The Female Brain

By: Louann Brizendine M.D.

Narrated by: Louann Brizendine M.D.

Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Why are women more verbal than men? Why do women remember details of fights that men can't remember at all? Why do women tend to form deeper bonds with their female friends than men do with their male counterparts? These and other questions have stumped both sexes throughout the ages.

Now, pioneering neuropsychiatrist Louann Brizendine, M.D., brings together the latest findings to show how the unique structure of the female brain determines how women think, what they value, how they communicate, and who they love.

While doing research as a medical student at Yale, and then as a resident and faculty member at Harvard, Louann Brizendine discovered that almost all of the clinical data in existence on neurology, psychology, and neurobiology focused exclusively on males. In response to the overwhelming need for information on the female mind, Brizendine established the first clinic in the country to study and treat women's brain function.

In The Female Brain, Dr. Brizendine distills all of her findings and the latest information from the scientific community in a highly accessible book that educates women about their unique brain/body/behavior.

The result: women will come away from this audiobook knowing that they have a lean, mean, communicating machine. Men will develop a serious case of brain envy.

©2006 Louann Brizendine, M.D. (P)2007 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[The book] offers a trove of information, as well as some stunning insights. Though referenced like a work of research, Brizedine's writing style is fully accessible....While this book will be of interest to anyone who wonders why men and women are so different, it will be particularly useful for women and parents of girls." ( Publishers Weekly)

Insightful but overly generalizing and simplified.

I think that a lot of young women, and parents with daughters may find this title particularly rewarding in their understanding of the fairer sex - assuming the woman inspiring this search is a typical female.

As a male someone who’s previously hyper informed himself about about much of the subject matter on which this book rests it’s assumptions i must say that when it comes to Ms. Brizendine’s anecdotal filler between presented facts and in many places her presentation of the meaning of said facts she’s quite presumptive, reductive and has a less than subtle personal belief structure that she has super imposed over the stats studies and quotes she alludes to. Her reduction of the male sex to a trite alpha stereo type is a bit disheartening and disregards so much of the variability in nature - the same is true on females though thankfully being the subject of her book she occasionally gives some words in explanation of various flavors of those who don’t fit the mold.

Overall pretty good though i think for your average folk trying to piece together a working understanding of the hows whats and whys’s that so heavily direct the general range of female reality. Worth the time probably, but don’t give her the last word in developing your understanding on this topic maybe.

loved it

I really enjoyed this book. The narration i found very easy to listen to and i enjoyed her rather calm voice. The book itself is really interesting and gives good and useful informations on the topic.

So eye opening. science prevails once again

she uses science to explain the female brain and gives plenty of applicable scenarios.

Well done!

This book does a really great job of explaining how women respond act and feel.
I enjoyed listening to the science-based information as well as the interaction with her clients. And I learned a lot about men and women coexisting having different brains. Nice book I really enjoyed it!

It is hard to be a woman

From this book, I learned that we bond more deeply to men through oxytocin. This makes being a woman going through a breakup, because we fall in love through good times and it is hard to let go of all that we have built. The author reinforces that women need social bonds, out of an intuitive desire to survive. On the other hand, she says that men, starting from babyhood, show sings of prioritizing moving things over people’s faces. The idea is that men are more captivated by problem-solving than people and social life. There are more stories in the book, but I just emphasized these ideas. I already kind of understood the differences between men and women based on 20+ years of being in society, so I don’t think I learned all that much, but I liked that the concepts were brought to my attention in this book. I enjoyed listening on a 1.5x speed.

Everyone should know how female brains work

Everyone should read this book to understand both how the female brain works and the male brain works. This book is the like the owner's manual for women in telling them what they can expect in life.

WHY IS SHE WISPERING?!!!

Im trying to learn but it feels like she is actively trying to put me to sleep!!!

Awesome, enlightening, lovely narration!

The scientific analysis of what drives a woman to be and function as she does is so enlightening. The narration by the author is so smooth and pleasant. Next up: The Male Brain!

Science over Political Correctness

I enjoyed Dr. Brizendine's scientific approach to sensitive matters. Her extensive personal clinical research was informative and relatable. I look forward to reading her next book The Upgrade and all the new scientific advances on the subject since 2006.

Why do women and men think differently?

I am a 41-year-old woman and I found this book useful, but I get it confused with The Male Brain, by the same author. Both books discuss both genders. I look forward to reading the future The Transsexual Brain, The Gay Man's Brain, etc.... I am very much looking forward to how menopause will affect my mind. It is interesting how estrogen and testosterone affect both male and female brains. Interestingly, the woman Temple Grandin seems to have more of a male brain than a female brain, even though she probably had female hormones and menstruation.