The Upgrade

February 14, 2022
Clinical psychiatry professor Brizendine (The Male Brain) presents a bold new account of how women’s brains change during the second half of life. Referring to patient stories and recent medical studies, the author suggests that the female brain rewires as it undergoes neurological changes in response to menopause (the “Upgrade,” as Brizendine calls it), allowing women to pursue their own fulfillment instead of responding to reproductive physiological impulses. The author contends that some women become more outspoken after they “upgrade” because fertility hormones no longer promote acquiescence for the sake of preserving group harmony. She also reports that the “bonding and caretaking circuits” that encourage women to feel their partner’s emotions as their own calm down later in life, better enabling women to prioritize their own feelings. Brizendine recommends strategies to maintain mental and physical health as one ages, including pelvic floor exercises, eating plenty of protein, and making a “mood log” to detect emotional patterns and inform medication regimens. The author’s mastery of scientific research impresses, as does her accessible and authoritative delivery. Blending academic rigor with self-help practicability, this is an optimistic and well-observed take on the benefits of life’s second half for women.