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The Better Half: On the Genetic Superiority of Women
by
A Guardian Book of the Week
Longlisted for the PEN / E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award
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, an ...more
Longlisted for the PEN / E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award
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, an ...more
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Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
April 7th 2020
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Nicole
Nope. Not at all. To me the book read as a totally inclusive take on the story of the X chromosome.
Community Reviews
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Start your review of The Better Half: On the Genetic Superiority of Women

I received an advance copy to review and I have to say that as a woman, I was actually surprised at the number of things I learned from this book that I was never taught in school. I really hadn't understood that women benefit from having two X chromosomes over their whole lives, strengthening their immune systems and even helping them fight some kinds of cancer more effectively than males. I loved how the author explained that two X chromosomes gives females more genetic 'options' to choose fro
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May 07, 2020
Ariel ✨
added it
I'm not sure how to rate this! If you found your way here after reading SCUM or Hothead Paisan, you've been misled. Dr. Sharon Moalem mixes personal stories with historical anecdotes and genetics to find different ways to say, "the X chromosome has more genetic diversity to draw on in the event of a problem," and "sex differences allow genetic females to survive in adverse conditions for a longer amount of time." He uses both "women" and "genetic females" when discussing people with XX chromosom
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This is a great book for anyone who has an inkling of scientific interest. The book tackles a topic that is hard to write about anyways but puts it into a format that you can't put down. Not only is it informative but it is easy to read and the author explains everything, so even if you are not scientifically inclined or have that knowledge you will be able to understand. The book focuses on how the two X chromosomes in women give a genetic advantage when it comes to genetic choice against men.
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This is sort of a strange book. One the one hand, it highlights some recent research about sex differences in morbidity and mortality that might be linked to the possession of XX vs XY chromosomes, which is its main goal, but on the other hand it projects a sensationalist and at times perverse narrative style that necessarily distorts many of the findings. I’m going to focus on this aspect of the book because the science is pretty straightforward. This narrative style is basically to define a me
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I loved this book! It was very accessible, but very informative. I loved learning about chromosomes, the specificities of the female body and its genetics and I was amazed by how little I actually know about it. Reading it I felt like I was discovering some superpowers I have and didn't know about - my immune system works better than the average man's, I can resist a famine better, I will recover faster from an injury... It was amazing to imagine the "silent" chromosomes jumping into action when
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It turns out that two X chromosomes offer a powerful survival advantage.
Dr. Sharon Moalem explains why, to those of us who are not medical professionals, in clear, understandable terms. He explains his research and gives interesting case histories. Highly recommended. I always love a writer who reads his own book.
Dr. Sharon Moalem explains why, to those of us who are not medical professionals, in clear, understandable terms. He explains his research and gives interesting case histories. Highly recommended. I always love a writer who reads his own book.

This is an absolutely fantastic read. Not written in the tone of "women are the best" or really any sort of feminist lens, this takes it down to strictly the benefits of having a diplo set of sex-linked chromosomes (XX in female humans, ZZ in male birds, for example) and the genetic benefits that come from having a backup copy of each gene on the chromosome. This was a riveting read and fantastic narrative of why more medical and pharmacological studies need to include female subjects (mice, cel
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An image exists in fiction and our cultural hivemind of the weak woman. Incapable of survival without male guardianship, too frail to lift anything heavier than a baby, too feeble for feats of endurance. It’s nonsense, but the myth persists. Enter stage left Dr Sharon Moalem. Drawing on experience and research as a medic, geneticist and specialist in rare diseases, Moalem explores in The Better Half why women (or rather, XX chromosome carriers) consistently outperform men (respectively XY carrie
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There is an immense amount of power in this book. The strength that Sharon Moalem shows through her personal experiences and through her research is as supportive as it is fascinating, and you feel as if you are almost witnessing a change in yourself as you read, almost unwittingly, sucked in by the power of this book. It is utterly intriguing, and there is so much to be gained from reading it.
At times I felt I was sitting there with my eyebrows raised, but every statement was backed up with va ...more
At times I felt I was sitting there with my eyebrows raised, but every statement was backed up with va ...more

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I won and advanced copy of this book on Goodreads. A fascinating and intriguing read. I always felt too that women genetically seem a lot more heartier and stronger. Not meaning physically but being able to ward off certain diseases and overall seem healthier and recover quicker. After all, we all know women live longer than men in general. A very interesting topic that blends medicine, science and a lot of examples throughout history.

