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The Trouble With Testosterone: And Other Essays On The Biology Of The Human Predicament
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 500
EAN: 9780684838915
Edition: 1
ISBN: 0684838915
Label: Scribner
Manufacturer: Scribner
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 288
Publication Date: April 24, 1998
Publisher: Scribner
Studio: Scribner
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Editorial Review:
As a professor of biology and neuroscience at Stanford and a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant," Robert Sapolsky carries impressive credentials. Best of all, he's a gifted writer who possesses a delightfully devilish sense of humor. In these essays, which range widely but mostly focus on the relationships between biology and human behavior, hard and intricate science is handled with a deft touch that makes it accessible to the general reader. In one memorable piece, Sapolsky compares the fascination with tabloid TV to behavior he's observed among wild African baboons. "Rubber necks," notes the professor, "seem to be a common feature of the primate order." In the title essay of The Trouble with Testosterone, Sapolsky ruminates on the links, real or perceived, between that hormone and aggression.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Thought Provoking
In "The Truth About Testosterone", Robert Sapolsky combines his knowledge and experience in biology and neuroscience to make sense of certain human behavior patterns and biological reactions. The chapter on testosterone dispels many myths surrounding the impact of this hormone on aggression. Experiments have shown that increase in testosterone level as high as 3-4 times the norm, for example, does not alter human behavior in a noticeable way. An increase of 10 times is accompanied by a marked ... Read More
Rating:  - Another Great one from Sapolsky
Robert Sapolsky writes great articles that people who aren't scientifically inclined can still enjoy. His works is funny, informative and very interesting. You don't have to have an in-depth knowledge of anything scientific to enjoy this book. He covers a vast array of topics in fairly short essays, most of them relating to behavioral biology, all of them interesting and humorous. Highly recommend.
Rating: - Great stuff, only a little dated
Great science writing designed to reach out to the general public - in particular, students in college who aren't science majors. I use it in my own biology classes as extra credit work for advanced students. The author finds a way to relate biology, and science in general, to the average (highly educated) person's life.
The only fault is a bit too much political correctness in some of the essays - this makes them feel oh so 1990s. I like Sapolsky's newer books, which seem to have less ... Read More
Rating: - A great collection of essays by a brilliant writer
Is it possible for a man who has won a MacArthur genius grant to be underappreciated? Reading this set of essays I have to wonder why Sapolsky is not as widely read and commented on as Dawkins, Sacks, Gleick and those other few at the absolute pinnacle of popular science writing.
The tales here cover his familiar subjects: the mind and emotions (one is tempted to say the soul), stress and our reactions, and how brain chemistry effects us every day. He also relates anecdotes from his baboon ... Read More
Rating: - A marvelous read to squeeze between scholarly articles
Robert Sapolsky has written a wonderful, fun and terribly informative book, and it's a lovely break to anyone who wants to put their endocrinology articles aside for a night and read something a little smoother. I loved "Curious George's Pharmacy" so much I devoted a day in my Great Apes syllabus to a discussion of pharmacognacy and assigned that chapter as a reading. I also quite enjoyed the last chapter on the "heterozygote's advantage" of schizotypal disorder as the root of major world religions (and ... Read More
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