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A Mind Of Her Own: The evolutionary psychology of women
When Darwin proposed that females shape evolution by being choosy in their choice of male suitors, his Victorian contemporaries were shocked that he accorded so much importance to women. But this early view of the female role was far from revolutionary: They were simply allowed to be passive 'quality controllers' of male genes.
Recent years have shown that the inert 'coy female' is a myth. For a male, a high sex drive and a taste for variety may improve his fitness. But for a female, successful reproduction goes far beyond copulation. She bears the brunt of parental investment with each child represents years of commitment from pregnancy and breast-feeding to provisioning and guarding. For her genetic lineage to survive, she must do this better than her rivals. Each of us comes from a line of winning mothers. Women
are, after all, the first and default sex. It is women who bear children. A child born with a single X chromosome can survive, but not one with a single Y. In a population crash, a female-biased population will survive far better than a male-heavy one.
In this book, Anne Campbell redresses the balance of evolutionary theory in favour of women. She examines how selection pressures have shaped the female mind over thousands of generations: Their emotions, friendship, competition, aggression and mate choice. She brings together data from neuroscience, endocrinology, anthropology, primatology as well as psychology to address fundamental questions about sex differences.... Why are women less aggressive than men? Were women designed for monogamy
or promiscuity? What do women compete for? Why is conflict between males and females inevitable? What makes each woman unique? Have contraception and IVF subverted the process of natural selection?
Recent years have shown that the inert 'coy female' is a myth. For a male, a high sex drive and a taste for variety may improve his fitness. But for a female, successful reproduction goes far beyond copulation. She bears the brunt of parental investment with each child represents years of commitment from pregnancy and breast-feeding to provisioning and guarding. For her genetic lineage to survive, she must do this better than her rivals. Each of us comes from a line of winning mothers. Women
are, after all, the first and default sex. It is women who bear children. A child born with a single X chromosome can survive, but not one with a single Y. In a population crash, a female-biased population will survive far better than a male-heavy one.
In this book, Anne Campbell redresses the balance of evolutionary theory in favour of women. She examines how selection pressures have shaped the female mind over thousands of generations: Their emotions, friendship, competition, aggression and mate choice. She brings together data from neuroscience, endocrinology, anthropology, primatology as well as psychology to address fundamental questions about sex differences.... Why are women less aggressive than men? Were women designed for monogamy
or promiscuity? What do women compete for? Why is conflict between males and females inevitable? What makes each woman unique? Have contraception and IVF subverted the process of natural selection?
440 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 14, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 3, 2014
This is the most fascinating book I've read in at least a year. A lot of the evolutionary biology/psychology stuff can get rather Mars/Venus preachy, while simultaneously throwing the baby out with the bathwater in terms of treatment of feminism.
Campbell's book does a tremendous job of explaining the basic psychological and biological differences between men and women. It's stuff that can actually be proven scientifically, and even if it couldn't, it makes a lot more sense (to me, at least) than the notion we are each born a blank slate, with everything we do dictated by society/culture.
It's a shame that more feminists aren't open to the reality that we're basically fancy chimps in bras. The field of evolutionary psychology and biology is pretty fascinating. This is the only book I've recommended to people lately, and with good reason. If you want to know the real reasons why people (women and men) do the things they do, read this book.
My only complaint is that, reading the first hardcover edition, I came across a lot of editorial failures in terms of grammar. It's like some intern at the publishing house was assigned to edit the book, but not comprehending the material, skimmed it, leaving in mistakes.
P.S. Men will enjoy, and get as much out of, this book as women.
Campbell's book does a tremendous job of explaining the basic psychological and biological differences between men and women. It's stuff that can actually be proven scientifically, and even if it couldn't, it makes a lot more sense (to me, at least) than the notion we are each born a blank slate, with everything we do dictated by society/culture.
It's a shame that more feminists aren't open to the reality that we're basically fancy chimps in bras. The field of evolutionary psychology and biology is pretty fascinating. This is the only book I've recommended to people lately, and with good reason. If you want to know the real reasons why people (women and men) do the things they do, read this book.
My only complaint is that, reading the first hardcover edition, I came across a lot of editorial failures in terms of grammar. It's like some intern at the publishing house was assigned to edit the book, but not comprehending the material, skimmed it, leaving in mistakes.
P.S. Men will enjoy, and get as much out of, this book as women.
September 20, 2015
Evolutionary Psychology is one of the most important areas in psychology and is feminist's nightmare. A Mind of Her Own is a detailed guide to look at the differences in the two genders through biology and evolution. It was a really good read with a lot of studies cited throughout.
Ultimately, it's a well stocked arsenal of ammunition against feminism.
Ultimately, it's a well stocked arsenal of ammunition against feminism.
September 26, 2024
Absolutely eye-opening! A must-read for everyone.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews