Excerpt: 'Man Down' by Dan Abrams
Dan Abrams on how women are better than men.
March 1, 2011 — -- In his new book "Man Down," Dan Abrams gives "Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better Cops, Drivers, Gamblers, Spies, World Leaders, Beer Tasters, Hedge Fund Managers, and Just About Everything Else." A television host, legal commentator and web entrepreneur, Abrams publishes five websites and is the CEO of the digital media strategy firm Abrams Research. Abrams is joining ABC News as a legal analyst for "Good Morning America" and will contribute on pieces for the news division.
Read a chapter from the book below.
Women Are Less Likely to Be Struck by Lightning
"The reason lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place is that the same place isn't there the second time."- American ventriloquist Willie Tyler
When it comes to long shots, unlikely mishaps, or chances of contracting rare diseases, it seems there is always one barometer: the chance of being struck by lightning. It's not about the actual odds; it's about comparing these events to that bolt from Zeus. Whether it's the odds of winning the lottery, getting bitten by a shark, or developing Capgras syndrome, it seems the matter always comes back to whether you are more likely to be struck by lightning and, often, the answer is yes. But despite all the talk about the chances of being hit by lightning, it seems all these prognostications miss one very relevant factor: whether you are a man or a woman.
It's hard to believe, but PopSci.com reports that from 1995 to 2008, a whopping 82 percent of those struck by lightning in the US were men. So what is it about men that makes them such attractive targets for the effects of an electrical storm? Their height? The experts don't seem to view that as significant. I'm sure many guys would tell you that they have a "magnetic" pull that could explain it. Whatever. That's obviously not it either—although that sort of hubris and bravado may be part of the explanation.
According to John Jensenius, a lightning expert from the National Weather Service, it's far simpler than that. "Men take more risks in lightning storms," he told PopSci.com. Men, Jensenius argues, just don't bother to seek shelter in a storm as often as women. Picture the bishop in Caddyshack playing golf with Bill Murray during a massive electrical storm. He defends his refusal to quit, saying: "The good Lord would never disrupt the best game of my life." Of course he is then struck by lightning as he misses the final shot.
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