
Delusions of Gender
How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $24.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Maria Brendel
-
By:
-
Cordelia Fine
About this listen
It's the 21st century, and although we tried to rear unisex children - boys who play with dolls and girls who like trucks - we failed. Even though the glass ceiling is cracked, most women stay comfortably beneath it. And everywhere we hear about vitally important "hardwired" differences between male and female brains. The neuroscience that we read about in magazines, newspaper articles, books, and sometimes even scientific journals increasingly tells a tale of two brains, and the result is more often than not a validation of the status quo. Women, it seems, are just too intuitive for math; men too focused for housework.
Drawing on the latest research in neuroscience and psychology, Cordelia Fine debunks the myth of hardwired differences between men’s and women's brains, unraveling the evidence behind such claims as men's brains aren't wired for empathy and women's brains aren't made to fix cars. She then goes one step further, offering a very different explanation of the dissimilarities between men's and women's behavior. Instead of a "male brain" and a "female brain", Fine gives us a glimpse of plastic, mutable minds that are continuously influenced by cultural assumptions about gender.
Passionately argued and unfailingly astute, Delusions of Gender provides us with a much-needed corrective to the belief that men's and women's brains are intrinsically different - a belief that, as Fine shows with insight and humor, all too often works to the detriment of ourselves and our society.
©2010 Cordelia Fine (P)2012 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Will to Change
- Men, Masculinity, and Love
- By: bell hooks, Ross Gay
- Narrated by: Janina Edwards
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Everyone needs to love and be loved - even men. But to know love, men must be able to look at the ways that patriarchal culture keeps them from knowing themselves, from being in touch with their feelings, from loving. In The Will to Change, bell hooks gets to the heart of the matter and shows men how to express the emotions that are a fundamental part of who they are - whatever their age, marital status, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
-
-
A unique call to an ethic of creative love
- By Forrest Aldridge on 09-26-20
By: bell hooks, and others
-
The End of Gender
- Debunking the Myths About Sex and Identity in Our Society
- By: Debra W. Soh
- Narrated by: Debra Soh
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
International sex researcher, neuroscientist, and columnist Debra Soh debunks popular gender myths in this scientific examination of the many facets of gender identity that “is not only eminently reasonable and beautifully-written, it is brave and vital” (Ben Shapiro, number-one New York Times best-selling author).
-
-
stirring a conversation that is lacking
- By Robert K. on 08-08-20
By: Debra W. Soh
-
The Creation of Patriarchy
- By: Gerda Lerner
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A major new work by a leading historian and pioneer in women's studies, The Creation of Patriarchy is a radical reconceptualization of Western civilization that makes gender central to its analysis. Gerda Lerner argues that male dominance over women is not "natural" or biological, but the product of an historical development begun in the second millennium BC in the Ancient Near East. As patriarchy as a system of organizing society was established historically, she contends, it can also be ended by the historical process.
-
-
Why isn’t this being taught in all high schools?
- By AM on 02-12-22
By: Gerda Lerner
-
Testosterone Rex
- Myths of Sex, Science, and Society
- By: Cordelia Fine
- Narrated by: Cat Gould
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many people believe that, at its core, biological sex is a fundamental, diverging force in our development. According to this familiar story, differences between the sexes are shaped by past evolutionary pressures - women are more cautious and parenting-focused, men seek status to attract more mates - re-created in each generation by sex hormones and male and female brains. This, in turn, is the basis of supposedly entrenched inequalities in our modern societies.
-
-
A cure for the delusion that gender is simple
- By Tim on 01-19-18
By: Cordelia Fine
-
Before We Were Trans
- A New History of Gender
- By: Dr. Kit Heyam Ph.D
- Narrated by: Dr. Kit Heyam Ph.D
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before We Were Trans illuminates the stories of people across the globe, from antiquity to the present, whose experiences of gender have defied binary categories. Blending historical analysis with sharp cultural criticism, trans historian and activist Kit Heyam offers a new, radically inclusive trans history, chronicling expressions of trans experience that are often overlooked, like gender-nonconforming fashion and wartime stage performance. Heyam looks to the past to uncover new horizons for possible trans futures.
