Rating: 
Summary: A marvel of organization ... an excellent trustworthy guide
Review: In "Overcoming Infertility", Robert Jansen presents a surefooted, thoughtful and, indeed, compassionate book on the myriad aspects of infertility and its treatment. Using a supportive but not overly personal tone, he has created a handbook that in its self-contained chapters and detailed boxes allows the reader to take exactly what he or she needs. And in giving his medical opinions, Jansen has avoided the posture of many infertility specialists who write as though they are your personal doctor -- or worse, your friend -- and can "solve" your infertility if only you follow their detailed advice on high-tech treatments...Jansen's clarity itself provides relief. He manages to be comprehensive without burying the reader in detail...It is hard to accept that the term "infertile" applies to oneself, and it takes courage to open a book that maps out the road ahead. Jansen proves an excellent, trustworthy guide.Robin Herman, The Washington Post
Rating:
Summary: Thank you Prof. Jansen for sharing your knowledge with us
Review: Prof. Robert Jansen's book is both educational and motivating. It arms the reader with an understanding of the complexities involved with infertility. Using every day language he gives infertile people the strength to take control of their own lives, seek help, ask questions and make informed decisions. After 4 years of trying to get pregnant, it was this book that inspired my husband and I to investigate the reasons why it was not happening. The easy to comprehend biology lessons and explanations of tests and procedures enabled us to make the most of the 10 minute consultations with specialists and prevented that sense of "total brain overload" that one usually gets after visiting medical practitioners. For the past year Prof. Jansen's book has been my companion. There isn't a flat surface in my house that it hasn't rested upon. It has taken us step by step through 1 cycle of IVF. In the dead of the night when IVF staff could not be contacted it has helped ease the sense of fear and helplessness that the lack of knowledge and uncertainty inflict on you when you are tired and at your most vulnerable. How did infertile people retain their sanity prior to the release of this marvellous book. In an age where there is an abundance of information on every topic imaginable, it astounds and frustrates me that there is so little "quality" information on the subject of infertility. Thank you Dr Jansen, it is a book that should be read by all who have been touched by infertility in one way or another and in particular members of the medical profession who we as patients so openly look to for guidance and information.
Rating: 
Summary: Good technical info, but not your best bet
Review: This is a comprehensive guide to the medical or technical aspects of infertility. It contains lots of helpful information about the mechanics of getting pregnant and explains in some detail what can prevent pregnancy from happening. It also discusses various forms of treatment, including IVF, GIFT and ZIFT. What prevents this book from being a top-notch fertility resource: (1) some of the information is already out-of-date due to advances in the field (for example, there's no discussion of Antagon, commonly used with injectable fertility meds and IVF, because Antagon was still being developed at the time the book went to print); (2) the author runs an Australian infertility clinic, and his take on the fertility process is somewhat different from his American counterparts (although he does occasionally mention what is commonly done in the US and Britain); (3) a somewhat cumbersome style - e.g. valuable information is taken out of the main text and put into boxes; extremely technical information is mixed in with the practical stuff a patient needs to know. There is lots of valuable information in the book, but you'll need to supplement it with your own research and other reading.
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