Infertility Books

This is about a middle class couple, the kind that can be your neighbor, and their quest for a child.

Delinsky is a very good author, you really feel for her characters and the drama they're living in. The end is not a downer, in a way it is inspiring. A good read!

This was the first book by this author I have read. Her style of writing flowed easy enough however the content is what bothered me. I found everytime I read the book I would have an arguement with my husband. Every page I turned became more and more annoying. I guess I don't like reading about couples that fight, couples that cheat, couples that don't trust, mean spirited women, and all those other petty things. It was a total downer of a book. If you like that sort of thing, this book might be for you...

I loved this story. Definately a page turner.. just to find out who the mystery father is!

After finishing THE VINEYARD, I dutifully read the excerpt included at the end, a preview of THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR. I hadn't planned to read that novel because, to me, infidelity stories too often have a Limburger aroma without the payment of flavor.

However. As usual, BD had settled her own tantalizing twist into a sore, slithery subject and given it a too effective, "come hither" freshness. After reading only a few preview pages, I wanted to know "who done it" and why, and was baited to get behind the mystery of the widow. A love mystery. Huh. Ya hooked me again, Delinsky. Can't say I'm sorry you did.

It was a lift to buy the paperback of THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR, with its gorgeously cooling, quietly inviting cover. Based on the title and elegantly feminine cover art, I was prepared to hate Gretchen, since she appeared to be a high-class-call-girl in neighbor's clothing. I was rewarded with a twist of irony, living with Gretchen's neighbors as they gradually and seamlessly expanded their narrow viewpoints, discovering Gretchen's secrets under the slithering silk skin. The reading experience was warming and lifting, party due to the genuine growth of awareness in this neighborhood cluster of characters, of what, in real life, goes on under the covers in most households.

Is the Big Bad Wolf really bad, Little Red Riding Hood?

Finishing the novel with anticipation satisfied absolutely, I was again amazed with how BD takes sorely over-treated issues (in-law interference, infertility, and teen angst in this book) and breathes renewing, healing sparks into these anxiety traps, with her startlingly sensible slants on achieving personal growth. It's a delight to feel how simply the characters, little-by-little slip contentment into intimate relationships. They work at it, yes, but they get there, or move on.

When I'm rolling in millions from my novels' royalties, I'm thinking to buy the hardback of THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR, to display it as a classy decorator item, with its gorgeous cover advertising a story which lives up to the promise of Art. (If I still have a house and a body when my ship slips into shore.) Of course I wouldn't need a million bucks to buy a hardback; good novels are an anormous value at any price.

Did I find out Marc Cherry's secret? This book reminds me so much of the show Desperate Housewives, I had to come and write a review! It's all about a group of 3 couples, living on the same street that have a mystery on their hands. This mystery is who got the sexy widow pregnant--was it one of their husbands or a neighborhood handyman? A good, fast read that I really enjoyed. The side stories build each character and will keep you interested until the very end.

A very compelling and touching story. As we wait for our China Baby this was helpful to walk through the process of others and give hope that our day will come too.

This is a book that must be read from beginning to end. It starts off kind of hard to take-- two adults seemingly set on pursuing their own goals, almost selfishly, certainly idealistically and wholeheartedly "90s." Why would anyone care? But as the book progresses,it becomes clear that it's really about the openness to love. And when the husband--at first a very reluctant father-- holds his adoptive daughter Becky in his arms and sings to her, the gap closes, the links forge. If you're a parent, imagine your child has been lost-- at a beach, an amusement park, a shopping mall-- wouldn't you put aside your own needs and desires and come together with your partner/spouse to find the child? Wouldn't the child become not only the focus but at that moment--and perhaps many others--the single most important thing in your life? I think maybe that's what happened with this couple, and this book is about their journey to that willingness, that openness-- that love. I dunno, but in my humble opinion (and as a mother), I saw this book to be about...sharing. If they could do it, so could we. I'd like to see a followup. I bet Joe and Jill have never ever looked back. And I bet, too, that Becky is a pretty happy kid.

