Birth Control (found 4972 titles)

Taking Charge of Your Fertility, 10th Anniversary Edition: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health

Author: Toni Weschler
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Publication date: 2006-11-01
ISBN: 0060881909
Pages: 512
Rating:
Price: $24.99

This comprehensive book explains in lucid, assured terms how to practice the fertility awareness method (FAM), a natural, scientifically proven but little-known form of birth control (which is not to be confused with the woefully ineffective "rhythm" method). Author Toni Weschler has been teaching fertility awareness for almost 20 years, and it's only just now gaining in popularity. As the book explains, by using simple fertility signs including peaks in morning body temperature and changes in cervical position and cervical mucus, it's possible to determine when ovulation is taking place. Fertility awareness is therefore useful for not only couples who are trying to conceive, but for those who are aiming to avoid pregnancy without the use of chemical contraceptives. It will be of special interest to those women who have suffered from infertility; many FAM practitioners have told the author that by filling in the detailed charts in the book, they've realized that they were chronically miscarrying, even when their doctors told them they weren't conceiving at all. As the book explains, by charting body temperature, it's simple to tell when pregnancy has occurred--and when there's danger of miscarriage. Taking Charge of Your Fertility also explains how to choose the sex of your baby by timing intercourse according to certain fertility signs. It also features thorough, easy-to-understand explanations of hormones, the menstrual cycle, and menopause, along with fertility tests and treatments and their long- and short-term side effects, plus a topnotch resource section. Recommended for any woman who wants to better understand her body. --Erica Jorgensen

Customes reviews 1195

Very Informative (2010-03-08)

Great book. It's nice to know that I don't have to use birth control which has way to many side effects. This natural method is pretty low key and in many ways empowering.

Absolutely worked for us, can't recommend enough! (2010-03-01)

I can't recommend this book enough, whether you are trying to conceive or avoid pregnancy. I wish every girl was taught this information growing up. As a woman, you should know what's going on with your body, including what's normal and what's not! This book really does put you in charge.

I read the book in May 2009 and began charting that month, in the hopes of conceiving our first. We charted three cycles and ta-da! We got pregnant in July 2009 and are expecting our daughter in 5 short weeks now. The book and the method it describes have taught me so much and I'm so grateful I found it when I did. Don't wait until you've been trying without success for 6 months to a year. Get this book and give it a try. It can only help you. It certainly changed our lives!

Good luck!

How did I not know this before??? (2010-02-28)

I just finished this book and I have a few thoughts:

1) How was I not taught about fertility? I am a sexually active 38 yo woman with an Ivy league education. I read the NY Times. I Google everything. How did I not know what cervical fluid was and how it related to my own fertility? I am so grateful to the author for the education.

2) The feminist undertones of this book may be off putting to some.

3) The 10th anniversary edition was published in 2006 - 4 years ago. Much has changed. Women I know are indeed freezing their eggs. And vaginal sonograms are the norm.

4) I appreciate the overview of procedures, HOWEVER, please note that an HSG is perhaps the most pain you will ever experience outside of childbirth. I don't know why the author did not mention this in the description. After taking 12 advil and a vicoden before the procedure, i was still screaming bloody murder and worse.

Before you use fertility drugs, read this book!!!!! It works! (2010-02-22)

This was probably the greatest gift I ever received. I read and followed this book's charts for two months after trying to conceive for 2+ years. I thought I knew everything I needed to and was exhausted of hoping. I had already filled a prescription for the fertility drug Clomid & was waiting for my next cycle to start to take it. Well, I was already pregnant!!!! This book works. I swear I knew the day I conceived but still wasn't convinced---I am now!!!!!

Very informative (2010-02-21)

I purchased this book because I wanted to be proactive in trying to become pregnant. This book is so helpful and informative! I finally have a better understanding of my cycle and Basal Body Temperature charting!

Honoring Our Cycles: A Natural Family Planning Workbook

Author: Katie Singer
Publisher: NewTrends Publishing
Publication date: 2006-11-25
ISBN: 096708976X
Pages: 112
Rating:
Price: $12.00

In clear, everyday language, Honoring Our Cycles describes what happens during a menstrual cycle and how a baby is conceived. It explains how to chart the body's fertility signs to know which days are best for becoming pregnant or avoiding becoming pregnant, without the use of hormonal drugs. Includes dietary advice for successful conception and healthy babies and families.

Customes reviews 11

worked wonderfully for us! (2010-02-28)

I ordered this in late October, received it the day before I started my period in November, and began reading and charting immediately. I had my birth control implant (Implanon) removed the day after I started my period (Nov 11th). I didn't expect to have a normal cycle, but other than being a little long, it was fine. I charted bbt and cm for the month of November and we decided to begin trying in December. I ovulated on December 29th and we are now expecting our first child September 25th! It really is wonderfully helpful. It was great to be able to take our charts with us on our visit to the midwife.