The Better Half: On The Genetic Superiority Of Women~~
I've just enjoyed my third nonfiction book by Sharon Moalem, MD, Phd. The first was The Survival of the Sickest and the second How Sex Works. This one is 2020's The Better Half: On The Genetic Superiority of Women. Moalem is a male physician renowned around the world for creating vital antibiotics in this time of antibiotic overuse and resistance. He wants to save the human race from pandemics if he can, but he needs our ears. He needs us to ...more
I've just enjoyed my third nonfiction book by Sharon Moalem, MD, Phd. The first was The Survival of the Sickest and the second How Sex Works. This one is 2020's The Better Half: On The Genetic Superiority of Women. Moalem is a male physician renowned around the world for creating vital antibiotics in this time of antibiotic overuse and resistance. He wants to save the human race from pandemics if he can, but he needs our ears. He needs us to ...more

This was a fascinating book about the biological differences between AFAB and AMAB bodies, and how there seems to be a prevalence of women who manage to outlive the men in their lives. It swings between examination of quantitative and qualitative research in an effort to highlight the difference between types of bodies, giving the reader an encompassing view of the many facets surrounding biology. The chromosomal partiality to genetic conditions such as colourblindness was fascinating, and the I
...more

I would say it's a pretty fun read considering it's a nonfiction book (but I'm also kinda nerdy, so take that into consideration). I wouldn't suggest reading this if you have little boys, you might be a little heartbroken about the potential health problems they could have just by being born with XY chromosomes. But if you are a woman that needs a pick me up, this book might just do it for you.
I've known for a while that medical care and more (hello, seat-belts/cars where not designed for women) ...more
I've known for a while that medical care and more (hello, seat-belts/cars where not designed for women) ...more

Men have XY chromosomes, women have two Xs. That extra X gives women a level of redundancy - if something bad happens, whether that be dodgy DNA or an infectious disease, the female body can chose between those two Xs and select the stronger. As a result, women live longer and healthier lives.
That's the jist of the Better Half - but Sharon goes into various anecdotes and case studies, though often a bit too deep into medicine for a lay person. Some of the conclusions seem a little stretched, suc ...more
That's the jist of the Better Half - but Sharon goes into various anecdotes and case studies, though often a bit too deep into medicine for a lay person. Some of the conclusions seem a little stretched, suc ...more

Across the world, once variables have been adjusted for, having the double X chromosome seems to confer a better immune response and longevity than XY, but conversely means they are more likely to suffer autoimmune conditions. The author takes a look at how and why genetic females seem to have a distinct advantage when it comes to survival.
A fascinating look at the advantages and disadvantages of having double X chromosomes, and how science and medicine has let us all down by historically not i ...more
A fascinating look at the advantages and disadvantages of having double X chromosomes, and how science and medicine has let us all down by historically not i ...more

Sep 02, 2020
Celeste
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
1-g-non-fiction,
2-sub-g-feminism
3/5 Stars.
I can't help but laugh at those males who are proud of their Y chromosome. The fact that they are proud of something that makes them weaker is pretty fucking hilarious.
But this book was an ok read.
While I appreciate the research that the author has done for this book, I still find it pretty repetitive and redundant.
This book is very scientific albeit very digestible. But the author repeats himself quite a lot and I personally didn't find the anecdotes presented in it that interestin ...more
I can't help but laugh at those males who are proud of their Y chromosome. The fact that they are proud of something that makes them weaker is pretty fucking hilarious.
But this book was an ok read.
While I appreciate the research that the author has done for this book, I still find it pretty repetitive and redundant.
This book is very scientific albeit very digestible. But the author repeats himself quite a lot and I personally didn't find the anecdotes presented in it that interestin ...more

