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The Rediscovered Woman
The Rediscovered Woman: What Science Has Gotten Wrong about Women, and the Struggle to Get It Right | Angela Saini
35 posts | 34 read | 116 to read
What science has gotten so shamefully wrong about women, and the fight, by both female and male scientists, to rewrite what we thought we knew For hundreds of years it was common sense: women were the inferior sex. Their bodies were weaker, their minds feebler, their role subservient. No less a scientist than Charles Darwin asserted that women were at a lower stage of evolution, and for decades, scientists--most of them male, of course--claimed to find evidence to support this. Whether looking at intelligence or emotion, cognition or behavior, science has continued to tell us that men and women are fundamentally different. Biologists claim that women are better suited to raising families or are, more gently, uniquely empathetic. Men, on the other hand, continue to be described as excelling at tasks that require logic, spatial reasoning, and motor skills. But a huge wave of research is now revealing an alternative version of what we thought we knew. The new woman revealed by this scientific data is as strong, strategic, and smart as anyone else. In Inferior, acclaimed science writer Angela Saini weaves together a fascinating--and sorely necessary--new science of women. As Saini takes readers on a journey to uncover science's failure to understand women, she finds that we're still living with the legacy of an establishment that's just beginning to recover from centuries of entrenched exclusion and prejudice. Sexist assumptions are stubbornly persistent: even in recent years, researchers have insisted that women are choosy and monogamous while men are naturally promiscuous, or that the way men's and women's brains are wired confirms long-discredited gender stereotypes. As Saini reveals, however, groundbreaking research is finally rediscovering women's bodies and minds. Inferior investigates the gender wars in biology, psychology, and anthropology, and delves into cutting-edge scientific studies to uncover a fascinating new portrait of women's brains, bodies, and role in human evolution.
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Cazxxx
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Pickpick

A powerful book exploring the science as to why history has got the notion that women are inferior to men wrong. This was infuriating at times but ultimately interesting with studies and facts to back up the arguments. It was a little repetitive in places but I still found it engaging while showing how much work is still to be done

55 likes2 stack adds
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PatriciaS
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Acclaimed scientist & writer, Angela Saini, NF-LC, BC a welcome new study suggests that science is rewriting the old theories that explain why women were best suited to housework and men are natural philanthropist. A new book that explores how science has misrepresented women.
https://goodreads.com>show
https://spie.org>news>angela saini
https://searchworks.stanford.edu
https://www.expediagroup.com>resource guide, great resources for this book.

PatriciaS UDL#2.5 Illustrate through multimedia - resources and online websites that accompany this book 📖. #6.3 Facilitate managing information and resources. 4y
PatriciaS ESOL#16 Integration of speaking 🗣️ listening 🎧 reading and writing activities through literary circles and discussion sessions. #17 Provide contextual support through audio visuals, models, demonstration, realia, body language, and facial expressions while reading, discussion sessions, and question and answer activities. 4y
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AndreaEfres Such a great use of resources Patricia. Thank you! 4y
PatriciaS @AndreaEfres thank you for your comment. 4y
DrSpalding This would also not be appropriate for elementary age students. Are you thinking high school would be the best audience for this text? You are earning a K- 12 reading endorsement which opens you up to multiple grade levels beyond the elementary school. 4y
15 likes6 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Our historically male-run world defaults to men, including in how research is performed and interpreted, from medicine to anthropology. This book explores some of the historical biases and the “facts” they have pushed as well as the way in which newer data and studies, often driven by female researchers, are questioning this history. Really well done.

48 likes5 stack adds
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sarahljensen
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Pickpick

This is precisely the book I needed to read right now. Keep fighting the good fight.

