Man Down: Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better Cops, Drivers, Gamblers, Spies, World Leaders, Beer Tasters, Hedge Fund Managers, and Just About Everything Else

by Dan Abrams

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, everyone is familiar with the tired cliché women are bad drivers and are not good with money; only guys play video games and they give bad directions. Dan Abrams tackles the toughest case of his career in Man Down. Drawing on years of legal experience and research studies, Abrams explains step-by-step why women are better than men in just about every way imaginable, from managing money to flying planes to living longer. Abrams uses his trademark charm to get his point across without opining on the issue himself. Chock-full of fun facts and conversation starters, this book may not end the debate of men versus women, but it will definitely make it more interesting.Praise for Man "a provocative collection of bite-size pro-women essays" -Wall Street Journal "compelling, controversial" -Glamour "I've always liked Dan Abrams. And now that he's charmingly admitted what we all knew

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Feminism, Humor, Audiobook, Gender, Business

144 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

Dan Abrams is an attorney, author, Legal Analyst for ABC News, and substitute anchor for Good Morning America.

Early Years
Before joining NBC News, Dan worked as a reporter for Court TV where he became well known for his coverage of the OJ Simpson case. He covered most of the high profile trials of that decade including the International War Crimes Tribunal from The Netherlands, and the assisted-suicide trials of Dr. Jack Kevorkian from Michigan. Dan’s first job was working as an intern for the Manhattan Borough president.

Career Highlights
Dan is probably best known for hosting the programs Verdict with Dan Abrams and The Abrams Report as well as his coverage of the Bush v. Gore Supreme Court battles (where he was one of the first reporters to correctly interpret the opinion). He was also the Chief Legal Analyst for MSNBC before leaving to be an analyst for ABC News in March 2011. He is currently the Chief Legal Analyst for ABC News.

Author
Dan has published articles in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The American Lawyer, Yale Law & Policy Review, and is a regular contributor to Men’s Health magazine. His first book, “Man Down: Proof Beyond A Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better Cops, Drivers, Gamblers, Spies, World Leaders, Beer Tasters, Hedge Fund Managers, And Just About Everything Else” was published in March 2011.

Personal Life
Dan was born in Manhattan.
Dan’s father is Floyd Abrams, the renowned First Amendment attorney (read his bio). Read the article about the Abrams family in the New York Observer

Books by Floyd Abrams
Speaking Freely: Trials of the First Amendment – 2005

Kampuchea After the Worst: A Report on Current – 1985

The Right to Know – 1985

Reviews

[Kogiopsis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am pretty sure Dan Abrams wrote this book so he could win brownie points with the women in his life. Not that this is a bad thing, but this isn't much of a book. Oh, sure, it's full of statistics about how awesome women are, but everyone knows that it's not that hard to lie with numbers. It's too short to be particularly analytical or 'deep', and - here's the kicker - there are very few citations at all. I'm not sure how you write a book that's made up of statistics and not put citations in. That boggles me. But maybe because Abrams is so light on analysis, his editor decided not to double the book's size by adding them. Whatevs.

Anyhow, this is light reading. It's not light in the way a cold soup is light next to a steak - no, it's more like whipped cream. Frothy, tasty, full of air and little substance and quick to get through. It might be a good coffee-table book. Took me... three hours or less, I'd guesstimate, to read it cover-to-cover. And I'm sure at your next dinner party it could stimulate conversation a bit. Abrams writes fairly coherently, and he has a sense of humor that livens things up a bit, so it's enjoyable.

This book's real importance, though, is that it should be required reading for all YA authors with a main-character romance. Imagine if Stephenie Meyer had read just Chapter 1 - "Women Handle Failed Relationships Better". We wouldn't have the horror that is New Moon and Bella's months of going emo after being dumped, because she'd know that after a breakup, women lean on their friends and family and they get over it. We might have gotten months of emo!Edward, but at least that would have been more accurate.

Pick any YAPNR that has a stunningly attractive male lead and imagine it if the author had read this section before writing that book: "A 2009 study by Radboud University in the Netehrlands found that - shocker - male brains became impaired in the presence of beautiful women, no matter how intelligent the man may be. According to the Telegraph, which reported, the research, "Men who spend even a few minutes in the company of an attractive woman perform less well in tests designed to measure brain function than those who chat to someone they do not find attractive." Meanwhile, the women didn't even flinch at the presence of an attractive male. So the presence of attractive women effectively renders a significant portion of men about as useful as slightly drunken sailors, while women remain stone-cold sober."

PWNED.

If there had been some in-depth analysis, this would have been a fantastic piece of nonfiction. As it is, it's not a complete waste of time, and it does wonders for the female ego.


In conclusion:

[booklady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this book for my hugely talented, yet still insecure daughter. I had told her about it a long time ago and have thought about getting it for her... 🤔In an interview which I can no longer find, the author said: 'Overall I found that men’s biggest problem is that they’re too confident and women’s biggest problem is that they’re not confident enough.'

Well... after some recent conversations with her, I decided to go ahead and get it. Skim read it in an evening. It is cute, funny and the lawyer-author makes some good points based on research, however dated it is. I hope my daughter will appreciate it, but if I know her, she will say that it may be true for some women but that doesn't mean it is true for her! 😩 Yes, she is a bit of an Eeyore. 🙄 But a very loveable one!

My husband wants to read this before I give it to her.

One critique of the book, there was NO mention about women being NEATER than men. MAJOR omission! Well, we are, aren't we, or is that just in my house?

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this little pastiche of a book. I too read it in a day. He's a clever writer. One of my favorite quotes..."Someone once asked me why women don’t gamble as much as men do, and I gave the common-sensical reply that we don’t have as much money. That was a true but incomplete answer. In fact, women’s total instinct for gambling is satisfied by marriage." Gloria Steinem (Can we talk?!) A male friend of mine kept commenting "yea right" when I was reading things to him. He was also of the opinion the guy was after dates.

Testosterone isn't all bad. The same instincts that cause men to be bad investors and to think it's safe to stand outside in lightening...too much risk...is the same thing that get's them into boats and across the ocean,(when they don't know where the heck they're going). Then the women come in and civilize the place.

[Mauoijenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Women are better then men at alot of things. But we don't go around and brag about it. Well maybe. I especially liked Chapter 6. WOMEN ARE BETTER WITH HAMMERS. Seems men can't hit the target with a hard object to pound into another surface. Could it be because he wants to be all macho and over does it or does she look at the target and see's the action through. Makes contact and doesn't miss. Hmmmm... then again you can see women are better with hammers if you have ever watched SNAPPED on Oxygen channel. If the case involves a hammer or anything as a weapon we as women... NEVER MISS OUR TARGET!! Just saying!

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed in this book. The title and concept was very intriguing, of course, but the chapters were only one or two pages long and gave short abrupt "scientific findings" about why a woman is better at [blank]. I felt very short changed.

[Marjorie Elwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of fun to read about the areas in which women excel, but it's also a little 'cutesy'. Furthermore, when you're looking at the studies that have only a few dozen people in them (many of the studies had larger sample sizes), it's hard to take them seriously.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

After glancing through other reviews of 'Man Down' I am surprised at how polarizing people find the book, and the lengths to which they go to discredit the conclusions. Have they missed the point altogether? The front jacket cover says "Chock-full of fun facts and conversation starters, this book may not end the debate about men versus women, but it will definitely change the starting point." It's a slim volume - only 143 pages - and can be read in less than 2 hours. It is not an exhaustively researched tome with the final word on the men vs. women debate. It's just a fun, quick read that reveals some surprising evidence, frequently delivered with a tongue-in-cheek smirk.

Abrams goes on to cite 36 areas in which he has uncovered evidence that women are better than men, including tolerating pain, tasting beer, gambling, investing, avoiding fraud, utilizing social media, driving, voting, giving directions, sleeping, news casting, and doctoring, among others. Much of the so-called evidence is rather anecdotal. For instance, in chapter 10 "Women Get Ready Faster Than Men", he cites a study by Superdrug, the second largest purveyor of health and beauty products in Britain. The study indicates that men spend on average 83 minutes on grooming each day, while women spend 79 minutes. My response to that is "yeah, right !"

Some of the factors on which Abrams judges women better than men are already well understood and indisputable, such as longevity, health and stamina. Women also account for more of the student population in universities. The chapter titled "Women Are Getting Better Looking Faster Than Men" is also a bit of nonsensical fluff - fun to read but highly subjective.

Abrams' closing argument is that the consistent themes throughout his book "prove that women make fewer errors and are less corruptible, more conscientious, and more effective with their time and risk-taking. Together this creates a compelling case for women." The fallacy of Abrams' argument is that he hasn't listed any of the areas in which men are superior, and always will be.

The battle of the sexes rages on, but other than adding fuel to the fire, no one will be convinced based on the slim evidence in this book. Nevertheless, it was a fun and quick read and made even more interesting by the fact that it was written by a man!

[Terry · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift and was intrigued by the premise. However, the book was disappointing because it fell far short of accomplishing what it set out to do.

The author states that, as a lawyer, he is attempting to prove his premise with admissible evidence. However, what the author does is point to one (or sometimes two) studies from somewhere in the world to support each of his premises. What he fails to do is to identify or address any OPPOSING studies or evidence, or to explain why his particular studies should be believed over any other studies that might have taken place anywhere in the world. He simply sets forth his "evidence" and expects you to be convinced because he has something to support his point.

If ever there were a book that cried out for the use of cross-examination, this is it. Any courtroom lawyer knows that you have to not only make your own case -- you have to explain why your opponent's evidence and theories should not be believed. This book only goes half way, and because of this approach, I doubt the conclusions he reaches. By the way, I'm a FEMALE lawyer.

[Rosalía · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being pretty skeptical about a few claims made it fairly daring for my plunge into the generous data this book had to offer a skeptic like me. I have to tell you though, like the television show MYTHBUSTERS, the facts don't lie. Women may not be stronger, faster, or hold the presidency, but they ARE more cautious overall in their decision-making which is why they're better at certain things. Men make quicker, riskier decisions - we can thank evolution for that. Ever wonder why women go to all the foo-foo smelly soap and lotion stores? You'll just have to read the teeny-tiny book to find out.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...behind every great man there is probably an even greater woman - and in most cases, she ought to be out in front" (p 11). Simplest and most basic way to describe it all.

The book is pretty good, somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Interesting info, though I'm sure it could be skewed any which way it wanted. Very quick read, took me about 45 minutes. I would have thought the book would be bigger, but unfortunately not.

[Marla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept looking at his name unitl I realized it was Dan Abrams, who I used to occationally watch on msnbc. Plus, the first chapter's quote was from Miss Piggy and he mentioned Mythbusters, so that gives you an idea that it's an amusing little book. =) All the facts and figures he had were interesting and I think the presentation of his 'case' is more solid because it's coming from a guy. =)

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting. He quotes scientific studies to back up all his claims. Like he says: he doesn't mean that ALL women are better than ALL men, just that, generally, women are much better at so many things than men are. Everyone should read this and people should stop sexist rhetoric.

[Courtney]

"...behind every great man there is probably an even greater woman - and in most cases, she ought to be out in front" (p 11). ~Awesome...

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read with many proof points that women are better at lots of things than men. Have already bored my beau with some of the fascinating "facts!"

[Catherine Gentry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book to read to boost the self-esteem of women, who have been told our entire lives that we have been less than men. Turns out to be grossly untrue.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little tome was surely written by Captain Obvious.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coffee table book with fun affirming stats

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed by this because he covered too much in too little detail. I think it would have been more compelling if he had cited more studies rather than one or two per topic. I started out interested but the chapters quickly became repetitive.

That being said, if you pick this book up, may I suggest Chapter 7, Women are Better Video Gamers in which he mentions a study conducted on the players of Everquest 2. :)

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some interesting tidbits in this and I like the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, but there's not a lot of research to support each individual claim.

[Darcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting premise, but very much a fluff book. I read it in about a day.

[Britta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know it's a teeny tiny book, but I just kept wanting more information. Fun read though!

[Katrina Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this book by Dan Abrams. It is amazing. Dan Abrams is a great author.

[Annburnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. It had comedy throughout the evaluation that women do most things as well or better than men.

[Kathy KS · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an extremely fast read (I listened to it). Some women readers might considered it to rather "I am woman, watch me roar" and some men might be disgusted with this author's facts and/or opinions. I noticed that some reviewers feel as if the author was trying to suck up to women, but I did like that he mentions his source of many of the facts he cites.

Speaking of those facts, both my husband and I found several of the chapters to be interesting, and even surprising, at times. I specifically played the one about women finding items men were looking for. This is a daily thing in our house! ;-)

If you want a short book/audio that uses a light-hearted reading, this one will satisfy. The author narrates it himself. Oh... and if you are a man whose blood pressure rises when someone implies women might be better at some things... don't bother. You won't believe it anyway.

[Shelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did we really need a book to explain what is so very obvious? Not really, but seeing some of the drastic numbers on how women are better was entertaining. At this stage of life, I am a big audio book reader, having the physical copy nearby so that I can review anything that I wish to review. However, I would not recommend the audio version on this particular read. While the standard format is set up with mini sections to glance through and enjoy, it felt like rapid fire statistics when being read aloud.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of research showing, with no agenda, that women are better than men at a lot of activities. It makes sense to me, as men evolved to hunt and protect (similar skills) while women did most everything else in society!

[Jenean Eichenholtz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, quick read (or listen, as in my case). Good "ammo" for those men vs. women debates (that men always seem to start!).

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Studies and statistics are funny things. Question format, wording, population demographics, size of population, and so on can all have an impact on the outcome. This book did make some interesting points and I certainly wouldn't argue with a few of them (I am a woman after all) but I hesitate to make generalizations that one is better than the other. Both genders certainly have their strengths and weaknesses but I think there are so many variables that can go into being the best in any field. I think maybe that I did miss my childhood calling to be a spy though. :)

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting studies included, but overall pretty gimmicky.

[Darko Kovac · Rating 2 out of 5]

nothing special