Good writing about science is hard to come by, folks. This is some vivid biology with great social commentary. I couldn't put it down. Thanks, Christine! ( )

Angier is a Pulitzer Prize winner and a (U.S.) National Book Award finalist. I was drawn to this title by its good reviews and the promise that I would learn more about my own biology, a subject that has consumed much of my reading time over the past ten years. I was not disappointed. I found a great deal of information that was new to me and was constantly entertained in the process. Angier discusses the differences between men and women (yes, there is more to know), interesting odds and ends (e.g., a baby reptile will develop to be male or female depending on the temperature in the environment), the nature of female aggression, the physical side effects of promiscuity, and on and on and on. Angier writes with force and wit. What a pleasure to read really fine writing while absorbing the latest biological science findings about women and our bodies. ( )

For someone who dislikes navel gazing, and rarely reads books that try to explain women to women, this book was a refreshing entry in a field that is all too often either densely abstruse or fluffy. A joyous look at what it means to be a woman, and the ways in which women differ...and the ways they don't...from their masculine counterparts. This book doesn't try to set women up as inferior, superior, or exactly the same as men, but instead looks at women on their own terms without judgement and with a loving eye. ( )

Angier's style of writing is a cross between know-it-all scientist and folksy I'm-Going-To-Explain-It-All-To-You girlfriend. I happened to like the science with sass approach. It made reading about my personal landscape a great deal more interesting. It's informative AND funny - my kind of read. Because let's face it, who wants to pick up something that reads like a gross anatomy textbook? I want (and got) something with spunk and humor; for example, who knew 'piglet' was a vocal range? You wouldn't think describing the physical attributes of the vagina could be interesting but when Angier describes it as, "a Rorschach with legs" you have to sit up and take notice. Amid education and explanation Angier periodically debunks myth and dispels rumor concerning the female form. The vagina is not dirty! She is on a one woman rampage to bring honor to her sex. While her sassy sexy tone dissuades some readers from thinking of Woman as a reference tool I, for one, am sorry she didn't write this 30 years earlier. ( )