This is a really excellent book which looks at how research into gender differences in the human brain and the causes of it has moved on, especially with the latest knowledge about the lifelong plasticity of the brain. Rippon talks about how biological differences at birth are statistically insignificant, but how babies are 'social sponges', quickly picking up on social rules and what is expected of them. She reports on the history of research into gender differences, how biased some of it has been, and how the press and neurotrash books have inevitably picked up and publicised the worst, sometimes leading to an article which is unrecognisable from the original paper. It's hugely interesting to read how social influences have a huge effect on both ability and personality, though also hugely depressing when you look at quite how biased the world is out there, frequently more so than we're even aware, and how many unconscious biases we all harbour. Rippon talks about the waste of potential, and what can be done about the leaky pipeline. Fascinatingly at the end she discusses how the latest research has indicated that it may not be sensible to divide brains into two groups along gender lines. I would really recommend anyone who has an interest in equality and challenging stereotypes to read this.

A Wishlist gift for a lovely friend at the Durham Unconvention.

Thank you. This looks so interesting. So nice to be here in Durham with you and all my friends.