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Testosterone: The Story of the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us Hardcover – 8 July 2021
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RECOMMENDED AS ONE OF THE TIMES' BEST SCIENCE BOOKS OF 2021
'With all the talk about testosterone in sex, sports and politics, we need a good explanation of the science and its implications, and this one is outstanding.' STEVEN PINKER, bestselling author of The Blank Slate
'There are whole books written about the idea that behavioural sex differences are a societal construct and how a male hormone we know influences animal behaviour somehow doesn't influence us. Hooven's book is a riposte to that silliness - and also a defence of a hormone that isn't just about aggression.' TOM WHIPPLE, THE TIMES, BEST SCIENCE BOOKS OF 2021
'Fascinating, vital, unputdownable.' JULIE BINDEL
'The definitive book on testosterone . . . A brave and significant book . . . simply fascinating and filled with extraordinary facts.' EVENING STANDARD
'Testosterone does what all superb popular science must do: it entertains as it educates.' THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Through riveting personal stories and the latest research, Harvard evolutionary biologist Carole Hooven shows how testosterone drives the behaviour of the sexes apart and how understanding the science behind this hormone is empowering for all.
The biological source of masculinity has inspired fascination, investigation and controversy since antiquity. From the eunuchs in the royal courts of ancient China to the booming market for 'elixirs' of youth in nineteenth-century Europe, humans have been obsessed with identifying and manipulating what we now know as testosterone. And the trend shows no signs of slowing down. Thanks to this history and the methods of modern science, today we have a rich body of research about testosterone's effects in both men and women.
The science is clear: testosterone is a major, invisible player in our relationships, sex lives, athletic abilities, childhood play, gender transitions, parenting roles, violent crime, and so much more. But there is still a lot of pushback to the idea that it does, in fact, contribute to sex differences and significantly influence behaviour.
Hooven argues that acknowledging testosterone as a potent force in society doesn't reinforce stifling gender norms or patriarchal values. Testosterone and evolution work together to produce a huge variety of human behaviour, and that includes a multitude of ways to be masculine and feminine.
Understanding the science sheds light on how we work and relate to one another, how we express anger and love, and how we fight bias and problematic behaviour to build a fairer society.
'One of the most compelling books on human behaviour I've ever read. Testosterone is a scientific mystery story told with insight, intelligence and panache.' DANIEL GILBERT, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Stumbling on Happiness
'Hooven makes a compelling case that testosterone is a powerful influence on our bodies and brains. As Testosterone argues, it's hard to make a start on [...] social improvements if we don't fully understand why things are the way they are. Clear-eyed books like this, which mercifully avoid culture-war partisanship, are a great start on that quest.' THE TIMES
'Science writing at its best: intriguing, personal, bold, persuasive, and most importantly, transparent. Her gripping account will fascinate, whether you're a teenager in the throes of puberty or are just curious about the nature of sex and gender - one of the most important debates of our time.' RICHARD WRANGHAM, author of The Goodness Paradox
'A fascinating, brave, and brilliant book - the best I've read on the topic.' STEVE STEWART-WILLIAMS, author of The Ape that Understood the Universe
'A superb and engaging book that delivers the unfiltered truth about testosterone, sex and sex differences, told with clarity and compassion.' DANIEL E. LIEBERMAN, author of Exercised
'With wit and warmth, Hooven lucidly lays out a formidable scientific case for how and why the sexes are different. Boldly confronting contemporary gender issues, Testosterone speaks directly to why getting human nature right matters for making the world a better place.' JOE HENRICH, professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and author of The Secret of Our Success
'An approachable introduction to an often misunderstood aspect of human biology.' Publishers Weekly
'Carole Hooven's account ... is subtle, nuanced, and written with the sure touch of a natural storyteller ...Her commitment to science - to good science - is resolute.' LUKE SLATTERY, WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN
- Print length352 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherCassell
- Publication date8 July 2021
- Dimensions16 x 3.2 x 23.6 cm
- ISBN-101788402928
- ISBN-13978-1788402927
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- Publisher : Cassell (8 July 2021)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 352 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1788402928
- ISBN-13 : 978-1788402927
- Dimensions : 16 x 3.2 x 23.6 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: 518,728 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 5,141 in Biology (Books)
- 24,986 in Popular Science
- 28,006 in Biological Sciences (Books)
- Customer reviews:
About the author

Carole Hooven teaches and co-directs the undergraduate program in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. She earned her PhD at Harvard, researching sex differences and testosterone, and has taught there ever since. Hooven has received numerous teaching awards, and her popular Hormones and Behavior class was named one of the Harvard Crimson’s “top ten tried and true.”