-
-
The history we need right now
- By Daniel Hebert on 04-11-23
-
Gender and Our Brains
- How New Neuroscience Explodes the Myths of the Male and Female Minds
- By: Gina Rippon
- Narrated by: Hannah Curtis
- Length: 15 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We live in a gendered world, where we are ceaselessly bombarded by messages about sex and gender. On a daily basis, we face deeply ingrained beliefs that sex determines our skills and preferences, from toys and colors to career choice and salaries. But what does this constant gendering mean for our thoughts, decisions, and behavior? And what does it mean for our brains? Drawing on her work as a professor of cognitive neuroimaging, Gina Rippon unpacks the stereotypes that surround us from our earliest moments and shows how these messages mold our ideas of ourselves.
-
-
Specious and Shallow
- By Daniel S. on 08-13-20
By: Gina Rippon
-
The Will to Change
- Men, Masculinity, and Love
- By: bell hooks, Ross Gay
- Narrated by: Janina Edwards
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Everyone needs to love and be loved - even men. But to know love, men must be able to look at the ways that patriarchal culture keeps them from knowing themselves, from being in touch with their feelings, from loving. In The Will to Change, bell hooks gets to the heart of the matter and shows men how to express the emotions that are a fundamental part of who they are - whatever their age, marital status, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
-
-
A unique call to an ethic of creative love
- By Forrest Aldridge on 09-26-20
By: bell hooks, and others
-
The End of Gender
- Debunking the Myths About Sex and Identity in Our Society
- By: Debra W. Soh
- Narrated by: Debra Soh
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
International sex researcher, neuroscientist, and columnist Debra Soh debunks popular gender myths in this scientific examination of the many facets of gender identity that “is not only eminently reasonable and beautifully-written, it is brave and vital” (Ben Shapiro, number-one New York Times best-selling author).
-
-
stirring a conversation that is lacking
- By Robert K. on 08-08-20
By: Debra W. Soh
-
The Creation of Patriarchy
- By: Gerda Lerner
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A major new work by a leading historian and pioneer in women's studies, The Creation of Patriarchy is a radical reconceptualization of Western civilization that makes gender central to its analysis. Gerda Lerner argues that male dominance over women is not "natural" or biological, but the product of an historical development begun in the second millennium BC in the Ancient Near East. As patriarchy as a system of organizing society was established historically, she contends, it can also be ended by the historical process.
-
-
Why isn’t this being taught in all high schools?
- By AM on 02-12-22
By: Gerda Lerner
-
Testosterone Rex
- Myths of Sex, Science, and Society
- By: Cordelia Fine
- Narrated by: Cat Gould
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many people believe that, at its core, biological sex is a fundamental, diverging force in our development. According to this familiar story, differences between the sexes are shaped by past evolutionary pressures - women are more cautious and parenting-focused, men seek status to attract more mates - re-created in each generation by sex hormones and male and female brains. This, in turn, is the basis of supposedly entrenched inequalities in our modern societies.
-
-
A cure for the delusion that gender is simple
- By Tim on 01-19-18
By: Cordelia Fine
-
Before We Were Trans
- A New History of Gender
- By: Dr. Kit Heyam Ph.D
- Narrated by: Dr. Kit Heyam Ph.D
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before We Were Trans illuminates the stories of people across the globe, from antiquity to the present, whose experiences of gender have defied binary categories. Blending historical analysis with sharp cultural criticism, trans historian and activist Kit Heyam offers a new, radically inclusive trans history, chronicling expressions of trans experience that are often overlooked, like gender-nonconforming fashion and wartime stage performance. Heyam looks to the past to uncover new horizons for possible trans futures.
