25 & Trying

The Male Brain

The Male Brain by Louann Brizendine

Finally! It’s Book Review time. I have been struggling this month to fit in some reading (mostly out of sheer exhaustion from running my half marathon and other things related to work.)

Recently, my husband read a book called The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine, a therapist and brain researcher that talked all about the female perspective of things, and how the brain affects everyday female life. He proceeded to quote it frequently, touting the science behind the emotions.

Naturally, I was fairly ecstatic that we were just in time for her latest release this month — The Male Brain. The book is similar to the format of her other work, taking us from infant to elderly man in search of a better understanding of why men are the way they are.

She debunks the myth perpetrated by many self-help books that male behavior is almost all “learned.” There is a great deal that comes from the brain itself.

Her book was fairly short – with over 100 pages dedicated to the notes and citations that are requisite for a science book of this kind. I enjoyed her tone, and for someone that is NOT a science person, the text is 100% readable and goes by very quickly for the experienced reader.

One of the craziest things that she describes is the way in which men handle women when they are upset. Men immediately experience the need to problem solve, rather than the need to empathize. So, while they are gazing blindly at us as we females get frustrated and more upset, their brains are hard at work to find a practical solution to the problem.

I have definitely experienced the borderline frustration that comes with this type of behavior – because I am SUCH a talker. I like to talk through the problem…probably to death. I don’t always jump to the practical/rational solution. I think the book makes it clear that we really have to think biology – always.

We are definitely different, us males and females – but the understanding is fascinating. Whichever brains we have, it’s great to understand each other – and this book does just that.