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This is a simply wonderful book!
What can I say, having lived and struggled and finally come to terms with infertility; this book is flat out wonderful.I only wish it had been available 15 years ago!With incredible sensitivity, insight, and compassion Diamond/Diamond and Jaffe have created a reference work for both the lay public and professionals whose life work or lives cope and live with reproductive problems and their consequences.Unsung Lullabies is also a moving and illuminating "read" for those of us who are blessed with children, be they of our own making or adopted; fostered or cared for. Get it, read it, and grow; for it will open your eyes to parenting on a whole new level.Our world needs more inspiration like this.Bravo to the Diamonds and Jaffe for a terrific first book. ... Read more

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Feminists have long been divided on the issues raised by reproductive technologies. Are contraception, assisted conception, and antenatal intervention a source of liberation? Should they be rejected as anti-natural and anti-women? Or are these types of technological interventions merely another area where freedom of choice should be gender neutral? Based in part on her activist work in the United States, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, author Nancy Lublin focuses on the core principles of feminist theory and offers a new framework for creating public policy and social change in the name of gender justice. ... Read more

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intelligent overview of microcasm of fem theory
lublin scrunches feminist theory into several smart, neat chapters while commenting on reproductive politics. i enjoyed reading it--especially the footnotes.very meaty footnotes. ... Read more

Book Description

Reproductive Medicine Secrets covers all practical aspects of reproductive medicine with particular focus on the rapidly expanding field of assisted reproduction technology, male infertility evaluation and treatment. With the tremendous advances in assisted reproductive technology and management in male and female reproductive disorders witnessed in recent years, reproductive medicine is considered the most rapidly expanding field of medicine in this past decade. New concepts regarding various reproductive disorders have continued to evolve and treatment strategies continued to be developed. Complemented with the increasing awareness of the availability of such treatments, there is currently an enormous increase in the volume of patients demanding infertility evaluation and management. Hence physicians currently in practice or in training have an existing and urgent demand for state-of-the-art knowledge on reproductive medicine. ... Read more

Book Description

New reproductive technologies, such as in vitro fertilization, have been the subject of intense public discussion and debate worldwide. In addition to difficult ethical, moral, personal and political questions, new technologies of assisted conception also raise novel socio-cultural dilemmas. How are parenthood, kinship and procreation being redefined in the context of new reproductive technologies? Has reproductive choice become part of consumer culture?

Embodied Progress offers a unique perspective on these and other cultural dimensions of assisted conception techniques. Based on ethnographic research in Britain, this study foregrounds the experiences of women and couples who undergo uvf, while also asking how such experiences may be variously understood. ... Read more

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Andrology is a decidedly interdisciplinary field in which several specialities participate. Accordingly, this volume is addressed to all concerned with male reproductive health: Andrologists, gynecologists, urologists, internists, endocrinologists, dermatologists, basic researchers. The volume comprises basic science as well as clinical andrology and includes chapters on:Biology of reproduction, testicular function, sperm maturation and fertilization, endocrinology of the male, environmental factors, psychology, senescence, contraception; as well as chapters on the diagnosis and therapy of andrological diseases including: Infertility, hypogonadism, assisted reproduction: ICSI and TESE, therapy with testosterone, erectile dysfunction. ... Read more

