The Male Brain

by Louann Brizendine

From the author of the groundbreaking, international bestseller The Female Brain comes this eagerly awaited follow-up.

Did you know that the male brain...

·is a lean, mean problem-solving machine that uses analytical brain structures, not emotional ones, to find solutions

·thrives under competition, instinctively plays rough, and is obsessed with rank and hierarchy

·has an area for sexual pursuit that is 2.5 times larger than that of the female brain, consuming him with sexual fantasies about female body parts

As Dr Louann Brizendine's impeccably researched, irresistible guide follows the male brain from infancy to adulthood, it unlocks many secrets and offers fascinating insights into a range of subjects, including emotional intimacy, anger, agression, and winning. It also answers many baffling questions and exposes the often shocking gulf that exists between the sexes.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Science, Neuroscience, Brain, Relationships, Health

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 8, 2009

About the author

Louann Brizendine, M.D. is a practicing clinician, best-selling author, public speaker and media commentator who specializes in the relationship dynamics that result from the neurobiology of male and female brains.

She completed her degree in Neurobiology at UC Berkeley, graduated from Yale School of Medicine and did her internship and residency at Harvard Medical School. She has also served on both the faculties of Harvard University and University of California at San Francisco. Now at UCSF, Dr. Brizendine pursues active clinical, teaching, writing and research activities, where she founded the Women’s Mood and Hormone Clinic in 1994 and continues to serve as the clnic’s director. Her first book, “The Female Brain,” is being translated into 26 languages and its follow-up, “The Male Brain,” is out now!

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sometimes half the truth is worse than a lie.

JDN 2456343 EDT 15:53

A review of The Male Brain by Louann Brizendine.

As soon as I saw that the birthday gift I had opened was a book called The Male Brain, I was worried it would distort science in the service of gender stereotypes.

It turned out to not be quite as bad as I feared, but it does have a lot of the flaws I expected. One of the most ubiquitous is a tendency that seems subtle at first, but turns out to be quite insidious in its effect: This is her tendency to shorthand "Studies show that to men are more likely to X" as simply "men X".
Occasionally she does it right, offering the necessary hedges such as "boys more often than girls will go behind their parents' backs to take risks and break rules" (p.15) and "In cultures around the world there is a lot of variability among fathers" (p.81); but much more commonly she omits the "more often" and the "usually" and the "statistically" and just says things like, "boys tease and reject other boys who like girls' games and toys" (p.19), "boys can't understand why girls like to talk and text so much or why they need to share every minute detail" (p.41), and "sex doesn't always lead to love, but for the male brain, it is a necessary part of getting there" (p.62).
Compounding this error, she also ignores the variation within each sex, and makes generalizations that apply only to neurotypical, extroverted, non-sensitive heterosexual cisgender men (since the topic is gender, I can forgive the cisgender and maybe the heterosexual, but the rest?). For instance, she asserts things like "Research shows that it takes extraordinarily intense sensations to activate the reward centers of the teen boy brain, and homework just doesn't do it" (p.35) and "The amount of stimulation it takes to make an adult cringe will barely get a rise out of a teen boy" (p.37). Well, that might be true for non-sensitive boys, but it is certainly not true--not even remotely close to true--for sensitive boys.
Indeed, about half of what she said was true about "the male brain" simply wasn't true of me; "Men accuse women of being too emotional and women accuse men of not being emotional enough" (p.95) rang particularly hollow, as one of my most painful failed relationships came from precisely the opposite dynamic.
I realize that I am hardly a typical man; I am intellectual, autistotypic, introverted, sensitive, and bisexual; I am unusually high in IQ, emotion, and empathy; but as I was reading I came to realize that there's something wrong with this whole search for "typical men" in the first place. Suppose we did find this elusive creature, who actually fits every stereotype, aligns with every statistical trend; where is he? And suppose such men exist; they must be pretty rare, right? It is in that sense perfectly normal to be atypical. (The statistics are pretty mind-blowing for most people: If there are 10 traits, each of which 90% of people have, the odds of having all of them are only 35%. If there are 20 traits, the odds drop to 12%. Of course, that's assuming they are all independent; but even with realistic correlations, it's easy to have a set of traits for which the majority has each of them but only a minority has all of them.)
As a result, the book creates a false sense that men and women are categorically different: men are aggressive, women passive; men are stoic, women emotional; men are competitive, women conciliatory; and so on, all down a long list of stereotypes. Brizandine does do a good job of citing her sources; as far as I can tell, all the trends she cites are indeed statistically valid trends. But they are just that, trends, and in some cases the effect size is actually quite weak. A study will find a 4% difference, which might even be significant only due to publication bias, and then it gets repeated and embellished slightly several times, on down the line until in books like this it's made to sound like a vast chasm. (A few actually are vast chasms, like the 20-fold difference in testosterone production. Men are about 8±2 mg/d, women 0.4±0.1 mg/d. Even using the larger male standard deviation, that's a 4-sigma difference.)
Also, the book is highly reductionistic, which I suppose is typical for neuroscience. In its worst example, it explicates romantic attraction as if it were basically just a matter of lining up pheromones and seeing what matches; it takes complex human interactions and tries to reduce them to simple chemistry. I wouldn't be surprised if pheromones have something to do with it (in fact even this has not been conclusively shown), but there is clearly a lot more to it than that. (Honestly, if it were that simple, you could get anyone you want to sleep with you by spraying the right pheromones.)
Part of it might be that we assign so much significance to being the proper gender. If it were not an insult to be seen as "less of a man", but merely a simple statement of personality, like "less introverted", then perhaps we could characterize masculinity in some quantitative way and then say that some people are more or less masculine. Maybe ultimately this is what we should aim for? But for now, it feels deeply unsettling to be told that because I don't like sports, have intense emotions, and am sensitive to loud noises, this means that my brain is not truly a "male brain". What is it then? Last I checked I have a penis.
Brizendine claims that her goal is to encourage compassion and understanding between men and women, but in fact I think her book is more likely to have the opposite effect. Compassion derives from understanding individuality and accepting diversity, not shoehorning people into rigid categories. The Male Brain gives sexism an air of scientific respectability. As such, even though most of what it says is based on sound science, the presentation makes the book very dangerous indeed.

