Testosterone Rex

Myths of Sex, Science, and Society

By: Cordelia Fine

Narrated by: Cat Gould

Many people believe that, at its core, biological sex is a fundamental, diverging force in our development. According to this familiar story, differences between the sexes are shaped by past evolutionary pressures - women are more cautious and parenting-focused, men seek status to attract more mates - re-created in each generation by sex hormones and male and female brains. This, in turn, is the basis of supposedly entrenched inequalities in our modern societies.

But in this entertaining and rigorous exploration of the latest research, Cordelia Fine draws on evolutionary science, psychology, neuroscience, endocrinology, and philosophy to reveal a much more dynamic situation. Testosterone, for instance, is not the potent hormonal essence of masculinity, and received wisdoms about differences between the sexes, from toy preferences to financial risk taking, are turned on their heads. Moving beyond the old "nature" versus "nurture" debates, Testosterone Rex reinvigorates hope and determination for a more equal future.

©2017 Cordelia Fine (P)2017 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ground Breaking research wryly written

Articulate and funny and provocative research into gender science, fascinating and should affect Policy makers. Well read.

Recommended

An interesting read. A bit obvious as someone who probably knows more on this subject than most. The information was well told and thorough. Lots more questions raised than answered, but with a subject like this that’s not surprising. Overall it was good.

Very interesting book and excellent narration

Great book filled with interesting details, insights and analysis. The writing is complicated in some ways, with a lot of citations and explanations of scientific data. Gould's narration was fantastic at keeping me totally immersed and interested. I look forward to reading more from Fine and seeking out more from this narrator.

A cure for the delusion that gender is simple

Neuroendocrinology is complicated as all hell, yet we have a profound social tendency to speak in reductive absolutes about the differences between males and females (both within our own species, and generally across the animal kingdom). This book doesn't seek to deny those regularities that do exist (at least within specific species), but instead explores areas of biology and behavioural science that most laypeople never hear of, to inject some much needed nuance into discussions of sex differences, and make us more aware of the biases that help sustain oversimplified and reductionist views on the topic.
A must read (or listen) for anyone who professes to approach sex and gender from a scientific perspective.

Men and women are both from earth.

Terrific attack on dogmas of sex evolution. It should challenge some who fall into or build up edifices of over simplification. It may make enemies in all the right places. But study and think about the evidence in this book.