No Brainer pre-empt for Bodley Head

The Bodley Head has acquired No Brainer by neuroscientist Gina Rippon, a book arguing "biology is not destiny", and shunning the idea of 'male' and 'female' brains.

Assistant editor Anna-Sophia Watts bought World English rights from Maggie Hanbury at The Hanbury Agency to publish in 2018.

Rippon's book will take the reader through the theories and practices of the last few centuries, which were based on the belief that key differences existed between men’s and women’s brains, and show how we are still stuck on these same stereotypes in the 21st century. These stereotypes are perpetuated by what she calls "neurotrash" – where the science is misused and misinterpreted to justify the gender gap. She will also debunk several"brain myths", such as the idea men are better map readers, the truth behind brain mapping, and the idea that our brains are hard-wired, and question the scientific accuracy of male/female categorisation. 

Anna-Sophia Watts said: "No Brainer will be an exciting, accessible book with huge repercussions for the gender debate, for education, for parenting and for how we identify ourselves. We are delighted to be welcoming Professor Gina Rippon to The Bodley Head list."

Professor Rippon is an international researcher in the field of cognitive neuroscience based at the Aston Brain Centre at Aston University in Birmingham. She is a regular contributor to events such as the British Science Festival, New Scientist Live and the Sceptics in the Pub series and, in 2015, was made an Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association. She is also an advocate for initiatives to help overcome the under-representation of women in STEM subjects and belongs to WISE and ScienceGrrl, and is a member of the Speakers4Schools programme. This will be her first book for a general audience.