Total waste of my money (2010-02-07)

When the cover of a book states "A natural family planning workbook for knowing which days you can and CAN'T get pregnant", it should include more than one page on the can't part. I was very disappointed when I read through this book about all the charting, temp taking, and monitoring your mucus then I come to the page about not getting pregnant and it pretty much states don't be intimate if you don't want to get pregnant. It's very contradictive that you can use all these things to get pregnant but they're not good to use for natural birth control. I already knew that withholding from intimacy was the best way to not get pregnant. I would sugest Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler it's a much better book and easier to understand.

Great Info (2009-11-08)

Husband and I are between child 1 & 2 and decided that birth control prescriptions are not the answer. I consistanly gained weight on these, so I checked with my OB/GYN and she refered me to this book...great info, simple techniques for observations of cycle changes and great worksheets to help plot your info month to month. When we are ready for #2, we'll be bc free and on track to plan our future family.

Great book and very speedy delivery (2009-10-19)

I received the book very promptly and it was everything I read in the other reviews. Very informative and would purchase again.

every woman needs to know this information (2009-05-27)

I got both this book and Kate Singer's "Garden of Fertility" and although I don't think both are neccecary, they both have an individual way of explaining the information. I am so intrigued by learning this natural process of our cycles, and both of these books really help. It seems like this workbook is written in an easier to understand language that anybody can figure out. i am still in the process of figuring it all out, but I really really am loving the information and getting to know my body!

The Labor Progress Handbook: Early Interventions to Prevent and Treat Dystocia

Authors: Penny Simkin, Ruth Ancheta
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Publication date: 2005-10-21
ISBN: 140512217X
Pages: 320
Rating:
Price: $42.99

Dystocia or failure to progress in labor is the main reason for cesarean deliveries. The second edition of this successful text focuses on simple non-invasive interventions to prevent or treat difficult labor. It describes positions, movements and techniques based on principles of anatomy, physiology and psychology of childbirth.

The Labor Progress Handbook is organized by stage of labor for easy reference, enabling the care giver to quickly identify appropriate low cost, low risk interventions and treat dystocia effectively, at an early stage before it becomes severe. The new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated and includes a new chapter on assessing progress in labor, together with new sections on managing labor pain, normal labor and additional positions and maneuvers. The rationale for all techniques is included based on the authors' clinical experience and wherever possible on the underlying evidence base.

* New edition of essential resource for anyone caring for women in labor

* Brings Together a wealth of evidence-based information and clinical expertise

* 'Focuses on non-invasive techniques to assist the progress of labor

* Emphasis on maternal comfort, support and safety

* Encourages thoughtful, evidence-based diagnosis and intervention

* Contains clear and simple illustrations, which complement the text

From Reviews:

'The focus of support, position, maternal comfort, and safety is one that should be used by anyone caring for laboring women. It encourages thoughtful diagnosis and intervention in an ordered and sensible manner.'
--Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing (on the first edition)

Customes reviews 13

Yes, Get it! (2009-12-06)

As a doula, should you spend the money for this tiny little book? What could it say that all of the other books haven't covered? GET IT! Labor is a journey and no book maps out as many possible scenarios on that journey as the Labor Progress Handbook. Easy-to-find information and suggestions that are quickly accessed during the birth plus priceless information to review outside of labor means the birth team has more tools in the toolkit. I loaned mine to a new doula and never saw it again! It is the one book I wish that I had never let out of my sight!

Excellent resource for nurses, doulas, midwives, OBs - - anyone in the room where mothers give birth!

For a nurse, not a new mom (2009-01-27)

I bought this so that I could be the most prepared new mom. It was well over my head at times. If you are not training to be a doula, I recommend The Birth Partner instead.

A Birth Junkies Joy, Labor! (2008-09-29)

Having children and reading anything about pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum has lead me to investigate labor, especially during my fifth pregnancy. I have also sat in with a few friends and family members during labor and really wanted to read more. This was a great book and I'm sure I will continue to look back to it.

great info (2008-05-15)

I own the last edition and find it invaluable in my practice. Can't wait to see what's new and exciting here

Excellent Handbook! (2007-03-15)

The Labor Progress Handbook, though a bit pricey, is an excellent book. It contains a tons of labor information and is complete with many illustrations. It's a nice compact size, which makes it easy to carry with you (great for doulas, midwives, etc.). I love it!

The Essential C-Section Guide: Pain Control, Healing at Home, Getting Your Body Back, and Everything Else You Need to Know About a Cesarean Birth

Authors: Maureen Connolly, Dana Sullivan
Publisher: Broadway
Publication date: 2004-06-08
ISBN: 0767916077
Pages: 240
Rating:
Price: $14.00

The rate of c-section births has risen dramatically in the United States, accounting for more than twenty-four percent of deliveries in 2001. Yet there is no up-to-date book on the market dedicated to undergoing and recovering from the most commonly performed surgery in the U.S. Now two veteran journalists in health, parenting, and fitness have teamed up to create a candid and carefully researched guide for the nearly one million mothers facing or recovering from a cesarean.

