Bitch

On the Female of the Species

By: Lucy Cooke

Narrated by: Lucy Cooke

A zoologist’s “compelling and often hilarious” (Science) look at the queens of the animal kingdom

Somewhere in the ocean, an orca matriarch leads her pod to better hunting grounds. At the same time, a male clownfish, alone after the death of his mate, changes sex. All the while, humans battle over sex and gender: One side argues evolutionary biology dictates how we should be, and the other that it’s a patriarchal tool and shouldn’t matter at all.

In Bitch, zoologist Lucy Cooke rewrites the science of evolution and sex, showing how a band of pioneering, feminist biologists have uncovered the dizzying diversity created by evolution. In their work, Cooke finds a new understanding of what being female can mean and how evolution itself can work.

Never before in history has being female been so scrutinized. Rising to meet the moment, Bitch is a fierce, funny, and revolutionary scientific manifesto with a new perspective on the female animal that is much more inclusive, true to life, and fun.

Critic reviews

“Lucy Cooke blows two centuries of sexist myths right out of biology. Prepare to learn a lot — and laugh out loud. A beautifully written, very funny and deeply important book.”
—Alice Roberts, author of Evolution

“Fun, informative and revolutionary all at once, Bitch should be required reading in school. After reading this book one will never look at an orca, an albatross, or a human the same way again. And the world will be better for it.”
—Agustin Fuentes, professor of anthropology at Princeton University and author of The Creative Spark

Interesting for a scientist and an informed lay reader alike

First know that this is cheeky, irreverent and even sometimes salacious book. This style will draw some readers in and simultaneously turn some readers, particularly of more traditional scholarly cloth away from the continent. Regardless, the continent here is pure gold using evidence from the evolutionarily biology of female animals to challenge assumptions that are baked into the science we grew up learning. The author is not shy about the sociological ramifications of her content Which may at times come off as a bit preachy but the evidence presented allows the reader to make their own conclusions. I predict this book will make the reading list of many college seminar classes.

Hope this is read widely

Great details. Among many vital topics, she makes a compelling case for the diverse forms of sexuality and gender. I hope that feminists can read this, to understand that science is distinct from scientists, and that to show the biological roots of much behavior is not to argue against feminism.

An Absolute Winner

A fantastic and enthralling roller coaster of discovery. This books does what I think any good book should do, which is leave you wanting to learn and discover more. The narration is perfect, the writing is witty and engaging, and some of the facts are downright jaw-dropping. I was excited to share certain passages with friends and family, regardless of their interest on the subject. I’ll be giving this a second listen for sure.

I wish everyone could read this book

I wish everyone could read this book and have a better understanding that being female doesn't fit into one small little box.

Paradigm shifting

If I could ask every scientist and science teacher in the U.S. to read one book, this would be it. Caveat: I am not a biologist, nor am I a scientist.

As a lay person, I learned so much about animals and what it means to be female, male, or intersex. The deletion of data and information that doesn’t fit the cultural narrative from textbooks in the traditional European male centric science world is not unsurprising. What is surprising is the persistent resistance to new information.

The narration by the author is fabulous and I found myself re-listening to captures over and over again. Pick this book up. You won’t regret it.