Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
286 of 292 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not What I Expected, But Still an Excellent Book, March 25, 2002
I do understand why some people have rated this book only one star. The book gets into a lot of areas outside of mainstream medicine. However, I felt most of what she had to say was medically sound. If you are looking for a book that gives only AMA-approved advice, this is NOT the book for you. I think this book is actually quite valuable. Who would benefit from it most are people who want BOTH AMA-approved advice, AND who want to consider things like herbal remedies, acupuncture, and other natural treatments. These discussions are particularly valuable for anyone who cannot take traditional hormone treatments for various reasons--such as if you have deep vein thrombosis (which I do). She covers alternative therapies very well, in depth, and from the perspective of a physician who has had many years experience in trying these natural therapies with patients, and with herself. So, here you can get a POSITIVE physician's viewpoint on alternative therapies. Yes, it's true she discusses her personal life, and I personally enjoyed those parts. It's also true that she sometimes gets readings from Tarot cards, but if something comes out of them, she always checks into those areas which have come up in the readings with traditional medical tests and treatments. If you're not into "nurturing your fibroid," or tarot cards, just ignore those parts of the book. Ignoring these parts was not a problem for me. The important thing is, this book is NOT trying to convert people to new-age treatments. It is seriously discussing a number of alternative therapies, from a medical standpoint, that MANY people have already been using on their own for many years--but these people can't find any doctor who will seriously discuss the merits and demerits of any of these treatments. Furthermore, she DOESN'T concentrate ONLY on these alternative therapies--she discusses all the traditional therapies very well. Should you buy this book? If you are the type of person who is only comfortable with traditional medical advice, you will NOT like this book. Buy another one. If you are someone who is looking for a SERIOUS discussion of alternative therapies, you will think this book is wonderful. I fall primarily in the former camp, but am also open to the latter camp for consideration. I found the book very useful, and felt it was well worth the money I spent on it. The main reason being that it discussed SO MANY MORE aspects of menopause than I ever would have dreamed of thinking about!! It is not a book you can sit down and read cover-to-cover. It has to be read slowly, and digested. After reading this book and another one, I went to see my doctor with a list of pre-prepared questions, and he said I was the best-informed patient he had ever had (here in Morocco). I suggest that you DO buy this book, but you might want one or two other books which cover different aspects of the menopause transition. The other book I chose was a paperback called "The Silent Passage," and between the two books, I feel very satisfied.
|
|
|
225 of 236 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Menopause- a time for personal empowerment and breaking free, March 6, 2001
I can't praise this book enough. I subscribed to Dr. Northrup's newsletter for years and got a lot of excellent women's health advice from it. Now she expands on the topic of menopause and perimenopause (the lesser understood, long preliminary phase leading to menopause or change of life.)The book contains valuable health information (are wild yam creams effective or not as an estrogen replacement substitute?), help for overcoming hot flashes (soy milk and tofu are amazingly effective) insomnia, weight gain and depression. There is a resource section for obtaining various helpful products. Most interesting is the explanation Northrup gives that "the lifting of the veil of hormones" liberates women and rewires their brains for what can be the most powerful, passionate and creative phase of life. I believe this, because I watched my mother reach the peak of her career at this stage, and now I am experiencing some of that myself. I love having an explanation of the changes and why I think and feel differently than I did ever before. Northrup is a medical doctor, but she is a proponent of alternative medicine and such ideas as feng shui. The alternative slant of this book may not please every reader, but there is plenty of scientifically-backed information with medical backing from the more conventional viewpoint. All cultures have universal archetypes (symbols) of women; the maiden (virgin, eternally youthful, non-sexual),the mother (nurturer, sexual, fertile) the matriarch (sexual, powerful, leader) and the crone (wise, aged, non-sexual) Northrup focuses on the biological changes that match with the matriarch stage of life. Understanding the brain changes, bodily changes, and most importantly the role change from mother to matriarch can help women achieve their full potential. Northrup explains how menopause can usher in the most creatively inspired, and professionally productive phase of life. Don't miss taking full advantage of what could be the most rewarding stage of life.
|
|
|
147 of 156 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Source -- if you don't already have the other books, March 30, 2001
This book is highly readable and packed with information about menopause, and perimenopause. However, if you already own or have read Northrup's "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom", or if you subscribe to her newsletter, or if you've read Dr. John Lee's "What your Doctor may not tell you about Menopause", then you can save your money and skip this book. Most of the information contained in this book can be found in the other sources mentioned. Especially if you want more info natural progresterone -- read Dr Lee's books.
Northrup takes a stronger "new-agey" tone in this book than in her previous one. The Tarot and astrology references, while not repugnant to me, got a little tiring. If this book had been my first encounter with Northrup, I think I might have been turned off to her message.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
by Christiane Northrup
by Christiane Northrup