This book has all of the ingredients for ultimate engagement, as it 's a story about process. Written by an acclaimed journalist, Jill Smolowe writes about her turbulent road of infertility experiences which ultimately leads her and her husband to an overseas adoption. Reared to believe that pregnancy would come easily, Smolowe is blind sighted in her late thirties as she discovers that nature is taking a different course. Determined, and then desperate, to have a baby, Smolowe takes us through her personal, emotional and brutally honest account of trying to get pregnant to coping with depression while in the throes of marital tribulations during the process. Written in page-turning fashion, this book is so intimate that the reader can't help but feel the author is talking to her closest friend. Riveting and compelling, this is a must read for couples who are considering parenthood, and who may not be on the same page with one another of how to get there. I couldn't put it down....

AN EMPTY LAP is as honest as it is compelling. Gut wrenching from the get go, this book goes to the heart of the infertility matter. It is a painful, awful place to be and Ms. Smolowe has portrayed her path through the infertility mine field with integrity and an honesty that is at once painful and refreshing.

AN EMPTY LAP is also highly readable. I am surprised by the few snarky reviews I've read by a few small minded people. Frankly, I think this kid is fortunate to have parents who are willing and able to engage with the truth.

A must read for any woman battling infertility or anyone considering adoption for any reason.

An Empty Lap is not all smiles and hugs, but adoption is a serious and demanding effort, and An Empty Lap gives an honest appraisal of the struggles - and the triumphs - one real world couple experienced when they pursued the path of adoption.

I would encourage anyone considering adoption to read An Empty Lap, and if international adoption is anywhere on your horizon of possibilities, this is clearly a "Must Read" item. While the international adoption scene is constantly shifting, the lessons in An Empty Lap will apply to any international adoption, regardless of the country of origin.

That the author chose to give a real and imperfect face - that of her and her husband - to the challenges of adoption only serves to make An Empty Lap that much more relevant to the real world that you, the prospective parent, will face. Written in an engaging and literate style, you will come away more learned than you began...and much like adoption itself, in the end you get a happy ending.

Harvard did a study that prayer and meditation improves the prognosis and coping of at least half the people in studies from heart, hypertension, to cancer and you name it, there is a study that belief makes a difference. Now, I wrote a book and it is also about spirituality. So when I say look at this book plese, by Ty Canady, I am not whistling Dixie!

Charlotte Fairchild, Fertile Prayers (author)
www.fprayers.blogspot.com

This book is not what i expected at all it was more religious
then i expected.Its for people that are searching for answers through god.I thought it was more of infertility infomation.

i was looking for information on infertility, not christianity and god. misleading and deceptive, this book is hardly helpful or inspirational for the infertile. you want inspiration and information on getting through your infertility? take a look at the infertility survival handbook which has a great combination of the two without mentioning religion in overt terms.

OK. I tried to be flexible getting into this book, but I don't know about the whole preaching part of it. What a waste of money. Glad I got mine used. I plan to sell mine.

I read reviews of those who were disappointed by the Christian overtone of the book and still decided to give the book a try. This book was awesome!!! I too contacted the author after reading the book. Her book is very inspiring and is what I needed. She unlike several of the infertility book author has a child after 10 years of infertility and is pregnany with her second child. She has gone through alot of the things I have gone through and is living proof that GOD will bless you with a child...not facts from some infertility doctor. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who SERIOUSLY wants to overcome infertility and all the challenges that come with it, be blessed with a Child versus tons of factual informational that will get you nothing but frustration.

If you have a man that like's to take bath's that is a big no no when trying to get pregnate. No other website or book mention this before, if it were not for this book I probably would have spend alot of money in fertility drugs and test. So this is the main thing in this book that I did not see anywhere else that I did not know about.

Some tips for increasing fertility - avoiding tobacco, alcohol, caffeine and stress...hmmm. Well, I'm still waiting for someone i.e., a medical professional, to write a book about why some women who DO smoke cigarettes regularly, drink coffee and consume alcohol on a fairly frequent basis have no problem whatsoever conceiving. I'm more interested in having that mystery solved. Fertility aside, I already know that tobacco, alcohol, caffeine and stress are not good for you.

To think that getting medical intervention is the only way, when there are things we can do to improve chances is limited thinking.

