This book is important in that it provides a context for how we as a culture have come to view childbirth in the various ways that we do - our concepts of this important stage of a woman's life is framed by the society in which we live, as well as the societies that have come before. Many people are happy to take their views at face value and proceed without questioning, but with something that has as far-reaching an impact as childbirth does, I don't believe women can afford to take this sort of attitude.Although not as thorough as I would have liked, and not entirely of a neutral voice, this book does give the broader context and provide much food for thought, while at the same time allowing the reader to be appreciative for the knowledge that we have now and those that sacrificed so that we might have that knowledge.An interesting and practical read, for any woman who has or will give birth, or anyone who will come in contact with pregnant women in their lives.A major eye opener, even for those who are well versed in childbirthing practices. I am perhaps hard on childbirth histories since I've read hundreds of academic books and articles about childbirth. Usually, though, I actually rather like the books that are written for a non-expert audience on the topic. Not so this one. While there is valuable information for those who know nothing about childbirth, perhaps particularly in the later chapters about there are also extremely historically problematic aspects, and a consistently obnoxious voice. For example, the first sentence: "Eve, the first woman to become pregnant, suffered from excruciating pain during the delivery because she cheated on her diet." That would be a bad line in a comedy routine (and I'm pretty sure has already been used in a comedy routine), and is simply embarrassing in this context. When I got to this line, "Birth from antiquity through the Middle Ages was an all-girls affair orchestrated by men who had never seen a baby born (5)" I decided this would be a book to skim, rather than really read. I'm not usually not at all up-in-arms about the word "girls" for women, but in this context, it struck me as belittling--an unsuccessful attempt at a light-hearted writing style.
What do You think about ¿Cómo Se Sale De Aquí? (2010)?
Knew lots of this before because of my job indexing medical literature but still a good read.
—sillyhp
Facinating and scary what women have had to go through during childbirth throughout history.
—msw5101
Good read for anyone interested in maternal/fetal health and/or childbirth.
—book_goddess
Not very well-researched, but a relatively interesting read.
—kalo_777