[David Rubenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book started out slow, it got better as the author went through the stages of male brain development. And I learned something from this book. In the section on middle-aged married life, a couple went for marriage counseling. The wife recently got a promotion to a higher-paid, higher-stress position. She ranted at her husband about the problems she was having at work. When the husband tried to logically solve her problems, the wife claimed that he wasn't even listening to her. She wanted him to listen and give emotional support. However, he tried giving her well-intentioned advice to solve her problems. She would have none of that. I suddenly realized that this was very reminiscent of my life, and the relationship to my wife.

I recommend this book to both men and women. It gives very well thought-out discussions about the differences between male and female brains. It rings very true to me.

I didn't read this book--I listened to an audiobook version. Unfortunately, I think that the version I listened to was abridged. I would have preferred to listen to a full version. Oh well.

[Frahmani110 · Rating 5 out of 5]

بعد از خوندن این کتاب فهمیدم تمام رفتارهای آقایون اطرافم، که بعضا تصور میکردم از عمد بعضی رفتارها رو برای آزار دادن دیگران یا از روی بیتفاوتی انجام میدهند، فقط بخاطر مداربندی متفاوت مغزشون هست
با خوندن این کتاب میتونید از پشت عینکی مردانه، به دنیا نگاه کنید و درک کنید که چقدر ممکنه ادراک زنان و مردان از جهان اطرافشون متفاوت باشه

[Brandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book to try to better understand my dad, my husband, my largely male coworkers and to a lesser extent my son.
The book was awful. It didn't help and I wish I hadn't read it. If men are truly this weak willed and hormone ruled, I want to switch teams and join the lesbians. Insulting to every intelligent, self controlled male I know.

[Morgan Blackledge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see that a lot of people, some of whom I have high regard for did not particularly care for this book. I have to break with the pack on this one and come out as a fan.

I completely understand the criticism. Especially some of the reviews that took issue with the fact that the book offers a narrow, cartoonish stereotype of heterosexual male behavior.

I get it. I totally do.

And I agree.

