did anyone read the book, the female brain, by louann brizendine, a neuropsychiatrist from uc san fran (had been faculty at harvard med schl)?

she talks about hormones, pheremones and the effects on women in various stages of their lives (menstrual cycle, pregnancy, breastfeeding). it's pretty interesting but must be controversial due to some themes of women becoming less focused and more tired, etc at times due to hormonal changes. on the other hand, she also talks about certain strengths gained by the hormonal changes.

I looked this up on Barnes and Nobles.....sounds interesting! I definitely have to add it to my reading list.

there is an interesting interview with the author in the new york times magazine:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/magazine/10wwln_q4.html?em&ex=1165899600&en=5d33f04f7ce9a560&ei=5070

I read that book, it was very nice experiences to me. The Female Brain is a book by Louann Brizendine, whose main thesis is that women’s behavior is radically different from that of men due to hormonal differences.

What about the effect of testosterone on the male brain? Or the effects of a lack of estrogen on the male brain?

It really sounds interesting. I agree that men and women are different. Neither is intellectually inferior, but we have different neurophysiology, and women have our own challenges to overcome. We have spent a million years evolving into a species in which biological tasks have required different types of intelligence. We can't expect our brains to function just like male brains after a few hundred years of cultural change. It's just common sense.

Speaking as someone who's been on every hormonal ride there is, it's incredible how different my thinking and focusing ability has been at certain points, especially during pregnancy. "Pregnancy brain" was quite a problem for me, so I'm sure that hormonal states impact us more than we realize or allow ourselves to admit.

When I finally have time again, I'd love to read this book and decide for myself whether it is a scientifically supportable line of thought, or just based on (voluminous) anectodal reporting. My intuition says it's a very real issue for females. Intuition is one of the deficiencies in men that they need to overcome.... just kidding, sorta. :p

What about the effect of testosterone on the male brain? Or the effects of a lack of estrogen on the male brain?

LOL yeah, there is no shortage of challenges for them to overcome as well. In my opinion, they are just different challenges, especially in the area of intuition and emotional intelligence. JMO JMO JMO!