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Testosterone
***RECOMMENDED AS ONE OF THE TIMES' BEST SCIENCE BOOKS OF 2021'With all the talk about testosterone in sex, sports and politics, we need a good explanation of the science and its implications, and this one is outstanding.' STEVEN PINKER, bestselling author of The Blank Slate'There are whole books written about the idea that behavioural sex differences are a societal construct and how a male hormone we know influences animal behaviour somehow doesn't influence us. Hooven's book is a riposte to that silliness - and also a defence of a hormone that isn't just about aggression.' TOM WHIPPLE, THE TIMES, BEST SCIENCE BOOKS OF 2021'Fascinating, vital, unputdownable.' JULIE BINDEL'The definitive book on testosterone . . . A brave and significant book . . . simply fascinating and filled with extraordinary facts.' EVENING STANDARD'Testosterone does what all superb popular science must do: it entertains as it educates.' THE WALL STREET JOURNALThrough riveting personal stories and the latest research, Harvard evolutionary biologist Carole Hooven shows how testosterone drives the behaviour of the sexes apart and how understanding the science behind this hormone is empowering for all.The biological source of masculinity has inspired fascination, investigation and controversy since antiquity. From the eunuchs in the royal courts of ancient China to the booming market for 'elixirs' of youth in nineteenth-century Europe, humans have been obsessed with identifying and manipulating what we now know as testosterone. And the trend shows no signs of slowing down. Thanks to this history and the methods of modern science, today we have a rich body of research about testosterone's effects in both men and women.The science is clear: testosterone is a major, invisible player in our relationships, sex lives, athletic abilities, childhood play, gender transitions, parenting roles, violent crime, and so much more. But there is still a lot of pushback to the idea that it does, in fact, contribute to sex differences and significantly influence behaviour.Hooven argues that acknowledging testosterone as a potent force in society doesn't reinforce stifling gender norms or patriarchal values. Testosterone and evolution work together to produce a huge variety of human behaviour, and that includes a multitude of ways to be masculine and feminine.Understanding the science sheds light on how we work and relate to one another, how we express anger and love, and how we fight bias and problematic behaviour to build a fairer society.'One of the most compelling books on human behaviour I've ever read. Testosterone is a scientific mystery story told with insight, intelligence and panache.' DANIEL GILBERT, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Stumbling on Happiness'Hooven makes a compelling case that testosterone is a powerful influence on our bodies and brains. As Testosterone argues, it's hard to make a start on [...] social improvements if we don't fully understand why things are the way they are. Clear-eyed books like this, which mercifully avoid culture-war partisanship, are a great start on that quest.' THE TIMES'Science writing at its best: intriguing, personal, bold, persuasive, and most importantly, transparent. Her gripping account will fascinate, whether you're a teenager in the throes of puberty or are just curious about the nature of sex and gender - one of the most important debates of our time.' RICHARD WRANGHAM, author of The Goodness Paradox'A fascinating, brave, and brilliant book - the best I've read on the topic.' STEVE STEWART-WILLIAMS, author of The Ape that Understood the Universe'A superb and engaging book that delivers the unfiltered truth about testosterone, sex and sex differences, told with clarity and compassion.' DANIEL E. LIEBERMAN, author of Exercised'With wit and warmth, Hooven lucidly lays out a formidable scientific case for how and why the sexes are different. Boldly confronting contemporary gender issues, Testosterone speaks directly to why getting human nature right matters for making the world a better place.' JOE HENRICH, professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and author of The Secret of Our Success'An approachable introduction to an often misunderstood aspect of human biology.' Publishers Weekly'Carole Hooven's account ... is subtle, nuanced, and written with the sure touch of a natural storyteller ...Her commitment to science - to good science - is resolute.' LUKE SLATTERY, WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN
€ 16,50 -
Exercised