If you want to contact me, my website is www.fertilityfair.com

Charlotte Fairchild, author of Fertile Prayers: Daily Fertile Prayers

I never write book reviews, but I owe the birth of my daughter to the advice given by this book! After 6 years of no contraception, my husband and I finally decided that we were going to REALLY TRY to have a child, so I bought this book, as a starting point to figure out what we--both over 35-- needed to do to get pregnant. In our case, the changes in lifestyle recommended in the book were all we needed; I got pregnant 3 months after putting its advice into practice. This is the perfect book to start with if you want to create a lifestyle that gives you the best chance for getting pregnant, without starting with the infertility drugs. Note that the medical options are also discussed in the book, as well as how much time is reasonable for trying to get pregnant "naturally." Good Luck!

If you had problem with conception for some time, chances are that you already did your 'homework' and read about all possible causes and treatment on the Internet, or discussed it with your doctor. This book is a very general summery of infertility problems, and mainly a big ad for the authors' treatment plan that is available, I assume, in the hospital where they work. I would not recommend this book to anybody - you can definitely find more useful info online, and definitely cheaper!

I am a highly educated woman, but the language of this book is very hard to grasp. It gives wonderful historical information and facts, which is what the 2 stars are for, but my brain had to translate at least 1 word in every 2 sentences, making reading slow and difficult.

Although the historical parts of this book are great, these moments are few and far between. It seemed to me that this entire work was solely the author's attempt to justify why she did not have children. Instead of standing up for her decision she makes it well known throughout the book that she missed her chance(s) to procreate. This book is most likely for women who fall into that catagory and not for the determined childfree.

I agree with a lot of the other reviews here; this book is more geared towards the childless than the childfree. There is a huge difference. The term childless applies to anyone who wants a child and cannot have one. The term childfree applies to anyone (straight, gay, or bisexual) who plans not to raise or bear children for a variety of reasons.
If you're looking for a childfree book, this isn't it.

Lisle captures the ambivalence of childlessness for most women. There is so much pressure in society to have children that only a few really independent women are really capable of saying "no, I think I will pass" and not looking back. Many make the decision just as she did, by not really making the decision or by waiting to try so late in life that the chances are low.

Because of the extremely academic style employed by Lisle, this book will not appeal to all. Still, it is thought provoking and really points out all the reasons why it is almost impossible to choose to be childless without regrets. Understanding the source and reasons for all of the pressure does help, however.

My husband and I chose not to have kids before we married. Some people and especially family members find this decision hard to take. I read this book after having an older family member tell me (for an hour and a half!)I would never be a complete woman without having children. I wanted historical background from this book. I wanted to be able to explain the courage involved in our decision, especially in our society. I love kids in my life, but don't want them to be my life. This book helps me to explain that there is nothing wrong with that. Thank you Laurie Lisle!

I rated this book with one star .
Too little medical and scientific info, stupid tips...,
as the size of the book shows; this lady has not much to say or much help to offer. There is much more to infertility than a few herbs and vitamins.
You get better books for just a few $'s more ( " the couple's guide to fertility" or " taking charge of your fertility" )
Don't bother with this !

Karen Bradstreet is fantastic and I only hope she reads the reviews posted on the Amazon.com website, so she will feel satisfied that her book is helping lots of people all over the world. I bought her book 'Overcoming Fertility Naturally' about 2 months ago, and within 30 days of my husband and I both trying her recomended combinations of vitimins and herbs religiously every day, I was pregnant. We had been trying to get pregnant for about 1 1/2 years. Now some of the skeptics out their may think it was coincidence, and perhaps it was, but I am positive Karen's book helped us along our way. For those of you who have had trouble conceiving, give this book a try as you have nothing to loose. Good luck. Thank you so much Karen Bradstreet.

Bradstreet's book has been a god send! after years of struggling with poor digestive health and recurrent miscarraiges and infertility i read her book and came upon candida as a possible problem. i am still not pregnant but treatment of the candida, which i did have, is going well and i hope to achieve a full term pregnancy sometime this year. THANK YOU KAREN

This book provided only generalizations without sufficient detail. There are plenty of great books out there on infertility. I suggest reading one of those. This book does not proide sufficient information on dosage or when to take herbs during your cycle. This could lead to some potentially damaging situations for some women.

I'm not joking. In her chapter on miscellaneous tips she comments that so many people seem to get pregnant after adopting that you should consider this route. For the record - and this stat is NOT mentioned in her book - 5% of couples who end treatment will end up conceiving on their own *regardless of whether they choose adoption or not.*

The rest of the stuff she mentions (herbs, vitamins, etc.) seemed like it was all gleaned from the internet and is presented without any detail.