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Customers find the book good, reader-friendly, and well-written. They appreciate the information presented in easily digestible snippets with nice human stories. Readers also find the science fascinating and excellent.
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Customers find the book good, reader-friendly, and well-written. They say the information is presented in easily digestible snippets with nice human stories. Readers also mention the writing style makes it easy to follow and understand.
"...Dr Hooven does the opposite of that. In this fascinating and accessible book, she goes through the evidence as it is currently understood to show..." Read more
"...tinged with a jot too much emotion in parts, but all in all it is a good read." Read more
"Hooven provides a clear introduction to the present state of knowledge regarding the role of testosterone in human biology...." Read more
"...A lot of the science unpacked in a reader friendly and engaging way. Especially appreciated the debunking of various myths...." Read more
Customers find the book insightful, fascinating, and accessible. They say it's well-researched, well-written, and excellent. Readers also appreciate the nice human stories.
"...Dr Hooven does the opposite of that. In this fascinating and accessible book, she goes through the evidence as it is currently understood to show..." Read more
"...seizes the bull by the horns, but she does an admirable job of negotiating this delicate subject without being afraid of breaking a few eggshells..." Read more
"...The information is presented in easily digestible snippets with nice human stories...." Read more
"Super insightful into the human condition and the differences between men and woman...." Read more
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Top reviews
Top reviews from United Kingdom
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Throughout the book, the views of critics/skeptics are presented then addressed fairly, with acknowledgement being made where critics have valuable points.
This would make a good addition to the library of anyone seeking to be a well informed layman or taking a Behavioural Endocrinology 101 class.
An enjoyable and educational read!
Dr Hooven shows how empirical evidence will always trump social constructs and that, although reality can be denied, its effects can't be. She takes on the (largely feminist) critics explaining how testosterone is the main determiner of sexual dimorphism, not social conditioning. She omits to mention, oddly, anything about environmental issues such as how r-strategists and K-strategists differ.
This book may be tinged with a jot too much emotion in parts, but all in all it is a good read.
Helps one to understand oneself on many levels, we are animals and products of millennia of evolution.
Top reviews from other countries
4.0 out of 5 stars Visão abragente
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read
Should be a "must read" for high school and college students.
Helps see behind the demagogy used by ideologists.
THANK YOU, Carole Hooven, for your courage, humility and sharing your knowlegde!
5.0 out of 5 stars Vital information, beautifully written science writing at its best
While Dr. Hooven is very clear about what has motivated her to write this book, it is in no way a polemic or a diatribe: it is rather an extremely thoughtful and elegantly expressed work of scholarship, She has assembled a vast collection of results from many areas of research into a text that is clear, logical, and a pleasure to read.
While “T” is not “an easy read”, non-scientists should have no trouble understanding Dr. Hooven’s explanations of various theories and concepts that may be unfamiliar.
Carole Hooven notes that culture and the environment
have, over the centuries of civilization, exercised a moderating influence on the effects of aggression in society; however, much more needs to be understood and applied—specifically about testosterone and its associated evolutionary and genetic forces— to ensure the survival of our species.
If you haven’t already contributed to this effort, a good place to start would be to read this book.