Category Archives: book review

Witches, Midwives, and Nurses by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English

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I read Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A History of Women Healers, by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English, for my book project, but ended up reading it like one of my recreational reads, so I’m including it here. In my opinion, this is a book that should still be taught in medical classes to this day. Although it was originally published in 1973, this brief history–and the justified rage–are still relevant and important for everyone to understand to this today.

The long history of the witch trials are placed in context next to how babies came to be delivered (mostly by men) in modern medicine. The history is portrayed as a hostile takeover. While science improved some aspects of maternal medicine, the losses and violations from extracting women from childbirth seemed to exceeded any sense of progress.

This book, sometimes referred to as a “pamphlet,” is a kind of manifesto that offers a scathing, but not inaccurate account of the history of sexism in medicine.

Fleishman Is in Trouble

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Awhile back, everyone was raving about the show Fleishman Is in Trouble, and I meant to watch it, but never got the chance. So, when I saw the book, Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Anker, I decided to read it, and I’m so glad I did.

This was an excellent book–one of those human dramas that had great character building and, well, drama. I found the book to be real, intense, and human. It is a very “peoply” book, meaning that it is all people, and characters, and dialogue all the time, and normally that kind of wears me out, but in this case, I could handle it.

As you know, I’ve read a few popular titles in the past year, and this one has much more literary merit that your typical piece of pop fiction. All of that said, it is possible that this book is not for you, but I think you’ll know that immediately upon reading the blurb. If you do read it, and you’re intrigued, go grab this book, and tell me what you think!

And now, I really need to go back and watch the show!

Self Care by Leigh Stein

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Self Care by Leigh Stein is a scathing, scathing cultural critique. I really enjoyed it, and I think you will too. On one hand, this novel functions as a plot driven story, with some interpersonal insights, relationships, and drama throughout, and a plot that moves along nicely. However, on the other hand, it also working on the level of cultural critique in a way that is deeply insightful. I have not read such a wise critique of women and social media ever.

The characters are, on every level and in every action, hashtag influenced. These women are smart, insightful, and good at their jobs, but, much like Stein’s own social media account (which I thoroughly enjoy), it is sometimes unclear if we’re working in a real life drama or a comedic cultural critique. As for the social media account, it is clearer (to me) that Stein is working in satire, but in the book, Self Care, it is not so obvious. The actions and beliefs of many of the characters will be funny/ridiculous to most readers (and also sad and tragic), but the main characters seem to be fully and unironically immersed in the work and the drama.

I do not say this often, but I think this novel would work well in a college class. It is light, and entertaining, and very readable, but the themes are so very relevant to the feminist and the contemporary human experience. Go read it, and let me know what you think!

Separation Anxiety by Laura Zigman

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My second real “pop” book of this year, after Modern Lovers, is Separation Anxiety by Laura Zigman. If I recall, I found this book referenced on Instagram, I added it to my Libby list, and, lo and behold, had time for it when my turn came up on the app. This is a summer read? A beach read? I’m not really sure of the genre, but as popular books go, it was pretty good, had some good depth, unexpected twists, and the writing was solid.

I found the main character to be a little too cold, shutdown, and removed in a way that did not feel like great “main character energy,” but the rest was pretty good. I also found the conflict between the central couple to be a bit unrealistic. The guy seems…pretty decent actually. So, why is the main character so repulsed by him? Why are they separating? The reason is stated, but never quite believable. I think there’s sort of an East Coast cultural difference may be at play here.

I appreciated the themes and the artful movement through scenes and the way Zigman built clear, and direct meaning throughout. I found some of the concepts to be repulsive, but in the end, none of it was gratuitous. I don’t think it is a spoiler to share that the main character begins wearing her dog in a baby sling, and, honestly, at the end, I’m still not sure if I should be concerned for this fictional dog’s wellbeing. And there’s more of the same throughout.

The Way of Integrity by Martha Beck

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The Way of Integrity by Martha Beck was another “Oprah pick” that I listened to via audiobook. In it, Beck uses the framework of Dante’s Inferno to organize her own self help book. I have noticed this method with the other self help books, and, as a framework, my critique is…okay, fine, why not?

The book is full of examples from life coach clients and Inferno, but the strongest moments are when she writes about her own life and her own experiences. I have not read her other works, but it sounds like she’s written extensively about her personal life, so maybe that’s why it does not figure more prominently in this book. Even still, I would have loved to learn more about her own experiences, and how she continues to wrestle with, or overcome her own problems.

Interestingly, she writes about important issues in her own life, issues that sound incredibly difficult to navigate, but she writes about these issues with a calm, removed, even cool, understanding. Calmness is important and helpful and helps convey that she has resolved these difficult issues–she has processed them and moved on. However, sometimes her tone is even sort of droll and eye-rolly about her own painful experiences. I do not blame her for not writing about the stuff that is not entirely healed and processed. Not at all. Don’t do it. However, I would like to hear a bit more of navigating challenges during the process, while the thing is still “in process.” Just a thought. Maybe she’ll do that. Maybe someone else will.

Overall, Beck seems skills at quickly assessing and distilling people’s issues into manageable work that can be healed and overcome. That’s nice. That’s hopeful.

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink

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(Yes, audiobooks have entered the chat.) I recently finished When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink. This was an interesting book that was full of tidbits all loosely connected to the idea of timing. Pink pulls from every imaginable study on timing and presents them in the book, adding lots of his own examples and anecdotes.

While some will call this a kind of pseudoscience and others may find the content to be too broad or too common, I think Pink balances enough really interesting information on timing throughout to engage readers. I have already found myself sharing anecdotes from the book in the days since I finished it.

I think I might also be feeling some “life-hacking” or “bio-hacking” fatigue lately and sometimes just want to “let the soft animal of my body love what it loves.” However, I have to admit that in the past, I’ve known and used some of the tactics he mentions in the book, and there has definitely been a benefit. I think it’s worth the read, especially if you’re on an uptick in life and feeling motivated to improve.

Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss

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Next up in my series in the self-help genre was Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss. I have read, or skimmed (or was supposed to read?) Myss in the past–I can’t quite remember–but either way, this book was familiar. In it, Myss compares the Eastern concept of the seven chakras to the Catholic concept of the seven sacraments.

Peronally, I am much more familiar with the chakras than I am with the seven sacratments. But, based on my limited understanding, I thought the comparison was often clunky, especially in regards to the first three chakras and first of the seven sacraments. Sure, both are seven, and sure, seven is considered a sacred number across many traditions, but beyond that, the comparisons often felt like a stretch.

Myss, like many of the gurus in The Wisdom of Sundays, has to hedged her integration of an Eastern tradition into her practice or theory. I find this kind of hedging to be kind of sad and frustrating. On one hand, it can dumb down the content, and on the other hand, I am just baffled and disappointed about what this says about society’s ability to hold on to complex and/or competing ideas. Still, I suppose these baby steps are necessary. Either way, while I was sometimes weary of Myss’s use of Christianity as a foundation for the philosophies in ways that did not feel productive, I still found a lot of wisdom in her words. There are many nuggets of truth to be had here.

The Wisdom of Sundays by Oprah Winfrey

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Next in the line up for self-help was more from Oprah: The Wisdom of Sundays. Similarly to The Path Made Clear, this book included excerpts and insights from Oprah’s interviewees.

As one might imagine from the title (Sundays), this book was heavy influenced by religion, mostly Christianity. However, I think other readers have something to gain from it because the interviewees (and Oprah) frequently refer to a sense of spirituality that will resonate with most audiences.

Interestingly, most of the interviewees shared a narrative of a big transformation, some moment, a stroke of insight, a miracle occurring, which is such a part of the Christian tradition (and probably others) that I had a hard time taking it seriously as anything other than a trope. I wanted to hear more about the gurus who gained enlightenment after a slow and steady path. These are the stories that feel most realistic to me.

That said, I have also had big, transformational moments in my life too. Haven’t we all? And there is a lot to learn from those moments too, and they are certainly more entertaining to read about.

The Path Made Clear by Oprah Winfrey

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Recently I’ve read several very digestible self-help books, so I’m going to do a few quick write ups for each. Before I do so, I want to say that I am very picky about this genre. There is a lot of crap out there that is not only just bad or ineffective, but is actually actively harmful, but is disguised as “help.” I won’t mention names, but a big breakthrough book came out in this genre with a catchy title, and I tried to read it twice and had to stop. It was horrible and harmful, imho.

The first in the series of self-help that I thought actually had some gems was The Path Made Clear by Oprah Winfrey. In audio form, this reads like a Ted Talk, with excerpts from interviews with Oprah, which captures the deepest and most poignant insights.

In this book, interviewees, along with Oprah, share insights as to how one can best find and follow one’s path. I think the principles apply broadly and are helpful, no matter the circumstances in which one might find one’s self. However, I did find myself wondering about manic illnesses, where people make big, life changing decisions/actions as symptomatic of their illness more so than as truly following their own paths.

Many of the interviewees describe big moments, events, or deep, sudden senses of knowing that caused them to make big changes to their lives. There are few, if any, examples in the book of these gurus making small and incremental changes over long periods of time to more fully express their own life paths. However, most of my successes have been the slow and steady kind. Yes, I’ve had sudden aha moments about the direction of my life, but even these were part of a clear trajectory. I think this book could be harmful for those who are prone to self-sabotage, self-destruction, or the like. For everyone else, the book is full of great reminders on how to follow one’s bliss and live life to the fullest and get outside the expectations of others and culture.

Challenging Pregnancy: A Journey Through the Politics of Science of Healthcare in America by Genevieve Grabman

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I don’t normally include the scholarship I read for work here on my book list, but this one had an engaging narrative, a strong argument woven throughout, and I read it all the way through. In Challenging Pregnancy: A Journey Through the Politics and Science of Healthcare in America, Genevieve Grabman writes about her experience being pregnant with and birthing twins in the US healthcare system.

In the book, Grabman effectively argues that the the care she needed, received, but was sometimes was denied was often influenced more by politics than by her own medical needs. Anti-abortion sentiment filtered in to most aspects of her healthcare in a way that deprived her of choice and even sometimes put her in danger. Or put one or both of her babies in danger. Or put all three in danger. This is an important, but dark read that will have female readers thinking hard about the risks of becoming pregnant during such a hostile time for women’s (reproductive) rights, when choices about women’s bodies are placed in the hands of politicians and influenced review boards more than the expert doctors and wishes and preferences of the pregnant person.