Skip this book!

In a world where most people hide their true feelings, I found "Twice Blessed: A Diary of Secondary Infertility - One Woman's Journey" a breath of fresh air because of its honesty and rawness. From the anticipation of 5 years before she even starts trying to over a year of month after month of different procedures, attempts, and disappointment, you feel Ninotchka's every emotion on this journey. I cannot imagine being so ready - having my life together so young, being so happily married, with a great husband, an awesome first child, a beautiful home, having a great career, running marathons, surrounded by so many great friends with whom you share your life with, et cetera - in other words, having and living such a fully complete and fulfilled life - and then finding myself unable to add on to that life and family with another child. Isn't that what we all dream of? Wow! How frustrating indeed to not be able to conceive, especially for no apparent reason. Whether for a month, or 13 months (as Ninotchka's experience was), or 5 years, I think the disappointment is all the same. Any woman who has tried to get pregnant and couldn't, or has been blissfully pregnant and knows what it's like to plan and actually bring a child into the world, could totally feel for Ninotchka. I know I did. Infertility is described as being unable to conceive after one year of trying but gee, no one shares what one goes through during that horrible year. One often hears about infertility but not secondary infertility too and, honestly, I don't know which is worse. My husband and I are about to start trying for a second child and I can't even fathom not being able to give my little boy a brother or sister. I am hoping our journey is not as arduous as Ninotchka's and her husband's but at least now I know it is a possibility so we probably won't be as bewildered and shocked if it happened to us. But that's only possible because of this book. Thank God I read it and thank you, thank you, thank you for writing it! I am basically ahead of the game in 2 major ways because of this book. One is that after much research in preparation for our second baby, I feel as prepared as I can possibly be to deal with both the social and emotional issues and not just the physical ones should I be unable to readily conceive. And two, this book has made me so grateful for what I already have (my son) because of Ninotchka mentioning how grateful going through this made her for her own daughter. Children are indeed blessings and miracles and I'm glad that because of this book, I am present to it yet again. I can think of more ways I have been impacted by this book too -- it brought up compassion for me for a fellow human being, faith, hope, love, determination in the face of adversity and despair (to just keep going with one's life even when so disappointed and sad is just so admirable!), and triumph -- and as I write this I realize that's the HUMAN SPIRIT! No wonder this book landed as so good to me! I now see that Ninotchka having gone through this is actually a BENEFIT because due to her sharing her story, anyone who reads it can learn about this much-too-little-discussed issue AND life itself. This book has really helped me and I will for ever be grateful. Thank you again and may I also be Twice Blessed!

Twice Blessed will take you for a ride on an emotional rollercoaster. Ninotchka intimately discloses feelings, procedures, and thoughts that are generally regarded as private. She "outs" all of the raw emotions that build up inside when facing infertility. Her honesty will bring you to tears and laughter. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. It's not only a must read for those facing infertility, but for women everywhere considering childbirth. When I finished the book, I looked at my 8 year old son and thought - Life is truly a miraculous blessing!

I'm sorry, I just don't see how someone who takes a little over a year to get pregnant, and never has to have intervention can call it true infertility. I'm not saying it's disappointing to not get pregnant right off the bat, for anyone ... but perhaps this should have been sold as some sort of diary on the road to conception, and not sold as a book about infertility. I will say this about the book: the author is very up-front about how painful it is not to get pregnant right away. Nobody should have to go through that kind of pain. It may be helpful for some to see they're not alone in wanting a baby NOW, and not being able to have one. But from my viewpoint, and from other women I know who have gone through years of secondary infertility, this just seems a bit insulting for some reason. At any rate, I'm very glad the author was able to add to her family, and I hope she encounters no difficulty the next time. I'm wishing I'd saved my money & not actually purchased the book, though! Should have ordered it from the library.

