fivemorefeet's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
4.0
minty's review against another edition
5.0
Truly stellar; will be rereading this as I get older, I'm sure, as this was more fact-finding than personally applicable at this point. However, I loved the very feminist, very inclusive approach, as well as the very factual and scientific basis for all of the information.
elenajohansen's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Informative both in broad and specific terms; as a cis woman in her early forties who has already noticed some changes in her body, I was reading this less for resources that would be useful now in favor of having an idea of what to expect later. Which meant I skimmed or skipped a great deal of the nitty-gritty about therapies or drugs or supplements or whatever in the more technical chapters.
My big takeaways for pre-menopause / early-transition gals like me: exercise is even more important that you thought it was and will confer many whole-body benefits whether or not weight loss comes as a result. Pay attention to your blood work for various deficiencies. If you're not already doing Kegels, start now.
And in the broader sense, menopause doesn't have to be a thing you "suffer from," it can be a thing you "manage."
I'm not going to ding this for being trans-exclusionary: early on the author acknowledges that trans-specific discussions of menopause are outside the scope of the book. I get why both trans men and trans women who decided to read this would feel left out by the use of "women" in place of "cis women" to describe who this book is for, but yes, it is ultimately a book for cis women, and it's a necessary resource because open and scientifically-backed discussion about menopause is sadly lacking in Western society. Do we also need similar books and resources for trans folk to aid in navigating the changes in their aging bodies? Absolutely, but I don't think this author will (or should) be the one to write them.
I am going to ding it for frequently side-tracking into mini-rants about the patriarchy seemingly at random. I'm not trying to criticize the author as a person for the rage she feels, she's clearly entitled to it. But I am going to criticize putting it on the page so often it becomes a distraction from the useful knowledge she's trying to impart. Maybe it connects with [cis] women who are motivated by anger, to push them into taking better care of themselves armed with this knowledge; but I found it irritating, because the vacillation between science/education and what felt like a venting session was simply too big a mood swing to adjust to, every time it happened.
By the time I need the more specific information about treatment options for whatever issues crop up in my menopause transition, the science may have progressed; I may refer back to this, or I may seek out newer information, or both. But what it has given me now is solid (and scientifically proven) advice on things that may make my menopause transition go more smoothly, an idea of what to expect as I approach it, and the confidence to pay attention to and care for my aging body knowing that the weakness and frailty society expects of me in old age aren't inevitable.
My big takeaways for pre-menopause / early-transition gals like me: exercise is even more important that you thought it was and will confer many whole-body benefits whether or not weight loss comes as a result. Pay attention to your blood work for various deficiencies. If you're not already doing Kegels, start now.
And in the broader sense, menopause doesn't have to be a thing you "suffer from," it can be a thing you "manage."
I'm not going to ding this for being trans-exclusionary: early on the author acknowledges that trans-specific discussions of menopause are outside the scope of the book. I get why both trans men and trans women who decided to read this would feel left out by the use of "women" in place of "cis women" to describe who this book is for, but yes, it is ultimately a book for cis women, and it's a necessary resource because open and scientifically-backed discussion about menopause is sadly lacking in Western society. Do we also need similar books and resources for trans folk to aid in navigating the changes in their aging bodies? Absolutely, but I don't think this author will (or should) be the one to write them.
I am going to ding it for frequently side-tracking into mini-rants about the patriarchy seemingly at random. I'm not trying to criticize the author as a person for the rage she feels, she's clearly entitled to it. But I am going to criticize putting it on the page so often it becomes a distraction from the useful knowledge she's trying to impart. Maybe it connects with [cis] women who are motivated by anger, to push them into taking better care of themselves armed with this knowledge; but I found it irritating, because the vacillation between science/education and what felt like a venting session was simply too big a mood swing to adjust to, every time it happened.
By the time I need the more specific information about treatment options for whatever issues crop up in my menopause transition, the science may have progressed; I may refer back to this, or I may seek out newer information, or both. But what it has given me now is solid (and scientifically proven) advice on things that may make my menopause transition go more smoothly, an idea of what to expect as I approach it, and the confidence to pay attention to and care for my aging body knowing that the weakness and frailty society expects of me in old age aren't inevitable.
lauraw83's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.5
This was the book I needed! It takes the mystery out of what happens during menopause and talks about different ways to deal with with and manage symptoms. While this doesn't make me an expert by any means, I at least feel like I have a baseline for this information now and can go forth with more confidence while being my own advocate!
haudurn's review against another edition
5.0
I'm recommending this to all my ovary-having friends - very informative, possibly tmi for sure but better too much information than too little