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The emotional part of my brain and the logical, science-loving part of my brain had two very different reactions to Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez.

The logical part of my brain appreciated the book for its attention to detail, crisp and straight-to-the-point exploration of data (existing and missing), and how the data we do and don’t have is often misused, commonly to the detriment of women’s health and safety.

Meanwhile, the emotional part of my brain responded to this book with a series of furious and frustrated screams, white-knuckled tight fists, exasperated sighs, and exhausted eye rolls.

This book is truly aggravating. It’s actually a miracle that women continue to exist at all, considering how many towns, workplaces, medications, vehicles, safety measures, and living situations are built for the lives of men and men alone, completely ignoring the needs and requirements of women. Invisible Women explores different aspects of the lives of women and dives deep into why various things are designed the way they are and the many ways women are treated as less than.

Women are not slightly smaller versions of men. Our bodies are different. Our lives are different. Women are not, as was once believed, the same as men except turned inside out. It’s one thing when life as a woman is inconvenient compared to that of a man, that’s frustrating enough. Many of these male-only designs not only inconvenience women, but they put women in danger.

This is a really, really, really great book for anyone interested in gender, statistics, sex differences, biology, and design, and for those who don’t mind getting a little angry about men being considered the default human.

Rating: 5/5 stars

• Invisible Women on Amazon
• Invisible Women on Goodreads
• Caroline Criado Perez’s website