Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank
*Starred Review* Medical journalist Epstein notes that because medical men held viewing a living woman’s anatomy medically taboo, for millennia the field of gynecology has been and, to a certain extent, remains a quirky pas de deux of science and social mores, with a bit of superstition thrown in for additional complexity. Engagingly combining wit and wisdom, Epstein traces humanity’s relationship and obsession with its own reproduction, beginning back when it was popularly believed that a woman’s menstrual blood formed itself into a child. From ancient times, however, the primary goal has consistently been to produce offspring superior to previous generations, and that opened the door to superstition. To assure healthy babies, pregnant women have been variously directed to eat certain foods and abstain from others and add or give up certain herbs and/or exercise. Notions have changed depending on era, locale, and custom. As scientific advances enable more options for reproduction, however, the entire process becomes more ethically problematical than ever. Add the multiplicity of ubiquitous myths and superstitions that refuse to go away, and the gynecological marriage of science and society endures. Although it solves no problems, this is dynamic reading, to be sure. --Donna Chavez