4.5 Stars

Eve is my newest non-fiction book that I have been recommending to everyone I know that is either female or in the medical industry treating females, even before I finished it.

Accessible to the masses, Bohannon has written an incredibly well-researched and nuanced book that delves into the "Eves" that were the first of our sex in our evolutionary family tree to possess traits that are the defining characteristics of what makes a female human a female human. Everything from the first "Eve" to develop and secret milk ducts for her young to suckle to theories regarding why we are one of only a handful of species to undergo menopause, each chapter is full of a combination of fact and modern day theories as to why those adaptations occurred (whether through societal or environmental pressures or simply by accident) and how those adaptations have influenced the survival of the human species up until now.

Although the book is mainly written about cis-gendered women, there is plenty of thoughtful ackowledgement of transwomen and transmen who are born biologically female and how these adaptations are addressed in modern society. I especially liked the recognition that most medical research has historically been done solely on the male sex and how that impacts dosages of medicine and treatment for women today. Truly, the health of women has always been dismissed and as a species, it is becoming increasingly detrimental to our survival in the long term.

Eve is thought provoking and in my opinion should be read by both women and men alike. It does become a bit more philosophical and a tad preachy near the end, but I believe the author's arguments to be sound and her frustrations towards the patriarchy are justified based on the history of the treatment of women in the last few millenia. Some may have a difficult time with all of the footnotes, but they are full of pertinent additional information and should not be skipped. If you love learning about the history of women, biology, or anthropology, then this is one that you will definitely want to put on your TBR.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Cat Bohannon, and Knopf for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting, but a lot more dry than I expected. There is a lot of conjecture and the author tries to back everything up with fact, but there was still a lot of speculation. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. #sponsored

This is probably the most empowering book I've ever read. Learning about why my body functions the way it does, evolutionarily, is so so cool. I would recommend this book to ALL women. It conveys really quality science in a way that is fun and digestible for all audiences.

This book is such a comprehensive and fascinating read that starts to identify the gaps in the research about women's bodies. This book does such a great job of managing what must have at one point felt like an unwieldy task. Structuring the book with each chapter moving forward in time and focusing on one adaptation was such a great way of handling so much material and research. It was also a great balance of readable and incredibly informative, so it reads like a good, (incredibly knowledgeable) friend is sharing what they've learned over coffee. I couldn't recommend this book more highly, both to scientists and the wider public.

I was intrigued by the concept and there’s definitely a lot of information in this book. However it was a little dense for me and it was feeling more like homework to pick it up which isn’t what I’m looking for in my reading right now. I may try again in the future. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

Have you ever wondered how much you don’t know about the female body? Thought about what there is to know beyond what you learned in school? This book is for you!
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Bohannon packs a lot of information in as she explores how the evolutionary history of the female body. But you don’t need to be a science or history master to understand the material - she breaks it down in understandable terms, using animals and features we can recognize in ourselves as comparison.
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I have never felt smarter than I did after reading each chapter of this book. The author share so good information that is anchored in evolutionary history but she ties into how women live today for an overall beautiful, scientific, feminist, wonderfully educational read.

This enjoyable and informative book is densely packed with scientific investigations, observations, and hypotheses that are presented with humor and an awareness of how these topics are treated and discussed socially as well as scientifically. There is a lot of data here to consider (e.g. placentals developed and thrived in response to the same catastrophic event that killed the dinosaurs), theories and speculations to debate (e.g. that the most important tools that define our evolutionary progression are not weapons ala 2001: A Space Odyssey, but gynecology), and curious factoids to bring up with friends (e.g. breast milk responds chemically on a daily basis to immune information that the breast receives from the child during feeding). I am already looking forward to discussing it in book clubs next year and hearing what findings, narratives, and arguments hook different readers.

"Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution" by Cat Bohannon is an absolute gem for anyone curious about the intricate dance of biology and evolution. This book masterfully unravels the profound influence of the female body in shaping the course of human evolution over millions of years.

