Last night I went to see Louann Brizendine speak about her book The Female Brain at Book Passage in Corte Madera. Her book compiles groundbreaking new studies on the female brain - it’s specific attributes, needs and functions. Louann shared that The Female Brain will make the New York Times Bestseller List next week at #11. The books success reflects the public’s thirst for greater understanding around issues of pregnancy, motherhood, sexuality, hormones, moods, and menopause.

I brought my two sons with me, who are ages 9 and 5. It was humorous to see these two boys sitting in a room filled with women, patiently listening to a talk about the female brain, of all subjects. Much to Louann’s credit, my 5-year-old son even wanted to ask her a question. He asked, “How big is a brain?” Louann told him it was the size of a cantaloupe.

I was pleased to see a few other men there, including Carlos Santana, who quietly sat two rows ahead of me wearing a chartreuse suit coat and a straw fedora hat. I admired his genuine interest in learning more about women’s biology, and thought his wife must be a lucky woman.

I too asked a question, which was, as usual, absurdly broad in scope and long-winded. I heard the audience sigh. It went something like, “given the new research on the female brain, neuroscience and attachment, and the effects they have on healthy development and lifestyle, what do you think are the implications for corporate structures and their unrealistic expectations of employees… the growing necessity of two-household incomes…laws such as the family leave act… and subsidized childcare?” Maybe I should have asked, “How big is a brain?”

Louann agreed that there are many implications for changes in government, laws and lifestyles, in light of the new research about women and children’s brains and needs. She said she often tells corporations that they have to take care of their female employees, especially those who have been with them for years and are highly valuable to the company. She asks them, “Can you provide childcare if an employee has a sick child?” She stressed that there needs to be a lot of “deep thinking” about these issues in future years. A paragraph in her book expands upon this statement:

We are living in the midst of a revolution of consciousness about women’s biological reality that will transform human society. I cannot predict the exact nature of the change, but I suspect it will be a shift from simplistic to deep thinking about the changes we need to make on a grand scale. If the external reality is the sum total of the way people conceive it, then our external reality will change only when the dominant view of it changes. The scientific facts behind how the female brain functions, perceives reality, responds to emotions, reads emotions in others, and nurtures and cares for others are women’s reality. Their needs for functioning at their full potential and using the innate talents of the female brain are becoming clear scientifically. Women have a biological imperative for insisting that a new social contract take them and their needs into account. Our future, and our children’s future, depends upon it.

What will this new social contract look like? One of the most compelling points that Louann Brizendine makes in the book is that during the first two years of life a child absorbs it’s mother’s nervous system. If the mother is anxious and stressed, she will pass these traits on to her child. She writes:

Neurological incorporation begins during pregnancy. Maternal stress during pregnancy has effects on the emotional and stress hormone reactions, particularly in female offspring. So if you’re a girl about to enter the womb, plan to be born to an unstressed mom who has a calm, loving partner and family to support her. And if you’re a mom-to-be, carrying a female fetus, take it easy so that your daughter will be able to relax.

In light of this reality, what conditions would enable a mother to feel calm and relaxed during her pregnancy and for at least the first two years of her child’s life?

Asking questions is one of the most important elements to solving problems and creating change. When we hold a question or questions in mind, we can then wait for the pieces of the solutions to reveal themselves organically. I use this technique when writing, creating art, or when I need to make a life change. It’s a function of the creative process that works for just about anything. Perhaps it will help some of us make changes in our lives as we are guided by the new research regarding the female brain.

To read more about The Female Brain (click here) or see the link to Louann Brizendine’s website in the right side bar.