A review by anitaofplaybooktag
The Birth of the Pill: How Four Crusaders Reinvented Sex and Launched a Revolution by Jonathan Eig
4.0
This book tells a moderately interesting story in a strong narrative voice.
Eig tells us of four people - - a feminist (Margaret Sanger), a millionaire, a researcher, and a Catholic doctor who have the goal of developing a pill that prevents pregnancy. Pincus, the researcher, is to me, the most interesting. He is a man who fails and fails (at multiple things) and yet never gives up his very pioneering spirit and ultimately achieves his goals. I found his story inspirational.
McCormick, a wealthy widow, also fascinated me. She was determined to do something amazing with her money, and she does. She is a person who truly empowered the creation of the pill. She was generous, curious, scientifically minded, but she also didn't put constraints on how her money was used and was willing to give more at every turn. I think more than anyone else, we owe her for the development of the pill.
One of the most intriguing parts to this tale is the fact that the development of the pill all took place during a period when birth control was not even legal. I have to confess that I didn't even birth control was illegal for as long as it was. Frightening really. Glad I was born in the 60's!
Eig has written a good read, but I notice his other two books are about baseball. Of which I am a big fan. So I'm inclined to try those out. This topic really isn't for everyone, but if you have an interest in feminism, I'd definitely recommend it as a great way to absorb some of the history of that movement.
Eig tells us of four people - - a feminist (Margaret Sanger), a millionaire, a researcher, and a Catholic doctor who have the goal of developing a pill that prevents pregnancy. Pincus, the researcher, is to me, the most interesting. He is a man who fails and fails (at multiple things) and yet never gives up his very pioneering spirit and ultimately achieves his goals. I found his story inspirational.
McCormick, a wealthy widow, also fascinated me. She was determined to do something amazing with her money, and she does. She is a person who truly empowered the creation of the pill. She was generous, curious, scientifically minded, but she also didn't put constraints on how her money was used and was willing to give more at every turn. I think more than anyone else, we owe her for the development of the pill.
One of the most intriguing parts to this tale is the fact that the development of the pill all took place during a period when birth control was not even legal. I have to confess that I didn't even birth control was illegal for as long as it was. Frightening really. Glad I was born in the 60's!
Eig has written a good read, but I notice his other two books are about baseball. Of which I am a big fan. So I'm inclined to try those out. This topic really isn't for everyone, but if you have an interest in feminism, I'd definitely recommend it as a great way to absorb some of the history of that movement.