But I have to admit, I laughed out loud a bunch of times while listening to this thing (I have the audio version and I probably would have felt differently if I had committed the energy to reading it, but it was kind of a perfect listen).

I'd say far from excluding gay and gender nonconforming men. The book opens a market for another, equally fascinating book on the neurological substrates (no pun intended) of queerness.

Anyway.

Given that the book "is what it is", I have to say that I heartily enjoyed it and would recommend it.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audio book enlightened me and made me wish I'd read it before I got married or even once I started dating. I've heard parts of "Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus," but I like this book better because it deals with the scientific, biological differences rather than gender stereotypes.
I thought the study based in Utah about men's blood pressure actually going down from warm touch was interesting. It helped me to understand why sex is such a need for men. They are hardwired to need it just as much as food.
Also, I found out that if I were a lizard, I'd want to partner with a blue-throat lizard - the one who is true to his mate. (The orange-throat lizard forms a harem for mating and the yellow-throat lizards sneak in to mate with different female lizards.) You want a spouse who is true blue!
I plan on listening to "The Female Brain" with my husband.

[Maher Razouk · Rating 5 out of 5]

إذا تمكنت امرأة من رؤية العالم من خلال "نظارات ذكورية" ، فإنها ستندهش من مدى اختلاف الأمور . عندما يبلغ الصبي سن البلوغ ويتغير جسده وصوته ، تتغير أيضًا تعابير وجهه ، وكذلك الطريقة التي يدرك بها تعابير وجه الآخرين. يمكننا إلقاء اللوم على هرموناته. الهدف الرئيسي للهرمون هو توجيه سلوكيات جديدة من خلال تعديل تصورات الدماغ. إن هرمون التستوستيرون والفازوبريسين هما اللذان يغيران من إحساس المراهق بالواقع. بطريقة مماثلة ، يغير الإستروجين والأوكسيتوسين الطريقة التي تنظر بها الفتيات المراهقات إلى الواقع. إن التغييرات الهرمونية في الإدراك لدى الفتيات تحفز عقولهن على الروابط والعلاقات العاطفية ، في حين أن هرمونات الأولاد تهيئهن للسلوكيات العدوانية والإقليمية. عندما يصل إلى مرحلة الرجولة ، ستساعده هذه السلوكيات في الدفاع عن أحبائه وحمايتهم .
.
Louann Brizendine
The Male Brain
Translated by #Maher_Razouk

[Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can believe that men are hardwired to look at bazooms. But I dont buy her biological determinism. You can make a strong case for it in most of the animal kingdom but it seems such a small motive in humans. If its all about spreading your DNA, what about the lack of DNA spreading among queers? kiddie twiddlers? anyone who uses contraception? the celibate? the infertile? aged women? attraction to women who dont show obvious signs of supposed fertility? That thinking drives me nuts. Perhaps she would say that our desire for sex, although restrained or amplified or deviant, is still, at its core, a desire to spread our DNA. And we have then taken that natural push that everyone has to procreate, and by cultural means or whatever, have turned sex into something else. But that we are still being driven by our primate brain to spread our DNA, it's just that the mind is too stupid(?), or the hormones too powerful(?), to realize that in so many cases, the attempt is futile. Anyways, nice try, but jeepers, step back a few paces. I want to read the best book that uses an interdisciplinary approach to understanding men, written by the best mind, preferably in comic book form. All these words make my head hurt.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not quite as eye-opening or as comprehensive as the author's previous book ("The Female Brain"). Some notes:

- At 7 months, boys can detect anger from their mother's face; at 12 months they have the ability to ignore that.
- Boys often squirm while learning and doing calculations. In one study, girls did calculations better if they physically moved while doing calculations.
- Male prairie voles are monogamous, but not montane voles. Is there a monogamy gene?
- Men know if they're sexually attracted to a woman in 1/5 second.
- Men's testosterine goes down when their mate is pregnant.
- For problems: Males tend to want to 'fix it fast'; women want empathy.
- Males remember facts, females remember facts and how they were feeling.
- Touching increases release of oxytocin

[Lacey Louwagie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of what I said for The Female Brain holds true for this one, too. Incredibly readable and consistently fascinating. There were times when I wanted Louann to go into more depth, but I read some of the notes in the back, which helped a bit with my thirst for more info. And this book gave me some insight into working with adolescent boys that I was hoping to get (and didn't) at a workshop last month, so I was glad to have that gap filled in. Also like The Female Brain, the sweeping generalizations had to be taken with a grain of salt, but I do appreciate Louann's hope that these books will lead to more compassion between the sexes, as well as for oneself. It was also interesting to find myself relating to certain ways in which "the male brain" behaves, to be thinking, "I know what that's like!" It was reassuring that, even in a book primarily about the "differences" between the sexes, there were places that were supremely relatable.

