Roger Thomas
Editor, Physiology News

https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.102.45

This book is written by a veterinary anatomist but is really about human anatomy. Never having studied the subject myself I found it a fascinating account of the reasons believed to explain the many anatomical differences between adult men and women. Physiological aspects are also covered. Such differences apparently mostly relate to the large size of the new-born infant, and the need to allow vaginal birth of the large head of a baby.

The title is unnecessarily provocative. All animals have anatomical curves. Nevertheless as the author describes, womanly body shapes have huge importance in attracting mates and nurturing infants, and their origin and importance are worth discussing.

Indeed the book has a great deal of cited research to back up its conclusions. Topics covered include the effect of female body shape on the male brain, and the role of the media in influencing woman’s own view of the shape to which she should aspire. Apparently the media have little or no effect on men’s views. Why do women dress to impress women, not men?

The book has very few illustrations, but has 11 pages of references and an 8 page index. I should declare an interest perhaps in that the author is a member of the department formed in Cambridge by the merger of Anatomy and Physiology, which occurred just after I retired. But I have never met him more than in passing.

My own interest in the female body shape led me to purchase the small statue shown on the right on Corfu, from a shop selling garden ornaments. I took the photograph.