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sidherinn
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Weaponxgirl
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I just found this article on the guardian interesting https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/feb/23/truth-world-built-for-men-c... about how when things are designed for the average man that they can actually be unsafe for women. It reminded me of things bought up in the tagged book.
As a short left handed woman I am so used to the world not being designed with me in mind. I can‘t reach top shelves and scissors are agony! 😆

julesG Scissors are agony. Especially as an ambidextrous person. I tend to grab the wrong pair every time. 6y
Weaponxgirl @julesG they are my nemesis! And most right handlers don‘t understand why I‘m crying in agony and complaining of cramp. Sometimes I‘ve got used to doing things the wrong way so when you give me something designed for me it feels super weird and I can barely use it. 6y
CocoReads Solidarity sisters! I‘m short and a lefty too. It‘s driving me crazy doing iv training because everyone teaching me is right handed. 6y
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gradcat Love your post, but alas! I can‘t join the club...I‘m very tall & right-handed! 😂 6y
Weaponxgirl @CocoReads 🤚oh god, I bet there‘s a lot of reaching across yourself isn‘t there? I would also like to talk about cash machines and how others are so much quicker at them whilst I‘m fumbling as I‘m just constantly reaching across myself. The struggle is real 6y
Weaponxgirl @gradcat lol, you are the same as my best friend then. I always feel like a Shetland pony in comparison to her giraffe as if she walks normal speed with her (in my eyes) giant legs I just end up trotting beside her to keep up 6y
CocoReads @Weaponxgirl yes, I do a lot of fumbling. Plus my eyes are super bad and it‘s mostly my brother in law doing the training and although he‘s a decent teacher at explaining things, he‘s not real patient. I need practice and repetition and there‘s not really a lot of time for that. And not really any way to practice except on just making the stuff (and I don‘t want to waste it-some of those drugs are really expensive!) 6y
batsy As a fellow short left-handed woman, I hear you! 6y
Weaponxgirl @CocoReads can you do it with other cheaper liquids made up in a similar way (obviously not putting the, in the iv 😂) it‘s the sort of thing I‘ll do just to get used to something. The fumbling isn‘t our fault! 6y
Weaponxgirl @batsy 🤚yes! I‘m so happy there are a few of us around! My bestie always laughs about how many stools I have around. 6y
CocoReads @Weaponxgirl I did think about that yesterday as some of the bags were outdating. Def something to keep in mind since it‘s technique I need to practice. I‘ve finally gotten better at gloving with the regular sterile gloves. The chemo gloves are tricker as they fit tighter. 6y
Weaponxgirl @CocoReads I‘m not a nurse but a lot of my friends are and I‘ve heard about the chemo gloves before being tough. I have to do some basic stuff at my work and I was practicing with out of date insulin. Doesn‘t help that I‘m terrified of needles and have so far avoided having to give it. I‘ve been trying to desensitise myself for when I finally have to do it for real. 6y
CocoReads I got over my needlecfear when I went on insulin. Although I use the pens and don‘t actually have to draw it up. But I‘m def going to see if we have any outdated stuff. I‘m not a nurse either but I‘m a pharmacy tech at a hospital so we make a lot of the stuff ourselves: chemos, epidurals, pitocins, compound mixes like potassium in either saline or dextrose...our main iv tech left so I‘m next up for training. 6y
Weaponxgirl @CocoReads wow! That‘s a lot of new stuff to learn and remember. I‘m a baby with needles, I have passed out at blood tests before and I have fillings without pain injections. 6y
CocoReads It is a lot, especially since ive only been there since August and had no pharmacy background. I don‘t even take my tech certification test until the end of April and I have to pass that to keep the job. I really like it though so I want to pass. 6y
gradcat I‘m honored to be your best friend! 😊 6y
Weaponxgirl @CocoReads it sounds like you‘re dedicated so I‘m sure you will! 6y
CocoReads @Weaponxgirl I don‘t know if it‘s dedicated so much as I was happy to leave my dead end part time job for something with much better pay and it‘s usually pretty interesting. I‘ve always been fascinated with medical stuff even though I‘m a touch squeamish. 6y
50 likes3 stack adds18 comments
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i.z.booknook
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I think my brother knows me well!! #feminist 💪🏻

🎄🎅🏻🎉❤️

ephemeralwaltz Lovely selection! I really want to read Bitch Doctrine 👏 6y
Kalalalatja What a haul! 💪 6y
Libby1 Excellent. 6y
70 likes3 comments
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rabbitprincess
Pickpick

An important and occasionally infuriating read that highlights the progress women have made and how much still needs to be done.