-
-
The history we need right now
- By Daniel Hebert on 04-11-23
-
Gender and Our Brains
- How New Neuroscience Explodes the Myths of the Male and Female Minds
- By: Gina Rippon
- Narrated by: Hannah Curtis
- Length: 15 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We live in a gendered world, where we are ceaselessly bombarded by messages about sex and gender. On a daily basis, we face deeply ingrained beliefs that sex determines our skills and preferences, from toys and colors to career choice and salaries. But what does this constant gendering mean for our thoughts, decisions, and behavior? And what does it mean for our brains? Drawing on her work as a professor of cognitive neuroimaging, Gina Rippon unpacks the stereotypes that surround us from our earliest moments and shows how these messages mold our ideas of ourselves.
-
-
Specious and Shallow
- By Daniel S. on 08-13-20
By: Gina Rippon
-
Transgender History, Second Edition
- The Roots of Today's Revolution
- By: Susan Stryker
- Narrated by: Emily Cauldwell
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Covering American transgender history from the mid-20th century to today, Transgender History takes a chronological approach to the subject of transgender history, with each chapter covering major movements, writings, and events.
-
-
something for everyone to learn
- By Nick G on 03-12-19
By: Susan Stryker
-
Invisible Women
- Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
- By: Caroline Criado Perez
- Narrated by: Caroline Criado Perez
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Data is fundamental to the modern world. From economic development, to healthcare, to education and public policy, we rely on numbers to allocate resources and make crucial decisions. But because so much data fails to take into account gender, treating men as the default and women as atypical, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems. And women pay tremendous costs for this bias in time, money, and often with their lives. Celebrated feminist advocate Caroline Criado Perez investigates the shocking root cause of gender inequality and research in Invisible Women.
-
-
A statistical fire hose
- By B. Andresen on 09-11-19
-
A Mind of Its Own
- How Your Brain Distorts and Deceives
- By: Cordelia Fine
- Narrated by: Judith West
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The brain's power is confirmed and touted every day in new studies and research. And yet we tend to take our brains for granted, without suspecting that those masses of hard-working neurons might not always be working for us. Cordelia Fine introduces us to a brain we might not want to meet, a brain with a mind of its own. She illustrates the brain's tendency toward self-delusion as she explores how the mind defends and glorifies the ego by twisting and warping our perceptions.
-
-
This is a must read for anyone with a brain :)
- By IB on 10-22-13
By: Cordelia Fine
-
Lost in Trans Nation
- A Child Psychiatrist's Guide Out of the Madness
- By: Miriam Grossman MD
- Narrated by: Miriam Grossman MD
- Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No child is born in the wrong body, Dr. Grossman reassures us, their bodies are just fine; it’s their emotional lives that need healing. Whether you’re facing a gender identity battle in your home right now, or want to prevent one, you need this book to guide you and your loved ones out of the madness.
-
-
Parents PLEASE READ
- By Kimberly D Naffziger on 09-05-23
-
Material Girls
- Why Reality Matters for Feminism
- By: Kathleen Stock
- Narrated by: Kathleen Stock
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Material Girls is a timely and trenchant critique of the influential theory that we all have an inner feeling known as a gender identity, and that this feeling is more socially significant than our biological sex. Professor Kathleen Stock surveys the philosophical ideas that led to this point, and closely interrogates each one, from De Beauvoir's statement that, 'One is not born, but rather becomes a woman' (an assertion she contends has been misinterpreted and repurposed), to Judith Butler's claim that language creates biological reality, rather than describing it.
-
-
thoughtful
- By M. McCann on 08-29-21
By: Kathleen Stock
-
Irreversible Damage
- The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters
- By: Abigail Shrier
- Narrated by: Pamela Almand
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Teenage girls are taking courses of testosterone and disfiguring their bodies. Parents are undermined; experts are over-relied upon; dissenters in science and medicine are intimidated; free speech truckles under renewed attack; socialized medicine bears hidden consequences; and an intersectional era has arisen in which the desire to escape a dominant identity encourages individuals to take cover in victim groups. Every person who has ever had a skeptical thought about the sudden rush toward a non-binary future but been afraid to express it - this book is for you.