Cat Bohannon's writing style is engaging and accessible, making complex scientific concepts easily digestible for readers of all backgrounds. The narrative takes us on a captivating journey through time, weaving together scientific evidence, anthropological insights, and cultural anecdotes to paint a vivid picture of our evolutionary past.

What sets "Eve" apart is its focus on the often overlooked role of women in shaping our species' development. Bohannon skillfully highlights the critical contributions of female biology, behavior, and social structures in driving the evolutionary trajectory of Homo sapiens. It's refreshing to see a book that sheds light on the powerful agency of women throughout history.

The author's meticulous research is evident on every page, and their ability to distill complex scientific studies into engaging storytelling is commendable. The inclusion of vivid illustrations and diagrams further enhances the reader's understanding and appreciation of the subject matter.

One of the most striking aspects of "Eve" is its celebration of diversity within the human species. By examining the evolutionary history of various populations across the globe, Bohannon underscores the rich tapestry of human existence, emphasizing that our shared lineage is a testament to the strength of our collective genetic heritage.

Overall, "Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution" is a must-read for anyone with an interest in evolution, anthropology, or simply a curiosity about the incredible journey that has led to the human species we know today. Cat Bohannon's insightful narrative is a triumph in scientific storytelling, and this book deserves a place on the shelf of every science enthusiast and curious mind alike.

I was provided an advanced copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Eve is a fascinating take on female mammalian evolution. This book goes into great depth using mammals from our distant past to show how the various aspects that make female mammals what they are today such. Personally, I liked how Bohannon uses some imagination and brings each mammal along the road to life. I also like the fact that given this book is a work of science writing, Bohannon was not afraid to use and did use personal information in various places.

Yes, I could and maybe perhaps go into some of the more innards of the book, however, I believe one should read this amazing book and explore this interesting subject on ones own.

If you have a passion for science, evolution, and delving into the intricacies of the female body, you'll find this captivating book a compelling read. It's rich with concepts, insights, and thoughtful analysis. While Bohannon adds a touch of humor to lighten the tone, the deliberate pace contributes to the depth of the content rather than being a drawback. The book is dedicated to exploring female-centric details, making it the focal point of the entire narrative. One noteworthy aspect is Bohannon's skillful connection of evolution to contemporary issues, as evident in her final chapter.

While the book is information-heavy, it remains thoroughly enjoyable. Occasionally, there are sections where opinions seem to outweigh pure scientific content, but I appreciate how the book challenges established norms and questions long-held assumptions.

Combining science with story-telling and generous amount of wit, Cat Bohannon has delivered a book rich with the facts and details a science lover like me drools over.

She delivers a read as enticing and attention grabbing as can be achieved while chronologically recounting the history of the female body of many genus.

At first, I was apprehensive, as I could imagine how tedious a read like this could get given the intensive amount of research necessary to dive this deep. However, I couldn’t stop reading, and I’m fact wished I had it in hand rather than on screen so I could annotate to my heart’s content.

As a radiology major focusing on the human body from a more anatomical perspective, having this in-depth account of the minutia of the female body’s physiological functionality was so satisfying, Anyone who has even the slightest interest in anthropology, anatomy, physiology, or evolution, both macro and micro, should read this book.

I can’t wait to get a physical copy in my hands and on my shelf.

Thanks #netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is a little dense and was slow for me to read but enlightening.

As a woman in science, I think that it is incredibly important that we highlight not only the lack of female representation historically in research, but also that we put in the effort to correct these failures in current and future research. Cat Bohannon does an excellent job of delving into the world of female evolution and how it effects much more than many people realize.

This was fascinating and written so well, I loved the author’s style of narrative. Bohannnon was able to layout so much information in an entertaining and easy to follow way. This is definitely going to be my recommended book to everyone for nonfiction November!

This dense nonfiction book took me forever to read and digest, and it was worth every minute. I'd suggest this in bite-sized chunks to anyone interested in the subject.

