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catbooking's review against another edition
To say up front, I did not get very far into the book. Frankly I got tired of having to read through 5+ pages for a single piece of information that caught my attention. I found myself wondering off mentally and not actually reading the book, just sounding the words out in my mind. I also did not find the book to be very well organized, it just kind of wondered around the topic every once in a while stumbling on an interesting piece of information. I also did not like the message that was coming across from the book, saying that men should be cared for because they are the weaker sex and are in more danger and less well off and on and on. I honestly don’t care if they are stronger or weaker, in my opinion both sexes have positive and negative aspects to them. And I am shocked at lack of ridicule from the author regarding favorability of male enrollment into collages because without it the campus would be almost entirely female.
In either case I made the decision to drop this book because I am certain there are plenty more books on the subject and I only have so much time to get working on my reading list.
In either case I made the decision to drop this book because I am certain there are plenty more books on the subject and I only have so much time to get working on my reading list.
drdena's review against another edition
5.0
This is a definite read for any lady in the scientific community.
aperson's review
4.0
Susan Pinker's book discusses a common problem in our society - the gender gap. Men have ruled the world for far too long. Women are now regaining their rightful place alongside men as leaders both in the office and outside the office. People are being trained on how to encourage women to enter the male-dominated fields such as Science, Techology, and Mathematics. Women want the prestige, the paycheck, and the corner office. Why aren't they flocking to these fields then? Susan Pinker's theory is that while women want the benefits, they don't want the other things that often come with those positions: the 80-hour work week, the inflexible schedule, the sacrifice of family to give all to your company.
Pinker delves into this complex and frustrating dilemma by giving examples of biological differences between males and females in addition to the social stereotypes we're working so hard to shirk off. She discusses the myriad of problems that can affect child in utero and how males are more likely to be adversely affected. This, she hypothesizes, is why there are more men in the extremes of behavior - the psychopath or the extremely gifted and intelligent person - whereas there are more "average" women and less of them in these extremes.
This has been a fascinating book to read. I thoroughly enjoyed both the data that was presented and the ease of reading. This is not often something you find in a non-fiction book. This book can help many a woman who might be frustrated with her dissatisfaction in her current job and give her possible solutions for finding a better fit. This book can also be a help to the many employers out there who are looking to attract women into their fields. Unfortunately, it seems, women are not likely to be exactly the same as men. This is a good thing and it means that it's not women who are the problem, but the system. If employers are likely to do things that may entice women, such as flex-time, part-time positions, daycare opportunities, self-driven and self-lead positions, then women might be more likely to be applying for positions within their company. There are a lot of incredibly smart and capable women out there who would love a more flexible career. Now we just need to help them find the right jobs for their interests and personalities and to encourage employers to just be a little bit more flexible.
Pinker delves into this complex and frustrating dilemma by giving examples of biological differences between males and females in addition to the social stereotypes we're working so hard to shirk off. She discusses the myriad of problems that can affect child in utero and how males are more likely to be adversely affected. This, she hypothesizes, is why there are more men in the extremes of behavior - the psychopath or the extremely gifted and intelligent person - whereas there are more "average" women and less of them in these extremes.
This has been a fascinating book to read. I thoroughly enjoyed both the data that was presented and the ease of reading. This is not often something you find in a non-fiction book. This book can help many a woman who might be frustrated with her dissatisfaction in her current job and give her possible solutions for finding a better fit. This book can also be a help to the many employers out there who are looking to attract women into their fields. Unfortunately, it seems, women are not likely to be exactly the same as men. This is a good thing and it means that it's not women who are the problem, but the system. If employers are likely to do things that may entice women, such as flex-time, part-time positions, daycare opportunities, self-driven and self-lead positions, then women might be more likely to be applying for positions within their company. There are a lot of incredibly smart and capable women out there who would love a more flexible career. Now we just need to help them find the right jobs for their interests and personalities and to encourage employers to just be a little bit more flexible.
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