-
-
Some interesting points, but extremely biased
- By Bill on 08-03-20
By: Abigail Shrier
-
Time to Think
- The Inside Story of the Collapse of the Tavistock’s Gender Service for Children
- By: Hannah Barnes
- Narrated by: Hannah Barnes
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), based at the Tavistock and Portman Trust in North London, was set up initially to provide - for the most part - talking therapies to young people who were questioning their gender identity. But in the last decade GIDS has referred more than a thousand children, some as young as nine years old, for medication to block their puberty. In the same period, the number of referrals has exploded, increasing thirty-fold, while the profile of the patients has changed, from largely pre-pubescent boys to mostly adolescent girls.
-
-
A must read for anyone who cares about trans kids.
- By Verified Purchaser on 03-03-23
By: Hannah Barnes
-
Down Girl
- The Logic of Misogyny
- By: Kate Manne
- Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Misogyny is a hot topic, yet it's often misunderstood. What is misogyny, exactly? Who deserves to be called a misogynist? How does misogyny contrast with sexism, and why is it prone to persist - or increase - even when sexist gender roles are waning? This book is an exploration of misogyny in public life and politics by the moral philosopher Kate Manne. It argues that misogyny should not be understood primarily in terms of the hatred or hostility some men feel toward all or most women. Rather, it's primarily about controlling, policing, punishing, and exiling the "bad" women.
-
-
Five Star Book w/bad Narration
- By Cherrybomb on 02-08-19
By: Kate Manne
-
Blindspot
- By: Mahzarin R. Banaji, Anthony G. Greenwald
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
I know my own mind. I am able to assess others in a fair and accurate way. These self-perceptions are challenged by leading psychologists Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald as they explore the hidden biases we all carry from a lifetime of exposure to cultural attitudes about age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, social class, sexuality, disability status, and nationality. Blindspot is the authors’ metaphor for the portion of the mind that houses hidden biases.
-
-
Difficult to interpret.
- By Ryan Arnold on 12-21-15
By: Mahzarin R. Banaji, and others
-
A Brief History of Misogyny: the World's Oldest Prejudice
- Brief Histories
- By: Jack Holland
- Narrated by: Cameron Stewart
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this compelling, powerful book, highly respected writer and commentator Jack Holland sets out to answer a daunting question: How do you explain the oppression and brutalization of half the world's population by the other half, throughout history? The result takes the listener on an eye-opening journey through centuries, continents, and civilizations as it looks at both historical and contemporary attitudes to women.
-
-
An Excellent History of a Repulsive Subject
- By Christopher on 01-22-16
By: Jack Holland
-
The Second Sex
- By: Simone de Beauvoir, Constance Borde, Sheila Malovany-Chevallier
- Narrated by: Ellen Archer, Judith Thurman
- Length: 39 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Simone de Beauvoir’s essential masterwork is a powerful analysis of the Western notion of "woman", and a revolutionary exploration of inequality and otherness. This unabridged edition of the text reinstates significant portions of the original French text that were cut in the first English translation, and is now available on audio for the very first time. Vital and groundbreaking, Beauvoir’s pioneering and impressive text remains as pertinent today as when it was first published, and will continue to provoke and inspire generations of men and women to come.
-
-
Great book, performance lacking
- By Anne Infeld on 10-30-20
By: Simone de Beauvoir, and others
-
The Beauty Myth
- How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women
- By: Naomi Wolf
- Narrated by: Suzy Jackson
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The bestselling classic that redefined our view of the relationship between beauty and female identity. In today's world, women have more power, legal recognition, and professional success than ever before. Alongside the evident progress of the women's movement, however, writer and journalist Naomi Wolf is troubled by a different kind of social control, which, she argues, may prove just as restrictive as the traditional image of homemaker and wife.
-
-
still revelant
- By Angie B on 03-05-17
By: Naomi Wolf
Critic reviews
What listeners say about Delusions of Gender
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Francy_B
- 10-07-16
Great listen!
