Applying the science of evolutionary biology and psychology, and drawing on art history, contemporary media culture and a range of first-person interviews, an anatomy professor explores women's bodies in our ancestral past, our self-image-obsessed present and our surgically enhanced future. By the author of Middle Age: A Natural History.
Anatomy professor David Bainbridge applies the science of evolutionary biology and psychology to look at women's bodies in our ancestral past, our self-image-obsessed present, and our surgically enhanced future.
Woman's bodies are more womanly than they have to be. Specifically: no other female mammal develops curves the women do. Human women have evolved a unique body shape that appears to be wholly unrelated to the biological mechanics of conception, childbearing, and childrearing. Why? And what do these curvy bodies mean for women now and in the future Cambridge Professor of Veterinary Anatomy David Bainbridge applies the science of evolutionary biology and cutting-edge psychology to women's bodies in our ancestral past, our self-image-obsessed present, and our surgically enhanced future. He offers insight into why the human female is the only female animal to have curves and illustrates strikingly how these curves rule our lives, by influencing not only sexual selection but also social hierarchy and self-image.Written in lucid and engaging prose and packed full of fascinating research findings, Bainbridge's unique brand of popular science also draws on illuminating references from art history, contemporary media culture, and a range of first-person interviews. Offering a level-headed and fresh perspective on a contentious issue, Curvology is a fascinating, controversial, and highly newsworthy read.