Book Description

In The Facts of Life, Harold Morowitz and James Trefil, two distinguished scientists and science writers, examine what modern biology can contribute to our understanding of the abortion debate. Sensitive to the myriad ethical and religious arguments beyond the realm of science that swirl around abortion, the authors focus on one crucial question--when does a fetus acquire "humanness," that quality that sets us apart from all other living things. While humans are linked via cell structure and cell chemistry with all life on our planet--from monkeys to fruit flys to pumpkins--it is the human brain structure which makes us who we are. Reviewing the latest advances in molecular biology, evolutionary biology, embryology, neurophysiology, and neonatology--fields that all bear on this question--the authors reveal a surprising consensus of scientific opinion; that humanness begins around the twenty-forth week of gestation when connections needed for brain function are finally made. A fascinating inquiry, moving across various scientific disciplines, The Facts of Life makes a valuable contribution to the continuing abortion controversy, and offers a fascinating glimpse of what makes us uniquely human. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Facts the Pro-Life side needs but will ignor
Morowitz and Trefil (M&T I shall call them), two teachers at Geo Mason Univ started this short monograph as a friend of the court brief for one of the many abortion cases to reach the Supreme Court, so that the justices might have scientifically accurate and factual information to work with in some of their decisions. When Justice O'Connor made her famous statement to the effect that Roe v. Wade was a decision which was being overtaken by scientific advances in neonatology which were making survival of ever more immature infants possible, she did not have available reliable information of the sort M&T have put forth in this small gem of a book. I have been involved in providing abortion in my Ob/Gyn practice for a very long time and have made a serious and ongoing effort to educate both the public and my medical colleagues about the abortion controversy since 1984. One of the most difficult things for the average layperson, and even for physicians, to get a handle on has been exactly why 24 weeks gestational age of the fetus should make such a difference in the abortion debate. M&T have done everyone except for the militant anti-abortion fundamentalists a tremendous service by bringing together most of the scientific knowledge which bears on fetal development as it pertains to the higher functons of the central nervous system and newborn survival. As they state in the introduction to The Facts of Life, while the two sides in the abortion controversy will never admit to the validity of the conclusions drawn by the other side, we should at least have accurate information upon which to draw those conclusions. Morowitz and Trefil had done us a true service by providing much valuable information. wfh

Science Versus Conservative Christian Assertions
I see that a conservative Christian discovered the book, or this reference to it, and was afraid of what they encountered. Unfortunately for him, or her, this book is valuable precisely because it reveals the gaping fallacies in the antiabortion argument, and how its so-called "natural law" theory falls afoul of empirical verification of embryological development, which they always selectively cite. Pro-choice readers, buy this book!! I

a scientific attempt to distort the quality of life
In brief, the following book tends back the pro-choice movement with cheap opinionated evidence of science. It attempts to supersede Gods law, and replace it with mans law. Additionally, the book conveys a grave an immoral message to its readers.Contrary to natural law, it states that by petty scientific proof, society can determine whether a fetus is human or not. Obviously, this book chooses to disregard Gods message-"It is immoral to produce HUMAN embyros intended for exploitation as disposable biological material". Not only is it futile to misinterpet the above, but it is simply a crime for pro-murderous writers to generate wimpy, relitivistic propoganda intended to distort the human race.

Rigorous Scientfic Defence of Reproductive Choice
This book is one of the classics of the modern pro-choice movement, and ranks alongside Petchesky's socialist-humanist philosophical defence of reproductive freedom, and Beverly Harrison's pro-choice theological dissection of anti-abortion moral and theological premises. Trefil and Morowitz argue that anti-abortionists are seriously scientifically flawed in their argument that prenatal development is autonomous and independent from women's bodies and social context, and do so in a rigorous manner. This book is a must-have for any informed pro-choice reader, although no amount of critical scientific detail can convince the neo-Aristotleans of the anti-abortion movement. ... Read more

Book Description

Thoroughly revised and updated, the second edition of the popular gynecology reference, OPERATIVE GYNECOLOGY, includes comprehensive coverage of current technologies such as laser procedures, techniques in tubal surgery, and surgical aspects of reproductive technologies. Organized according to the conventional division of benign gynecology, reproductive endocrinology, and gynecologic oncology, this edition contains even more clear illustrations and detailed photographs of operative procedures. ... Read more

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It is well known that estrogen is "somehow" a protective hormone for various age-related disorders. This book provides a solid knowledge of estrogen's neuroprotective activities in the brain with a special emphasis on neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease. The focus is (1) to describe the biochemical, molecular, and cellular basis of the protective activity of estrogen and (2) to transfer this knowledge into the hospitals by discussing preventive and therapeutic approaches such as estrogen replacement therapy for post-menopausal women. Besides up-to-date information on estrogen and the brain, this book explains in a highly understandable manner molecular and cellular techniques by which basic data have been collected. The reader, which may include the professional specialist as well as the interested non-specialist, will also gain insight into the scientific transfer process of knowledge from basic science to the clinical situation and, therefore "from bench to bed". ... Read more

