The Better Half

"Moalem’s sharp text serves as a challenge to explore the vast unknown territory of chromosomal differences in men and women." —Kirkus

"Moalem presents a cutting-edge look at the stubborn conservatism of modern medicine and what we can do to change it." —Booklist

"Although Dr. Moalem had me at the subtitle, I tore through this fascinating, eye-opening book in one sitting. Provocative, crackling with wit and insight, THE BETTER HALF argues that science has shortchanged women in all levels of research and convincingly reveals that the true differences between men and women come down to longevity, intellect, resilience, and immunity to disease. Now it all makes sense why 95 percent of people who have reached the age of 110 are women." —Jancee Dunn, New York Times–bestselling author of How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids

"Let’s hear it for the X-chromosome! After decades, if not centuries, of bad press for women and their vulnerable biology, The Better Half gives chapter and verse to show that 'almost everything that is biologically difficult to do in life is done better by females.' An eye- and mind-opening celebration of the reserve genetic horsepower that having two X-chromosomes can bestow, The Better Half is a powerful antidote to the myth of a ‘weaker sex.'" —Gina Rippon, PhD, author of The Gendered Brain and Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Neuroimaging at Aston University, Birmingham

This book provides the crucial scientific reasoning behind why it is essential to include males and females, both in people and animals, in order to get accurate results in medical research. —Temple Grandin, PhD, New York Times–bestselling author of The Autistic Brain and Thinking in Pictures

"Moalem brings deep yet highly readable scientific analysis to the perennial question of what makes men and women different. Ideally, this book will re-set that conversation at research labs, doctors' offices, classrooms, and dinner tables around the world." —E. Kinney Zalesne, New York Times–bestselling collaborator on Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes

"In The Better Half, Sharon Moalem presents his compelling argument for the resilience seen in women. But the real genius is the poetic justice he metes out by highlighting the brilliant women who remain unsung heroes in these discoveries." —William J. Sullivan, PhD, Showalter Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Microbiology & Immunology at Indiana University School of Medicine and author of Pleased to Meet Me

"The Better Half explores the genetic differences between males and females in a way that is both original and scientifically compelling. This book provides a great read, and lots to think about, for specialists and the public alike." —Han G. Brunner, MD, PhD, Professor of Human Genetics at Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center and Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands