Rating: 
Summary: All the things your mother DIDN'T tell you!
Review: Alright, your 50th birthday is just around the corner, your children are leaving the nest, you finally have time to do all the things you planned, and now you feel as if your mind and body are on overload and about to short-circuit! Your mother may have told you what to expect as you entered your teens, but how many mothers told you what to expect when you were fifty? Hot flashes, cold sweats, peculiar aches and pains you never had before - don't worry, you aren't going insane...it's the rest of the world that is going crazy!Throughout the pages of this book, you will find great comfort in knowing you are experiencing a perfect normal reaction (however, "unnatural" it may seem at the time)to a perfectly normal life process. A positive attitude can make a world of difference and this excellent book answers all the questions that your mother probably never told you. It is a great book and one every woman approaching menopause should read. A positive attitude and a healthy and active lifestyle can make all the difference in the world.
Rating:
Summary: 2 Extraordinary Books For Mid-Lifers
Review: As I hit my late 30's I began to notice changes in my life, my mood, my sex drive and even my spending habits. By themselves I didn't think it was a big deal but then I saw Dr. Northrup and Nancy Lloyd on television talking about menopause and finances, respectively. What each said really hit home. Like a lot of women my age I was coasting through what I considered a normal life. It's not that I was unhappy but I knew that I could have felt more satisfied. This book by Dr. Northrup and "SIMPLE MONEY SOLUTIONS" by Nancy Lloyd have shown me how to take charge of my life, resolve unfinished family business and start to realize some life-long dreams. I have started taking some estrogen replacement per Dr. Northrup and have finally dealt with my finances per Nancy Lloyd. The difference in my life and relationships is astounding. I feel like a different person. With the fear of menopause and credit card debt no longer hanging over my head I'm told I even look younger. "THE WISDOM OF MENOPAUSE" and "SIMPLE MONEY SOLUTIONS" are life changing books. I can't recommend them too highly!
Rating: 
Summary: Not What I Expected, But Still and Excellent Book
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A doctor who has lived what she's writing about
Review: I have been a fan of Dr. Northrup's for years, since Womens Bodies, Womens Wisdom. She has struggled with the "established" ways of treating women's unique health problems for years, putting her medical practice and her reputation on the line repeatedly. She pulls it all together in this book, both the mainstream and alternative treatments that have worked for her patients. No, I'm not into the tarot cards, chakras, and some of the woo-woo stuff either (like other reviewers) but I'm happy to at least know about it. Some readers object to the recounting of her divorce -- "Does that mean I have to get rid of my husband to start my new life?" Oh please, this is her story and you have yours, we can all acknowledge that, can't we? God Bless You, Dr. Northrup, for your courage in addressing so many areas of physical and emotional health for midlife women.
Rating:
Summary: Enlighten Yourself about Menopause - A Fresh Look
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dr. Northrup's exciting book about menopause. It is full of reliable, up-to-date, accurate information on menopause and how women may pass through this phase of life to become happier, healthier, and full of wisdom. I find myself picking it up time and again as I have new questions about HRT, osteoporosis prevention, nutrition, and especially about alternative herbal supplements for this stage of a woman's life. I find her comprehensive and enjoy her ability to look at many sides of an issue. Her personal experiences strengthen the advice and information she gives to every woman. I first heard Dr. Northrup on a special program on our PBS station on "Women's Wisdom, Women's Health". I have been a fan ever since. Give the book a try. You deserve to be well informed about this important stage of your life...for all women and those who love them. Enjoy! Keep an open mind and you will be amazed at what you will learn from this book.
Rating:
Summary: Thank you Christiane Northrup!
Review: If ever there was a book that belongs in the waiting room of doctors across the nation, this is it! I am a yoga teacher whose classes are filled with women who begin yoga at a time when they are experiencing the symptoms of menopause. I keep this book in plain view and tell my students that one of the most empowering things they can do for themselves is to be familiar with the information in this book. To me, Christiane Northrup is the Goddess of Menopause, giving all us women in transition a Wake-Up Call! She reminds us that, "At midlife our job is to learn how to take care of ourselves instead of everybody else. If we don't learn how to do this, we soon learn that no one will do this for us." Thank you, Dr. Northrup, for helping us celebrate this liberating, crowning, glorious stage of life!
--Suza Francina, author, Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause and The New Yoga for People Over 50
Rating:
Summary: "Cum grano salis"
Review: This book has some useful information about dealing with menopause, especially for women who are looking for alternative remedies and approaches.
I felt, however, that Dr. Nortrup is trying to validate her own failed marriage by encouraging women to leave their husbands as soon as the hot flashes start in order to find peace and joy. Of course, I'm exaggerating, but case study after case study cites women who leave their mates if they don't understand them. And these aren't abusive relationships--just difficult ones. I was also put off by what she called the spiritual dimension of her life--Tarot cards and astrology. Come on! From a medical doctor?
Read the book for good ideas on understanding your body and nutrition during menopause. But trusting a medical doctor for spiritual advice is like having your priest work on your car.
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Start, but Needs More Focus to Be Truly Helpful
Review: This book has some very useful information, but there is no attempt to discuss the research base for complementary treatments. For example, there is research accumulating that black cohosh and flaxseeds are safe and effective measures for hotflashes and other menopause changes. As host of the menopause web site for bellaonline.com, I get a lot of questions from women about these approaches. I wish Dr. Northrup had examined the better researched ones instead of discussing Tarot cards. Also, her discussion of her own divorce took away from the focus of the book. In many health care situations, it is often the nurse or nurse practitioner who answers women's menopause questions and I'm looking forward to a book that presents menopause from this point of view. Carolyn Chambers Clark, RN, ARNP, EdD
Board-Certified Holistic Practitioner
http://Menopause.bellaonline.com
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Book
Review: This book not only covered the physical elements, but also explained the emotional roller coaster that is often neglected.
I found her suggestions both useful, and thought provoking
Rating:
Summary: Menopause is more than hot flashes, night sweats and HRT
Review: This book was recommended to me by a holistic therapist when I was talking about all the chaos that has decended into my life. She said that "its part of menopause" and refered this book. She was so right. From the moment I started reading it, I started identifying with a lot of the things that she was saying. In reading many of the other reviews, I feel that most the one star people never got beyond the first few chapters. They never saw the indepth discussions on building bones, the discussions on why you start gaining weight even though you haven't changed your diet or excercise, or the discussion of heart health. They were turned off by her discussions of her personal life and experience...everyone of which mentioned the tarot card references which were such a small part and only mentioned in the beginning! I thought it made her more human. Nor did I feel she was telling us to ditch everyone in our lives. What I picked up and what I really do feel is important is that we need to constantly reevaluate our live, keep what IS working and change (not neccessarily discard)what isn't and unfortunately, most of us don't do that till our lives go haywire. Menopause is a major haywire occurances. One of the things that drew me to the book and her attitude is that she approaches everything from an 'understand what is happaning, understand your options, decide what is best for you' point of view. In particular, in this 'here take a pill for that' world we live in, her change your lifestyle first and if that doesn't work, then let's look at the medication and surgical answers was very refreshing. Menopause is so much more than hot flashes and night sweats and to have one book that goes into all the health issues (physical, mental, and emotional) that we face in this stage of our lives was extremely helpful to me. I highly recommend this book...and if you don't want to hear about her personal experiences, skip Chapter 1, and only want to deal with the medical part, start with Chapter 4.
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