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Advances in technique and instrumentation have led to the inception of the cutting-edge method known as microlaparoscopy. Traditional open procedures can now be performed through minimally invasive surgery while the patient is under local anesthesia with conscious sedation. Microlaparoscopy is an essential instructional guidebook for any gynecologist or general surgeon wishing to perform laparoscopic surgery today in a minimally invasive and cost-effective manner. This important book is a detailed construction of all aspects of microlaparoscopy, including diagnostic and operative procedures under local anesthesia. By serving as an instructional tool. Microlaparoscopy is invaluable to clinicians who have not yet performed microlaparoscopy and a key reference to those who are experienced with the procedure. Microlaparoscopy includes:
* The utility of minimally invasive techniques in conscious pain mapping
* Evaluation and treatment of infertility and assisted reproductive technology
* Historic concepts revisited to broaden the scope of understanding for the surgeon
* The distinction between operations appropriate for office surgery and those of greater surgical complexity
Microlaparoscopy presents meticulous detail on subjects ranging from basic equipment and instrument needs to analgesics, anesthetics, and safety precautions. Additionally, the author describes ways of providing compassionate patient care in pre-and post-op stages. An expert in the field and a pioneer of some of the techniques described. Dr. Almeida clearly explains the vital place of microlaparoscopy in modern gynecologic care. ... Read more

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Microlaparoscopy
This innovative, cutting-edge book is the first textbook totally devotedto microlaparoscopy, a minimally invasive surgical technique utilized ingynecologic as well as general surgery. The text is well written andprovides basic as well as advanced information for the laparoscopicsurgeon. It is a must for the medical library. ... Read more

Book Description

Humanpopulation growth has long been a topic of uncertainty, speculation, and spirited debate. Since the early 1800s, when the English economist Thomas Malthus predicted that population will increase faster than the food supply, with catastrophic results, human beings have grappled with the specter - and the realities - of unsustainable population growth. Today, even as fertility rates decline on a global scale, explosive increases in population threaten to destabilize entire regions of the world. No single individual has contributed more to our understanding of human population than Sheldon J. Segal has. Developer of Norplant and a pioneer of contraceptive research, Segal has orchestrated the international clinical trials of every new contraceptive in the last quarter century. In this volume, the cornerstone of a unique career, Segal draws on his accumulated wisdom and experience to examine every aspect of human reproduction, population, and contraception. Tracing the changes effected by both social engineering, as with China's enforced "one child" family planning, and galloping scientific advances, the book recounts the logistical and political dilemmas of population control. As we follow Segal from meetings with heads of state and foreign ministers through to his impassioned, grass-roots efforts to secure suitable funds for impoverished countries, we gain a behind-the-scenes perspective on how individuals and nations juggle humanitarian and scientific concerns with political agendas.Informed at every turn by Segal's keen intelligence and humane values, Population and The Banyan Tree skillfully blends engaging narrative with history and analysis, providing a dramatic and all-encompassing portrait of this most elemental of human concerns. ... Read more

Book Description

Infertility: A Crossroad of Faith, Medicine, and Technology brings together a diverse group of clinicians, theologians, and philosophers to examine the use of reproductive technologies in the light of the Roman Catholic moral tradition and recent teaching. The book provides relevant background information (e.g. Donum Vitae from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) as it explores the psychological, social, legal, and moral contexts of reproductive medicine.This book is Volume 3 of Catholic Studies in Bioethics in the series Philosophy and Medicine. ... Read more

Book Description

In Medicines of the Soul, the autobiographical writings of three leading women in today's Islamic revival movement reveal dramatic stories of religious transformation. As interpreted by Fedwa Malti-Douglas, the autobiographies provide a powerful, groundbreaking portrayal of gender, religion, and discourses of the body in Arabo-Islamic culture. At the center of each story is a lively female Islamic spirituality that questions secular hierarchies while reaffirming patriarchal ones. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is one of the original books in the Your Questions Answered (YQA) series. It serves as a primary source of information about reversible methods of contraception. Written in an informal - and yet highly informative - question-and-answer style, it represents a dialogue between general practitioner (asking the questions) and reproductive health specialist (providing the answers). As for all YQAs, the main aim of the book is to give practical guidance to busy clinicians when they are faced with patients who wants help with a health problem - for this book, the questions pertain to choosing and using the best means of controlling fertility. Most chapters conclude with questions frequently asked by patient - the answers to which can be very difficult for the unprepared and busy clinician to improvise 'on the spot' in the surgery.