This book discusses the journey up until treatment but the author has 1 infertility counsel before getting pregnant. For those of us who are in the throws of infertility treatment the book is somewhat frustrating. There is no discussion of what it is like to have secondary infertility AND seek treatment with a child. After 14 months the author is preganant with spontaneous conception. The author misses the crux of secondary infertilty

Infertility is such a deep reaching issue that engulfs one's soul. I won't go into my own story here. However, what I will address is this horrible book I purchased in a moment of need to connect with other infertiles. What I found was a drama queen that cries wolf. As per RESOLVE, infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected well-timed intercourse. While true, Ms. Beavers did take 13 cycles to conceive, she started crying infertility when she didn't get her way after cycle #1. I was insulted and easily bored. This is a quick read. I skimmed through a lot of it because it was soooo repetitious a la "dear diary, I'm not pregnant. I'm so mad. Boo hoo why me! I just knew I'd get pregnant the 1st time I had unprotected sex!" She defines infertility as having wanted to have an "oops" baby for years because she always hoped her diaphragm would get a hole? Seriously, don't waste your time or money. There are better resources on the web!

While I haven't actually read the book, I'm sure it's bound to be read by a lot of people in search of solutions to impotence.

I have however read several of Dr. Lamm's previous books, and would advise everyone to proceed with caution. Dr. Lamm has a tendency to be overly optimistic and enthusiastic about new wonder drugs. Remember, this is the same guy, who wrote an entire book (Thinner at last) saluting Fen-Phen, without cautioning about possible side-effects.

So take the information provided with a grain of salt.

Lamm and Couzens provide some useful information on the so-called "potency pill," which claims to address the physical causes of male impotence. The authors never discuss, however, the feelings of inadequacy that usually perpetuate the problem. Those suffering from performance anxiety should consult additional readings.

Lamm's book is timely, informative and helpful. It tells readers about his experiences with Viagra - before the drug was even approved, and focuses on using Viagra effectively to enhance not only the act of sex, but relationships. A must.

... I highly recommend this book to anyone contemplating using any oral medication for the restoration of sexual function. It's authoritative,concise, and drives home the point that sex is more than just a pill. Viagra and Vasomax, and all the drugs that follow, are only facilitators...good sex first starts with communication between couples.

Review by Jim Argendeli

May 1, 1998

review at http://virilitysolution.com/cnnreview.html

In the future, "Are you on the pill?" may be a question asked of a man

as well as a woman.

In the book "The Virility Solution" by Dr. Steven Lamm and Gerald

Couzens, the pills in question are the new and highly publicized male

potency drugs Viagra (sildenafil) and Vasomax (phentolamine). Lamm, a

New York City internist, and Couzens have written a very readable,

educational, eye-opening book -- not just about Viagra and Vasomax but

how the medication changes a man's definition of his own sexuality and

the effects it has on his partner.

The book tells of the surprising discovery of the medication and the

history of the treatment of male sexual disorders. The authors use case

studies and interviews to show the varieties of problems men and their

partners experienced pre-Viagra and the uncomfortable and awkward

solutions that were available, which included self-injection and

surgical implants.

However, the book is not just a public relations vehicle for the drugs.

The authors discuss the potential side effects (headaches, muscle pain)

and insist that patients treat the cause of their problems (physical or

mental). They also discuss overall health programs involving diet and

exercise. Long-term effects of the drugs are still to be determined.

The recent media exposure about the drugs lifted the covers off a

problem many men were too embarrassed to talk about, and in the first

week following Viagra's approval by the FDA, a record 36,000

prescriptions were filled.

As the book points out, having to take medication is not a sign of

weakness or inadequacy -- it means a man is dealing with his problem and

overcoming it in the most painless, practical way possible.

Hooray for Elaine Tyler May! This is a very well researched cultural study of infertility. It will be particularly helpful to those who desire to be parents or to those who are parents after a long struggle with infertility. As an infertile woman in the United States, I was empowered by seeing so clearly how I fit into the history of the country. Perhaps a detailed academic study is not everyone's idea of fun reading, but I was enthralled. I could not put this book down and read it cover to cover, questioning constantly how my education could have had so many obvious, women-centered omissions. I count few books as life-changing but, for me, this is one of them.

I found it odd that this book was written by someone who actually has children. I am childfree and am very content being this way. This book deals with all different reasons for being childless/free. I thought this book was horrible. It dealt too much with theories and not real life situations. Only one chapter was dedicated to those who choose not to have children. Big disappointment.

I would like to take exception with the posted review. I found the book to be fascinating. It is clearly written, and I have learned alot from it. I hope potential readers will give it a chance.

Tyler May's book does a good job tracing the history of childlessness in the US from colonial times to the present. I wish she had dedicated more of the book to those who are childfree by choice. Much of the second part of the book dealt with those who experienced infertility problems, rather than voluntary childfree status.