If exercise is healthy (so good for you!), why do many people dislike or avoid it? These engaging stories and explanations will revolutionize the way you think about exercising—not to mention sitting, sleeping, sprinting, weight lifting, playing, fighting, walking, jogging, and even dancing.“Strikes a perfect balance of scholarship, wit, and enthusiasm.” —Bill Bryson, New York Times best-selling author of The Body• If we are born to walk and run, why do most of us take it easy whenever possible?• Does running ruin your knees?• Should we do weights, cardio, or high-intensity training?• Is sitting really the new smoking?• Can you lose weight by walking?• And how do we make sense of the conflicting, anxiety-inducing information about rest, physical activity, and exercise with which we are bombarded?In this myth-busting book, Daniel Lieberman, professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University and a pioneering researcher on the evolution of human physical activity, tells the story of how we never evolved to exercise—to do voluntary physical activity for the sake of health. Using his own research and experiences throughout the world, Lieberman recounts without jargon how and why humans evolved to walk, run, dig, and do other necessary and rewarding physical activities while avoiding needless exertion.Exercised is entertaining and enlightening but also constructive. As our increasingly sedentary lifestyles have contributed to skyrocketing rates of obesity and diseases such as diabetes, Lieberman audaciously argues that to become more active we need to do more than medicalize and commodify exercise.Drawing on insights from evolutionary biology and anthropology, Lieberman suggests how we can make exercise more enjoyable, rather than shaming and blaming people for avoiding it. He also tackles the question of whether you can exercise too much, even as he explains why exercise can reduce our vulnerability to the diseases mostly likely to make us sick and kill us.
€ 13,50 -
Exercised
'Endlessly fascinating and full of surprises. Easily one of my books of the year' BILL BRYSONThe myth-busting science behind our modern attitudes to exercise: what our bodies really need, why it matters, and its effects on health and wellbeing. In industrialized nations, our sedentary lifestyles have contributed to skyrocketing rates of obesity and diseases like diabetes. A key remedy, we are told, is exercise - voluntary physical activity for the sake of health. However, most of us struggle to stay fit, and our attitudes to exercise are plagued by misconceptions, finger-pointing and anxiety.But, as Daniel Lieberman shows in Exercised, the first book of its kind by a leading scientific expert, we never evolved to exercise. We are hardwired for moderate exertion throughout each day, not triathlons or treadmills. Drawing on over a decade of high-level scientific research and eye-opening insights from evolutionary biology and anthropology, Lieberman explains precisely how exercise can promote health; debunks persistent myths about sitting, speed, strength and endurance; and points the way towards more enjoyable and physically active living in the modern world.'Myth-busting, illuminating, brilliant - Lieberman will completely change the way you think about your body' Professor ALICE ROBERTS, presenter of Our Incredible Human Journey
€ 16,50 -
The Story of the Human Body
In The Story of the Human Body, Daniel Lieberman, Professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard, shows how we need to change our world to fit our hunter-gatherer bodiesThis ground-breaking book of popular science explores how the way we use our bodies is all wrong. From an evolutionary perspective, if normal is defined as what most people have done for millions of years, then it's normal to walk and run 9 -15 kilometres a day to hunt and gather fresh food which is high in fibre, low in sugar, and barely processed. It's also normal to spend much of your time nursing, napping, making stone tools, and gossiping with a small band of people. Our 21st-century lifestyles, argues Daniel Lieberman, are out of synch with our stone-age bodies. Never have we been so healthy and long-lived - but never, too, have we been so prone to a slew of problems that were, until recently, rare or unknown, from asthma, to diabetes, to - scariest of all - overpopulation.The Story of the Human Body asks how our bodies got to be the way they are, and considers how that evolutionary history - both ancient and recent - can help us evaluate how we use our bodies. How is the present-day state of the human body related to the past? And what is the human body's future? 'Monumental. The Story of the Human Body, by one of our leading experts, takes us on an epic voyage' - Neil Shubin, author of Your Inner Fish'Riveting, enlightening, and more than a little frightening' - Christopher McDougall, author of Born to RunDaniel Lieberman is the Chair of the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard and a leader in the field. He has written nearly 100 articles, many appearing in the journals Nature and Science, and his cover story on barefoot running in Nature was picked up by major media the world over. His research and discoveries have been highlighted in newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Boston Globe, Discover, and National Geographic.
€ 19,00