Pink Brain, Blue Brain

[honeysucklejasmine]

Can I just check if IABU? If you heard of a book about child development with that title, would you bristle?

Full title is Pink Brain Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow Into Troublesome Gaps - And What We Can Do About It

I rolled my eyes a little when I read your title. (At the title, not you!)
But I've just looked it up on Amazon and as an associate professor of neuroscience with a specialism in neuroplasticity I expect she knows what she's talking about.
The blurb talks about social pressures and gender stereotypes, and a way to make more well rounded individuals.

This keeps popping up on my recommendations on Amazon because I bought Cordelia Fines book, which has a similar pink blue themed cover. The title is off putting.

"Turning conventional thinking about gender differences on its head, Lise Eliot issues a startling call to close the troubling gaps between boys and girls, and help all children reach their fullest potential. Drawing on years of exhaustive research and her own work in the field of neuroplasticity, Eliot argues that infant brains are so malleable that small differences at birth become amplified over time as parents, teachers, and the culture at large unwittingly reinforce gender stereotypes. By focussing on the ways in which differences emerge such prescriptive behaviours can be eradicated, and the boundaries that prevent boys and girls from achieving can be destroyed."

This is the full blurb about the book. The full subtitle of the book makes it clear that it's about challenging gender stereotypes not perpetuating them.

Oh yes, I know, I have see what it's about a it sounds great. But the title is just awful!

*seen
*and

Yep. Title is like a trashy channel 5 documentary.

It's quite good actually.

It acknowledges that there might be differences in our bio makeup but argues that society exacerbates them to a ridiculous point.

I found a PDF of the intro...
prof.chicanas.com/docs/pbbbIntroF.pdf

But yes the title is a bit

Well if you only judge a book by it's cover, you'll probably only select ones that fit your preconceived notions. Given that the human brain is the most complex system in the known universe, our understanding of it is still rudimentary. I am cautious whenever a "side" in the nature vs nurture debate claims a definitive.

Personally I think Socrates nailed the issue over 2000 years ago when he argued that whatever differences may exist between the sexes they are so slight that there is no reason women should not be allowed to pursue the same endeavours as men.

I am a little concerned particularly in the US, that we are now medicating boys to render them docile in the name of this "we're all the same." rhetoric.

Anyhoo I just dug out a good video from the author about toys:

m.youtube.com/watch?v=GbLuldzDudw

My toddler plays with a wide variety of toys, and he likes Frozen and Dinosaurs. I think it's a bit absurd to push specific toys on children anyway. It's all new to them anyway! Whatever inspires them is usually the things to go for. I do wonder aside from toy types does children's imaginative play differ at all? And is the way they play with the same toys differ?

The book sounds very good, It's about ingrained Gender sterotyping and the effect it builds over a lifetime.

If you look at the cover it says 'Pink Brain' in blue and 'Blue Brain' in pink. It's fab, the writer is a scientist and a parent and she has sensible and simple suggestions to help overcome socialisation. I think I preferred it to Cordelia Fine's book but they do cover some of the same ground.