We all know the opposite sex can be a baffling, even
infuriating, species. Why do most men use the phone to exchange
information rather than have a chat? Why do women love talking
about relationships and feelings with their girlfriends while men
seem drawn to computer games, new gadgets, or the latest sports
scores? Does it really all just come down to our upbringing? In
The Essential Difference, leading psychologist Simon
Baron-Cohen confirms what most of us had suspected all along: that
male and female brains are different. This groundbreaking and
controversial study reveals the scientific evidence present even
in one-day-old babies that proves that female-type brains are
better at empathizing and communicating, while male brains are
stronger at understanding and building systems-not just computers
and machinery, but abstract systems such as politics and music.
Most revolutionary of all, The Essential Difference also
puts forward the compelling new theory that autism and its close
relative, Asperger''s Syndrome is actually an example of the
extreme male brain. His theory can explain why those who live with
this condition are brilliant at analyzing the most complex systems
yet cannot relate to the emotional lives of those with whom they
live. Understanding our essential difference, Baron-Cohen
concludes, may help us not only make sense of our partners''
foibles, but also solve one of the most mysterious scientific
riddles of our time.
關於作者:
Simon Baron-Cohen is Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at
Cambridge University and co-director of its Autism Research Centre.
He has carried out research into both autism and sex differences
over a twenty-year career. He is the author of Autism: The
Facts and Mindblindness.