Customer Reviews

Woman: An Intimate Geography

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

Woman: An Intimate Geography is the most delightful and informative book on the physiology of women I have ever read. The range of Angier's research leaves almost no aspect of the female body unexplored or unexplained. Even, for example, such barbaric rituals as infibulation and clitorodectomy (still shockingly practiced in as many as 28 countries) are depicted for us in a rare combination of absolute fidelity to scientific detail, and with a moral outrage that is paradoxically spiritual.

WOMAN, throughout its nearly four hundred pages, is exquisitely written. By brilliantly blending her scientific data with acute personal insights and by her expert use of language--exuberant and optimistic when the message is merry, solemn and meticulous when the message is most serious--Angier manages to create for her reader a kind of scientific poetry of the body.

Ms. Angier's book should appeal to women of all ages: to adolescents for whom she lucidly illuminates the lovely tapestries of their bodies; to women of child-bearing age whom her encyclopedic information will help in making the difficult reproductive decisions of our era; and it will appeal to older women who have lived through so much feminist history (and turmoil)since Simone de Beauvoir first expelled us from the Garden of Ignorance. Angier's stylistic eloquence bathes us all in her affection and respect for women; she blesses us with the strength and resilience of her language; she nourishes us, evoking our most primordial response even as we absorb her intellectual richness at their source--giving us what every human needs--affection and knowledge, from our stem cells to the final Silence.

This is one of those books that I am considering buying for every woman I know: young, old, of all creeds, races, and religions.... even after completing it I am STILL floored by its appropriate, humorous, scientific, lyrical, and profound words.  It is empowering without any negativism.  There is not a shread of male-bashing in this work of art.   Natalie Angier is a science writer for the New York Times and her work is infused with just enough science to make all the fascinating issues she covers comprehensible to any and everyone who reads this book.   She covers the female body like no one ever has, and I don't just mean the chapters on breasts, the uterus, and the ovaries, but the hormones, the menstrual cycles, nursing babies, menopause, exercise, chemistry, and the psychology of being a woman.  I wish so much that this amazing piece of work had been around when I was 18 and wondering what the hell was WRONG with me! (nothing. apparently.  But who can tell an 18 year old anything.... maybe if I could have read it.....).  Angiers carefully weaves together the myths, the legends, the cultures, and even the misogyny from where we ALL come and gracefully and humorously meshes them with the studies, the sciences, the theories and the facts, and gives the reader an entire body of work on all of the issues about ourselves we are curious about.   It is book that teaches you something fascinating about how and why you are and work and play and love.  One of the themes that surrepticiously repeats in this book is the completely normal, completely natural, "you are SO ok - it's laughable to think otherwise" theme.  Women are complex and complicated creatures and we owe that to this magnificent temple called the body and we now have all the evidence and joy in this book to know that.

I am writing this review as a warning for non-biologist readers. I am a biomedical researcher and someone who believes that the biology of gender is fascinating and important. I am also a big fan of Ms. Angiers writing. I can't tell you how many times I've started in reading a Science piece in the New York Times, smiled at a delightful paragraph, and then looked up to see the Angiers byline. I was thrilled when I heard about this book and really wanted it to be good. Reading it and hearing Angiers talk about it, though, was deeply disappointing. This book could have been a brilliant and profound exposition of the biology of femaleness but instead it is a sloppy tirade where accurate science usually takes a back seat to getting off a good quip. Time after time she misrepresents or misunderstands the biological research, twisting everything into the narrow confines of her "Grrls Rock" manifesto. It's a good manifesto but it is only undercut by sophomoric misreading of the science. The book is entertaining if read as standup comedy, full of scattershot zingers with little regard for accuracy. I am concerned that it will end up being quoted endlessly by legions of Women's Studies majors with no notion of how badly the science is muddled. Readers should know that the book has been panned in the scientific press (by feminist scientist reviewers) for its many errors. Many of the examples she cites are deep and deserve greater attention from the public but Angiers gets them backwards as often as forwards and ends up doing more damage than good. On the off chance that the author ever reads these reviews: Please, this is a topic that really needs doing right. Sit down with some real biologists with a critical eye and get the science done well. Not cheerleading but rather a thougthful examination of the issue. It's not too late to do it right in a second edition.

.. others have missed the point of Woman, that it is a book celebrating female physiology and biology in a way that it often has not been by the (typically now but almost always in years past) male science writers. This is not to say that there are no good books about the female body, simply that this once should be taken in the construct in which it was conceived.

Angier certainly does convey the wonder of the female body, the absolute miracle of the biology that creates and sustains life. And she also makes a compelling case for the argument that the biology of women has traditionally been seen as 'other,' with the norm being male, and that writing, opinion and diagnoses (particularly psychological) have often sprung from this misconception - the fact that every fetus starts of as female still does nothing to convince people that woman are not the second sex. Many of the recent books I've read in evolutionary biology highlight this basic dichotomy, with the male traits still somehow the 'better,' more highly evolved ones (of course, that many female writers feel differently illustrates clearly how science, a 'rational,' 'logical' and 'intellectual' discipline is nevertheless highly subjective).

