Home › Books › Bitch: On the Female of the Species
Bitch: On the Female of the Species
by
46/99
Critics' Rating Index
90/99
Readers' Rating Index
n/a
Scholars' Citation Index
84/99
Volume of Reviews
83/99
Volume of Reader Ratings
Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.
About This Book
A fierce, funny, and revolutionary look at the queens of the animal kingdom. Studying zoology made Lucy Cooke feel like a sad freak. Not because she loved spiders or would root around in animal feces: all her friends shared the same curious kinks. The problem was her sex. Being female meant she was, by nature, a loser. Since Charles Darwin, evolutionary biologists have been convinced that the males of the animal kingdom are the interesting ones—dominating and promiscuous, while females are dull, passive, and devoted. In Bitch, Cooke tells a new story. Whether investigating same-sex female albatross couples that raise chicks, murderous mother meerkats, or the titanic battle of the sexes waged by ducks, Cooke shows us a new evolutionary biology, one where females can be as dynamic as any male. This isn't your grandfather's evolutionary biology. It's more inclusive, truer to life, and, simply, more fun.
Reviews
"Zoological notions of gender will challenge general readers to appreciate sexual diversity in animals and reassess human notions of 'female.'"
"Offering a wealth of examples ranging from cannibal spiders to sex-switching reef fish, Cooke dismantles a mass of misconceptions about binary sex roles, many of which can be traced back to that beloved bearded icon, Charles Darwin ..."
"To do so even now is to invite controversy and even anger, but the author does so with a charming mix of wit and scientific analysis."
"Cooke, a superb science writer with a Masters in zoology, covers the spectrum of female sexuality (and many other topics) throughout the animal kingdom, including more about spiders and hyenas than you ever thought you wanted to know."
"When she is being funny, Cooke sometimes indulges in the kind of throaty feminism where you cheer whenever the boys lose."
"Their pioneering research shows that sex and gender have always been complex, innovative, and varied throughout the animal kingdom."
"Readers will receive a superb education in the evolution and mechanics of animal sex as well as countless colorful anecdotes describing bizarre reproductive behavior."
"This hits the right balance between informative and entertaining; popular science fans will want to check it out."
Preview
Reader Reviews
0 reviewsSign in to write a review.
No reader reviews yet. Be the first!