Some sections felt more evidence based than other, but it was still all fascinating. Particular points of interest for me included learning that males and females react differently to pain medications, and the how & why behind the evolution of reproduction for some animals; I'm looking at you mallard ducks. The female body is seriously incredible. 

Overall an interesting book, but some chapters are better than others. The one on the brain really drags and honestly the one on menopause adds nothing. The last chapter is a bit all over the place and really has a lot of conjecture in it, I felt. Worth it for the early chapters, which were quite informative.

A really fantastic book about how evolution has shaped the female body. The author doesn't shy away from difficult questions - are men smarter than women? Stronger? Are we made to be monogamous?- but dives headfirst into the research in order to find an answer, whatever it may be. 

The stories about the various Eves were so vivid and touching, and even with the earliest, four-legged mammal, I felt a connection and an admiration for the little animal that came before us. It was interesting to note that when discussing our ancestors, the author used "Eves" or feminine pronouns- you don't notice how strongly the lens is on the male body until the narrative shifts and it feels out of the ordinary. 

The book relates mainly to genetically XX and XY individuals, but the author is careful to point out that 1) sex is not the same as gender, and 2) there are more biological sexes than the XX and XY "norm". She includes any relevant research on queer bodies when available, but notes the lack of research available and the need for further study into different types of bodies. 

I learned some seriously gross body facts, but was hooked the whole way through. 

Enjoyability  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Impact ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Holy smokes, this book was awesome and fascinating. You should definitely, absolutely read it.

Eve is all about how (and why) evolution has shaped women’s anatomy and biology into what it is today, and how that, in turn, is responsible for the planetary dominance of the human race. This was especially interesting to read as a pregnant person, but I would have found it fascinating any time. For example, despite the fact that our bodies are actually not very good at reproduction (being pregnant is dangerous for humans!), the human population boomed. Why? Because we were smart and social enough to invent midwifery and gynecology. We are the only species that helps one another give birth!!

Plus, while this is a sciency book, it never feels sciency. It’s written in an engaging, conversational way that is never ever boring. I ended up listening to the audio, which is read by the author, and now I want to be her best friend.

TLDR, I will be talking the ear off of anyone willing to listen about this book, and it’s going to make my favorites of the year for sure. Read it!!

I found this book to be so interesting and amazing. The first half of the book, I really liked. I felt some of the examples the author used to explain her findings were I don’t know not my favorite I guess is the best way to put it lol. The chapter that explained the difference between men and women’s physical ability was a lot about the impact of women in the army. And the chapter about voices compared a lot about bill and Hillary. And then the final chapter about love, talked a lot about the evolutionary significance of rape and sexism.