"The Better Half" was certainly an interesting read, but there were a lot of repetitions throughout this book and the author just kept on making the same argument over and over again with little variation.

This is a very well written book which explains the genetic differences between men and women and how those relate to health. It begins by outlining how the X chromosome has many more genes than the Y chromosome, as women receive XX and men XY this is where the genetic superiority originates.

There is a wealth of information for how this translates to women living longer than men, having better immunity, being able to see more colours etc. You would think this means women enjoy superior health, whilst this is true to the extent that they often recover quicker than men (just look at covid where the risk of death is greater if you're male) it doesn't translate into healthcare. The vast majority of diagnostic criteria, drug types and dosages are all tailored to men. In medical school students are taught to recognise signs and symptoms of different diseases in how the present in males. These symptoms are often different for women, who are misdiagnosed. Similarly, women may need different drugs or different dosages.

A fascinating book which should cause a paradigm shift in how medicine is taught and practiced.

This book gives an interesting and easy to follow introduction to some of the genetic differences between the biological sexes. It discusses a range of topics including immunity levels, genetic disorders, and even the possibility of personalising prescriptions based on an individuals sex, all of which I found fascinating.

However, I did find that some of the statements made were a little too broad with insufficient evidence to support the point being made. Maybe this is inevitable when so many studies and findings on this topic are still in their infancy, but nevertheless it did detract slightly from the overall tone and quality of the book.

I would recommend this for people who are new to the topic or who are looking for something that gives a general, easy to understand overview.