Covering both the physical and emotional aspects of this surgery, The Essential C-Section Guide offers frank discussions of the special circumstances a C-section delivery presents. Readers will discover a host of important facts, ranging from the effects of a C-section on future deliveries to the risks of anesthesia. The authors also share comforting wisdom about the feelings of inadequacy a C-section can cause and tips on caring for an infant while healing from this major procedure. The latest recommendations regarding exercise, pain, and nursing are addressed in-depth as well.

Written by authors who have firsthand knowledge of C-section delivery, The Essential C-Section Guide provides thorough answers to the many overwhelming questions associated with cesareans. Informative and supportive, this is reassuring reading for every expectant mother.

Customes reviews 27

Amazing -- Wish I'd Read it Before My First (2010-01-07)

I had a very difficult time with my first c-section. I had a difficult labor and then felt very down about not being able to give birth naturally. My recovery wasn't the best, and while I absolutely LOVED (and still love :) being a mom, those first few months were very hard physically and emotionally.

I am going to give birth again soon, and wanted things to be different this time! I'm required to have another c-section, and purchased this book to help me understand the process and healing.

It's incredibly well-written. The women who penned the book know what it's like to have c-sections. It was amazing to read about their experiences as well as to have the facts of a c-section right in front of me.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who:

- Is concerned they might end up with a c-section
- Is about to give birth for the first time after a c-section
- Is having trouble coming to terms with a c-section they've had
- Is preparing for a repeat section
- ... really, anyone who is about to give birth!

Great resource for c-section birth!!! (2010-01-04)

I got this book after having an emergency c-section with my first child and finding out I would need a repeat for any further children I would have. I can full-heartedly recommend this book to anyone who is having a scheduled c-section or even those who want to be prepared if a c-section becomes necessary. This book provides so much c-section specific information that I couldn't find anywhere else. There are thousands of childbirth books out there but most of them only glance over c/s's this book fills in the blanks. It is written by two authors who both had c-sections and found there to be a general lack of information.
I recommend this book to every friend/relative of mine that I find is going to be having a c-section and have also recommended it two the 2 OB's that delivered children 2 and 3 to recommend to other patients (they were very happy to know such a resource existed).

Awesome (2009-12-15)

Having had a "natural" birth last time around I really wanted to be prepared in the event I would need a c-section. I loved the itemized list about what to bring for the hospital and how to create a birth plan around the c-section. Baby's not here yet so I don't know if I will need the info but I am really glad I read this book.

great book - speeded up my recovery! I wish I had it with my previous c-section (2009-08-17)

Just few points I found very helpful:

1. This book helped me make informed decisions before, during and after c-section, with regard to medication, medical procedures, daily routine etc. For example, nurses in the hospital would offer me pain medication without explaining which medication is stronger, and pros and cons. With the help of the book I knew what to choose.

2. With a lot of helpful tips from the authors who had c-section themselves I was able to speed up the process of recovery, when compared to my previous two c-sections. I also had less pain and used weaker pain medication.

3. My husband knew exactly how to make me feel better thanks to a chapter in the book that gives very helpful hints to men.

4. If not the book I would not have known I could start workout from the very first day after delivery, starting with breathing exercises and kegels on day one and switching to light abdominal exercises on day four. Two weeks after delivery my tummy felt much smaller and stronger.

5. Managing pain: Most of the time I knew the cause of pain thanks to extensive explanations in the book. That helped me control the pain without resorting to strong medication.

There is more to this book and I recommend it to everyone who plans a c-section.

not even worth reading (2009-02-12)

Don't buy this book unless you have nothing else to do. There is no insight that you can't easily find on the internet or get from your doctor. Im my opinion this book is written by people who like to hear them selves talk and talk and talk. A great deal of the questions most of us have are also up to the hospital that you will be having you c-section at so this book can only tell you what it has experience with and that's not much.

Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments Expanded & Updated

Authors: Randy Alcorn
Publisher: Multnomah Books
Publication date: 2000-11-10
ISBN: 1576737519
Pages: 455
Rating:
Price: $14.99

As politicians, citizens, and families continue the raging national debate on whether it's proper to end human life in the womb, resources like Randy Alcorn's Prolife Answers to Prochoice Arguments

Customes reviews 45

GREAT BOOK!!!! (2009-03-10)

great book! great author! this is my text book on these matters! grace-filled, humble, truthful, well-researched, excellent layout. HIGHLY recommended! i've even given it as a gift!

EXCELLENT Resource (2007-10-01)

Don't look for unsupported opinion in this book. ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments presents the facts.

Whether you're prolife or prochoice, you should know why you believe the way you do about abortion. You won't be disappointed with this book.

OUTSTANDING ANSWERS (2006-05-23)

IT MAKES VERY CLEAR WHY ABORTION IS WRONG,AS ITS NAME SAY S ANSWERING PRO ABORTION ARGUMENTS.
IT ALSO HAS RELIABLE AND USEFUL INFORMATION.

Great response by the pro-life community (2006-03-30)

I am still reading this book (borrowed it from the library), but I was impressed enough to write a review halfway through the book. First off, Alcorn presents all his arguments in a logical order, grouping like arguments together. He also responds to each individual reason why a pro-choice person supports abortion, and crafts his counter-argument calmly and rationally. Alcorn is adept at putting into words the vague reasons why pro-life people oppose abortion, and he explains it in such a logical way that Vulcans would approve of.

However as rational Mr. Alcorn may be, he is not above describing what a fetus (fetus and unborn baby is used interchangably duirng the book) feels during abortion, or using pictures of miscarried babies, aborted babies, and surgeries perfomed on fetuses that will increase their chance of living.

He also uses anecdotes when appropriate, like the one about a three year old who inadvertently saw a picture of an aborted baby (to put it gently, an aborted baby is a baby that's been taken apart) The three year old, in tears, asked his mommy, "Who broke the baby?" Randy Alcorn does try not to dwell on the gruesome; he'll just matter-of-factly explain things. My favorite anecdote is the one that involved Alcorn himself. He'll speak to college students and explain that while he was introduced as pro-life, he's really pro-choice. (Students nod in approvement) He believes that people can choose what they want to do with their bodies. (Cheers) Men can do what they want with their bodies, too. (More approval) For example, if a man wants to force a lady to have sex with him, and rapes her, that's his choice. Nobody has the right to tell him not to use his body to rape her, so he shouldn't be punished for it. (Silence).
Alcorn then uses this to compare the rape with an abortion, in both stories the victim is barely paid lip-service. The victim is the one who has no say in these these things, but in a rape, people will go to the defense of the lady, making sure she recovers, but who's going to the defense of the fetuses? (By the way, if a rape victim gets pregnant, she shouldn't abort the baby, Alcorn says. It won't be our fault for "forcing" her to carry it full term, it's the rapist's fault for invading her in the first place, it's the rapist's fault for forcing a pregnancy on the lady. If the baby is aborted, then the lady will be as guilty as the rapist.)

Another main argument is over the fact whether a fetus is a person. Well, is it a lesser sin to murder a teenager because he's not full person yet, an adult? Is it a lesser sin to kill a child because she's not a teenager yet? How about killing an infant, because the baby isn't a child yet? Well, how about a fetus? (Clue: a fetus is a baby, even if it lives in a womb vs. a crib.) Then how about a "product of conception"? Questions like these abound in this book.

I started reading this book with an open mind, and even halfway through I am forced to conclude that abortion does indeed kill babies. Even if you are firmly in the pro-choice side, it would do you good to read this book, just to see where pro-lifers are coming from. Alcorn said that many pro-choicers are virtually clueless when it comes to the pro-life position, and that's where the heated arguments come from. Read this book, know each side's view, and THEN start arguing. We'd save a lot of time that way.

great organization, one objection (2006-03-29)

This book is organized wonderfully and points out all of the fallacies of the pro-abortion/pro-infanticide stance. I refer to it in one of the chapters of a pro-life book I am writing about how not only the unborn human beings but newborn and infants have been dehumanized by the "legal non-person" pro-abortion argument. Now we see the return of eugenics, where people sue because they had a baby with Down syndrome, such as wrongful life and wrongful birth lawsuits and where whole organs are used from aborted children for research. Great book!

The only thing I would vehemently disagree with is where he defends not allowing abortion in the case of rape or incest. It was not the woman or girl's choice to have sex so she should have a choice to get cleaned out after a rape, even if a conception, and therefore new human life, has already formed. This is less than one percent of abortions anyway, and if leftists let us keep rapists and murderers in jail that would be less of a problem. The right of a raped person to get cleaned out from a rape outweighs any right a 2-hour old embryo does to life. It is sad but forcing a raped girl to carry to term is inhumane.

That said, 99 percent of abortions are currently for convenience (the mother wants to go on a ski trip, for example) or for eugenic reasons, like the father was ugly or the unborn child has a fixable cosmetic flaw such as cleft lip.

see www.culturejamforlife.com

Sex and the Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on America's College Campuses

Authors: Donna Freitas
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Publication date: 2008-04-11
ISBN: 0195311655
Pages: 328
Rating:
Price: $24.95

Today's college students are fascinated by religion but they are also more sexually active than previous generations. How do these young people reconcile their spiritual longings with sexual freedom on campus?
Based on dozens of face-to-face interviews, Sex and the Soul explores the sexual and spiritual lives of today's college students. Donna Freitas crisscrossed the country, visiting a range of America's colleges and universities--from public to private, Catholic to evangelical--to find out what students had to say about these highly personal subjects. Their stories will not only engage readers, but, in many cases, move them with the painful struggles these candid young women and men face. Indeed, the book uncovers aspects of college life that may unsettle some readers, especially parents. Many campuses, for instance, are dominated by the hook-up culture of casual sex. Moreover, a surprising number of students see little connection between sex and religion. Indeed, these observations hold true even at Catholic schools. Only at evangelical colleges is religion an important factor when deciding whether or not to engage in sex. But Freitas's research also reveals that, even at secular schools, students are not comfortable with the prevalence of casual sex, and that they do want religion to speak about what they should do and who they should try to be--not just what they should avoid doing.
Sex and the Soul will offer readers the chance to hear college students speaking honestly about extremely sensitive topics, in a book that will be of great interest to students, parents, clergy, teachers, and anyone who wants to know what's happening on today's college campuses.

Customes reviews 4

A Superb Examination Of A Troublesome Issue (2009-12-25)

There's been a lot of very good material written in the past couple of years on the detrimental emotional and psychological effects that unrestrained sexual behavior is having on American young adults; primarily college students. Donna Freitas' Sex and the Soul is a worthy addition to that material. The reason the book is as valuable as it is stems from the approach that Freitas took to present the information. As is the case with any scientific study, Freitas provides a factual definition of the issues through the use of raw data gathered through observation (in this case, surveys that she and her staff organized). However, instead of stopping with the data, she gives the study depth by incorporating comments from students on their views regarding sexuality and spirituality. The comments not only put a human face on the issues, they also make what would be a dry study readable. Both the data and the interviews bolster Freitas' conclusion that there is a discontentment with the options of promiscuity and chastity. In order to address this discontentment, Freitas develops practical recommendations for finding the middle ground between spiritual goals and sexual practice.

As I stated earlier, Sex and the Soul is the latest addition to a body of material which persuasively argues that promiscuity as a means to explore one's sexuality is not an emotionally healthy lifestyle. What distinguishes Sex and the Soul from these other books is that Freitas respects the role that both spirituality (in either a religious setting or non-religious setting) and sexuality have in one's life. She takes pains to show that the issue doesn't need to have an "either/or" answer; but, is instead broad enough to allow for one to express sexuality within a religious context. Because of this even-handed approach, Sex and the Soul rises to the top of the list of books that have been written on this subject in the past few years.

Fascinating and Insightful (2009-05-16)

Freitas has created a nice mix of fact and research with personal insight and anecdotal interviews. By carefully selecting a variety of college campuses she is able to critique both liberal and conservative approaches to campus social life. She also suggests possible solutions to the failings she sees at both places.

Excellent book! (2008-07-02)

This is an excellent ( at times appalling - at times hopeful) book. I don't usually find sociology books that I can't put down, but I read through this one in short order. What the author does quite brilliantly is weave her study of college students and how they integrate faith/religion and sex, around the personal stories of the students that she interviews. If you are a parent (like me) it is disheartening to see the influences that kids come under when they go away to college, and the soul-destroying nature of casual "hook-ups" with people one may or may not know well.

The book is hopeful (to my way of thinking) in that it is almost exclusively the evangelicals (I am one) who believe that there is a connection between spirituality and sex, and that it is important. While it is no surprise that virtually everyone struggles with how far to go physically before marriage, it is nice to see that evangelicals are generally trying to follow what they believe God desires in regards to dating and marriage.

Timely, Brilliant, Fair, Poignant (2008-04-30)

This is a carefully researched and elegantly written book on the relationship between sexuality and spirituality on US college campuses. It is pretty well known among scholars that high school kids are quite religious in the US. When they go to college they start turning away from the religions of their parents, often toward more generic spirituality. Why does this happen? Freitas thinks sexual experience might hold the key. In other words, as college students start experimenting sexually they push away from religion, since religion is in their view "anti-sex." That's the argument, or part of it. But at the heart of the book lie stories about these students. Kids at evangelical, Catholic, and secular schools struggling with faith and sexuality. It's brilliantly done. It's sad in many ways to see the binds that "hookup culture" put young people in. It's balanced in that there are things in here that will infuriate (and delight) conservatives and liberals alike. And it's timely. Makes me wonder what the next generation is in for heading off to college.

Red Families v. Blue Families: Legal Polarization and the Creation of Culture

Authors: Naomi Cahn, June Carbone
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Publication date: 2010-03-08
ISBN: 0195372174
Pages: 304
Rating:
Price: $29.95

Red Families v. Blue Families identifies a new family model geared for the post-industrial economy. Rooted in the urban middle class, the coasts and the "blue states" in the last three presidential elections, the Blue Family Paradigm emphasizes the importance of women's as well as men's workforce participation, egalitarian gender roles, and the delay of family formation until both parents are emotionally and financially ready. By contrast, the Red Family Paradigm--associated with the Bible Belt, the mountain west, and rural America--rejects these new family norms, viewing the change in moral and sexual values as a crisis. In this world, the prospect of teen childbirth is the necessary deterrent to premarital sex, marriage is a sacred undertaking between a man and a woman, and divorce is society's greatest moral challenge. Yet, the changing economy is rapidly eliminating the stable, blue collar jobs that have historically supported young families, and early marriage and childbearing derail the education needed to prosper. The result is that the areas of the country most committed to traditional values have the highest divorce and teen pregnancy rates, fueling greater calls to reinstill traditional values.

Featuring the groundbreaking research first hailed in The New Yorker, this penetrating book will transform our understanding of contemporary American culture and law. The authors show how the Red-Blue divide goes much deeper than this value system conflict--the Red States have increasingly said "no" to Blue State legal norms, and, as a result, family law has been rent in two. The authors close with a consideration of where these different family systems still overlap, and suggest solutions that permit rebuilding support for both types of families in changing economic circumstances.