*Popular question and answer format
*Practical focus
*Detailed consideration of reversible birth control technology ... Read more

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An essential guide for health care professionals.
This is a question and answer book. It is not easy to read as a narrative but is excellent for a problem solving approach. As a General Practitioner, I use this book several times each week. It is probably a good reference book for the non-professional to use if they want more information about contraception.

There is a new edition arriving soon... ... Read more

Book Description

In this, our Second Edition of Reproduction in Mammals, we are responding to numerous requests for a more up-to-date and rather more detailed treatment of the subject. The First Edition was accorded an excellent reception, but the first five books were written ten years ago and inevitably there have been advances on many fronts since then. As before, the manner of presentation is intended to make the subject matter interesting to read and readily comprehensible to undergraduates in the biological sciences, and yet with sufficient depth to provide a valued source of information to graduates engaged in both teaching and research. Our authors have been selected from among the best known in their respective fields. This volume discusses the manifold ways in which hormones control the reproductive processes in male and female mammals. The hypothalamus regulates both the anterior and posterior pituitary glands, whilst the pineal can exert a modulating influence on the hypothalamus. The pituitary gonadotrophins regulate the endocrine and gametogenic activities of the gonads, and there are important local feedback effects of hormones within the gonads themselves. Non-pregnant females display many different types of oestrous or menstrual cycles, and there are likewise great species differences in the endocrinology of pregnancy. But the hallmark of mammals is lactation, and this also exerts a major control on subsequent reproductive activity. ... Read more

Book Description

Nearly 900 questions enable readers to test and hone their knowledge of the complete range of female reproductive malignancies. For each question, a correct answer and rationale is provided—as well as specific page references to a major textbook, so it’s easy for readers to find more in-depth information. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Not really for young children
I don't recommend it for young children. I don't really recommend it at all. The graphics are "70s-ish" and the storyline is boring for a child. There's a lot of talk about sex and love and whether or not the mommy and daddy like sex. The books contains mild drawings of a mommy with a baby growing in her belly. It's not a controversial book, I just didn't care for it - I think the cartoon on the cover led me to believe it was appropriate for young children. My daughter never wants to read it and frankly, neither do I.

Good for the first talk
I used this book to help explain to my 8-year-old how babies are born. The pictures are drawn in color, and easy for children to understand. The words are also easy to understand. The book does not go into details about menstruation. It basically says that when a mommy and a daddy love each other, they have a special hug (which is described, in the basic mechanics) and that this hug is how they make a baby. They also show how the baby grows inside of the mommy. It is good for giving the basic background and openning the lines of communication. I plan to use it with my other two children, when they are about 8.

COMPLETELY WRONG!
This pathetic and inaccurate myth of fluid exchange has been prevalent in our society for far too long! Anyone with half a brain should be aware that it is in fact not we who create babies but GOD! And that is what children need to be learning - not these half-cocked, wild theories of fleshy intercourse. Not only are these theories disturbing and misguided, but unsanitary to say the least.

May god have mercy on your soul.

Finally, proof that I really was a child!
My girlfriend swears to God that I have no childhood memories or nostalgia of any sort, so I got to thinking of my childhood, and this came to mind. I read this book as a kid, when neither of my parents could muster up the courage to talk to me about birth and sex. I remember really liking it, probably because it pulled few punches: I don't know what I'd have thought of a daddy's "little red wagon" parking in mommy's "station," ya know?

Well, one check to Amazon later, and glory be! If I can order it, I will, just to say I have it again. It'd make for quite the conversation piece--plus, I wanna see if my Mom remembers it too.

It makes me wonder what an updated 2002 version of the baby-making talk would go: "When a mommy loves a mommy very much, they hire a stranger, or a friend, or any other male, to donate their sperm to one of the mommy's, who then proceeds to have a little baby of their own." Almost makes me wanna be an author, actually.

Great book!
My daughter read it when she was 5. Although she thought there were "yucky" parts (the pages describing intercourse) she reread it to her friends omiting the yucky parts because she thought the pregnancy and birth parts were just great. It's the type of book I'd suggest for parents who want to put the whole "sex experience" in the context of a loving family relationship. If you loved "Where did I come from" you probably won't like this book. If you thought "where..." was not "serious" enough, you'll probably like this one a lot. ... Read more