Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC so that I could provide my opinion.

I requested this book because, while I wasn’t familiar with Tamsen Fadal, menopause affects half the population—yet it's still treated like a niche topic. Lately, it seems Gen X celebrity women have realized there’s a name (and a paycheck) to be made in this space (yes, GOOP, I’m looking at you). That said, I appreciated Fadal’s clear, accessible approach and her mention of reputable resources like menopause.org, a site more women (and doctors) need to know about.

As someone who became a fan of Dr. Jen Gunter after hearing questionable advice from OB/GYNs and bizarre claims in yoga classes, I value evidence-based guidance. Fadal doesn’t offer medical expertise, but she shares her personal experience and brings awareness to an often-ignored stage of life. I especially recommend that women familiarize themselves with perimenopause and menopause before 40, because I’ve had a coworker in her 30s describe symptoms that sound like early menopause.

A useful starting point in a space that needs more science, less snake oil.

This is such a handy guide for those just getting started with perimenopause or menopause. I learned a lot about what to expect as I get closer to the end, and what to expect afterward as well. I think it will find readership in our library so I will purchase for the collection.

A wonderful read!
Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Perimenopause can be overwhelming, especially when you are in the early stages and are not sure what the heck is going on with your body. Everything can seem to be going haywire at once.

This book takes a clear, simple approach to trying to name and tackle the many, MANY symptoms menopausal people experience. I found it really helpful to see the full list of all the things that one could expect. I also appreciated some of the practical elements, like a list of questions to bring to a doctor to start to address symptoms.

There are tips for diet, clothing, exercise, hormone therapies, brain exercises, etc. Not all of these will work for everyone. For instance, is the Mediterranean Diet the best/only diet for perimenopause? No, it's just a diet that has worked really well for the author, and for good reason. But you might have an alternative that's working for you. The value of the advice in the book is in giving some first steps and helping people generate some momentum toward dealing with symptoms--especially when brain fog/forgetfulness can amplify difficulties. Did I need advice on how to pick clothes? No. But someone experiencing stubborn weight gain for the first time in their life might need that. On the other hand, I only had a sketchy understanding of hormone therapies, and now I feel like I am conversant enough to follow up with questions to my doctor.

If you are beginning to experience perimenopause, or feel overwhelmed by the throes of it, this is a good place to start.

I found this book to be overflowing with easy to understand information. I like the casual tone of the writing and I felt that the author understood just what information I needed. I was grateful for this book.

I didn't really know what perimenopause was until recently - and Tamsen Fadal's book is a go to for anyone looking to learn more. She explains the oh-so-varied symptoms, what has worked for her and others, and gives practical tips - with her journey along the way.

The list of resources alone is worth it!

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC.

As someone on the cusp of menopause, I was interested to read "How to Menopause" by Tamsen Fadel. I was not aware of who Ms. Fadel is, so I looked on her website and found that she is "an Emmy Award-winning journalist, content creator, author, speaker and menopause advocate." Usually I look to medical doctors for health information, but I thought I would read this book with an open mind.

Fadel compiles current popular advice about menopause all in one book. She looks to menopause experts such as Dr. Mary Claire Haver and Dr. Lisa Mosconi for advice on how to navigate menopause. She also includes advice from fashion expert, Stacey London, and makeup expert, Bobbi Brown. She intersperses her own best practices and routines as well.

If you are looking for a book that includes current popular information in menopause books, this is the book for you. I found it lacking any new medical information, as I am aware of the current researched standard for addressing menopausal symptoms. It is nice though, to feel like you are not alone in your journey through menopause, and for that reason, I would recommend considering this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Balance for this advanced reader copy.

This was an interesting book that had a lot of information on menopause. Things one of the first books I have read about menopause and I found it to be really informative. I would definitely recommend it to someone who doesn’t have much knowledge going in. It was well laid out and easy to read. Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book.

I received an ARC from Netgalley. I was very pleased to see there was so much overlap between this book and other reputable books I have read, with some additional information included. Most of the nutritional information I had heard before. But the information about exercise was better than I had read in others, with some specific things to do for specific conditions. The clothing/hair care/makeup information was all new to me, and handled well, without apology for recommending higher priced brand in addition to ways to find good products in the basic drug store aisle.
I thought the information was organized well, and not overwritten.

This book automatically gets a nod from me because it answered some of my most pressing questions that I’ve had a difficult time finding in some other books 🙂

This goes into a lot of treatments - much on hormone replacement (and if you’ve read my past reviews on menopause books, you know that HRT is not something I’m personally interested in. For example, chapter 4 “Help is on the way, hormonal and nonhormonal approaches” - the majority is dedicated to hormonal treatment and the very, very end of the chapter is non-hormonal - but the suggestions are much less lauded than HRT and not a word about mindfulness but you do get suggestions for antidepressants - I didn’t love this aspect of the book.

I would have liked to see some more holistic and non-medicine suggestions.

Recommended for potentially answering some questions but with the caveat that if you’re looking for a more natural approach, this isn’t going to be it. I’d suggest borrowing this from the library to see if it suits your wants/needs before purchasing.



Thank you to Balance and NetGalley for the DRC