Provides an intelligible overview of what is known about the neural and hormonal bases of sex differences in behavior, particularly differences in cognitive ability. The author argues that women and men differ not only in physical attributes and reproductive function, but also in how they solve common problems. She offers evidence that the effects of sex hormones on brain organization occur so early in life that, from the start, the environment is acting on differently wired brains in girls and boys. The author also presents various behavioral, neurological, and endocrinological studies that shed light on the processes giving rise to these sex differences in the brain.

Contents:
     Preface.
     Introduction.
     Our evolutionary legacy.
     How males and females become different.
     Motor skills.
     Spatial abilities.
     Mathematical aptitude.
     Perception.
     Verbal abilities.
     Hormonal mechanisms.
     Brain mechanisms studied in normal brains.
     Brain mechanisms studied in damaged brains.
     Body asymmetry and cognitive pattern.
     Concluding remarks.
     Appendix: Dealing with numbers.
     Glossary.
     Author index.
     Subject index.