I think that Woman is marvelous in its celebration of woman and her unique capacity to give birth (with the help, of course...). The myths about menstruation that have been around forever - including the current theory du jour that women don't NEED to menstruate - have made it a curse, a major pain, a source of suffering, and it cretinaly is amazingly refreshing to have it and other parts of being female actually spoken of in wonder at nature's incredible artistry to devise such cool ways of keeping a woman's body healthy.

I am not a scientist, so I cannot vouch for the accuracy of her scientific data, but I did learn a lot that has been borne out in other things that I've read. Angier's wit, intelligence and incredible writing made it impossible for me to put this book down, and I have since then recommended it to many women who have loved it - and who got sick of me saying 'wanna hear something cool?' I think this book is also important in the way it approaches female biology, not as something incidental but as part of the miracle of nature. In a society in which women are encouraged to hate their bodies, I think this book has incredible significance and recommend it most highly. It is, however, as much a social commentary as anything else, so for 'pure' science you might, as others have suggested here, want to look elsewhere as well.

As a neurologist, scientist, and adult, who is on the male side of the great sexual dimorphism in our species, I learned more about the anatomy/physiology of the genitalia from this book, than in all my years of medical school, research career or clinical practice. The book was filled with wit and precision. I tried to read the book slowly to savor the passages.

After reading the book I both look and think about the female, and about the male, with very new perspectives. Based on my hugely expanded knowledge base of anatomy and physiology, normal and pathologic, gained from reading Woman, my dreams and fantasies have been altered and are even better, my respect and sensitivity for the female and her differences are greater, and my sense of awe still pervades these thoughts. Since so much of our brain exists to successfully copulate and to reproduce, it is no wonder that there is an intrinsic fascination with the whole subject. Neuron after neuron, billions and billions together, signalled, BRAVO, for such superb writing and for the delicious insights.

Lawrence Steinman, MD Professor of Neurological Sciences Stanford University

I read this wonderful dissertation with wonder and a certain amount of awe. I recommend this book for any man that lives with or loves any woman who he is proud of. Since no man knows everything about women, then they just might need some help in understanding them, and learning what makes them tick; and why, along the way. This book tells it all, and does it in plain english using words and phrases that everyone can understand. It is a wonderful, warm and informative educational read from the first page to the last. It just might also be useful for women who want to learn more about their own bodies and mind, and what makes them tick, for their own personal purposes. I love my mate more than anything and will go to any length to try to please her. One way to accomplish this is to read quality material that is written about how women work, and why. This wonderful book fills that need in glorious detail on every page. I would say that this book is one that delievers way more than the mere title reveals. It is worth three times the asking price. I have read it three times and will read it again soon. Each time that I read it, I learn more, and find something that I missed the time before. Thank you, Ms. author for giving us this wonderful work about women and how they work. E-mail address welderal@yahoo.com

Don't read this book expecting to find a "typical" dirt-digging, male-bashing, feminist manifesto. You'll be sorely disappointed. Read it instead to find a beautifully written, well-researched, and thoroughly balanced look at what makes a woman a woman (and, incidentally, what makes a man a man). You'll find yourself thinking about a *lot* of things in an entirely new light, and wanting to discuss her topics with friends and family, both male and female. Hers is the kind of refreshing viewpoint that we need more of. You go, girl!

I have read this book carefully and thoroughly, and have decided to address the content rather than the style (extraordinary) or the political implications (probably less than one would hope). As a scientist, I am well aware of the difficulty of bringing together disparate elements, particularly those that range far afield of one's own area of study. Nevertheless, it is important to do just that if one wants to explore a subject as wide as this. The pitfall, of course, is that one cannot get every single detail perfectly right; it is sufficient merely that the essential information is correct. In that respect, I believe this book does an exceptional job at integrating information from many different areas and presenting a cohesive and justifiable argument in most cases. Undoubtably, though, there will be those who take exception to some detail that they feel has been misrepresented or misinterpreted. So be it. That is simply the danger of going out on a limb to present a viewpoint that is at odds with currently fashionable ideas. As a man, I found very little in this book to offend, although certain elements are probably of more interest to women. In many cases, I found myself rethinking arguments that I thought had long been settled in my mind. It is essential that people keep an open mind on all subjects, particularly those that impact on interpersonal relationships. After all, thinking and rethinking things over is the blessing (curse?) of being human. One needn't be fully converted to a particular analysis to recognize that there may be something to it; it may indeed spur one on to more intelligent and open-minded discussion of the subject. I believe this book is capable of doing just that.

I am amazed at the vast schism in the ratings of this book. I found it a refreshing and interesting view on a subject (biology and hard science) that many people find inaccessible. As a professor of English, I disagree with some reviewers who find her style platitudinous or immature. As I read, I was often impressed with her unique combination of the erudite and the colloquial. Some might find that juxtaposition jarring, but I really enjoyed it. I have recommended this book to several people. For those looking for an esoteric or scholarly approach to women's biology, this isn't it. I don't think that's the intended audience for this book. If you are like me, never really understanding the hard sciences, anything biological or chemical, then perhaps Angier's approach will be appealing.

I have not enjoyed a book this much in years.. Wow, can this person WRITE! There is pathos, wit, and sometimes just plain belly laughs. She understands the female persona, and the information given is accurate and thought-provoking. I highly recommend it to all of my Psychology classes, and give them extra credit after they read and critique it. Most of the students have never been exposed to this depth of thought, in this subject area. I understand the Pulitzer Prize....