Customer Reviews

The Male Biological Clock: The Startling News About Aging, Sexuality, and Fertility in Men

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It should be noted that this is more narrowly focused than the title would suggest. Dr. Fisch's book is not so much about "the male biological clock" as it is about the male biological clock as it relates to male sexual performance and fertility. As such it is an excellent book for those men who are concerned about being able to father children and to perform well sexually. And it is not just for the older male. There is a lot of useful information for younger males as well who are having problems with conception and performance.

This is also a good book for the female partner because it emphasizes that infertility is often a male problem and not a female problem as is usually thought to be the case. In fact, Dr. Fisch believes that 40% of infertility problems are on the female side, 40% on the male side, with the remaining 20% of undetermined or shared origin. If you're a woman and suspect that the fault might be his, you might buy him this book.

Dr. Fisch uses the phrase "male biological clock" to emphasize that even though men do not go through a menopause as such as do women, their sexual biological clock does indeed gradually run down. However, as Frisch phrases it, "Not all men are created equally biologically." (p. 18) Instead, some are as sexually capable as a thirty-year-old at eighty, when others are like seventy-year-olds when they are in their thirties. Fisch gives reasons and explanations for this, and presents some things you can do about it.

His discussion centers around four "key physical factors." They are "semen," "sperm," "testosterone," and "erections." There are chapters devoted to these factors as well as ones on sexual health in general and a final chapter on "Working as a Team," which is about sexual partners helping one another to overcome dysfunction. Fisch's treatment is precise, focused, a bit clinical (but that is good), and authoritative. There are a number of helpful charts and biologically correct drawings to illuminate the text--which somehow reminds me of a book I found in a neighbor's bookcase many years ago when I was an impressionable teenager. It was called, "What You Can Do about Sex after Sixty." All the pages were blank.

How the times have changed. If that book were to be "written" today, the "Sixty" in the title would have to be changed to, say, "Eighty."

An important part of this book is devoted to how couples might go about solving their infertility problems. Dr. Fisch describes various procedures, evaluates them and reveals how much they cost. There's even a chart on page 89 showing how much it costs to have a baby using four different types of treatment. He also explains who might benefit from testosterone treatment and who might not. He describes how Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis work and if they're "right for you" while weighing the efficacy of other methods to achieve the same thing.

There are some surprises. A side effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g., Prozac) is that while their antidepressant qualities might take "weeks to kick in, their orgasm-delaying effects happen within about four hours." (p. 83) This is good for young men with premature ejaculation problems, but not so good for older guys because SSRIs "can interfere with both erectile function and the ability to achieve orgasm." (p. 75)

Another interesting fact is that being overweight can cause testosterone levels to drop. Dr. Fisch explains that "Excess body fat does this because testosterone is normally broken down in the body's fat cells; hence, if you have a lot of fat, your body breaks down testosterone extra-quickly, leading to a deficiency." He adds that "abdominal or 'belly' fat [the old spare tire] has a greater capacity to break down testosterone than other types of fat." (p. 47)

Bottom line: a thoroughly professional, carefully written, closely edited, and easy-to-read introduction to a subject of interest to men (especially middle-aged men) with sexual and fertility problems. Reading this book first before going to the doctor might save you a lot of time and money, and at the very least can help you to ask the right questions.

This is a book that men (and women) of all ages would benefit from reading. Dr. Fisch is not only informative but he is gifted in his writing style. He takes medicine and make it understandable for anyone. Often books written by doctors are too academic and thick with medical terms for the average reader; this book is not. It is short, to the point and engaging.

The `Male Biological Clock' center on fertility and sexual performance. The chapters on the `Truth about Testosterone' and `Viagra' (Levitra & Cialis also) are worth the price of the book. Infertility is not just a woman's problem and Dr. Fisch lays out most all of the options available for men.

Dr. Fisch ends the book by covering diet and exercise and communication with your significant other. This is a great, short, extraordinarily important book for those struggling with their male sexuality. Highly recommended.

A good basic starter on male sexual potency. This book is really written for the the wanna be fathers or maothers who may be having problem having a baby and want to know the man's role in that problem. However, it is basic information that most people who have been keeping up with new information on male sexual performance or andropause have read in books like "The Testosteron Syndrome," "Super T," or Maximize Your Vitality and Potency - For Men Over 40." If you are looking for information on male sexuality in an aging man - this book is not for you.

This book got into the stuff no one likes to talk about, but that men need to know. At the start, the myths opened my eyes to truths about what happens as men grow older, and it clues us in to changes we can make to our daily lives.

At first look, the book seems to be about assisting men with fertility problems, but it is in reality a book about sexuality. My "vitality" has improved significantly since taking the advice in this book. I'm thinner, more active, and, well, everything works better!

One piece of advise, though. The second half of the introduction is really hard to get through. Skip it. Read through the other chapters.

I found this book very helpful, and I'm grateful to the author for writing it.

The only drawback: Although he gave some good attention to the issue of increased Down's risk and other genetic abnormalities in children of men over the age of 35, I wish he had provided even more information on this issue. I know the other issues of fertility and sexuality are important as well, but given that chromosomal deterioration cannot be fixed, it seems particularly critical that this information be more widely studied and also known by men as they plan their reproductive lives.

I can think of several men I know reaching age 40 and beyond who are just now thinking of starting families, and I wish they knew about the issues of chromosomal deterioration, but I can think of no way of giving them this information without making them defensive. I also know of several families where men over 35 had children and those children have autism spectrum disorders; I don't think there was any awareness in those men or their wives prior to the conception that the man's age could affect this.

In sum, I'm thankful to this author although I'm annoyed that as a woman I have to read a book like this to protect myself and unborn children while many people and the mainstream press don't focus on these issues and many men don't take more responsibility for learning about their reproductive health and conception risks.

This should be required reading for every man or parent of a male child. Because, among other topics, it conveys an important message you'll hear almost nowhere else: Everything you ingest affects the health of your sperm. If you want to do all you can to ensure that you have healthy children, you need to take care of your sperm from Day 1.

That means eating well, not smoking, and not taking illegal drugs. Yes, even in high school, in college, and in your 20s.

If you think you can "shape up" after the kids have arrived, you are too late. You have risked harming their DNA, and your grandchildren's DNA.

Pretty astounding, eh?

Gina Pera, author
Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.? Stopping the Roller Coaster When Someone You Love Has Attention Deficit Disorder

Just a warning not to be deceived about this content of this book. It is not so much about the psychology in feeling that a man's fertile time could be running out, but in discussing that male fertility can also be affected by the aging process.

The book covers the topics of male infertility and sexual performance as well as issues, causes, treatments and psychology of these issues.

All in all, a pretty comprehensive analysis of the male reproductive system.

My husband and I have had problems conceiving for years. After reading this book, we spoke to our doctors, and requested some additional tests for my husband. Voila! My husband had a minor problem that was quickly resolved and we are much more hopeful at this point. I loved the book, the some of the patient stories really hit close to home.

A book that I've read and seems like one of the best on the market it really helped me out on resolving one of the issues i had with my sexual problems. A book that is a light read and entertaining and should not be missing out of your book collection, much like "The Advanced Man! The quick and easy way to turn your small, or average sized penis into a large super human love tool without wasting your money on B.S. ... Book on CD-Rom for PC & Mac Computers" by Platinum Millennium, another great book that i recommend