The Pause: Positive Approaches to Premenopause and Menopause [Paperback]

Lonnie Barbach (Author)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lonnie Barbach's writing career began almost two decades ago with her groundbreaking and phenomenally successful books on sex and relationships For Yourself and For Each Other. She has been profiled extensively in all of the major women's magazines, and is well known on the lecture circuit and for her frequent television appearances. She has enjoyed great success with her erotica collections Pleasures, Erotic Interludes, and The Erotic Edge (available from Plume). Barbach is on the clinical faculty of the University of California Medical School in San Francisco, and practices privately. She lives in Mill Valley, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Plume; Revised edition (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452281105
• ISBN-13: 978-0452281103
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #725,854 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book on this subject., August 3, 2002

By 

Kathy C. (Gambrills, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pause: Positive Approaches to Premenopause and Menopause (Paperback)

The Pause is absolutely the best book I have read on Perimenopause and Menopause. I went through menopause quite early (36!) and found this book to be very helpful. Perhaps because I was younger and was going through it more quickly I found some of the other books that focus on the emotional and "spiritual" aspects annoying. Just give me the facts Mam, and this book did just that. First she explains the physiology in a very understandable manner. Just that information helps you to understand so much. Then she goes into each symptom, explaining what you may experience and giving you ways to cope and possible treatments. She explains what your doctor would most likely recomment (HRT etc.) and she also recommends herbal and alternative therapies that other women have found helpful.
Before puberty we are taught what to expect. When we become pregnant the doctor gives us reading material on what to expect. This is a must read for women to understand this next stage in their lives.

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Pause:Positive Approaches to Perimenopause and Menopaus, June 23, 2000

By 

Pamela - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pause: Positive Approaches to Premenopause and Menopause (Paperback)

This new edition is a must for any woman going through the change. The new edition covers a much broader view on this subject than the older edition. This edition gives different approaches to choices that exists in dealing with the hormonal rollercoater and allows the reader to compare allopathic methods to more complementary methods of treating menopause. As a healthcare provider, I find this a great source of information to refer to my patients who are working through this time of their life and not knowing which way to turn. I like the idea that it covers menopause from a practical forthright place that does not treat it as a disfunctional time, but more as a time to renew oneself and take control of ones life.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most Helpful Book, July 18, 2008

By 

Mora (Spokane WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pause: Positive Approaches to Premenopause and Menopause (Paperback)

This is the only book on menopausal symptoms I've read that accurately and precisely spoke about my particular issues. For example, I was having something the author calls "brain static," which for me was like having an electrical current run through my head, keeping me up at nights. After many tests, including a CAT scan, my doctor chalked it all up to stress. Not until I read Lonnie Barbach's book did I realize that brain static is a rather uncommon symptom, but one that other women have experienced. In addition, I also felt comforted to know that the changes in my body odor and breath were also quite common menopausal symptoms. The beauty of her book is that she lists so many other symptoms and signals of changes that are all too easily dismisssed as being oversensitive or just getting older. My own doctor, who is also a woman, wasn't even aware of some of these physiological changes. It has been my experience that most doctors are only aware of the most common symptoms of peri-menopause or menopause - hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, headaches and mood swings. This book, in my opinion, covers it ALL and helped me understand that not every woman experiences menopausal symptoms in the same way and that there really isn't a one-size fits all type of treatment. After reading her book, I felt like someone finally recognized and understood what I was going through. It was comforting to know that I am not the only woman on the planet having some specific symptoms and reactions to hormonal changes in my body! After months of anxiety and even embarrassment about my physical and emotional state, I felt completely vindicated. This book is easy to read, lists the symptoms in a clear, matter-of-fact way, including examples from many women, and gives clear information about the many options available for treatment. It is compehensive and written by someone who has been there!