I do wish that both "brain" books would have spent more time examining exceptions: what about men who don't express their anger often or don't make sex the priority in establishing a romantic relationship? What about women who don't see maintaining relationships as the most important goal of their lives? It does seem like Dr. Brizendine picks the examples that best illustrate her points or the stereotypes, when there are undoubtedly lots of counter-examples out there.

But ultimately, the Male Brain/The Female Brain are both good starting points for understanding both your own and the opposite sex. But they're no replacement for actually talking to one another and getting to know each person, male or female, as an individual.

[Allison Riding Larsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second time reading through bc things simply don't make sense lol

[Jonathan Karmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book. In the epilogue, the author states that she believes this book "can provide men with a sense of relief at finally being understood." I did feel that way after reading this book. It was great to read a book about male behavior that was entirely positive (philosophically), as opposed to what I find to be much more common these days: a bunch of normative claims that men and boys should be different from how they actually are.

This book is extremely well-written. There's a map of the brain, a short glossary of the most important hormones, a chart laying out the different phases of a man's life, a short, clear introduction, seven concise, short, well-organized, very easy-to-read chapters describing the stages of a man's life in chronological order, and a very short epilogue and appendix at the end. For my male brain, the organization made perfect sense, and I was easily able to sit down and read the entire book through in a couple of sittings. It is great to read a book that is 135 pages followed by another 135 pages of notes, references and index, instead of the more typical book that rambles on for 300 pages and doesn't say much of anything. I wish all non-fiction books were this well-written.

This book describes what men are typically like at different stages of life and details how specific hormones affect men's brains to make them that way. As I was reading this, I reflected on my own behavior and imagined my body producing these different chemicals to make me feel and do these different things. But of course not all men are exactly the same, so I also wondered if perhaps I produce a little more of some of these hormones and a little less of others to create the variation of a man that I actually am.

For example, testosterone makes some men angry and violent. This book describes an act of road rage and an explanation for it. Our culture is full of depictions of violence and actual violence. Perhaps I have somehow repressed this, but I don't think that I have or have ever had any persistent thought about or desire to carry out acts of violence. Nor do I find it entertaining to watch other people do violent things. Acts of violence and aggression are actually just kind of a mystery to me. So does that mean I have less testosterone or a different kind, or it affects me in a different way?

On the other hand, I wonder if I feel the effects of dopamine and oxytocin more than other men. This book describes how these hormones make men feel good (huge simplification there). To me, these seemed like the kinds of feelings that make me feel so good that my life is kind of oriented around an addiction-like craving to activate these hormones. So does that mean these hormones affect me in an atypical way?

I had never heard the term "andropause," so I was interested to learn that there was such a thing (male analogue to menopause). After reading this, I would definitely like to read The Female Brain by the same author.

