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kevin_shepherd's review against another edition
5.0
This book needs illustrations! You can't scrutinize and analyze and critique the geography of the vagina (chapter 4) without providing visual aids to those of us who don't possess one or haven't sighted one in... well... a long time. You might as well be talking about the album cover of Sgt. Pepper - yes I vaguely remember the layout, no I don't recall exactly where Ringo was standing.
That said, Angier doesn't just explain female physiology, she celebrates it. Loudly. Intelligently. Frankly. This is no college textbook, but maybe it should be. Women 101, freshman syllabus, M-W-F, 9am - noon.
And it's not just physiology, it's also biology, psychology, anthropology, sociology, chemistry, and primatology. (I laughed rather loudly at the labeling of the rhesus monkey's capacity for social compromise as "rhesus peaces"). Science geek nirvana.
Speaking as a man, I was humbled and sometimes horrified. For all the splendor and beauty of the female body, there is a lot there that can go wrong. Even when it goes right it's still messy and complicated. A nice place to visit, but I would not want to live there.
That said, Angier doesn't just explain female physiology, she celebrates it. Loudly. Intelligently. Frankly. This is no college textbook, but maybe it should be. Women 101, freshman syllabus, M-W-F, 9am - noon.
And it's not just physiology, it's also biology, psychology, anthropology, sociology, chemistry, and primatology. (I laughed rather loudly at the labeling of the rhesus monkey's capacity for social compromise as "rhesus peaces"). Science geek nirvana.
Speaking as a man, I was humbled and sometimes horrified. For all the splendor and beauty of the female body, there is a lot there that can go wrong. Even when it goes right it's still messy and complicated. A nice place to visit, but I would not want to live there.
sidewriter's review against another edition
5.0
Glorious. Nobody has a command of language like Natalie Angier. She’s like a master chef who peppers her prep with knife tricks and tosses, not because they’re necessary, but because they are so easy and fun for her. It seems like every paragraph has a linguistic gem, and that’s just frosting on the already amazing content. This book is thorough, fascinating, and an absolute joy to read.
(Previous review: I'm halfway through and have been reading it for a year. I don't know what's taking so long because it is glorious. I think it should be required reading in Health classes in high school. =))
(Previous review: I'm halfway through and have been reading it for a year. I don't know what's taking so long because it is glorious. I think it should be required reading in Health classes in high school. =))
keepyourchinnup's review against another edition
reading this for a class, but surprisingly interesting and candid so far.