I always appreciate Dr. Gunter's ability to make dense medical information palatable for the non-medical consumer. I will always recommend her books to anyone wanting to do a deep dive regarding the health of people with vulvas. I am a medical student and I find her books to be easily digestible and very scientific, whilst being fun to read. I will always recommend her work and appreciate her expertise!

One critique of The Menopause Manifesto is that it is exclusively written for cis women, and doesn't mention the trans man or non binary experience of the same biological processes that cis women are experiencing. She touts inclusivity and I found it difficult to believe she wouldn't include anything about gender diverse folks, or even mention them.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley.

THIS BOOK! I cannot say enough about it and my admiration for Dr. Jen Gunter. This work has come at a very timely point in my life and I can say that there is very little information about Menopause for women and here we have been presented with an encyclopedia of information. Dr. Gunter presents facts and sorts through history and fiction with a friendly, easy to listen to tone. It felt like chatting with a friend, a friend who knows everything about a very important topic!

A few things stuck with me, one being that she is correct, there are a million books that are a right of passage for young ladies who enter puberty, but then a vacuum of books for women entering this next phase of life. Where are our fun tales? She is right, we don't all need to be relegated to a few tropes, mostly being 'out to pasture'.

It is glaringly obvious that I listened so carefully to her information because there is a lack of it in actual medical settings, this was a fountain of information.

I loved hearing the book read in Dr. Gunter's voice and being able to hear her caring and compassion as well as her anger and desire for change while listening to the audiobook. I was lucky to have both the physical book as well as the audiobook and I wish there was a site where people listening to the audio could see the phots and charts that accompany, as they would be missed. Having both was the perfect experience and I would recommend everyone add this book to their library!

ALL THE STARS!!

Dr. Gunter is a rockstar! She is never afraid to speak the truth and take on the quacks like Gwyneth Paltrow. Her writing is backed by a complete lack of embarrassment and a complete presence of science and truth.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary e-arc in exchange for my honest review..

First of all, I am going through menopause and felt I wasn’t sufficiently informed. First part of the book about the history of menopause and then the medical part were difficult to read. I admit to skipping some of it.I liked the fact that the author shared where research are nowadays and rejects most .of them.

My preferred part was on nutrition and supplements.

I was interested in finding out how hair and skin can be impacted by menopause but it was not covered in this book.

I would recommend this book only if you are considering hormone therapy. The book convinced me you can’t rely on anything but your doctor’s advice!

The Menopause Manifesto is a comprehensive look at the stage of life every woman goes through. The book has enormous value for someone who has not yet gone through menopause or is in the early stages peri-menopause and trying to sort out what is happening.
If you have read Dr. Gunter's The Vagina Bible, then you are already familiar with the author's feminist point of view. While I commend Dr. Gunter for being a voice and advocate for women, her constant repetition of the influence of patriarchy and the role of misogyny- not only in medicine, but in society as well - was distracting. I agree that medicine has not been kind and considerate to women and there are still gaping holes in the research and treatment of women's health, and it's important that Dr. Gunter point this out. Perhaps just a little bit less frequently.

The book is well-divided, making it easy to keep this on the shelf as a reference book. Part one discusses the history and physiology of menopause and gives readers a deep look into the reproductive system. Part two digs into the symptoms, what to expect and treatment options. It is in Part two that Dr. Gunter assures women that what you are experiencing is common, but not normal (that's the kind of feminism I can get behind). She encourages women to seek answers, even if that means finding a new provider.

Part three takes on therapy, hormones, diets and supplements. It's a balanced and in=depth look at treatment options with a great deal of medical terminology and a breakdown of the side effects from medications. Part four focusses on encouraging women to take charge of their own well-being and not silently suffer because we have heard the message that it's just menopause and we should accept it.

Overall, the book is highly technical and medical and I drifted off from time to time, completely lost and overwhelmed with the jargon. I would have liked to read more anecdotes about Dr. Gunter's own experience or from some of the women she has treated.

I found this book very interesting and accessible. I liked the conversational style and actually laughed out loud in a couple of places. I'm just approaching my menopause journey, and it's reassuring to read information about what to expect and how to handle it. I'll definitely recommend it to others!

Wow what a book! I have learnt so much from this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone going through menopause.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I love Dr Gunter, he first book, The Vagina Bible is on my book shelf. I love learning and even more so when the books relate to me as a female. I’m not currently in the menopause phase of my life; but knowing a little more about what I can expect in the coming years is helpful. Dr Gunter fills this book with so much knowledge regarding menopause. From the history of the name itself, to hot flashes, hormone therapy to diet. Learning about what your body is going through is so important. Dr Gunter encourages the reader to be their own advocate. She educates the reader, and relays her own person experience into the mix. I would definitely recommend this read, for those who will experience menopause in their lifetime. That extra bit of knowledge will be wildly helpful.

Dr Jen Gunter (OB-GYN, women’s health advocate, and internationally renowned author of The Vagina Bible) states in her introduction to The Menopause Manifesto that most women will approach menopause woefully unprepared for the changes they will encounter; societal shame dissuading women from even talking about their experiences among themselves. And as Western medicine has traditionally put most of its focus on men’s bodies and their care, women entering the menopause transition tend to not even get good information from their primary care providers: life-disrupting symptoms are dismissed as “normal” and “inevitable”; treatments offered are one size fit all; and in the US, ongoing cost and duration of medical care can be a deterrent for access. Gunter makes it very clear throughout this book that this lack of information and adequate care can be tied to the patriarchy, and she concludes the introduction with, “It shouldn’t require an act of feminism to know how your body works, but it does. And it seems there is no greater act of feminism than speaking up about a menopausal body in a patriarchal society.” The information that follows is clear and comprehensive, Gunter’s tone is generally informal and engaging, and although I picked this up on a bit of a whim, I’m very glad that I did: all information is power and I learned quite a lot.

An excellent reference guide for women over 40. Well explained and easy to read. I’ll definitely buy the paper copy once published. Thank you for this ARC.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is written in a very engaging way, with flashes of humour and lots of practical advice. There were many chapters that were dense with scientific facts, which I found myself less inclined to concentrate on when the chapter in question was not directly relevant to my personal circumstances. Fortunately each chapter ends with a 'Bottom Line' page, so that you can grasp an overview and move on.

This is an excellent resource, which I can imagine referring to months and years down the road. I would recommend buying a print copy - the tables and diagrams didn't work on my Kindle.