The book is interesting and full of well thought out research and arguments. The performance definitely adds to the story, it's probably one of the best I've heard. Would definitely recommend this book to friends interested in the topic!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cate
- 05-16-19
Strongly backed up by research
The author was very effective in presenting copious research studies surrounding gender while keeping the overall narritive continuously interesting and engaging. Excellent book on the subject.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- S. Summers
- 04-27-15
Necessary reading
We like to congratulate ourselves often for living in an age of scientific objectivity, unclouded by gender stereotypes of past generations who used science to prove why men are superior to women. Fine, study by study, demonstrates why our self-congratulations is unfounded.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
16 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 09-27-17
Valuable discussion of Gender but way too long
Message and ideas could have been delivered in a much more concise manner. While I was convinced message was aligned with my personal outlook. I don't think data is rigorous enough to convince a die hard neurosexist and way too repetitive for me... having said this I did find the ideas themselves worthwhile.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Hope N.
- 01-17-22
Great information, good narration
Great information, good narration, but not quite a 5 star book. The best parts are where the author debunks poorly designed neuroscience studies.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kasey
- 10-04-19
Informative, interesting, inspiring
This book was really informative, interesting, and inspiring to me. I feel like the studies cited were done thoroughly and well and I just found the content so intriguing, as I’m newer to these types of topics. I definitely recommend, it’s worth the read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dylan
- 03-14-19
Very well written, highly informative
The author did a great job at pointing out the bad designs, poor scientific methodology, and outright fabrications of those who purport a difference in innate ability between the sexes. highly recommend.
I would have appreciated more about how gender stereotyping harms males though. It does take a primary focus on women. It would also be beneficial to include studies of trans and non-binary people's biology and lived experiences.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Gina
- 05-19-23
Brilliant discussion of gender myths
I’ve been waiting for this book all my life. I have long felt that gender stereotypes are harmful for everyone, particularly women, who are still perceived - subliminally if not overtly - as limited and less important to society than men. Such a waste of human potential and creativity! We’ve made inroads - it’s not 100 years ago anymore - but the ubiquity of gendered roles in our society continues to constrain people and justify a variety of prejudices against women that deeply affect our lives. Fine gives us everything we need to defy these stereotypes and help us create a world in which being human is the most important thing. Excellent narration as well.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jessica S.
- 10-30-16
Nuanced, fascinating review of science of gender
Cordelia Fine presents a balanced and surprisingly fascinating look at the research into the neuroscience and social psychology of purported "hard-wired" gender differences. While her agenda is obvious, her findings are significantly less so. She makes a legitimate effort to be unbiased and look at the relevant questions with critical thought and an eye for detail, and her resulting findings are insightful and nuanced, as well as very approachable. Maria Brendel does a fine job of the reading, and I found that I (who often bogs down in nonfiction) was riveted throughout the book.
Overall five-star rating notwithstanding, the book isn't perfect. Fine can be sarcastic, and sometimes comes off as a bit smug (and I don't think that was all the reader's interpretation). I can see this being off-putting to readers who are already wary of her premise. There are also a few instances in the book where I wished she had elaborated more fully on the studies discussed. When picking studies apart for overlooking details, it does not do to gloss over potentially relevant details oneself.
And it's worth noting that as a woman who has spent the last decade in a traditionally masculine field, I found parts of the book not just personally relevant, but actually kind of stressful and disheartening as I saw several of my own insecurities and patterns of behavior reflected in Fine's research. Fellow female readers, caveat lector.
Nonetheless, I would recommend this, highly. If you are at all interested in the scientific basis for gender differences, read this book. If you are at all interested in the social influences on gender differences, read this book. If you are a woman working in a male-dominated field, or working at all (paid or otherwise), or a man working with women in any field, or a parent considering how best to raise children who embrace diversity and equality, read this book. It has left me with considerable food for thought on all of these topics and more.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ben Chen
- 12-04-17
Very educational, balanced writing, eye-opening
Well researched, well argued, though I acknowledge that I already share the same views as the author and am biased as such. Good balance of technicality, anecdotes, and humor. I thought the author made a few digs at opposing researchers that were a little too ad hominem, but to be honest I can't blame her too much. Definitely raised my awareness of neurosexism and the concerning existence of "neuro-nonsense". Would recommend!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful