Bookshelf: Mood & brain
Published in 2007, a New York Times bestseller and translated into more than 30 languages, Dr. Brizendine’s book struck a chord and stands the test of time for those interested in a more scholarly explanation of what-the-F is going on in our brains. A Yale-trained neuropsychiatrist and former Harvard Medical School faculty member, Brizendine digs deep into how our hormones determine what our brains are interested in and good at doing in different phases of our lives. It’s a fascinating explainer for biologically-born women’s brains, bodies and behavior. After noting early in her medical education that most of the data in the fields of psychology and neurobiology is mined from studies on men, Brizendine got to fixing that. She writes that she hopes her book will “help women through the various shifts in their lives: shifts so big they actually create changes in a woman’s perception of reality, her value, and what she pays attention to.” And lest you think the research and evolutionary and hormonal focus of the book is too heavy or daunting, don’t worry. Brizendine’s writing is fun and sassy, just as the cover advertises.
Quote we love:
“Many evolutionary psychologists have speculated that this ability to feel another’s pain and quickly read emotional nuance gave Stone Age women a heads-up to sense potential dangerous or aggressive behavior and thus avoid the consequences to themselves and protect their children.”