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The Better Half

On the Genetic Superiority of Women

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The Better Half

By: Sharon Moalem
Narrated by: Sharon Moalem
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

An award-winning physician and scientist makes the game-changing case that genetic females are stronger than males at every stage of life.

Here are some facts: Women live longer than men. They have stronger immune systems. They're better at fighting cancer and surviving famine and even see the world in a wider variety of colours. They are simply stronger than men at every stage of life.

Why is this? And why are we taught the opposite? To find out, Dr. Sharon Moalem drew on his own medical experiences - treating premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit, recruiting the elderly for neurogenetic studies, tending to HIV-positive orphans in Thailand - and tried to understand why in every instance men were consistently less likely to thrive.

The answer, he discovered, lies in our genetics: two X chromosomes offer a powerful survival advantage.

With clear, captivating prose that weaves together eye-opening research, case studies, diverse examples ranging from the behaviour of honeybees to American pioneers, as well as experiences from his personal life and his own patients, Moalem explains why genetic females triumph over males when it comes to resiliency, intellect, stamina, immunity and much more.

He also calls for a reconsideration of our male-centric, one-size-fits-all view of medical studies and even how we prescribe medications - a view that still sees women through the lens of men.

Revolutionary and yet utterly convincing, The Better Half will make you see humanity and the survival of our species anew.

©2019 Sharon Moalem (P)2019 Penguin Audio
Biological Sciences Biology Evolution & Genetics Genetics Science Genetic Disease Survival Medicine Mental Health Health

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All stars
Most relevant  
Well written for non-scientists to understand the science, well read and extremely interesting. Should be required reading in all health classes and DEFINITELY in all medical school curriculums.

Such a useful and insightful book

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I finished this book in a few days and was completely engrossed from the first page. It's a fascinating journey and the author is great at explaining the sometimes complex world of genetics.

absolutely fascinating

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As a biomedical researcher it definitely got me thinking about how to proceed with my pre-clinical testing. Thank you

Food for thought

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