The Female Brain Book Review

I have just finished reading The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine, M.D. It was super interesting and enlightening. It is always nice to realize things about yourself that you didn’t know. I loved to read about the many hormonal stages that women go through. I realized that I am not crazy, I am just a normal woman. =)

I am grateful for the research that proves that women’s brains are no less capable than a mans just because it is smaller. Women’s brains are simply more compact for a smaller skull. There are parts of our brains that are far more developed than a man’s brain and these larger areas serve a special purposes in a woman’s life.

I was encouraged and my intuition was validated as I read about how a woman changes through the menstrual cycle. I believe I may have some serious pre-menstrual syndrome. I have grown accustomed to the roller coaster of emotions, but it is not pleasant for me or my family more often
than I would like.

The following is a favorite quote from the book.

“So why is a girl born with such a highly tuned machine for reading faces, hearing emotional tones in voices and responding to unspoken cues in others? Think about it. A machine like that is built for connection. That’s the main job of a girl brain, and that’s what it drives a female to do from brith” (21).

I was a bit scared as I read about the teen years in girls. With three daughters, I am anticipating some rocky times in the future. I feel like I am already seeing some teenage angst in my six year old daughter (slamming doors, lots of crying and talking about a boyfriend at school), so I am a bit frightened at what sixteen will look like. With two girls 18 months apart, I also wonder what that will look like as they enter puberty nearly at the same time.

The biological changes of a mother is super fascinating. I am a mama bear and I am so grateful for the bond that is created between a mother and her children. I honestly think I am more pleasant when I am pregnant and breastfeeding than I am otherwise because my brain has been hijacked to only think about taking care of my new baby. When I am not in baby-mode, my mind seems to become more anxious and preoccupied with other things. After having two babies so close together, I can feel myself coming out of baby-mode and eagerly anticipating more freedom and independence.

The book discusses all the research surrounding a woman’s brain and is accompanied with real-world examples from her own life and the lives of her patients over the years. I enjoyed the book and I am wiser for learning more about my feminine nature.

Enjoy!

What good books are you reading?