Overview

A myth-busting vindication of women's physical strengths that's ""fun, rooted in science, and a strong pitch for a stronger sex"" (Cat Bohannon) For decades, Starre Vartan--like most women--was told that having a woman's body meant being weaker than men. Like many women, she mostly believed it. Not anymore. Following a half decade of research into the newest science, Vartan shows in The Stronger Sex that women's bodies are incredibly powerful, flexible, and resilient in ways men's bodies aren't. Tossing aside the narrow notion of a fully ripped man as the measure of strength, Vartan reveals the ways that women surpass men in endurance, flexibility, immunity, pain tolerance, and the ultimate test of any human body: longevity. Vartan--a deadeye shot since her grandmother showed her how to aim a .22--debunks myth after myth like so many tin cans at two hundred yards and reveals why, if anyone wins in a battle of the sexes, it's women. In interviews with dozens of researchers from biology, anthropology, physiology, and sports science, plus in-depth conversations with runners, swimmers, wrestlers, woodchoppers, thru-hikers, firefighters, and more, The Stronger Sex squashes outdated ideas about women's bodies. It's a celebration of female strength that doesn't argue ""down with men"" but ""up with us all.""

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9781541604421

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Reviews

""An expansive review of research and cultural history, showcasing how women are strong--yet misunderstood."" --Kirkus ""Vartan skillfully debunks outdated beliefs... This brings valuable perspective to a much-debated topic."" --Publishers Weekly ""Fun, rooted in science, and a strong pitch for a Stronger Sex--three cheers for Starre Vartan reminding us all that female bodies are built to endure. May this book give all women strength for the times we now live in.""--Cat Bohannon, author of Eve ""The secret is out: from the prehistoric world onwards, women are the stronger sex. This book speaks to all of us who've been told that female bodies make us in some way the 'weaker sex'. In interviews with scientists, fire fighters, wrestlers and surfers, Vartan shows us that it's not our bodies which are the problem: it's culture. It's our expectations of the sexes and those sex and gender binaries which go on restricting how real female bodies develop. From the egg onwards, women's bodies are more active, strong and enduring than you've been told. I guarantee you'll learn something about your body from this book which will astound you. The potential benefits for the health of all human beings are there: if we dare to take them.""--Helen King, author of Immaculate Forms

""Fun, rooted in science, and a strong pitch for a Stronger Sex--three cheers for Starre Vartan reminding us all that female bodies are built to endure. May this book give all women strength for the times we now live in.""--Cat Bohannon, author of Eve ""The secret is out: from the prehistoric world onwards, women are the stronger sex. This book speaks to all of us who've been told that female bodies make us in some way the 'weaker sex'. In interviews with scientists, fire fighters, wrestlers and surfers, Vartan shows us that it's not our bodies which are the problem: it's culture. It's our expectations of the sexes and those sex and gender binaries which go on restricting how real female bodies develop. From the egg onwards, women's bodies are more active, strong and enduring than you've been told. I guarantee you'll learn something about your body from this book which will astound you. The potential benefits for the health of all human beings are there: if we dare to take them.""--Helen King, author of Immaculate Forms

Author Information

Starre Vartan is a science writer who was raised in a family of creatives and medical professionals. She grew up in New York and now splits her time between the Pacific Northwest and Sydney, Australia. She contributes regularly to Scientific American and National Geographic and has written for CNN, the Washington Post, Slate, and New York magazine, among many others.

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