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heatherspoetlife
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Pickpick

Love it! I am eternally grateful for people like Saini who are willing to wade through so much research and talk about things from several angles. This was so much fun to listen to!

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LeanneAslin
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1. Yes and plenty of it!

2. It's about 50/50

3. Anything to do with feminism and society

4. Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine

5. Inferior by Angela Saini - excellent book

Thanks for the prompts from @wanderinglynn , whichI spotted on @LibrarianRyan 's profile 📚

wanderinglynn Thanks for playing! ☺️💜 6y
5 likes1 comment
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LeanneAslin
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I'm loving this book - although it's hard to believe that it, in the 21st century, we're still clinging to the idea that men and women are so different. Scientists desperately searching for differences between male and female brains, differences that simply aren't there.

And why can't people get their heads around the concept that your environment shapes your brain? The evidence is there!

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LeanneAslin
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Oh really?! What a surprise 🤨😐😑

I'm loving this book, but it's also making me angry - men who think the world has no bias against women need to read this book. #feminism #feministbooks

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Kalalalatja
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Mehso-so

This seemed like the perfect book for me, and it might have been under other circumstances. Saini explores how women have been portrayed in science, and how this influence the way women are treated today. I found it beyond interesting, but it did get a bit hard to keep my mind focused on all the studies‘ details. It reminded me a bit of some of the research papers I had to read for uni, and I don‘t think I was ready for that yet

cariashley I have the same headphones! 😄 6y
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Weaponxgirl
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Pickpick

An enjoyable and informative read from a woc. I love science and whilst I don't always understand it I came away reminded about how hard it is for people to not bring their own bias into this sort of research and the implications it can have in the real world and how important it is to have diversity in science and for people to question each other's research. #nonfiction2018

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Weaponxgirl
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#diversespines books and drink. I'm at work at night so I needed energy drink with my current read.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I‘ve needed one all day!! 😫😫 7y
Weaponxgirl @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I have some more in my locker 😉 7y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Weaponxgirl 🙌🏻🙌🏻What do you do btw? I‘m a nurse in a er... 7y
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Weaponxgirl @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks working in er is tough! I work in a respite unit for children with disabilities. 7y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Weaponxgirl that would be tougher!!! ❤️❤️ 7y
Weaponxgirl @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks nah, sometimes my nights are incredibly quiet. Your not going to get that in er. 7y
45 likes6 comments
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Birdsong28
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The tagged book is my April book for my #yearlyreadingplan

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Birdsong28
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Pickpick

Very good. I listened to the Audiobook version of this which was a good way to enjoy this book but with every chapter there is a quote from other sources and with this version it is hard to see the the separation from the start of the chapter. The narrator was very easy to listen to.

#HarperCollins

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Amie
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Pickpick

Fascinating!

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Verity
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And the bottom half of the Phenomenal Women section. As I said, I could have spent a bunch, especially on this bottom half, but I can control myself because they‘re mostly hardcover at the moment, so I‘ll wait for the paperbacks...

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Amie
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Next up on audio.

saresmoore I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. 7y
Amie @saresmoore Good to hear that. I've been looking forward to this one for awhile. 7y
45 likes2 comments
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TheAnitaAlvarez
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Reading about gender biases in science is making me a wee bit angry.

rather_be_reading cute tea diffuser 6y
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Notafraidofwords
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Mehso-so

I just did not enjoy this nonfiction book at all. This is a book that analyzes major studies regarding sex differences and the major ways science has failed women. I found it intriguing, but so repetitive. It felt like the same argument in every chapter and not many variations in the way it was said. I also found it to be dry and boring.

