Understanding Guys: A Guide for Teenage Girls

A Book Review

by Julia Ransohoff, high school student writer

Many people assume that the only difference between boys and girls is what society pressures them to be and not their natural behaviors. But it becomes obvious to a teen girl that this is only partially true, and Michael Gurian's book, Understanding Guys: A Guide for Teenage Girls, gives some theories and explanations why.

One biological reason that boys and girls are different is testosterone. This male sex hormone is produced once boys start puberty. It makes them more "manly" as they grow bigger muscles. Because boys have much more testosterone than girls, they also can become more aggressive, which is another thing that sets them apart from girls. Meanwhile, girls have higher levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which help them bond with children among many other effects.

Another reason that males differ so much from females, according to Gurian, is that millions of years ago, men would go out hunting and leave the women to care for the children. The men would aggressively hunt while the women bonded with the children. And the men would have to be quiet while hunting so they wouldn't distract the animals.

Gurian says this is why males are not always as good as females at communication skills. Did you know that on average, girls use 3 to 5 times more words than guys in a given week?

Males also tend to take longer to process emotions than females. If a boy and girl get in an argument, the girl may want to talk about it later that day, while the boy may want to wait a few days or even a week. This can make a girl feel rejected, but really, it is just a difference between the male and female brain.

Check out the book for more detailed explanations, funny pictures and other theories about how boys and girls are different.