- Hardcover: 404 pages
- Publisher: OUP Oxford (14 Feb 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0198504985
- ISBN-13: 978-0198504986
- Product Dimensions: 24 x 17.2 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,617,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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In her readable and thought-provoking account, Campbell argues that there are profound differences between women, and that this is both a cause and a consequence of directional selection on female psychology... Campbell provides an excellent taxonomy of nine classes of feminism This book will stimulate an important debate and ensure that evolution cannot be ignored. (Anne Magurran, Times Literary Supplement )
A Mind of Her Own is a well-organized, well-written, up-to-date textbook on evolutionary psychology, which stands out from the pack. (Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Vol 6, No 6 )
A Mind of Her Own is a well-organized, well-written, up-to-date textbook on evolutionary psychology, which stands out from the pack. (Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Vol 6, No 6 )
Review
In her readable and thought-provoking account, Campbell argues that there are profound differences between women, and that this is both a cause and a consequence of directional selection on female psychology... Campbell provides an excellent taxonomy of nine classes of feminism This book will stimulate an important debate and ensure that evolution cannot be ignored. Anne Magurran, Times Literary Supplement A Mind of Her Own is a well-organized, well-written, up-to-date textbook on evolutionary psychology, which stands out from the pack. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Vol 6, No 6
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First Sentence
In the past twenty years over 110,000 studies of women, gender and sex differences have appeared in academic journals. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
In the past twenty years over 110,000 studies of women, gender and sex differences have appeared in academic journals. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Evolutionary psychology is the subject of the moment and has infiltrated all our thinking; be it through the Noddy world of 'Women are from Skegness, Men are from Scunthorpe' or the world views of Darwin, Dawkins and Dennett.
It is a fascinating subject, which impacts how we view ourselves; our motivations, societies and our philosophy on life.
However, like many sciences, it is male dominated. When we are talking about a subject that has such an impact on how the sexes relate to each other, as opposed to Astronomy or particle physics, this is a problem. And it has led to a backlash from many feminist thinkers, who feel that social factors are overlooked and that male dominance is over emphasised.
Anne Campbell has a refreshing approach to this, agreeing that when females are portrayed as bit players in evolution, devoid of competition and worthy only as a vessel for the best possible sperm, it does a disservice not only to half the world's population, but to evolutionary science as a whole. There is a bigger picture here.
This work is well written and easy to understand. I still have many questions about how relevant Evolutionary Psychology is in our lives, in comparison to social factors, but I found it hugely enjoyable, and it made me (as a woman) want to learn more about the subject, which is what a good science book should do.
It is a fascinating subject, which impacts how we view ourselves; our motivations, societies and our philosophy on life.
However, like many sciences, it is male dominated. When we are talking about a subject that has such an impact on how the sexes relate to each other, as opposed to Astronomy or particle physics, this is a problem. And it has led to a backlash from many feminist thinkers, who feel that social factors are overlooked and that male dominance is over emphasised.
Anne Campbell has a refreshing approach to this, agreeing that when females are portrayed as bit players in evolution, devoid of competition and worthy only as a vessel for the best possible sperm, it does a disservice not only to half the world's population, but to evolutionary science as a whole. There is a bigger picture here.
This work is well written and easy to understand. I still have many questions about how relevant Evolutionary Psychology is in our lives, in comparison to social factors, but I found it hugely enjoyable, and it made me (as a woman) want to learn more about the subject, which is what a good science book should do.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
A Solid Piece of Work
1 Nov 2005
Format:Hardcover
Anne Campbell looks at why females are too easily presumed to be merely passive receivers of winning males' sperm.
Considering the enormous burden of motherhood and a mothers need for resources for both herself and her limited number of potential offspring it should follow that females will compete with each other for resources and there will be differential reproductive success amongst females.
But it is also essential for females to preserve their own health throughout their reproductive lifetime so open, physical aggression is not normally an option. (It is an option for males who can maximise their number of offspring in a brief spell of copulatory access to a number of females.)
So female competition is indirect and low-level harrassment except when the mother needs to show full aggression to directly protect her offspring.
Campbell discusses hormone studies - particularly serotonin and dopamine - suggesting that different levels of these in the sexes provide a braking system on female emotions and impulsive behaviour but less so on males. Hence greater male impulsivity, risk-taking, violence and even suicide. Only the male had the potential for reproductive gains via this weaker braking system.
Campbell also makes many more points about females and males such as the rarity of male parental care in nature and the possible reasons for monogamy eg the female trades sex for the protection of one male against numerous other males who may also be infanticidal. She also discusses female crime and female friendship.
And regarding modern women she points out that there is nothing new about women working except that women have to leave their children to do so.
This is a solid, wide-ranging book providng sound evolutionary reasons for women's psychology and behaviour. She includes the important points about variation within the sexes and the overlap of the sexes. But by considering the reality of how males and females achieved reproductive success in different ways during evolution she explains much about the differences between the sexes today.
Highly recommended.
Considering the enormous burden of motherhood and a mothers need for resources for both herself and her limited number of potential offspring it should follow that females will compete with each other for resources and there will be differential reproductive success amongst females.
But it is also essential for females to preserve their own health throughout their reproductive lifetime so open, physical aggression is not normally an option. (It is an option for males who can maximise their number of offspring in a brief spell of copulatory access to a number of females.)
So female competition is indirect and low-level harrassment except when the mother needs to show full aggression to directly protect her offspring.
Campbell discusses hormone studies - particularly serotonin and dopamine - suggesting that different levels of these in the sexes provide a braking system on female emotions and impulsive behaviour but less so on males. Hence greater male impulsivity, risk-taking, violence and even suicide. Only the male had the potential for reproductive gains via this weaker braking system.
Campbell also makes many more points about females and males such as the rarity of male parental care in nature and the possible reasons for monogamy eg the female trades sex for the protection of one male against numerous other males who may also be infanticidal. She also discusses female crime and female friendship.
And regarding modern women she points out that there is nothing new about women working except that women have to leave their children to do so.
This is a solid, wide-ranging book providng sound evolutionary reasons for women's psychology and behaviour. She includes the important points about variation within the sexes and the overlap of the sexes. But by considering the reality of how males and females achieved reproductive success in different ways during evolution she explains much about the differences between the sexes today.
Highly recommended.
7 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Very influential book about womens behaviors
16 Jan 2004
Format:Hardcover
Quite simply, I am impressed with the value and scope of this manuscript. It is the most influential piece of work written about the mind and behavior of women to appear in history (and yes that is a bold statement, read it you won't be disappointed). I say kudos for taking on a topic of such magnitude, and bringing to light the fact that women too have an evolutionary past. This book is loaded with insight about women's behaviors such as social aggression, friendship, love and marriage. And far from offering simple opinions, the ideas and explanations are backed up by a stagering mound of scientific data. Whether you are an academic or the average Jane, this book is bound to be a classic read for anyone interested in the unique behaviors of women.
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