[Sanar Othman · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first I thought it is a good book and I knew a lot of basic stuff about our “male” brain but as I continued on reading it, it’s basically everything what we usually see from “aggressive, sexism and arrogant male” and I’m completely disagree and disappointed at this book because it doesn’t get you to deep down to what we should know about “male brain” .
As a “male” I don’t think this is the right book for those who seek to know other genders chemical hormone structure of male brain.
And other thing about it is that as she ( the writer; Louann Brizendine ) says her book is supported by latest neurobiological evidences, but science is always uncertain and all those flaws or let’s say things that this book hasn’t mentioned might be in the process to be known by scientists, because there a lot of things about brain of Male which is already happening to me but hadn’t been mentioned in this book, nevertheless I learned some new things, it’s a book and books aren’t worthless at any level.
I hope someday we could discover those structures and neurological process of our brain which can’t be known right now.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the book very eye opening and enlightening, it was even more fun to read it with my husband, Nick! The book was great in explaining the many hormones that "rule" the male brain and the different stages a man's brain goes through. It was fascinating to learn how much the brain changes throughout a lifetime and how it is constantly changing, growing and learning through a persons entire life.
What I did not enjoy about the book was that it felt like an incomplete sentence. There was great amounts of explanation, but no follow-through. For example, on the issue of "male narcolepsy after sex". Brizendine explains why it occurs, the hormones involved and the processes in the brain; however, she does not provide any suggestions for how a wife can help her husband with this situation or what a man can do as well. It's like sitting in a counseling session where you get all the rationale, but no solutions.
I still feel this is a great book and very eye opening - just be nice to have a follow-up!!

[Erica Newcomb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't read this. Just take a psychology course or something.

I actually read this a while ago since it was given to me as a gift. They clearly did not read the book beforehand and likely chose the book because of its clickbait title. Although I dont need a book to tell me about "the male brain," I decided to give it a shot. If I could give this negative stars I would. I was surprised this book had good reviews. It seems the author found research to back her narrow view of men. The book is extremely heteronormative and is a good example of why toxic masculinity exists in our culture. I'm embarrassed to even own this.

[vinnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

the most fascinating nonfiction book i’ve read yet!! i know that this author also has a book on the female brain which i am ABSOLUTELY checking out asap. picked up this book in an attempt to try to understand my father and why he is the way he is towards me and my mom but remembered that men are. so simple seeming yet so complex. i gained a ton of insight on teenage boys and why they act the way they act unprovoked. shocking, i know. super amazing!! really accesible too it was really easy to read but explained every concept thoroughly

[Andreea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a sum of scientific studies in regards to the psychoneuroendocrinological development of the male brain. From the female perspective: a book full of "a-ha! moments". Having research facts intertwined with simple story lines, the author managed to portray the big differences in the emotional and physiological realities of men and women. This book is easy to read, would have read even more if possible. Biology and psychology at its best. Lovely!

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author of The Female Brain writes the other side, The Male Brain. Lots of people commented to her during the writing of this book, "that'll be a short book!" It is also said that "there won't be much to tell." She does a wonderful job of proving all those critics wrong. I like how in her research and counseling she tries to bridge the gap of understanding with males vs. females and gives them hope and knowledge about what does really make the other sex tick. This was her aim. She mentioned at the close of this book that she feels there are many misconceived notions about males, and she would like to be a person that helps those notions fall by the wayside.

Most interesting thing I learned: A boy of the age of 8 has about one cup of Testosterone circulating in his blood a day, by the time he is 15 it is two gallons a day. That. Explains. A. Lot. Note: It does level off some when puberty is completed. ;) It even gives the scientific reason boys feet smell so bad! YEEK!

Recommended for all females that get frustrated with the males in their life. Worth the 130 pages. :) There are also over 130 pages of references, this lady did her work!

[Princessjay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very easy to read, but based on very shaky grounds. A thin layer of scientific-sounding terms laid over an age old idea of sexual/gender essentialism.

Mentions that much of our behavior/beliefs/tendencies are affected by society and culture; mentions that men and women are more similar than different--then throws these out the window as she proceeds to detail all the ways men are fundamentally a different creature from women.

While there are surely some biological/neurological differences between the sexes, it's not a well-established conclusion as she implies. For example, many of these cited studies are based tests done to a dozen men and women, mostly students in Western colleges (the dark side to many a psychological paper). Such results are interesting and thought-provoking, but difficult to generalize. And some other studies she cites are generalized from animal (gold fish!) gender observation studies. I think we are pretty different creatures compared to gold fish..

Set aside.

[Miri Niedrauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's ALWAYS a good sign when a book of this type includes a reference section of comparable length to the book itself.

The Male Brain steps through the stages of a "typical" man's life and examines the dominant hormones and biological tendencies at each stage.

Unlike most writings on the differences between men and women, this book does a fairly good job of avoiding insulting stereotypes and instead conducts a scientific analysis of these tendencies.