If you love science, evolution, and learning about the female body's workings, read this fascinating book. It's densely packed with ideas, information, and cogent analysis. Bohannon often lightens the mood with humor, but it's a slow read overall. This isn't a negative. If you like female-focused details, that's the entire point of this book. I particularly liked how she ties evolution to present-day issues in her last chapter.

Thanks to NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and the author for a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for this honest review.

4.5, rounded up

This was so fascinating! It’s wild how little—as a biologically female person—I know about biologically female bodies. I definitely found the earliest chapters to be the most fascinating and scientific evidence driven, but I also found the later chapters theorizing about how hominids gained some of these unique traits like menopause super thought-provoking. There was a bit of repetition, but that was probably more so because of the length/complexity of information being discussed. Would highly recommend to any evo bio lovers/those interested in reproductive health stuff!

This is a hefty book, filled with science – but it was so compelling that it made me want to keep reading! (And, head’s up for those intimidated by the length – there are quite a few pages of research and notes, so if you aren’t planning on reading every bit of that, it does make that page number come down a little.)

The book overall talks about the evolution of our species, and how the female body – and maybe even some of our social and cultural roles – came to be. In doing so, it compares us to both our evolutionary ancestors and other living primates… and it compares us to men. How do we differ from the other sex? How do we differ from other large mammals? More importantly… how are we the SAME?! And what does this mean about us?

Some of this might not be shocking to people who keep up with anthropological studies and new biological research – but I am well-versed in neither, and was constantly surprised by some of the ideas in here.

The first thing that jumped out at me was in the intro: both animal and human clinical studies use mostly male subjects. The idea is that it could be unsafe to test new drugs on a woman who could be or become pregnant during the trial, so they usually avoid all women of child-bearing ages. But then, once a drug is on the open market, it can regularly be prescribed to a woman – without having been tested on a woman. Dosage info is just based on what was recommended for men of similar weights. Differences in how the sexes respond to these dosages have been noted most often with painkillers and anesthesia. I mean… what could possibly go wrong with that?!

Similarly, there are differences in how our hearing develops. Yet early computers had male designers and testers… still to this day, women are more likely to be able to hear the fans that keep the processors cool.

In the chapter about brains, I learned that a pregnant woman’s brain shrinks by five percent in the third trimester. It then rebuilds during the first few months after birth. We all assume “mom brain” is just due to lack of sleep – and let’s be honest, that does have an effect – but there’s also a lot of rearranging going on in there during these months!

There is so much to be learned in here – from how menstruation affects the vocal ranges of singers, to how abortions exist in many other mammal communities in the wild. I could go on and on about the amazing ideas that could be drawn from some of these observations – or, you can learn about them on your own.

This was a deep dive over the span of millenia following the development of the female human form. This is one of those books that you can't easily categorize - it's biology, anthropology, history, feminist studies, sociology and numerous connections with other fields. But the writing is also very accessible manner so you don't need to have a PhD in any specific field to follow along. I appreciate the humor and wry wit that comes through in Bohannon's writing including the footnotes. The footnotes themselves are fun asides, sometimes quick notes and other times mini tangents. This means that the book is heavy with a lot of information. Wholly enjoyable, there were a few sections where it felt like there was more opinion than science but I do love when books challenge the accepted status quo and shake up long-held assumptions.

This book took a very unique approach to the ideas of evolution and womanhood, so I was quite excited about this book. It has a great blend of science and feminism, and it is one of the best-researched books I've encountered. I think Bohannon took a brilliant approach to understanding human evolution, specifically as women. It provided me with copious amounts of new knowledge, and even built on previous knowledge in a more nuanced way. That being said, it is quite dense and does take a bit of time to get through, but I found it was well worth the time; this is one of the few times I feel as though being shorter and less dense would actually be a disservice to the topic.

This book would be best enjoyed by biologists, specifically evolutionary biologists and those with a love of exploring the experience of womanhood.