Incorporating results from the 2008 election, Red Families v. Blue Families will reshape the debate surrounding the culture wars and the emergence of red and blue America.

Customes reviews 3

Holistic Insights (2010-03-04)

This book is a wonderful read because it gives you everything you need to understand modern American families - the social science statistics, legal analysis, expert insights on culture, and a nuanced treatment of the eocnomics - and combines those diverse currents into a light, even enjoyable (given the topic under dicsussion) narrative.

The authors do an excellent job of avoiding the bile of the culture wars, and instead are able to tease out what the fundamental differences are between different conceptions of the family in America. Everyone has 'family values', and want the best for their children - the split comes over how to guarantee the best, and the role that sexuality and fertility play in different conceptions of what is the best for a family.

This is both an expert treatment and an interesting read that should appeal to just about everyone. Enjoy!

Dueling Visions of Families, Culture and Law (2010-02-14)

This is an important and timely book. It convincingly explores the intersection of culture, law and family policy and illuminates the differing visions of family that underlie many of our nation's ongoing culture wars. The authors show how the political and legal clashes produced by these divisions have exacerbated economic and racial inequalities and undermined our nation's ability to provide for those most in need. In the final portion of the book the authors offer proposals for middle ground solutions that hold the promise of bridging these cultural collisions and rebuilding shared understandings of family.

Terrific Insights Regarding Families, Law, Neuroscience and Popular Culture (2010-01-29)

Red Families v. Blue Families is a wonderful book, packed with ideas about the political construction of families that are based on up to date empirical evidence from a variety of disciplines. It offers a powerful and fresh look at family formation: specifically, relationships between the age at which people marry and the politics of families, as well as the significant class divides that are emblematic of red and blue families. The authors draw on cutting edge neuroscience research about brain development and relate it to the age of family formation and marital stability. Cahn and Carbone explore teen sexual behavior in red and blue states--they make the case that contraception, not abortion, is key to the promotion of marriage and family values. The red and blue paradigms do not depict absolutes, but Cahn and Carbone convincingly demonstrate that red states and blue states have different paradigms of moral values and different sets of laws regarding reproduction, contraception, and sexuality. Red Families v. Blue Families is particularly exciting in its discussion of who should play umpire regarding controversial constitutional issues. Cahn and Carbone argue that legal scholars overemphasize the role of federal courts in politically divisive constitutional family issues. They propose instead a concept of progressive federalism, one that allows individual states to develop different concepts of "family values." This is a highly readable and important book, one that will be shaping the national dialogue in family law, federalism, popular culture, and the intersection of law and science for years to come.

The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power, and the Future of the World

Authors: Michelle Goldberg
Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The
Publication date: 2009-04-02
ISBN:
Pages: 272
Rating:
Price: $25.95

In this groundbreaking work of investigative journalism by the author of the New York Times bestseller Kingdom Coming, Michelle Goldberg exposes the global war on women’s reproductive rights and its disastrous and unreported consequences for the future of global development

Women’s rights are often treated as mere appendages to great questions of war, peace, poverty, and economic development. But as networks of religious fundamentalists, feminists, and bureaucrats struggle to remake sexual and childbearing norms worldwide, the battle to control women’s bodies has become a high-stakes enterprise, with the United States often supporting the most reactionary forces.

In a work of incisive cultural analysis and deep reporting, Michelle Goldberg shows how the emancipation of women has become the key human rights struggle of the twenty-first century. The Means of Reproduction travels through four continents, examining issues such as abortion, female circumcision, and Asia’s missing girls to show how the battle over women’s bodies has been globalized and how, too often, the United States has joined sworn enemies such as Iran and Sudan in an axis of repression. Reporting with unique insight from both the rarefied realm of international policy and from individual women’s lives, Goldberg elucidates the economic, demographic, and health consequences of women’s oppression, which affect more than half the world’s population.

As The Means of Reproduction reveals, the conflict between self-determination and patriarchal tradition has come to define pressing questions of global development. Empowering women is the key to retarding the progress of AIDS, curbing overpopulation, and helping the third world climb out of poverty, but attempts to improve women’s status elicit fierce opposition from conservatives who see women’s submission as key to their own national or religious identity.

From the anticommunist genesis of America’s attempts to stem population growth in poor countries to the current worldwide attack on women’s rights as a decadent Western imposition, Goldberg explores the interplay between the great issues of our time and the politics of sex and childbearing. Finally, The Means of Reproduction shows how women, strengthened by a solidarity that transcends borders, are fighting for freedom.

Customes reviews 11

Too important to be ignored (2009-10-25)

In this powerful book, Goldberg deftly weaves the accounts of individual women against the backdrop of nations, cultures, international law, and US policy as she illustrates the impact of women's rights in general, and reproductive rights in particular, on not only the women themselves, but on our global society. She argues convincingly that providing all women with reproductive freedom--including access to reliable birth control, safe abortion, and educational opportunities that enhance their economic potential and their ability to self-advocate--can be a powerful means for lifting both women and their families out of poverty. This book made me alternately angry and hopeful by outlining the successes and failures of numerous countries, including the United States, in ensuring that women's potential is achieved. Goldberg shows us what has worked, what has failed, what the threats are to continued progress, what the potential outcomes are if those threats are allowed to prevail, and what rewards we can anticipate if all countries would move forward in recognizing the valuable contributions and the basic human rights of women.

