Unnatural Selection
Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men
Mara Hvistendahl

Public Affairs
June 2011/ ISBN 9781586488505
Demographics / Sex Determination / Gender Study
Amazon

Reviewed by Bob Walch

Not only does Mara Hvistendahl explain how and why an imbalance between the sexes has become a problem in various parts of the world, but she also explains some of the possible consequences of such a situation in this fascinating book.

This is a complicated story that looks at Asian countries like China, India and South Korea as well as Eastern Europe and the United States. To various degrees, the problem of a declining female population due to sex selective abortion and new sex determination technology has tipped the balance so that fewer girl babies spell some dire times ahead for the male population.

For example, in China a 2010 census found a sex ratio at birth of 118 boys for every girl. Likewise, in Armenia government birth statistics from 2005 show five boys for every four girls.

Policies like China’s one child decree and the easy availability of abortions and birth control has led to this problem, but there are economic reasons for it as well. Hvistendahl shares her extensive research and interviews with mothers, doctors, demographers, mail-order brides and males doomed to bachelorhood as she defines the extent of this male-female inequity in numbers.

After explaining how and why it happened, the author then turns her attention to what it means for the future and how a number of countries are in for some startling cultural changes.

Anyone interested in gender studies, population growth and the way in which various countries are undergoing major cultural changes will find this a worthwhile read. Not only is Mara Hvistendahl’s narrative informative, but it also flows easily and makes for a very enjoyable read. More important, though, is the content of this book. This exploration of the world’s “missing women” provides plenty of food for thought and discussion. One of those situations that has been “flying under the radar”, Hvistendahl focuses some much needed attention on this dilemma facing us that will be a major problem in the not so far future for quite a few countries.