Rating: 
Summary: Changed my perspective on my own health
Review: I am glad that Dr. Northrup decided to write this book. I still haven't read the whole book but it is meant to be a reference book. There are many chapters that will not apply to each person.For me, I find the sections on the Mensrual cycle very helpful. Every month I suffered from Menstrual cramps. I was brought up to feel that having my period was an inconvenience. In my college years, the pain has gotten so severe that I had to skip class. I try my best to avoid taking pain killers unless it was absolutely necessary. After reading her book, I started listening to my pain. I reprogrammed myself by celebrating the arrival of my period. I buy myself some flowers on the first day of my period. It took a bit of convincing myself. Finally, after 3 months it worked and I have been doing so for the last 4 years. The cramps has not returned. Unfortunately, I am unable to find a GYN/OBN in the area where I live who subscribes to the same philosophy. Her book has been the only source of guidance for me. I bought a copy of her book for my mother as well. I am looking forward to reading her new book on mother-daughter relationship.
Rating: 
Summary: Best of the best
Review: I wish I'd found this book and the health practitioner I have now (he's in sync with Dr. Northrup's beliefs) 10 yrs. ago. They heal causes, instead of treating symptoms. They evaluate your health as a whole person, instead of pieces/parts. I'm not chicken! I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cysts, chronic urininary tract infections, irritable bowel syndrome, rhinitis, asthma, and hyperactive parathyroid. I tried everything modern medicine had to offer including 7 surgeries and every drug known to man (along with their horrific side effects). Within 3 mos with my new holistic doctor I had lost 30 lbs without even exercising and I forgot how good it felt to feel good! I have my life back - literally. I firmly believe that if I had found them sooner I could have prevented many of my problems. Modern medical techiques including surgery and drugs have their place, but there is more out there than we know of for the open-minded. Running in full cup blinkers only hurts you.
Rating: 
Summary: Information poor, flawed, and disrespectful
Review: An older woman gave me this book when I asked about hormonal imbalances and how to treat them. I didn't find much on what I was looking for, so read other parts of the book. As a scientist, I was turned off by the anecdotal nature of this book. A patient's story is important, yes, but if a woman contracts genital herpes because she feels bad about her relationship with her father and sleeps with many men, my bet is that she got HERPES and that is what is causing the problem, NOT her THOUGHTS about men or her relationship to them and her own body. In other words, this author seems to have a distorted sense of causual relationships in women's illness. I think it's true that a woman's body and it's workings are still somewhat a mystery due to lack of research (and/or prejudiced medical studies), and should be treated as different from men, but I highly doubt so many of women's medical problems are the result of "patriarchical institutions" that somehow harm women's "creative outlet" and cause these problems (with the exception of the Pill and abortion, which I address below). I would hope that there is a book out there that actually addresses what truly CAUSES fibroids, painful periods, irregularities, infertility, etc., and how to treat them. Some of these topics are already well studied, but as some readers have noted, they are not presented (well, if at all) in this book. The author says most of these problems are "caused" by damaged emotions. That's not good medical advice. The most troubling thing about this book is it advocates treatments and attitudes that I would argue are most certainly are a result of a patriarchical thought process - namely contraception and abortion. The mentality behind these is that women are SOLEY responsible for thier offspring with no contribution from the fathers. If men are unwilling to support children, then they will by thier non-support make it necessary for women to AVOID creating those hard to carry and raise offspring. It will be years before the problems these cause women (and their men and children) are fully realized. The pill alone is prescribed to "solve" so many of women's problems - and causes who knows how many others - and thus the opportunity to study women's problems AS THEY NATURALLY HAPPEN is lost. We're just now starting to learn that all that extra estrogen causes other problems, accumulated over a lifetime. It's also distressing that the author dismisses the REAL psychological problems (not to mention risks of other gynecological problems) associated with abortion (which of course will remain necessary so long as there is artificial contraception, which fails famously). For the fact that this woman talks about how much our minds are instrumental in telling us what is wrong with our body, it seems odd that she is asking us to dismiss what our minds and bodies tell us when we feel uncomfortable about having abortions, or even our tubes tied!! This is not medical advice, but a political statement that says we women are only empowered if we are allowed to hurt ourselves through these means, thus "freeing" ourselves from men. They really only empower men to leave us stranded when it's not convienient for THEM! For this reason and others, I recommend picking up a book on NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING, especially "The Art of Natural Family Planning" by John and Sheila Kippley. It contains a wealth of information on fertility (and infertility) and how to educate yourself on how your body and cycle works, with how to use this information to avoid or achieve pregnancy. Knowing this information is TRULY empowering because you can show your doctor any abnormalities and really be a partner in taking control of your health. It also emphasizes your relationship with your partner, which fosters respect and education between BOTH sexes. The book goes into the philosophy of NFP, and while it does have a Christian bent, it is not necessary to accept christianity to use the methods (unlike Dr. Northrup, who asks the reader to accept her myriad of beliefs and philosophies to accept the idea that so many of our problems result in energy imbalances or some other unsubstantiated idea). You can still control births without adding harmful chemicals to your body. In other words, keep looking if you want to find a book that fully catalogues the problems and treatments of and for women. Look for a book that does a better job dealing with causality of disease and presents real options and caveats in treatments, especially when it comes to infertility, birth control, and abortion. One last comment: It's true that women will be better off when men can appreciate us as different to help us treat our medical problems, but this book doesn't foster the kind of communication that would result in increased respect between the sexes. A good woman's health book should be able to be read by MEN as well, so they can learn and relate to us. If the book regards men as a roadblock to women's health or treats men as merely difficult sperm donors, they are NOT going to get much out of it, if not become antagonistic to women. And let's face it - much of our lives and relationships with men are dependent on being WITH them, not separate from them.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book
Review: This book lets you know that stress and drama can cause disease. Buy the book! If you have drama in your life, buy In-Law Drama the novel as well.
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Summary: Unwise Dietary Advice
Review: Originally published in 1994, this book was among the first of many that proposed complementary or alternative therapies for women's diseases. In particular, Dr. Northrup promotes a body-mind connection to gynecological dysfunction and claims that many female problems can be linked to sexual abuse and trauma. Sympathy for the female sex-misunderstood and manipulated by male physicians and subtly coerced into stressful dieting patterns in order to conform to unrealistic standards of female beauty-oozes from every page. Naturally the reader will want to follow the dietary advice of a doctor who professes so much understanding of women's problems. Unfortunately, Dr. Northrup's dietary advice is dangerous in the extreme-namely a macrobiotic diet based on vegetables, grains and soyfoods. According to Northrup, this deficient diet "promotes inward spiritual attunement while eating red meat produces more aggressive tendencies." Northrup repeats the falsehood that meat and milk are too high in protein "and the process of protein metabolism creates a slightly acidic condition in the blood. . . since the average American diet is too high in protein, all of us, not just menopausal women, are in danger of developing osteoporosis." For Northrup, dairy fats are especially taboo. They contribute to everything that ails us-cancer, heart disease, varicose veins, gallstones, constipation, osteoporosis, heavy menstrual bleeding, fibroids, weight gain, depression and PMS-she warns. Nevermind that these conditions have increased as American women have abandoned dairy fats for vegetable oils. And while acknowledging that sugar may be harmful in large amounts, Dr. Northrup says it's fine to indulge in the sugary foods we crave. Plant foods will supply all the nutrients we need, she assures her readers, but a number of supplements are recommended, just in case. Dr. Northrup had the great good luck to grow up in a family that lived on a farm. Her father raised organic beef and knew about the work of Weston Price. But the lessons of Price seem to be lost on Dr. Northrup, who seems to know nothing about the importance of fat-soluble vitamins present in dairy fats. In interviews, Dr. Northrup mentions the fact that she consumed high amounts of dairy products during her growing years, including ice cream (rich in butterfat) every night, a diet that allowed her to grow into a healthy, high-functioning individual still in possession of her uterus. But her readers are told that dairy foods are bad news, bad for growing children and bad for adult women. In the second edition of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, published in 1998 and again in 2002, Dr. Northrup makes no mention of macrobiotics. Although she still pegs dairy foods as the villain in the American diet, she admits that women actually do need some animal protein and fat in their diets. Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom swept Dr. Northrup into nationwide acclaim. She appeared twice on the Oprah Winfrey show and was the subject of a special report on National Public Radio. Her influence has been enormous-and baleful. Many copycat books on women's diseases repeat her dietary advice, sometimes verbatim. The consensus diet that has emerged is anything but wise--low in fat, stingy on animal foods, deficient in calcium and high in mineral-blocking whole grains and thyroid-depressing soy foods. This unnatural diet has probably ushered thousands of women onto the operating table for the hysterectomies they were trying to avoid.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book for all Females
Review: I purchased this book for myself then went back and purchased another 6. One each for my four daughters, mother-in-law and girlfriend. Excellent book!
Rating:
Summary: women's bodies womens wisdow
Review: very good book for every woman
Rating:
Summary: Attention: Women of the World
Review: Please don't shy away from this alternative health guide. If you are like me, and are drawn towards a holistic lifestyle, but aren't quite the hardcore type to join a group of people for a spiritual retreat in the hills, this book is for you. It's holistic, but not overboard, and should be required reading for anyone who is studying to become a gynecologist, or who is training in any medical field. Doctor, or homemaker every women would benefit from a strong knowledge of their own bodies, and minds.
It's a huge book, but don't be overwhelmed. It doesn't have to be read strait through. Just choose a chapter of interest and start from there. Before I knew it I had the entire book highlighted. I am much more confident with who I am and how my body works. If I have a medical concern I can enter the doctors office with my own opinions. I've learned to trust my innate wisdom.
This should belong on the bookshelves of all women, and passed down to our daughters.
Rating:
Summary: A Bible for Women
Review: This book is a terrific guide for all women who are in search of themselves; it analyses the female world from an holistic and medical point of view and it presents alternatives for any question a woman could have. Very inspiring.
Rating:
Summary: something every woman should have
Review: An in depth book on feminine wisdom & health... so many of us have stress related illnesses, and bad experiences with the medical profession - this book can go a long way to heal both. Informative, funny, and right on.
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