Third World Feminists Rock! (2009-09-04)

When Goldberg waxes philosophical or talks about US feminism, she comes up with some ridiculous whoppers. Luckily, over 90% of the book is about her wonderful sisters elsewhere, and their struggles are actually real.

The whole book is full of dazzling gems. Examples: a funeral in Kenya for 15 fetuses (which were falsely planted evidence). And how the Catholic Church came within a whisker of permitting contraception. What a story! As usual, my church made the wrong decision for all the wrong reasons.

But my favorite gem is about the other pro-lifers: the Protestant Fundamentalists. I quote: "When Roe was decided, wrote Balmer, 'the vast majority of evangelical leaders said virtually nothing about it; many of those who did comment actually applauded the decision.' As the 1970's progressed, though, and the feminist movement became more powerful in the United States, abortion emerged as a tangible symbol of women's emancipation and the declining authority of the patriarchal family. The Protestant right developed a deep concern for fetal life and formed an alliance with Catholic conservatives that would shape American politics for the next three decades."

Wow! Who knew? But when I got to the word "patriarchal" in the above quote, my BS detector went off. And then I realized why the right wing suddenly developed an antipathy for all things feminist (and so became pro-life). It's not because they're too authoritarian (although they are). No, it's because American feminists were way over the top. E.g., Dworkin: "all intercourse is rape."

Modern American feminism got started when 60's radicals decided their sisters could best help the revolution by making coffee. Sometimes we create our own enemies, and we have nobody to blame but ourselves.

So talk about coming full circle! These feminists then created their own vicious enemies with rhetoric that makes Farrakhan seem tame by comparison. Three decades of GOP ascendancy followed as a result.

This book isn't bad, though. The man-hating rhetoric is almost non-existent. Spare yourself a little grief by skipping the introduction, and go right to the third world. These women really rock, in a way that reminds me of the pro-union free speech wars of America around 1900. These women are so brave they define what true courage really means. Read and be inspired.

Flawed but an interesting read... (2009-07-27)

First off the author wrote Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, so she doesn't like conservatives much less Christians, so be forewarned. What troubled me about her newest book The Means of Reproduction is how she doesn't spend much time at all denouncing the lack of true reproductive freedom in China, but denounces other countries who want to deny abortion but do not deny birth control.

Thus I think she picks and chooses very carefully what liberal ideals she agrees with, while denouncing most of what the opposition believes in. And she seems to miss the idea that women of child bearing age often have a maternal instinct or 'gene' that makes suggesting the abort their baby an idea that goes contrary to womanhood.

She seems to not want to discuss much less push male contraception be it daily medication or vasectomies. And while it is true that Presidents Truman and Eisenhower supported Planned Parenthood creation, at the time abortion was NOT on the table and they did NOT support abortion, but did support family planning that permitted preventing fertilization in the first place. And thus allowing married couples to plan their families size better.

She also tends to not understand that the family unit for centuries has been the cornerstone of a civilized community. And she uses a broad brush to paint traditional women who are homemakers as being less than the woman who goes to a paying job. There is the saying that the woman who rocks the cradle rules the world. She ignores any data that notes that the less traditional women become the higher rates of divorce we have which means dysfunctional children that end up needing more and more government services. And I was disappointed that she rants on and on about problems but serves up few if any solutions.

Would be nice to know more about the author and her family background. In the end the book is actually an interesting read, and being a reader of all viewpoints I still want to recommend the book.

Compelling, well-argued -- and right (2009-07-02)

This is an excellent and important book. When people think grandly about politics, women's rights often get short shrift -- if they get any shrift at all. But Michelle Goldberg argues persuasively, with thorough research and many great anecdotes, that a successful fight for women's reproductive rights would solve both over- and underpopulation -- that, in addition to being the right thing to do, winning that battle is also crucial to humanity's future.

Interesting & Important (2009-06-12)

I highly recommend this book! The book is obviously meticulously researched and there is a lot of factual information, but it is never boring. It is very well written - the author addresses broad, complex issues and provides insightful analysis, but also brings in personal stories and descriptions of characters.
If you are interested in human rights, economic development, international politics or women's issues you will get a lot out of it.

Teaching Your Children Healthy Sexuality: A Biblical Approach to Preparing Them for Life (Pure Foundations)

Authors: Jim Burns
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication date: 2008-06-01
ISBN: 0764202081
Pages: 208
Rating:
Price: $13.99

It's not just the birds and the bees anymore.

