Vaginas: An Owner's Manual [Paperback]

Dr. Carol Livoti Dr. (Author), Elizabeth Topp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 2004

An engaging, thorough, and much-needed explanation of the working vagina, Vaginas is a book of accessible facts written by down-to-earth authors whose only agenda is female education. The authors (the mother is an ob/gyn, the daughter a writer) avoid the flowery language and feminist agenda of other books on the subject. They take readers from the mood swings of puberty to the hot flashes of menopause with warmth, humor, and candor. Subjects include the lowdown on hymens, a word on waxing, tips on retrieving lost items, heavy periods, working out the vagina, significant problems (STDs, ectopic pregnancies, fibroids, yeast infections, herpes), ways to keep an aging body performing, and the fun stuff — sex.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This empowering, sex-positive guide to womanhood is for anyone who has ever found herself uninformed or misinformed about her own machinery. Topp, a single, 20-something writer, teams up with her mother, Livoti, a seasoned gynecologist, to demystify the female reproductive system. The younger author felt lucky to grow up with a mother who was knowledgeable and forthcoming about the female anatomy, especially when she reached her teen years and realized that most of her friends weren't so lucky. Too many women are uncomfortable discussing their private parts with friends or even doctors, say the authors, and this can lead to misconceptions about their own bodies. Despite the catchy title, this is a deep examination of the body. Starting with an overview of the basic organs, then moving into menstruation, maintenance, menopause and medical problems, the authors investigate every nook and cranny of those elusive female parts. They explore sex, contraception, STDs and abortion from a nonjudgmental, pro-choice, woman-to-woman perspective. Although the snippets of banter between mother and daughter (as well as the anecdotes from the life of an ob-gyn) add little, this is a never condescending and always articulate resource.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"The information in this slim volume is as direct and to the point as the title.... just the facts, ma'am." -- The Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2005

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (August 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568582951
• ISBN-13: 978-1568582955
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #941,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative and extremely funny, January 31, 2005

By 

J. A. Brown (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vaginas: An Owner's Manual (Paperback)

This book would make a great gift for girls going through puberty. The writers are personal, witty and honest about women's health issues as well as the gender/social aspects that are nearly always tangled up with reproductive health. All the anatomical basics are covered in detail, as well as various conditions and symptoms. It even covers menopause, so it's really a book for anyone with a vagina!
The authors are mother and daughter, the mother being a gynecologist and the daughter a writer--I wish my own mom had been so knowledgeable and forthright about the topics discussed in the book. Again, this book is great for those who are uncomfortable talking about reproductive health with their parents or children.
Also sprinkled liberally throughout the book are odd historical facts about gynecological treatments or conditions, both in American and other cultures. These are sometimes amusing, sometimes upsetting and often bewildering. It provides a good historical context for a realm of anatomy and physiology that is still (compared to many other health problems or issues) mysterious and not fully understood.
Overall, it's a very quick and informative read that I highly recommend for every woman and girl.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Excellent...Every Woman/Girl should have this!!, October 11, 2004

By 

Brandy Rogers "Eternally Grateful" (New Bern, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vaginas: An Owner's Manual (Paperback)

I purchased this book back in June of 2004 and i have to say that i was greatly shocked at how much about the female body as having one myself that i was absolutely alien to...i found myself calling my friends telling them stories that i have read out of this book along with a few humorous excerpts here and there, this book is amazing!!...i believe this book is wonderful to give to any woman/girl of any age expecially during the puberty years...this book would be a great gift and the christmas season is just around the corner! so pick up a copy for the woman or women in your life today! im sure glad that i did!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful and Funny!, January 26, 2012

By 

Nicki in Brooklyn - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vaginas: An Owner's Manual (Paperback)

This is a great book! I work with tweens and this has been a great book to give them when they start having questions about how they work. It's smart, funny, clear and never scary.