Customer Reviews

Our Bodies, Ourselves: Menopause

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

There's nothing like hot flashes and night sweats to send you in search of a resource to provide answers and empathy -- not necessarily in that order. Our Bodies Ourselves: Menopause serves up both in equal parts. Well-researched facts combined with personal anecdotes make this a marvelous book for anyone approaching, in or even contemplating menopause. It may not have eliminated my "symptoms," but it certainly eliminated my misconceptions! Having looked at pretty much all of the books available, I can confidently say that this is definitely the best of them.

When we are teenagers and pre-teen girls, everybody's attention is on explaining what to expect at our first menstrual period. Whether the information is accurate or not, whether it comes from a girlfriend or a parent or a Sex Ed class, we're given a lot of data: this is how pregnancy happens, here's the basics on tampon usage, and so on. And girls talk amongst themselves about the subject, announcing (with some odd sort of pride) that they have their period, and what cramps feel like, etc.

But at the other end of the fertility cycle, the situation is much different. I didn't even know when my sisters had their "change of life;" it isn't the sort of thing we discuss. I realized recently just how little I knew about menopause, and what to expect, either as a normal part of the process or something that ought to send me scurrying to the doctor. It was time, I decided, to do some research.

Back in the 70s, I bought the original Our Bodies Ourselves; in fact, I still own the same copy. I learned to trust that book for health explanations that were also balanced, such as explaining the advantages and disadvantages of each method of birth control. And the authors made the topic interesting, compassionate, and relevant, which was saying something. Little or nothing was written in that book about menopause, however; even if it had been, I knew it'd be long out of date!

I'm pleased with this book, for the same reasons that I loved the first Our Bodies Ourselves. It's written conversationally, not like a medical text that makes me worry if this material will be on the final exam. It's very reassuring about the normalcy of the process, and (like the first book, which emphasized that pregnancy is not a "disease" even if doctors sometimes treat it that way), stresses the importance of making your own choices. Most importantly, it tells me what to expect. And darnit, it's interesting; I haven't finished the book yet, but I'm reading it with the dedicated attention of a whodunnit where I haven't yet figured out who the murderer is.

One thing I appreciate -- which will also demonstrate that I'm still a crunchy granola hippie -- is that OBO:Menopause practically underlines the medical research that's been done, and the factors that can sometimes make that research unreliable. (For instance, they point out, drug companies underwrite a lot of research, choose which data to use, and miraculously come out with results that support their use of, say, a certain hormone.) But as with the earlier book, the data is all laid out in a way that lets YOU make the decisions; nobody tells you what conclusions to draw. I love that.

I haven't read widely on this subject, so I can't tell you if it's the best book about menopause. But I'm quite impressed with the information provided and with its accessibility. I think you will be, too.

I sought out and read many books on menopause over the past five years, but none have been as readable, complete, and respectful to readers. The compelling personal stories resonate and create trust in the book's authoritative medical and non medical advice. Concise descriptions of even rare conditions depict the care that must have been taken to write this book. Unlike many menopause tomes, it does not talk down, preach, or prostelitize. This books offers alternative opinions on aspects of this important transition and gives women confidence to chart their own course.

The book is ok. At the same time I bought this book I also purchased one by Cr. Christiana Northrup on menopause called "The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing During the Change", which I much prefer. The second volume encourages trying a holistic approach to menopause before resorting to hormone replacement therapy. Our Bodies, Our Selves barely mentions that approach as a suitable means of treating symptoms.

Very informative and up-to-date, and I really love the personal stories and anecdotes that run throughout the text. If you've got hot flashes, get this book!

With all of the drug-company sponsored websites and even journal articles out there, women pre-, during, and post-menopause have a hard time finding reliable information amongst an overload of hype. This book is the best guide around, and as with all Out Bodies Ourselves publications, enriched by the experiences of a variety of women. I thought I knew alot, and found it really enlightening, as well as well-written.

This is a spectacular book. There is so much biased junk out there. This book provides the scientific basis for what is happening to our bodies and then provides the pros and cons of all of the different therapies, combined with real life stories of people who are going through it or have gone through it. Finally a true and reliable source that is documented, unbiased and easy to read and follow.

If there is one book to buy about what is happening to you, this is the one! Thank you!!!

I am a 46 yr old woman who has been thrown into surgical menopause. This book has so little specific information regarding actual menopause. I get the sense that I am to sit back, relax, breath, eat something soy and just get through this wonderful & most natural phase of my life. Here is what I learned from this book - all the drug companies are evil. Doctors are owned by the drug companies. Women's health issues are not studied as seriously as men's. I sure wasted my money on this one.

More detailed and interesting than any doctor I've spoken with. I also love any alternative to drugs. As soon as I finish, each of my sisters will enjoy and learn as well.

I was glad to see this menopause edition of the classic Our Bodies, Ourselves series. It provides useful information for both the women's healthcare professional and the general public.