You may have been eleven once, but you were never their age. Thanks to the Internet, graphic images in the media, and their "know-it-all" friends, kids today grow up earlier than ever. They have questions, and as a parent, your responsibility is to clear up the mixed messages and lead them to a healthy, value-centered view of sexuality. Sure, conversations with your kids about sex and their changing bodies can be uncomfortable--but they don't have to be. Jim Burns gives expert advice on how and when to talk with your children, and he provides answers to the most difficult questions your kids and teens might ask, like:

How far is too far? If you do "everything but sex," are you still a virgin? Is self-stimulation wrong? I think I'm addicted to porn. What can I do to get help? Is a boy/girl sleepover okay if there's a chaperone?

The world's culture may have cheapened sex, but God's view of sexuality is wonderfully made. Talking with your kids at a young age will help them make more godly decisions along the way, but they'll need conversation with you at every age. This is your opportunity to establish in them a lasting sexual integrity that will extend throughout their lives.

Customes reviews 1

It's not just the birds and the bees anymore. (2008-07-14)

You may have been eleven once, but you were never their age. Thanks to the Internet, graphic images in the media, and their "know-it-all" friends, kids today grow up earlier than ever. They have questions, and as a parent, your responsibility is to clear up the mixed messages and lead them to a healthy, value-centered view of sexuality. Sure, conversations with your kids about sex and their changing bodies can be uncomfortable --- but they don't have to be. Jim Burns gives expert advice on how and when to talk with your children, and he provides answers to the most difficult questions your kids and teens might ask, like:

How far is too far?
If you do "everything but sex," are you still a virgin?
Is self-stimulation wrong?
I think I'm addicted to porn. What can I do to get help?
Is a boy/girl sleepover okay if there's a chaperone?

The world's culture may have cheapened sex, but God's view of sexuality is wonderfully made. Talking with your kids at a young age will help them make more godly decisions along the way, but they'll need conversation with you at every age. This is your opportunity to establish in them a lasting sexual integrity that will extend throughout their lives.

Tantric Orgasm for Women

Authors: Diana Richardson
Publisher: Destiny Books
Publication date: 2004-05-10
ISBN: 0892811331
Pages: 224
Rating:
Price: $14.95

A revolutionary approach to female sexuality that focuses on relaxation as the key to achieving deep orgasmic states.

• Explores how receptive feminine energy influences the male-female exchange.

• Reevaluates the role of the clitoris, breasts, and vagina in achieving orgasm.

• Provides ancient tantric meditations for increased sensitivity and awareness.

Fulfilling sex nourishes love, rejuvenates the body, and boosts mental health. Unfortunately, prevailing attitudes in the West work against the natural capacity of women to realize their sexual potential and experience deep orgasmic states. Tantric Orgasm for Women offers women a fresh look at the ecstatic bliss possible within their bodies, using knowledge and approaches from the sensually cultivated traditions of the East.

Exploring Tantra from the female perspective, Diana Richardson reveals the critical role receptive feminine energy plays in allowing orgasmic states to arise. Her 20 years of tantric research and personal experience provide readers with an understanding of how the various parts of the female body may be activated to deepen ecstatic states. Readers will learn how to re-circulate orgasmic energy; why breast stimulation takes priority over vaginal attention; the difference between soft penetration and deep sustained penetration, including how to avoid premature male ejaculation; and how women can strengthen the erection response of male partners. Tantric Orgasm for Women shows how women can exert a powerful influence on their sexual experiences when they understand the inner workings of their bodies and when they avoid adopting conventional ideas about what should be satisfying to them.

Customes reviews 7

A Rare Tantric Gem from a Female's Perspective (2010-02-22)

For fans of tantra, newbies or long time practitioners, this book is an absolute joy. Ms. Richardson explores the tantric realms with a uniquely feminine perspective, and she does so with grace and insight. Her studies with the amazing Osho are also highlighted here, as she pulls out some of the master's best tidbits on this subject, and expertly integrates his wisdom with her own. Don't let the title fool you into thinking this is just a book on gratuitous pleasure - this is a truly deep and explorative text that gently navigates these marvelous energies. Ms. Richardson's use of language to describe this journey is just gorgeous, and the exercises cover both those an individual can do, and of course couples as well. Lots of surprises about the tantric path in here as well, but they all feel spot-on perfect. Thank you Diana for this marvelous book :)

Excellent (2010-02-17)

Everyone should read this book the sooner the better, diane Richardson has done a well documented and well written book very explicit, enjoy

Very Late (2009-08-28)

I tried to contact the seller twice and there was never a response. Then the product arrived 5 days AFTER the projected arrival date. I needed it for a book club meeting. However, the book was in excellent condition.

all you need (2009-05-07)

Brilliant! This book designed for women is the one I've been waiting for all my life. Beautifully written and easy to read- with exercises that enhance each chapter's understanding. I can feel my body's energies more fully now with deeper awareness and love. It's an integration process of sexuality and spirituality that is self empowering. Highly recommended to all women who desire to know themselves on all levels.

Life changing book! A must read for all women! (2008-07-24)

I had taken a couple of tantra workshops and this book provided even more information than i thought possible! This is a must read for every woman. I am getting copies for my close women friends and verbally telling other galfriends about it. It is easily read-able and do-able. This has changed my sex-life forever.

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