The Women's Brain Book

In this fully revised and updated edition, neuroscientist Dr Sarah McKay delivers the essential guide to understanding women's brain health and wellbeing, redefining how we think and talk about the female brain across the lifespan.

Women's brain health is no longer a niche topic. Neuroscience is uncovering answers to questions women have pondered for generations - demystifying everything from puberty, periods, contraception, pregnancy, sex and love to menopause, hormone therapy and dementia.

Understanding how the brain is shaped by genetics, hormones and life experiences is vital for women to maintain their health and embrace their unique strengths at every stage of life.

This empowering and practical book takes you on a journey through the lifespan, exploring:

• Life in utero
• Infancy and childhood
• Puberty and the teenage brain
• The menstrual cycle
• Sex, love and relationships
• Pregnancy and motherhood
• Menopause
• Depression, anxiety and mental health
• The ageing brain

Dr McKay weaves together the latest research, captivating stories and interviews with leading neuroscientists and medical professionals working in women's health, hormones, development, reproduction, mental health and ageing. This new edition provides crucial insights into your brain health and mental wellbeing and reveals what is going on inside your head at every age and life stage.

About the Author

Dr Sarah McKay is a neuroscientist and science communicator known for making brain science practical and accessible to enhance health, wellbeing and performance.

An Oxford University graduate, Sarah earned her MSc and DPhil in neuroscience before moving to Australia, where she conducted postdoctoral research on spinal cord injury. She later founded Think Brain, an online platform offering professional development in applied neuroscience and brain health.

Sarah is the author of three acclaimed books on brain health. These include The Women's Brain Book: The neuroscience of health, hormones and happiness and Baby Brain: The surprising neuroscience of how pregnancy and motherhood sculpt our brains and change our minds (for the better). Brain Health for Dummies, a guide to keeping your brain sharp, healthy and happy, is her third book. Sarah is also the author of a fully revised second edition of The Women's Brain Book, updated to include the latest research and fresh insights.

Sarah's expertise has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Grazia, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Women's Weekly and body+soul. She's a familiar face and voice on SBS' Insight, ABC Radio, Mamamia, NZ Radio National and ABC's Catalyst, and has taken to the stage at events like Business Chicks, Canberra Writers Festival and Happiness & Its Causes.

Sarah lives on Sydney's Northern Beaches with her Irish husband, two teenage sons and a springer spaniel. They can all be found surfing, sailing or ocean swimming.