Sometimes the real world examples are a bit over-stereotyped and cringe-worthy, but overall this is an excellent read.

[R B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the way Dr. Louann Brizendine chose to present this book. It’s like a novel and a scientific book combined together.
If I were a male I would ask every women in my life to read it because it makes LOTS of sense and explains the “robotic behavior” that many men are accused of lol
Highly recommend along with Brizendine’s other book, “female brain”.

[عدنان عوض · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

My impression about this book is similar to the author’s previous book “The Female Brain”. However, from my belief that we should know our biology in order to understand our behaviour, before -or at least- give biology as much importance as culture; Both are a must read books for both sexes whatever their age/social stage they are in.

[Perri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this as much, if not more, than the Female Brain, since it helped clear up some confusion;) Both books easy reads and even lacking scientific rigor, I think everyone could learn something by reading.

[Jeff Colston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I resonate with some of this, but I also feel like so much of it was just promoting male stereotypes that I don’t connect with and don’t feel are helpful. I feel like someone wouldn’t really understand me as a man better after reading this, so in light of that, I question if “The Female Brain” was really that helpful, either. I would imagine that many women don’t connect with some of the descriptions in that book, either.

So, I don’t know, I walk away similarly that I did after reading “The Female Brain.” I have some interesting takeaways, but I think it’s important to take all this with a grain of salt and definitely not assume this applies perfectly to all men.

Some quotes that did stand out to me!
“A study in Wisconsin reported that fathers feel closest to their daughters when they are doing something to help them. This holds true whether the daughter is four or forty-four. Dads bond with their daughters by helping to solve their problems and fixing things that are broken, whether it’s their dollies or their financial portfolios. Fathers also bond with their sons by helping them, but research shows that this ‘help’ often centers on making the boys stronger and tougher. Studies show that dads feel it’s their responsibility to toughen their sons up to be able to survive as a man in the real world. This sometimes leads them to inhibit displays of affection in favor or rougher handling.”

“Men remember facts and figures, but women record not only the facts, but also every detail of the emotion that they’re feeling.”

[Dima · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yikes

Edit: Let me just say what made me so uncomfortable. The lack of in-text citations, though clearly backed by psychological studies, is jarring. This is especially true when Brizendine refers to her OWN clients, describing unnecessarily intimate and personal information about their lives. She does this almost with a sense of glee? to the point where it’s no longer scientific fact, it’s just smut. If sexual circuits are as important as she makes them out to be in men, I don’t think you need to be so open about your clients in that way or use anecdotes in general really. The facts are comprehensible on their own. It all feels so stereotypical and poorly edited. The actual book itself is maybe 100 pages, with references (mostly of child studies, which is odd) left to the very end and constant reminders of what the amygdala, vasopressin, testosterone, estrogen, and oxytocin do. Whoever edited this did not care to read it over. So strange! It was so uncomfortable and strange to read.

I would like to read her other book just to see the difference in storytelling because she didn’t dig into anything here other than men are logical/rational, like to rough house and impress their male friends, and are constantly thinking about women. Surely there’s more to it. Okay I guess.

Edit #2: I think there’s also some rudimentary aspects of manhood here that I simply don’t align with. The natural tendency to stare at women? Lower your gaze! The need to be intimate right away? Not unless you’re married! The touching? No ma’am! She talks about it so casually as in to say this is biologically normal and as such is socially accepted. It shouldn’t be! Where is the discipline? Frank is a loser! Ryan is weird! The joy with which she discusses Jake’s relationships (a teenage boy by the way) is so unsettling! It’s not just their wiring, and she admits to how social norms and attitudes affect male upbringings, but it’s so weird to posit that Nick for example can’t help but give suggestions to his stressed wife. He may be biologically inclined to do so through the TPJ but it takes minuscule communication from his wife and bare bones effort from himself to show empathy. Biology is not everything, nor did she even dig into actual neuroscience. Respectfully, I really wish this written by an anthropologist rather than a neuropsychiatrist because psychologists tend to dismiss biocultural contexts so so so willingly. Wow I hated this.

