Testosterone Rex

'A cracking critique of the "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" hypothesis, Cordelia Fine takes to pieces much of the science on which "fundamental" gender differences are predicated. Graced with precisely focused humour, the author makes a good case that men and women are far more alike than many would claim. Feminist? Possibly. Humanist? Certainly. A compellingly good read.' -- Professor Richard Fortey 'Fine leavens the hard science with personal anecdote, and her entertaining and thoughtful book is a valuable addition to the discussion about gender.' -- Ian Critchley, The Sunday Times 'Fine dissects as she goes, bringing a probing intelligence not only to what we believe about gender, and why it's often wrong, but also to the history of how we came to think it was so ... Beliefs about men and women are as old as humanity itself, but Fine's funny, spiky book gives reason to hope that we've heard Testosterone Rex's last roar.' -- Annie Murphy Paul, New York Times Book Review 'Testosterone Rex is a debunking rumble that ought to inspire a roar.' -- Sarah Ditum 'Fine does it again. The mistress of "I think you'll find it's more complicated than that" delivers a brilliant and witty riposte to the "boys will be boys" bores. Fascinating.' -- Caroline Criado-Perez 'A fascinating, greatly contemplative discussion of sex and gender and the embedded societal expectations of both.' -- Kirkus Reviews 'It is extraordinary how so much is attributed to such a minute quantity of hormone. Cordelia Fine combines formidable intellect, forensic analysis and devastating wit to expose those myths of sex, gender and human behaviour that might just reflect testosterone-fuelled, wishful thinking. This engaging, accessible and hopefully influential book doesn't disappoint, and makes crucial reading for those with an interest, from any perspective, in human behaviour.' -- Professor Mark Elgar 'The delusion that there are distinct and unique male and female natures, put in place by an unholy alliance of genes, hormones and neurones, remains alive and well. Cordelia Fine dismantles this myth with style, wit and scientific precision. This combination of scientific responsibility and general accessibility is desperately needed if we are to escape the serious social damage caused by such widely disseminated pseudoscience.' -- Professor John Dupre 'Goodbye beliefs in sex differences disguised as evolutionary facts. Welcome the dragon slayer: Cordelia Fine wittily but meticulously lays bare the irrational arguments that we use to justify gender politics.' -- Professor Uta Frith 'This is an important, well researched book that presents biological, psychological and social science research to explain why men and women are far less different than many would have you believe. If that sounds dry, it ain't. Fine lives up to her name - she is an extremely talented writer.' -- Professor Michael Jennions 'Cordelia Fine has done it again: she debunked the idea of a female brain in Delusions of Gender and has now slain Testosterone Rex. This is obligatory reading for anyone interested in gender equality at work or home - your views on sex differences will never be the same.' -- Catherine Fox 'This book is brilliant' 'Ms Fine's is a provocative and often fascinating book.' 'Filled with interesting facts, studies and arguments, it's an impressive work, sure to be useful when faced with gender essentialists who argue that asking for progressive change such as fair representation, or less sexist adverts, is a futile fight against nature.' -- Let Toys Be Toys Endless books claim that the brains of men and women are wired differently. They set out to convince us that women are somehow biologically suited to getting the creases out of clothes while men peruse maps. This brilliant book proves our attitudes to men and women are cultural, not natural. Fine makes the neuroscience clear and provides a wealth of ammunition to debunk the

Cordelia Fine is a Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Melbourne. In 2018 she was awarded the Edinburgh Medal for her work on challenging gender perceptions in science and her contributions to society's understanding of gender stereotypes. She is the author of the much-acclaimed A Mind of Its Own (Icon, 2006) and Delusions of Gender (Icon, 2010), described as 'a truly startling book' by the Independent, 'fun, droll yet deeply serious' by New Scientist and an 'important book ... as enjoyable as it is timely and interesting' by the West Australian.