Further, I wish she had examined more how society dictates that people have children, especially how this relates to masculine and feminine gender identities.

Overall, though, I found the book engaging and the personal stories of the infertile hair-raising.

Elaine Tyler May's "Barren in the Promised Land: Childless Americans and the Pursuit of Happiness" fills an important gap in American social history. Through the use of myriad sources--largely secondary sources but also a collection of more than 500 letters sent to the author by voluntarily and involuntarily childless people--May concludes that the issue of reproduction and the social, economic, and political responses to it changed over time. The author decided to explore the topic after witnessing the public spectacle of the "Baby M" case, in which a surrogate mother hired by an infertile couple to bear their child chose to keep the baby instead of relinquishing custody as required by prior arrangement. Media reports on the case presented surrogate motherhood as a recent phenomenon, a claim May found to be erroneous upon further investigation. The press also presented infertility as a recently discovered problem, another claim the author easily refuted. It was how the media framed the Baby M case that interested the author the most, namely how public and private life in America interacts regarding the issue of childbearing. Reproduction as a private activity and its importance, or perceived importance, in the public sphere forms a central component of the book's structural framework.

Beginning in colonial times, reproduction and the public sphere were inseparable. The economic importance of children to the family, and the family as a pillar of the larger society, led to great social pressure on women to bear as many children as possible. The overtly religious atmosphere of the time labeled the childless sinful. May points out that many of the women accused of witchcraft either had no children or less than the customary number. With the creation of the American nation and the subsequent expansion to the shores of the Pacific, childbearing became an important tenet of the Manifest Destiny ideology. Male settlers broke the soil and built civilization; women populated it with children. Simultaneously, society began associating children with familial happiness. No less a figure than George Washington waxed optimistic about the importance of the "connubial life" in which children figured prominently. Another shift occurred when massive immigration into the country during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century fundamentally challenged the prior conceptions of childbirth. Descendents of the original Anglo-Saxon colonists began issuing dire warnings about "race suicide" as white childlessness increased. The emergence of eugenics was a direct result of the social strains caused by the immigration of "unfit" races. The fear of alien peoples also inspired a great concern about who should or should not have the right to bear children. Sterilization became the answer.

Starting in the post-World War II years and continuing for some time after, laws appeared on the books allowing physicians to sterilize some men and a large number of women deemed "feebleminded" or mentally unfit. The sterilization efforts eventually zeroed in most heavily on the poor and minority groups. Despite the flurry of public activity to stimulate the "right" sorts of childbearing, many women proved amazingly resistant to these pleas. A growing number passed up the opportunity to have children in favor of other pursuits. Public concern with all things children soared during the Baby Boom, when a huge increase in the number of methods and treatments to cure infertility took place in a country obsessed with equating children with happiness, success, and domestic security. After the tumult of the 1960s, and accelerating in the 1970s and beyond, voluntary childlessness not only increased but also gained a measure of acceptance even as the infertile sought even more intricate and expensive medical procedures in an effort to cure their problem.

May's study is at its best when examining the problems of childlessness from the colonial era to the 1960s. In these chapters, she strongly ties the issue of barrenness to historical cause and effect. She cites, for example, films, statements made by noted public figures such as J. Edgar Hoover, and numerous magazine articles published during the 1950s to make a strong argument for the centrality of reproduction in American society during that time. There is such overwhelming evidence in support of childbearing in the post war years that it is not difficult at all to imagine the intense pressure placed on those individuals and couples unfortunate enough to suffer from infertility. May allows us to see how damaging the absence of children could be to a couple. A man applying for work in the 1950s and early 1960s could miss out on numerous job opportunities if he and his wife did not have children because employers thought such people were irresponsible or untrustworthy. Workers without children continue to suffer in the office and factory today, as employers still tend to pay employees with children higher wages.

"Barren in the Promised Land" falters once it moves beyond the 1970s. After briefly discussing the reemergence of a new pronatalist movement in the 1980s, May resorts to a laundry list of the pros and cons of voluntary and involuntary childlessness culled from her letters. Unfortunately, the reader never gets a sense of how the comments in these letters tie into the larger framework of American society. Where is the examination of institutional response to the issue of childbearing after the 1970s? More specifically, how did the childlessness issue shape the larger social, economic, and political landscape in the late 1980s and after? In the introduction to her book, May explains that the Baby M case inspired her to write this study of childlessness. Strangely, the author mentions the case once or twice and then never refers to it again. A chapter devoted solely to this incident might have shed further light on the thorny issue of public versus private spheres as they relate to reproduction, thus giving the study additional weight. Moreover, it is an excellent example with which to specifically examine the convoluted situation that childlessness became in the 1980s and 1990s.

