Male, Female: The Evolution of Human Sex Differences

Men are not from Mars and women are not from Venus, although sometimes it may feel this way. Why are there so many differences in the social behavior of men and women? Are these largely the result of culturally transmitted roles and pressures? Geary believes that the notion of "gender roles" cannot adequately explain the differences between the sexes and argues that Darwin's theory of sexual selection is the best vehicle for studying how men and women pursue one of life's most fundamental goals--survival through reproduction. This book begins with an accessible discussion of how sexual selection operates in animal species such as birds and mammals through male-male competition and female choice of mates. Geary then shows how these and related principles operate in primates and how they apparently operated in our hominid ancestors, as demonstrated by fossil records. At the heart of the books is an extended examination of how sexual selection has influenced human behavior over the centuries and across cultures. Some of the topics covered include the following: the preferred attributes of mates and investment in parenting; the evolution and development of the human mind; the sex differences between brain and cognition; the differences in play patterns and social interactions of boys and girls; and the sex differences of men and women in contemporary Western culture (e.g., in rates of violence, mental disorders, academic abilities, and occupational interests and achievement). Geary carefully integrates the most relevant findings from several disciplines, including psychology, biology, evolutionary science, and anthropology and presents his theory in clear, accessible language. Readers will enjoy his lively examples and clear presentation of the many differences between men and women.