The Menopause Book

A comprehensive guide to menopause management covers each related health and emotional issue, including sexuality, osteoporosis, breast disease, relationships, gynecological problems, hormone therapy, and self-care options. Reprint.

In our youth-oriented society, American women tend to view menopause with a mixture of fear and dread, tempered by a lot of misinformation. As more baby boomers reach midlife, we are seeing a growing number of books on menopause. Much of what is discussed in these two new titles (e.g., the physiology of menopause, its effects, the view that it is just another stage of life, and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle to minimize the effects) have been covered in earlier works. However, both works attempt to offer a unique view. Landau and her colleagues at the Women's Health Associates, an affiliate of the Brown University Medical School, offer an interdisciplinary approach to women's health that looks at the total person. They view communication with one's physician, partner, and peers as a key tool in the passage through menopause. Each chapter suggests strategies for discussing issues to help evaluate a patient's needs and select appropriate options. Another plus for the book is its wonderful lists of resources for information and support. Cherry, author of The Menopause Myth (1976), and Runowicz, director of the gynecological oncology division at New York's Albert Einstein College of Medicine, give a more clinical, though readable view. Their book's strength lies in its more thorough and balanced discussion of the issues surrounding hormone replacement therapy. Also, they focus on health issues in later life that are directly related to menopause: preventing falls, vision care, dental care, diabetes, arthritis, etc. Both titles are excellent additions to popular medical collections needing more in-depth works on menopause.
- KellyJo Houtz Griffin, Harrison Memorial Hosp., Bremerton, Wash.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.