An Interesting Read
Looking for something fun to read? Or, maybe you feel like you need some data and studies to quote in your next Battle of the Sexes discussion, debating who makes better drivers, world leaders, hedge fund managers or dozens of other things. I suggest the light read with a message, Man Down, by Dan Abrams. His website continues the discussion and the research.
Breaking Stereotypes
Yes, it was written by a man. Abrams is an attorney and used to have a show on MSNBC. He steps back from stereotypes and looks for legitimate studies in area as diverse as who make better beer tasters, who is less corrupt and who is better at social media. Many of these break strong stereotypes.
Is it discrimination that gives women lower auto insurance rates by an average of 7.3%? No, it could be because men have more accidents, get more tickets and drive drunk far more often.
Comedy & Reality
Roseanne Barr used to do a routine on stage act wondering why everyone always asks the woman where things are in the house. Mom, where are my books? Honey, where are my keys? You know the drill. Her theory was that the uterus is a homing device. It can zero in on objects. But Dan Abrams says that there is real proof that women have better memories. Research shows that we are better at memorizing faces and words. The study I relate to the most talks about “episodic memory” which says that women are better at understanding the totality of everyday events including words, objects, and picture”. I guess that shows that we can find those keys.
But, the reason for this skill comes from evolutionary head-to-head competition among females: “women certainly fought and continue to fight over the best guys…those with good genes and resources to invest in kids. Remembering details of personal experiences is important for monitoring and maneuvering relationships, including disrupting the social and romantic ties of other women who are competitors”. I guess Roseanne had it right: It is about the uterus!!
How I’ll Use It
I plan to use this book as back up for many of my personal theses on why we need real gender equality. Abrams’ research points me towards great studies than I can use to back up my own ideas. It’s the humor in the book makes this a fun read. After all, “Women Appreciate a Good Joke Better” is a great chapter that starts with an Oscar Wilde quote: Nothing spoils a romance so much as a sense of humor in the woman and the want of one in a man.
