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sagedotzoe's review against another edition
2.0
Okay I really enjoyed this book but reading some lower reviews makes me think that I'm probably just a dumb dumb who believes anything if it's in a nonfiction book. There are lots of people who take issue with the information presented and, maybe this is my dumb dumb brain again, I'm being swayed. I have been spouting lots of little factoids from this book since I started listening and now I feel silly! Idk it was still an enjoyable listen, but I'm not too sure how true the information really is. Hmm I wonder if we could get an episode of If Books Could Kill on this one 🤔 (this meaning I will also believe anything if Michael Hobbes says it's true...I should probably work on my media literacy huh)
sammiseah's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Very interesting! I learnt loads. Some parts did feel a bit speculative though - I would take some points with a pinch of salt.
andrijananikic's review against another edition
Super sad to DNF, because I love the idea and I had so much fun with the first two chapters. But, the lack of sources and too much speculation got to me in the end. For example, I don't like how the wet nurses theory was explained - there were no arguments presented from the sides who disagree with it and the author didn't even try to look at why the theory might not work.
Then I saw that she doesn't have a scientific degree, and instead a degree in non-fiction writing and I found other reviews criticizing the science in the book (misunderstanding some principles of evolution), and decided that the time I would need fact-checking everything is not worth it. (Especially with no sources linked. Non-fiction writers please stop doing this to me!!)
Then I saw that she doesn't have a scientific degree, and instead a degree in non-fiction writing and I found other reviews criticizing the science in the book (misunderstanding some principles of evolution), and decided that the time I would need fact-checking everything is not worth it. (Especially with no sources linked. Non-fiction writers please stop doing this to me!!)
iris_parsons's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.0
It was really interesting and I really enjoyed it. I learnt about lots of things and it has affected how I will think about the world.
brdwilliams's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
I generally really, really liked this book. The big "nope!' for me was the unquestioned screeds against obesity which felt like parroting talking points, and felt really out of step with the otherwise science-infirmed writing. If you're going to write a book about the evolution of women and even talk about women's fat stores and distribution AND talk about the dangers of women being underfed particularly before, during and after pregnancy, just repeating "obesity is bad" felt lazy and jarring.
I was hoping for a discussion of women's body size variability and instead got nothing of the sort. For a much more nuanced description of wome 's bodies from a philosophical lens, read Kate Manne's "Unshrinking"
I was hoping for a discussion of women's body size variability and instead got nothing of the sort. For a much more nuanced description of wome 's bodies from a philosophical lens, read Kate Manne's "Unshrinking"
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Child abuse
She uses obesity casually throughout.hnells's review against another edition
Really wanted to like this but the writing style was just super grating and the audiobook narrator was really playing it up as well. Perhaps I will return to this when I have more patience.