内容简介
An award-winning journalist tackles the hot topic of male bodyimage and shows how physical size during childhood affects ourpsychology, social status, relationships, and income as adults.With a mix of fresh research, incisive reportage, and bracingcandor, Size Matters traces the surprising history of societys biasagainst shortness and reveals how short people can and do thrive inspite of this insidious bigotry. Drawing on his own childhoodexperiences (he was shorter than 99 percent of boys his age),Stephen Hall explains the evolution of the growth chart, thebiology of childhood aggression, and the wrenching phenomenon ofbullying. He explores the factors that determine why one childssmall stature may lead to anguish while another short childdevelops an emotional resilience that will enrich his later life.Weaving together recent findings from the fields of animalbehavior, psychology, and evolutionary biology, Hall assesses therole of physical size in mating success and argues that the alphamale may not be king of the mountain after all. Hall also pinpointsthe social forces that create and cash in on our anxieties aboutsize, from bulked-up superhero action figures to pharmaceuticalcompanies selling growth hormone to increase a childs height -- ata cost of up to $40,000 a year. He introduces us to families whohave agonized over whether to make that huge investment. Heexplains new research showing that a persons height as a teenagerhas lifelong psychological consequences. He even tracks down kidshe bullied in elementary school and kids who bullied him in highschool to show that these childhood encounters have lasting effectson our adult lives. Along the way, Hall builds a persuasive caseagainst societal attitudes that make size (or any difference)matter and argues forcefully that being short has psychological,social, and biological advantages. Size Matters will raise theconsciousness -- and the spirits -- of any short male and anyonewho cares about him.