The Better Half

Here are some facts: Women live longer than men. Women have stronger immune systems. They are less likely to suffer from learning and developmental disabilities, and are better at fighting cancer and surviving famine. Women are simply stronger than men at every stage of life, though we are taught the opposite. But why?

This question haunted Dr. Sharon Moalem throughout his career - when he was treating premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit; when he was recruiting the elderly for neurogenetic studies; when he was tending to HIV-positive orphans in Thailand. He couldn't understand why men were consistently less likely to thrive. And then it all clicked into place: two X chromosomes offer a survival advantage.

With clear, captivating prose that weaves together eye-opening research, case studies, and diverse examples -- from the behaviour of honeybees to the fate of the Donner party -- and experiences from his personal life and his own patients, The Better Half explains why genetic females triumph over males when it comes to resiliency, intellect, stamina, immunity and much more. It also calls for a reconsideration of our male-centric, one-size-fits-all view of medical studies and even how we prescribe medications - a view that still sees women through the lens of men.

Revolutionary and utterly convincing, The Better Half will make you see humanity and the survival of our species anew.