Customer Reviews

Male Menopause

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

 

 

It puts 'men' back into menopause and substantiates the reality that certainly in midlife, women and men are more alike than different. I particularly liked that definitions were clear and there was a specific program for men and women to assist men in moving through this difficult passage.

I first became aware of the author Jed Diamond, when I saw him on a video tape by Gary Null. I appreciated Mr. Diamond's frankness about male genitalia and sexual function. When I learned of his book, I was hoping for a focused discussion on the subject and what can be done about it, based upon my experience of him in his video tape.

"Male Menopause" is really two different books. While Mr. Diamond does go into the physiological aspects of male aging and its affect on sexual function, its comparison to female menopause, as well as what can be done to help nutritionally and medically, the bulk of the book is not dedicated to the subject matter. It focuses on what older men should do with their lives to save society (in other words, in place of sex as a result of the what he states is the inevitable decline of male sexual function). While this is a noble subject, I believe that Mr. Diamond's view is rather idealistic, and would have been better addressed in another book under a different title. Frankly, this information was uninteresting to me, set in a depressing context, and at times, I fought to stay awake while reading it. Moreover, the concepts that he spoke of really should apply to men of all ages, and how we treat one another and male children who will become adults.

As noted, the other information in the book was useful, however, I would not recommend this book for someone who is interested in treating the problems associated with male menopause. I am sure the information is available from other more succinct sources.

It defines and demystifies the controversial issue of male menopause. The book is practical, powerful, and passionate.

Like other reviewers, I believe Diamond downplays the effective treatments, analogous to women's HRT therapy, now available for the 'andropause'. Interested readers should instead get the book 'Maximising Manhood', by the British endocrinologist Malcolm Carruthers, which addresses the issue of the male menopause and treatment, and discusses the risks (low) and benefits (wonderful).

By the way, if you had mumps as an adolescent and a vasectomy later, there is a good chance of exacerbated symptoms of the andropause. I was depressed to the point of suicidal obsession and treatment restored my libido and outlook on life.

After seeing Jed Diamond interviewed on television - promoting this book, of course - my wife got it for me for my 47th birthday. That was after I had mentioned to her that I experienced short sensations that could best be described as hot flashes. Diamond says few men experience this particular sensation, but there are numerous other physiological and psychological "feelings" that result from hormone shifts that a greater number of men are likely to experience. (It's more than the "mid-life crazies", like chasing young women.) Since the mid-life biological changes occur more slowly in men than women, many men won't notice it. Thus, some readers will call the book "bunk". Diamond stresses the need for older men to "mentor" younger men, serving society as role models and "elders". He devoted far too many words to that theme which I found overdone and boring. In my opinion, the book isn't very well organized, jumping from topic to topic and then back again. But, it does contain interesting stuff about the biological changes and useful remedies for the hormonal shifts going on in a man's body between the ages of about 45 and 60.

Technically of course there is no male menopause, but men go through many physical and psychological changes at midlife. Diamond is thorough in his explanations of what has been known for years in Europe as viropause or andropause. This is a valuable and much needed book that fills a void and dispells ignorance. Kudos to Diamond.

When the author published this book in the nineties, the oldest among the leading-edge baby boomers were still in their early fifties. Today, millions more are confronting and crossing the 55 marker, and this book has much greater relevance to an aging and influential cohort. Men in my network have been realizing the significance of andropause in personal and profound ways, and most are now searching for answers to the complex male questions about midlife. This book answers questions that barely surfaced ten years ago and provides men with knowledge and encouragement. The author's sensitivity to this passage is profound, and he gives readers many reasons for optimism, as well as strategies to manage a significant life stage. To those who criticized this book as mere pop psychology, I say wait a few more years and then you'll get it.

Excellent material, specialy if you are a gynaecologist and have all your patients complaining about their husbands. It gives you an insight of what a male can be going throu. Why 4 stars? Would be nice from Jed to have more practical approaches to some practical solutions. Nevertheless you should read it.

Male Menopause written by Jed Diamond is the first book to seriously and completely alert men and women about this very real phenomenon - Male Menopause. As the editor and founder of HotFlash! the perimenopause/menopause web site and online support group I know first hand the effects of hormonal changes in women. They can be very devastating and change a woman's life. The same is true for men. I applaud Jed's work because he takes a subject, male menopause and drags it out from the "taboo" closet and forces us to look at it. I have had the pleasure of interviewing Jed and have found that there are millions of men and their partners suffering in silence about this change of life. Male Menopause, hallmarked by lowered testosterone levels, can leave a man depressed, scared, anxious, moody, lose sexual interest and have problems getting and sustaining erections ( this is very distreesing for men). Jed's book alerts us to this health issue and we all must take this seriously. His book speaks to the problems men have with lowering tesosterone levels and bodily changes; we must recognize this as seriously as we do for women in perimenopause and menopause. In talking with hundreds of women every day and through my media appearances and articles, I find that men too are going thorugh "something" as women are experincing perimenopause and menopause. Many people think this is just a phase or "mid-life" crsisi" but it is more. Like perimenopause male menopause must be discussed openly and with intelligence; Jed Diamiond does just that.

This book makes an interesting case for the existence of male menopause, but the research is not convincingly, or least not coherently presented. A little too much self-promotion for Mr. Diamond's consulting services.