by David C. Geary (Curators' Profess and Thomas Jefferson Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri) provides a comprehensive introduction to the biological basis for gender-based differences between males and females and the biological basis of natural selection and sexual selection upon which this evolution is founded. Of special note are the chapters addressing the germane issues as sex differences in infancy and in social development. Enhanced with extensive reference citations and a comprehensive index, "Male, Female: The Evolution of Human Sex Differences" is an accessible and thoroughly 'reader friendly' text, making it very highly recommended for both academic and community Human Sexuality and Psychology reference collections.

Professor Geary uses Darwin's theory of sexual selection to organize and explain a vast empirical literature on behavioral differences between males and females. He cites over 1,500 studies. This is an impressive synthesis.

Professor Geary provides the most thorough discussion and explanation of gender differences I have ever read. His descriptions make sense in terms of my personal experiences and his theory and explanations are compelling. This is a must read for anyone who wants to really understand gender differences.

I say 'magisterial' because the book draws authoritatively on a vast amount of prior research for its conclusions. Though not a textbook, it could be used as one. The author approaches the key questions with regard to human sex differences posed by contemporary psychologists and summarizes the relevant research (all of the relevant research, it seems). Rich in references, the book is not ponderous or unwieldy. It neatly summarizes its conclusions and lays out all of the evidence for those conclusions. It is also scrupulously honest with regard to scientific consensus. It does not overstate its own claims or lean exclusively on those studies which validate its conclusions. The author gives the reader a clear and explicit sense of the degree of consensus, issue by issue. Its strengths are its lucidity, its completeness and its fairness.

Personal disclaimer: the author is a friend and colleague. I would not review the book if it argued for a narrow or highly controversial point of view. Its value is in its thoroughness and openness to multiple views. It was useful to me as a non-psychologist. I wanted a sense of the state-of-the-art knowledge regarding sex differences and this book provided just that.

Taking a strictly evolutionary approach to sex differences this book offers a great summary to date (1998) with adequate references to a whole host of research. It takes this information and offers a summary chapter regarding sex differences in modern society that makes great use of the updated information and research to describe basic sex differences in social, cognitive, and interpersonal relationships today. This book is a good source for current information.

This is a classic and contemporary book about human behavior in an evolutionary approach. The sex differences is a interesting sobject and this book is a helpful guide to facilitate functional discussion and can be used by students as well. Thanks Geary.

Depending on why you want this book will depend on its usefulness. If your writing an essay to show that men and women are different based on evolutionary approaches then this is your book. It might be worth pointing out I would consider it up there with claims that blacks have a lower I.Q than whites. Most of the studies cited and approaches used have all been questioned scientifically in the past, there is reasonable doubt for me at least that this book contains any truth and merely moulds societies present gender structure views in a way that is hard to disprove, something any first year Psych student will know is true of socio-biology and evolution theories.