120,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฟ

๐ŸŒธ Our Spring Sale is here! Save on Books, Toys, & Puzzles! With overnight NZ-wide delivery ๐ŸŽ‰

Bitch

A Revolutionary Guide to Sex, Evolution and the Female Animal
4.44 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 7,010 ratings, 1,217 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Bitch by Lucy Cooke explores the meaning of being female through the lens of the animal kingdom. The book journeys across species to challenge and redefine gender stereotypes, featuring fascinating examples such as polyamorous chimpanzees, alpha-female hyenas, menopausal killer whales, and lesbian lizards. It offers a fresh evolutionary perspective on femininity in todayโ€™s complex social and cultural world.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$4000
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book will appeal to readers interested in science, nature, gender studies, and those curious about how animal behaviour can inform human understanding of femininity and gender identity.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In our fiercely contested social, political and cultural landscape, Lucy Cooke looks to the animal kingdom to ask what it means to be female.

Mother. Daughter. Ruler. Provider. What does it mean to be female? The female species has never been more scrutinised or politicised. As we search to define our gender, combat prejudice, and celebrate the myriad of femininity, what can the animal kingdom teach us about its true nature?

In Bitch, award-winning zoologist, broadcaster, and author Lucy Cooke takes the reader on a global journey to meet the animals and scientists that are helping to redefine the female species and release it from the shackles of stereotype.

Lucy presents us with a dazzling portrait of the female, introducing us to polyamorous chimps, alpha-female hyenas, menopausal killer whales, and lesbian lizards. By showing us the spectrum of the species, she sets out to rewrite the evolutionary labels that have come to define a gender and proposes a new understanding of what it means to be female today.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780857524126

Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 March 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Doubleday

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 29.0mm

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 481g

Pages: 400

About the Author

Lucy Cooke is a fellow of Durham University, a National Geographic explorer, TED talker and award-winning broadcaster with a Masters in zoology from New College Oxford, where she studied under Richard Dawkins. Her first book A Little Book of Sloth was a New York Times bestseller and spawned a major TV series for Discovery and a BBC Radio 4 documentary. The Truth About Animals, her first long-form book was shortlisted for the Royal Society prize and has been translated into nineteen languages. Her most recent book, Bitch- What Does it Mean to be Female? was cited as one of the best books of the year by both the Telegraph and the Guardian and was adapted into the BBC Radio 4 series, Political Animals. She is a columnist for BBC Wildlife Magazine and has also written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Guardian, The Times, Telegraph and New Scientist amongst other publications. She is a sought-after public speaker and has written, produced, and presented documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4, National Geographic, Animal Planet and Discovery. She has presented on the BBC's 'Springwatch' and is a regular on BBC Radio 4.

Also by Lucy Cooke

View all
  • Bitch
    The critically-acclaimed and award-winning zoologist, broadcaster, and author, Lucy Cooke, takes the reader on an incredibly timely and important global journey to meet the animals and scientists that are helping to redefine what is female. What does it mean to be female? Mother, carer, the weaker sex? Think again. Whether it's the female lemurs of Madagascar, dominating the males of...
    Paperback
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Life in the Sloth Lane
    WHY ARE SLOTHS ALWAYS SMILING? Perhaps itโ€™s because theyโ€™ve mastered the art of taking it slow in a world whose frenzied pace is driving the rest of us crazy. Here, in a mindfulness book like no other, heart-tuggingly cute photographs of these always-chill creatures are paired with words of wisdom, all to inspire us to slow down, stop to enjoy...
    Hardback
    $4000
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Original Sloths Mini Wall Calendar 2027
    An adorable mini calendar featuring sloths taking it nice and easy. Candid Cuteness: Sloths captured in all their chill charm, hanging in trees, lounging in hammocks and baskets, and cozying up in snuggly little piles. Plus sloth stories and fun facts! Expert Photographer: From British filmmaker and sloth expert Lucy Cooke, the founder of the Sloth Appreciation Society. Great Gift:...
    Calendar
    $3500
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Original Sloths Wall Calendar 2027
    Twelve months of taking it easy with Lucy Cooke's precious portraits of the adorable residents of Costa Rican sloth sanctuaries! Candid Cuteness: Sloths captured in all their chill charm, hanging in trees, lounging in hammocks and baskets, and cozying up in snuggly little piles. Plus sloth stories and fun facts! Expert Photographer: From British filmmaker and sloth expert Lucy Cooke,...
    Calendar
    $4700
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks

More from Science & Nature

View all
  • Raising Hare
    THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2025 SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 SHORTLISTED FOR THE HATCHARDS AND BIOGRAPHERS' CLUB FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE A BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE HAY FESTIVAL, SUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, FINANCIAL TIMES, SPECTATOR AND iNEWS 'A beautiful book' - ANGELINA JOLIE 'I...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • What If? 10th Anniversary Edition
    CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF THE MILLION-SELLING POP SCIENCE CLASSIC WITH A SPECIAL EDITION. THIS IS WHAT IF? . . . x10. THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Nerd royalty' โ€” BEN GOLDACRE 'Totally brilliant' โ€” TIM HARFORD 'Required reading across the world' โ€” NEW YORK TIMES From the creator of the wildly popular xkcd.com, experience hilarious and informative answers to important questions...
    Hardback
    $4200
    Elsewhere:
    $5000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Anxious Generation
    A powerful argument for reclaiming childhoodโ€”and all human relationshipsโ€”from the online world, from the influential social psychologist and international bestselling author. Jonathan Haidt has spent his career speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most difficult spacesโ€”communities polarised by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the mental health emergency hitting teenagers today in many countries around...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    16% off
    Ultra-Processed People
    Launching the runaway bestseller with ambitions to be the biggest non-fiction paperback of the year IT'S NOT YOU. IT'S THE FOOD. "If you only read one diet or nutrition book in your life, make it this one" - Bee Wilson "You've got to get this book in your life . . . Completely compelling . . . Read a page...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Kitchen Confidential
    The classic bestseller from the star of Parts Unknown and No Reservations: 25th Anniversary edition, with a new introduction by Irvine Welsh. BEFORE THERE WAS THE BEAR, THERE WAS BOURDAIN. โ€˜Elizabeth David written by Quentin Tarantinoโ€™ โ€” A.A. Gill โ€˜Fantastic: as lip-smackingly seductive as a bowl of fat chips and pungent aioliโ€™ โ€” Daily Telegraph After twenty-five years of sex,...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Sapiens
    Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari is an extraordinary exploration of humanity's history from the dawn of our species to the present day. Harari delves into our evolution, offering insights into the cognitive revolutions that allowed Homo sapiens to rise above other animal species. Traversing through various stages of human development, he examines the Agricultural Revolution, the unification of humankind through...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Invisible Women
    Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez is a groundbreaking and meticulously researched exploration into the pervasive gender bias that infiltrates every aspect of our society. Through compelling case studies and thorough analysis, this book unveils the hidden ways women are systematically disadvantaged in a world predominantly designed by and for men. Perez's revelations stretch across various sectors including government policy,...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Talk
    A Harvard professor shows how we can become better talkers - and why effective conversation will help us all thrive. Conversation is at the heart of our relationships and decision-making, but the science behind our everyday interactions, and how to improve them, is little known. In Talk, Harvard Professor Alison Wood Brooks provides fascinating insights into the power of effective...
    Paperback
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    20% off
    Clean & Green
    Simple swaps and innovative ideas for cleaning and maintaining your home that won't cost the Earth. Learn how easy it is to make simple swaps in your cleaning and tidying methods for a more eco-friendly home. This beautifully illustrated black and white guide with 101 hints and sustainable, natural cleaning tips and hacks will help you take small steps that...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Usually:
    $2999
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Genetic Book of the Dead
    From one of the worldโ€™s great science writers, a book that explores the deepest principles of evolutionary history. In this groundbreaking new approach to the evolution of all life, Richard Dawkins shows how the body, behaviour, and genes of every living creature can be read as a book โ€“ an archive of the worlds of its ancestors. A perfectly camouflaged...
    Hardback
    $4900
    Elsewhere:
    $5499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Coming Wave
    The instant Sunday Times bestseller from the ultimate AI insider - the only book you need to read on this subject. An Economist, Financial Times, Guardian, Prospect and Sunday Times Book of the Year Shortlisted for the FT and Schroders Business Book of the Year This is the only book you need to understand our new world - from the...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Breath
    Discover the transformative power of breathing in Breath by esteemed journalist James Nestor. This revolutionary book delves into the science and history of one of the most fundamental human activities - breathing. From the bustling streets of Sรฃo Paulo to the serene temples of India, Nestor embarks on a global journey to uncover the secrets of ancient breathing techniques such...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.