This book is one of the only sources--in any media--that presents unbiased information about fertility treatments. Next time you look at a website that purports to offer "education" about infertility, scan the ads that support the website. You'll find the major pharmeceutical companies that Turiel covers in her book are funding your "education."

Turiel's arguments are lucid, and her research is impeccable. Many will not like this book because it presents the tough truth: fertility treatment risks the health of women, and fails for 60% of the people who try it.

This is a very readable book--entirely approachable for lay persons. Turiel herself is not a doctor, and hence has no vested interest in promoting fertility treatment, or dissuading others from pursueing it, save her personal experience.

An important clarification--another review stated that Turiel's mother had fertility treatments. This is incorrect. Turiel's mother took DES, a drug that was prescribed to healthy women to ensure against miscarriage and make pregnancies "more normal." It resulted in birth defects and cancer in many DES children. Turiel uses the example to make a powerful parallel with the rampant prescription of fertility drugs.

This book certainly has a lot of information on various treatments (as you would likely find in many other books), but what makes this book unique is its in-depth look into the controversy which surrounds these treatments. The risks are covered in depth, where in most books this is not discussed. The benefits of certain treatments over others is discussed. The author is very knowledgable and gives an insiders view of the medical facts surrounding fertility treatments. My biggest surprise was how little is really understood and/or confirmed by the medical establishment. The research is often lacking and the results are anything but conclusive. I realized by reading this book why our RE (Dr) choose not to give my wife fertility drugs during her IUI treatments. My wife would have preferred anything possible that would potentially improves our changes. It is ture that most Dr's seem to throw "everything they got" at patients, even though doing so can be potentially dangerous. This is really an enderlying theme in this book, in my opinion. Often, the success rates do not correlate and are subject to question themselves. The author, who has personal experience as a DES daughter, relates the medical experiments of the past to many of the current treatments, which are more experimental in nature than we know. In our desparate quest to have children, most doctors are caving in to the pressure and giving patients drugs and treatments which are not well understood. This was very interesting to read and should help me and my wife make better choices. Overall, I found this book to be a fresh look on fertility treatments ... not just the facts, but the whole story, which is rarely discussed outside the medical community.

Well - this is the first book about Infertility that I have ever purchased. And if more Infertility books are like this- I don't want 'em. It has made it hard for me to want to put any more money into buying a new infertility book. I just felt like the author was very negative toward the infertility specialist. Its a total "bash my doctor book- read all medical journals ever written because your just a guinea pig". Not the type of positive material I want in my home. If I could return it I would! I think I'll donate it to the wood stove this winter. It was too long it didn't keep my interest. I am undergoing infertility treatment and it just didn't seem very helpful!!! I mean lady quit whining about your mothers infertility treatment~ the doctors did the best they knew at the time and you are the miracle from there hard work!

I found this book to be the biggest waste of my time and money that any medicial book could be. I wouldn't have finished it, but I have to review it for a class. I chose this book because it looked like a fresh look at infertility. Now I realize she only has two points to make with this book. One, some treatments that infertile patients undergo have long term side effects. Two, there isn't much research to show the rate of "spontaneous" conceptions versus IVF and similar treatments. Would you like to be the control of that study? She hammers that people could get pregnant on their own if they tried longer. Nice thought, but if you to the put where you are considering IVF or GIFT, another 5 years is a long time. In addition to her research, I also found the writing to be poor. She used overly techinical language and writing when there was rarely a need.

I would recommend reading this book first before going to a fertility clinic. I am undergoing fertility treatment and have therefore looked at several books on fertility and none of them tell you the truth like this book does. At the clinics, very little was explained to me and the doctors seemed eager to prescribe drugs without explaining the risks of multiple pregnancies and cancer. Basically, this book explains that fertility treatments are experimental and that the long term effects may be harmful, i.e. the risks may outweigh the benefits. So a couple considering fertility treatment should be well-informed and the best place to begin is this excellent, well-written and informative book.