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CaroPi
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Pickpick

Here is my #top3 #nonfiction2017 I am surprised that 2 of the covers are yellow. I usually don't post my no fiction books in Instagram because I do it in audio, but I will try to add them this year. Listen so many amazing books!
#audiobook

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Floresj
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Pickpick

This book examines the science behind gender differences. Focusing on evidence on brain connections, brain size, life expectancy, history of women's work, "choosy, not chaste", menopause and evolution, and the importance of replicable, evidence-based science, the author presents studies that have reinforced and refuted women's inferiority. Intriguing!

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CaroPi
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Pickpick

The majority of my none fiction books are in audio. Seems that is easier for me to listen them than to read them. I like how here we learn that none even science are exempt of discrimination and how these had an impact none only in our daily lives but also in our health. The narrator is really good and I didn't notice the 7 hrs I spent listen to it

Amie I've been wanting to read this one. I hope that my library has the audio because I also prefer listening to nonfiction rather than reading it 😃 7y
CaroPi @amie I hope they have it soon. Is very interesting and it is not too scientific despite the fact that is about science. 7y
11 likes2 comments
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thereadingwomen
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How is it the end of November already??? This month just flew by, but that means the #ReadingWomenAward 2017 episode is almost here.⠀

While this was an amazing year for women in fiction, the nonfiction department didn't seem to have as many contenders. Are there any nonfiction books by women published this year that we missed? ⠀

That said, we are super excited about our nonfiction shortlist. There are some killer reads here. ⠀

thereadingwomen @littledid.she.know Oooo, looks good. Thanks so much! - A 7y
littledid.she.know @thereadingwomen I‘ve only just started it but it is compelling so far! 7y
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kdwinchester
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Pickpick

The #ReadingWomenAward nonfiction shortlist went up today! I couldn‘t be more excited to share the amazing group of book @autumnprivett and I have been keeping under wraps do so long. Books like this one: INFERIOR by Angela Saini.

Conveniently, it‘s also still #NonfictionNovember, so if you are still looking for book recs, we are totally here for you.

Congrats to all of the brilliant writers on this year‘s list. I love you all.
@thereadingwomen

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saresmoore
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“[Darwin‘s] ideas may have been revolutionary, but his attitudes to women were solidly Victorian.”

This is helping me to appreciate The Essex Serpent even more! In other news, Darwin was an arse.

HippieChickHomeschool I can‘t wait to see your full review! 7y
58 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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saresmoore
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Oh, dear. This book is getting me ALL fired up.

TrishB 😔 in a good or bad way? 7y
saresmoore @TrishB The book is great! But the statistics and reality make me angry. 7y
TrishB It sounds fascinating 👍 7y
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Suet624 Grrrr... 7y
batsy This sounds great (and infuriating). Have you read any Cordelia Fine? She's on my TBR. 7y
TrishB Just heard she's coming to do a public lecture where I work - hoping to get to it 👍 7y
saresmoore @batsy I haven‘t read any of her books, but that one is on my list, too—and steadily moving higher. 7y
saresmoore @TrishB Wow! Very neat. I hope you can attend! 7y
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BrittFrancko
Pickpick

This is an accessible primer on multiple fields of research (neuroscience, evolution, anthropology) into sex differences. Saini has a clear agenda--to poke holes in shoddy research that has been used to prop up misogyny and sex stereotypes throughout history. If you are on board with that crusade, you'll enjoy the book. I think she succeeds in raising some legitimate questions. Feminism has made science better, and Saini tells that story well.

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BrittFrancko
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🙄🙄🙄

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BrittFrancko
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Darwin should have known better than to directly compare the evolutionary outcomes for populations experiencing different pressures. 🙄

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Gina
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I heard this author talking about her book on npr today. It sounds sooooo goooood!

6 likes4 stack adds
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BooksForYears
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Happy book birthday 🎉 to this deep, deep dive into the pervasiveness of sexism in STEM and our culture at large.

bitterbear Happy birthday! 8y
124 likes14 stack adds1 comment
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allusory
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Book mail! Wasn't expecting the LibraryThing giveaway book to be a hard cover but it's a nice bonus from Beacon Press! The other two are my picks from BOTM club this month.