The Better Half has some really interesting facts and information in it – the kind I found myself repeating to friends whenever I spoke to them. However I struggled to continue reading past around the half way point. I think I just found it a little repetitive and the stories and anecdotes that accompany many of the facts didn’t grab my attention.
It’s definitely got some interesting information and it provoked a lot of thought in me as I read it, but it’s also a book I found myself impatient to ...more
It’s definitely got some interesting information and it provoked a lot of thought in me as I read it, but it’s also a book I found myself impatient to ...more

Contains a lot of interesting information on genetics and neuroscience, but unfortunately the organization wasn't great, and the interesting information often seemed like long tangents that were only minimally connected to the point being made. Lacks evolutionary and social context. The thesis itself, that women are genetically superior, was often vaguely addressed, and most approached/framed as "XY males have the deck stacked against them from birth to death" rather than "this, that, and the ot
...more

I was already intrigued by this book but after the author wrote this article in the New York Times, I was determined to read it. After all, why are more men dying of COVID-19? I know that in every place I've ever seen average life expectancies, regardless of era or culture, women always outstrip men by several years. I joke with other girlfriends about how our male spouses seem just decimated by simple colds when we keep on truckin'. But maybe there's something to that?
Now, Dr. Maolem doesn't ad ...more
Now, Dr. Maolem doesn't ad ...more

Do not be lulled into believing this book is an argument for feminism. It is the scientific celebration of biological differences on the miniscule level. I originally won a hardcopy through #GoodReadsGiveaway; but, due to the Covid outbreak, the book took quite a while to arrive. In the meantime, I got impatient. I REALLY wanted to read this book. So, I bought a second copy online. Every time I put the book down, someone else in the family would run off with it. So, it's probably a good thing, I
...more

I was nervous about reading this. There's a lot of anti-trans stuff out there lately, and I wasn't sure about reading something with a title like that -- it sounds very radically feminist, and inflammatory, and trans*-erasy. I was definitely nervous about reading this book.
But. I don't believe in avoiding information just because it's uncomfortable or potentially unpopular, and I do believe in assessing the trustworthiness and validity of the research, source, and claim for myself as best I can. ...more
But. I don't believe in avoiding information just because it's uncomfortable or potentially unpopular, and I do believe in assessing the trustworthiness and validity of the research, source, and claim for myself as best I can. ...more

An interesting and accessible look at the various ways in which females (genetically speaking) have the advantage. This is NOT a feminist manifesto simply a look at the ways that having two x chromosomes gives females an advantage in many ways.
The book is well structured with each chapter taking a look at a different aspect of female superiority.
e.g development, immunity, brain function, resilience, longevity.
There was a nice balance between scientific explanation and real life examples from th ...more
The book is well structured with each chapter taking a look at a different aspect of female superiority.
e.g development, immunity, brain function, resilience, longevity.
There was a nice balance between scientific explanation and real life examples from th ...more

It's been 4 decades since I studied genetics in high school and college, but Dr. Moalem's writing made it easy to understand, even with all the advances since Bb. This book explained a lot about the natural resistance many woman have to disease and cancer and why that is so. Extremely interesting and being a non-fiction book and scientific it was a page turner.
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Sharon Moalem, MD, PhD, is an award-winning physician-scientist and geneticist. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Survival of the Sickest and Inheritance, an Amazon Best Science Book of the Year, among other books. His work brings together evolution, genetics, and medicine to revolutionize how we understand and treat disease, and his clinical research led to the discovery of two ne
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