“Why Gender Matters” By Leonard Sax Book Review

Gender differences have always played a significant role in how men and women perceive the environment. The study after study echoes something said by other psychologists, namely that males and females have different mental and cognitive abilities. Understanding how humans perceive the world has been a hot issue of debate for many decades. Some researchers state that nurture environmental influences play a significant role in how males and females think and act. Others believe that gender differences are mainly due to biological programming (a result of nature). Despite the enthusiasm of both national and foreign researchers, gender differences between males and females are still an actual issue and highly important topic of nature-nurture debate. Leonard Sax, one of the famous psychological experts and family physicians, has always paid special attention to the mysterious world of gender differences between boys and girls. In his work Why Gender Matters an author analyzes gender differences and their role in how individuals feel, think, and act. On the one side, the author does a wonderful job in explaining biological differences between boys and girls. On the other side, he provides an effective guidance for parents and teachers in understanding how girls and boys react or adapt to different situations. There is no doubt – Why Gender Matters is a persuasive work, which represents many convincing arguments and reliable evidence regarding gender differences between boys and girls. Sax has been devoted much energy and twenty years of published research to help parents and teachers understand their children.

The book opens a unique world of sex differences between girls and boys taking into account both psychological and physiological features. Sax explores ten chapters or so-called “hot categories” such as gender differences, brain differences, risk, aggression, school, sex, drugs, discipline, lesbians and gays (bisexual, transgender, sissy, tomboy), and “pink and blue”. The author analyzes mental functions, cognitive abilities, behaviors, actions, emotions, feelings, thoughts, and moods. Sax illustrates how boys and girls act in different situations, how they go through the challenges, how they deal with negative emotions, drugs, or an early sexual activity. From the beginning Sax shows that children often follow the wrong direction because of the lack of parents’ understanding about gender differences between boys and girls. He insists on the importance of this knowledge and points out that “trouble might have been averted if the parents had known enough about gender differences between girls and boys” (p. 2). I was also impressed with other chapters that illustrate how girls and boys react differently to similar situations, how they adapt to changes, their social interactions, and how they meet the life difficulties. After that, the author successfully compares males and females brains showing the reader that their brains are absolutely different. Boys and girls have different brain structure and functioning, different brain activity and associations, different hearing abilities and emotions, and finally, different genetically programmed hormones and sex chromosomes. Sax states that innate, hard-wired differences in males and females brains significantly influence children’s adaptation, social environment, interactions, expectations, and abilities:

Girls and boys play differently. They learn differently. They fight differently. They hear differently… most psychologists were insisting that those differences came about because parents raised girls and boys in different ways. Today we know that the truth  is the other way around: parents raise girls and boys differently because girls and boys are so different from birth. Girls and boys behave differently because their brains are   wired differently (p. 28).

For parents and teachers, it is crucially important to understand these differences and take the benefits of them. Of course, many parents think that boys and girls should be treated equally. They do not take into account their stages of development, gender stereotypes, their skills and abilities, differences in learning under stressful situations, their strengths and weaknesses, how they respond to threat or confrontation, and how they adapt or react to changes. As a result, parents’ lack of knowledge leads to difficulties at school, bullying, discipline problems, aggression, abuse, and even sexual disorientation. In his chapter “School” Sax points out that so-called “gender-blind” methods of education negatively affect boys and girls. He explains that there is no difference in what children can learn, but there is a significant difference in the proposed approaches and methods of education. Analyzing the pros and cons of our education system, its goals and potentials, Sax comes to enthusiastic conclusion: “The great mission of education is to enable child to fulfill their potential, to discover that corner of the field of knowledge they can call their own. Almost every child is a gifted child… the trick is to find where your child’s talents lie” (p. 113).  For me, Sax’s book provides a good food for thought where every page illustrates clear insights and persuasive information. Written in a very simple and reader-friendly manner, this book can be used by teachers and parents to prepare their children to life challenges, both mentally and emotionally.

In conclusion, “Why Gender matters” is a powerful and persuasive book. Sax did a wonderful job by combining his fresh and friendly approaches, extensive knowledge, strong arguments, reliable statements, and supported every pattern of his long research with good scientific literature and peer-viewed articles. Every category illustrates hot issues and sometimes shocking materials (especially chapters about drugs, sex, and homosexuality), at the same time, it provides useful solutions to parents and teachers encouraging them better understand and recognize gender differences between boys and girls.   

Works Cited:

Sax, L. Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging  Science of Sex Differences. Broadway Books. Random House. New York, 2005.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

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"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

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freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
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[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]
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