Rating: 
Summary: Great Book
Review: I thought this book was great. When reading the negative reviews I was sadden that so many mothers feel that they have something to be guilty about. Maybe there is something to that and why they didn't like the book. It really helped me see that the way I wanted to raise my daughter was okay and not strange. Being a real mom and everything that goes along with it. Read the book, check out your local Leche League.
Rating: 
Summary: Serious Disappointment
Review: This book provided extremely BASIC information about breastfeeding. When it comes to difficult issues, the book falls flat, simply referring you to a local La Leche League (LLL) chapter for assistance. It is propaganda, as other reviewers have noted, to coerce women into joining LLL. I didn't need to gather with a group of women, collective breasts exposed, to learn how to breastfeed my child, but I would have appreciated some honest, in-depth advice from a group that claims to be so knowledgeable on the subject.
This book was a waste of money.
Rating: 
Summary: A must read - mostly . . .
Review: I read this book before the birth of my first child. The nursing information helped me make a success of a challenging start, and continued to help as my child grew. If you are looking for a "textbook" of nursing technique with some helpful hints for overcoming nursing difficulties, this is a good option.
But there are other aspects of the book that disturb me. For one, it is very value-laden. By that I mean that the book is not really about breastfeeding as much as it is about parenting. It equates sucessful nursing with mothering in a very narrow and limited way. There really is very little room in this book for those moms who work, prefer routined feedings vs. demand feedings, or have any parenting views that differ from the "attachment parenting" paradigm.
Second, there are several statements made without any support or research. One of which was (I'm paraphrasing) that in all of history only one baby has ever been smothered while co-sleeping. I'm assuming they're thinking of the biblical example (king solomon), but anyone who reads the newspaper knows that this statement is absurd. Still, I recommend the book - and it could be especially good for those who are only half-committed to breastfeeding. It certainly gives a persuasave case for it!
Rating:
Summary: A must have reference!
Review: This is a must-have, no-nonsense reference guide for the breastfeeding woman. It was invaluable to me when all the questions arose with my first breastfeeding experience, as well as packed with lots of interesting information that made me understand my body much better.
Rating:
Summary: Fear tactics and Guilt at its best.
Review: The only use I got out of this book was as a doorstop. In the case of difficulties it makes it seem like all you need is determination. It preaches the 'evils' of supplementing and tries to be scientific but fails. Quoting research from the 1920s an 30s does nothing except try to instill the fear of your baby dying. I found much better information and non-judgemental support from my OBs office and my ped. This book was horrible! It didn't offer any useful advice on common breastfeeding problems like Mastitis .. at least nothing useful.
Rating: 
Summary: Pass on this one.
Review: I bought this book at my local LLL meeting. I've read several breastfeeding books and this one was by far the least helpful. I found it to be very negative towards moms who want to return to work, yet this is a group who needs a lot of support to continue breastfeeding! It is also not a good problem solving book. I've been nursing my son for nearly five months now and whenever I've hit stumbing blocks along the way, this book has been of no help. I feel that if you don't have the LLL's ideal arrangement, you might not get the best help from this book. There is some good information in this book, however not enough for its size. The good information it does have is also contained in pretty much all of the other books I've read on this subject, so if you are on a tight budget, you might get more bang for your buck elsewhere. Books I found more helpful and more supportive include "Nursing Mother Working Mother" by Gale Pryor and "Breastfeeding: A Mother's Gift" by Pamela Wiggins and Katherine Dettwyler.
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