Delusions of Gender

If you're a Bitch magazine reader, you may have already seen the latest issue. The one with the unicorn on the cover. Beyond the unicorn is a book review of Cordelia Fine's Delusion of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference. I want to read it. It's been added to my very long list of things to read sooner rather than later. From the review by Erica Lies:

Fine examines recent studies in developmental psychology... and neuroscience that have given scientific credence to the gender gap, and reveals many a methodologically flawed study. Fine demonstrates ... both women and men's test performances are vulnerable to the effects of self perception. (Subjects told that men are better at math bore at that self-fulfilling prophecy on tests, while those not subjected to stereotyped attitudes about gender beforehand showed no great difference in score). ... By statistical chance, 5 percent of studies will show strong gender differences. And guess what happens to those chance findings? They're published, and thus reiterate the same tired stereotypes about women, while the other 95 percent of studies that find no significant differences are tucked away because they don't generate sensationalist headlines."

Intrigued? Get the latest issue of Bitch, subscribe even. And pick up a copy of Delusions of Gender at your local indy bookstore. Pick up two copies, and send me one :D