[Riz · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars

[Lena Kravets · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most amazing books I had pleasure to read. If everyone knew all that.. we will be able to understand more our selfs, our mothers,fathers children ,husbands and wives. The life would have more empathy meaning and less conflicts and depressions. Highly recommended ❤️❤️

From the author of the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller The Female Brain, here is the eagerly awaited follow-up book that demystifies the puzzling male brain.

Dr. Louann Brizendine, the founder of the first clinic in the country to study gender differences in brain, behavior, and hormones, turns her attention to the male brain, showing how, through every phase of life, the "male reality" is fundamentally different from the female one. Exploring the latest breakthroughs in male psychology and neurology with her trademark accessibility and candor, she reveals that the male brain:

-is a lean, mean, problem-solving machine. Faced with a personal problem, a man will use his analytical brain structures, not his emotional ones, to find a solution.
-thrives under competition, instinctively plays rough and is obsessed with rank and hierarchy.
-has an area for sexual pursuit that is 2.5 times larger than the female brain, consuming him with sexual fantasies about female body parts.
-experiences such a massive increase in testosterone at puberty that he perceive others' faces to be more aggressive.

The Male Brain finally overturns the stereotypes. Impeccably researched and at the cutting edge of scientific knowledge, this is a book that every man, and especially every woman bedeviled by a man, will need to own.

Since Dr. Brizendine wrote The Female Brain ten years ago, the response has been overwhelming. This New York Times bestseller has been translated into more than thirty languages, has sold nearly a million copies between editions, and has most recently inspired a romantic comedy starring Whitney Cummings and Sofia Vergara. And its profound scientific understanding of the nature and experience of the female brain continues to guide women as they pass through life stages, to help men better understand the girls and women in their lives, and to illuminate the delicate emotional machinery of a love relationship.

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.

[Amber Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read. I really didn't want to put it down. There are a few parts where the author describes scenes along with what's happening in the brain...so it reads really intensely and a little graphic. I wouldn't recommend this for someone not married. However, with a husband and two little boys, learning about how the male brain works from infancy to old age was very fascinating. I think it'll help me be a better mother (as long as I can remember certain things!) and definately a better wife. It was funny to be reading a part and then have my boys or husband say or do something just like what I was reading. I have never been opposed to the watching/playing of sports and always knew it was part of the male thing...but knowing why and understanding a little more was very cool. It talked about why video games are cooler for boys and men. Again, I do not have a problem with video games, but it was interesting to understand a little more. I think I am a very understanding wife and mother when it comes to my boys and their attitudes and their constant re-telling of fights or sports. I think this book will only help me feel more secure in backing them up in those pursuits.

[Tamra · Rating 2 out of 5]

O.K. I'd really give it 2 1/2 stars but that's all. It was o.k. There was some informative info but for the most part most of it was pretty obvious. But here's what I didn't like, 1/2 the book are all her notes and reference. And here's what I HATED about the book. She wrote as if men are men and they can't help it. They have no self control. They have to cheat. They have to fight. They have to be selfish. No mention that perhaps men can control themselves. Maybe they can use mind over matter and not capitulate to every carnal, selfish, desire. Aren't we all hear to be tested? To better ourselves? Her book just reminded me of one long commercial where the men are stupid and the women rule the world while the men sit around like worthless, bumbling idiots. I have more faith in men. There are so many great, hard working, self controlled, honest men. Ahhhhh, I'm not expressing myself very well here. This is what you need to know, Read This, (The Female Brain), Not That, (The Male Brain).

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to find something eye-opening or enlightening in this book. Instead, what I found was a narrow view of the stereotypical man told through anecdotes that read like a cheesy romance novel.
I was disappointed by the cliche ideas and examples of the MAN, as well as the implicit notion that a man (or any human) is not always responsible for his actions because OMG THE HORMONES ARE ATTACKING! At one point, the author explicitly stated that a man couldn't help looking at a woman's breasts; sorry, but that's just ridiculous. Yes, our hormones and other subconscious aspects of our brain have an effect, but we're not the monkeys of the studies she cited; we're humans with consciousness, reason, morals and at least a little self-control.
I also felt that a lot of the information presented was skewed to a Western perspective. It would have been interesting to learn about how the traits of the male brain present themselves in different cultures and societies.