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Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation |  | Authors: Elissa Stein, Susan Kim
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Category: Book
List Price: $27.99
Buy New: $14.94
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Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 242516
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 288
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.1
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 7.2 x 1
ISBN: 031237996X
Dewey Decimal Number: 612.662
EAN: 9780312379964
ASIN: 031237996X
Publication Date: November 10, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In this hip, hilarious and truly eye-opening cultural history, menstruation is talked about as never before. Flow spans its fascinating, occasionally wacky and sometimes downright scary story: from mikvahs (ritual cleansing baths) to menopause, hysteria to hysterectomies—not to mention the Pill, cramps, the history of underwear, and the movie about puberty they showed you in 5th grade. Flow answers such questions as: What’s the point of getting a period? What did women do before pads and tampons? What about new drugs that promise to end periods—a hot idea or not? Sex during your period: gross or a turn-on? And what’s normal, anyway? With color reproductions of (campy) historical ads and early (excruciating) femcare devices, it also provides a fascinating (and mind-boggling) gallery of this complex, personal and uniquely female process. As irreverent as it is informative, Flow gives an everyday occurrence its true props - and eradicates the stigma placed on it for centuries. Elissa Stein’s most current publishing projects include NYC adventures with kids, interactive thank you notes, and visual histories of iconic pop culture—two of which were featured in Entertainment Weekly’s Must Have list. In addition to writing, she runs her own graphic design business. She lives in the West Village with her husband Jon and their children, Izzy and Jack.
Susan Kim wrote the stage adaptation of The Joy Luck Club and numerous one-act plays, which have been produced widely. She is an Writers Guild award-winning TV writer in documentary and children's programming, and has been nonimated five times for the Emmy. She teaches dramatic writing in the MFA program of Goddard College and lives in New York City with playwright Laurence Klavan. This hip, revealing cultural history discusses menstruation as it has never been discussed before. Flow spans its fascinating, occasionally wacky and sometimes downright scary story: from mikvahs (ritual cleansing baths) to menopause, hysteria to hysterectomies—not to mention the Pill, cramps, the history of underwear, and the movie about puberty they show in fifth grade.
Flow answers such questions as: What’s the point of getting a period? What did women do before pads and tampons? What about new drugs that promise to end periods—a hot idea or not? Sex during your period: gross or a turn-on? And what’s normal, anyway? With color reproductions of (campy) historical ads and early (excruciating) femcare devices, it also provides a fascinating (and mind-boggling) gallery of this complex, personal and uniquely female process.
As irreverent as it is informative, Flow provides a cultural context for an everyday occurrence, and challenges a centuries-old stigma. “Its contents, I found, are plainspoken—perhaps it will start chipping away at the taboo . . . the style is important and groundbreaking.”—The New Yorker
“In many ways, Flow is a breakthrough.”—Daily Beast
“Flow isn’t just a book; it’s a movement.”—January Magazine
“A witty look at the history of 'the nuisance' . . . for women of all agees. Who hasn’t wondered why we get a period, what women did before the invention of the tampon—let alone the pad. Flow explains all.”—Body And Soul Magazine
“Quite educational, while keeping you laughing. There are some amazing factoids in here . . . And the vintage ads are fab. Courteney Cox Arquette was the first person to say period in a commercial. I believe that Cybil Sheppard and Laurie Laughlin are in a few ads too. Did you know that the Hite Report didn't say anything about our periods?”—Viva La Feminista
“There is probably no better book for moms who want their daughters to respect themselves in every aspect . . . One can only ask Stein and Kim, 'What took you so long?’”—Booklist
"With wit, sarcasm, and common sense . . . the authors convey a great deal of information in an approachable and straightforward way . . . An entertaining and insightful book for women of all ages."—Library Journal
“Perfect for a preteen’s introduction to adulthood and for women of all ages, this is guaranteed to spark conversation about . . . whether this universal female experience is a blessing, a curse—or just part of life.”—Publishers Weekly
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 21
 Very interesting November 17, 2009
D.S. (new york, ny)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
My girlfriend bought this book and I decided to check it out. It was pretty fascinating for a guy like me to read about a subject that's really not too much talked about-- and the pictures and art were beautiful; definitely the kind of book to keep on display. I am a 41 year old male, possibly not the audience one might imagine for this book, but I think it was a great read, and kept me turning pages for hours.
Blessing or Curse? February 13, 2010
Mary Esterhammer-Fic (Chicago, IL United States)
14 out of 16 found this review helpful
This book is informative, disturbing, infuriating....and fun. The authors address the gamut of issues involving menstruation, from physiological causes/effects, to cultural taboos and traditions, social history and ethical concerns. The writing style at times is a little TOO breezy/chatty, but the illustrations (a lot of vintage advertisements for "femcare products") more than make up for that. Even though this book is packed with data, and offers a lot of food for thought, you can sail through it in one sitting. Even a casual reading will give you insights into this pivotal, and still largely hidden, aspect of women's lives. Some examples:
--References to menstruation are still largely euphemistic; the best one listed here is the Danish phrase, "The Communists are in the funhouse!"
--Way back in 1918, Sears, Roebuck used to sell vibrators. With attachments.
--Primates (like us) and some species of bats and shrews are the only mammals that really mentstruate.
--Lysol douches were popular from the 1920's until the 1960's. Lysol, which shares germicidal properties with carbolic acid, was a highly recommended treatment for "offensive" vaginal odors. This initiated a vicious cycle, so to speak: a self-conscious, but often healthy, woman would douche with Lysol and kill off normal flora (and scald her tissues), which would pave the way for bacterial/yeast infections, which WOULD cause an offensive odor, which would compel her to douche more often. Because an abnormal body odor in a normally clean person indicates an underlying problem, women who actually did have a raging infection only made matters worse with this frequent purging.
--Menstruating women have more nightmares, and erotic dreams, then when not menstruating. Plus, they can hold alcohol better. Good to know.
--Female sexual climax has historically been frowned upon (by men), but clitoral stimulation was often performed in a doctor's office to address "hysteria," during the 19th/early 20th Centuries. Kinda creepy, no?
--The independence that resulted when "femcare products" became available was a huge leap for women in society. This advance cannot be overstated.
--Big Pharma has a big stake in women's health: there are more than 500 PMU farms in the US, where thousands of mares are kept pregnant so that their urine can be processed for hormone replacement therapies. (The foals that result from these gravid horses are usually sold to pet food companies.) Newer drugs that can suppress menstruation are also huge moneymakers, although there isn't a lot of long-term research available on the effects of such hormonal manipulation.
--Religious authorities, especially in the West, tend to be really wigged out by the idea of menstruation (with the possible exception of Jesus Himself, who in Matthew 9:20-22 apparently cured a woman who suffered from menorraghia, or abnormally excessive flow).
--Some Orthodox Jews believe that if a menstruating woman walks between two men, one will drop dead. Sort of like a superpower.
I hope that, some day in the not-too-distant future, menstruation will no longer provoke feelings of disgust and revulsion in people who should know better. I also hope that more women will move beyond seeing it as a disease or a disability, but as an amazing, if not always comfortable, attribute of our gender.
This book gave me hope that I may one day realize my dream: to open a Moon Lodge for women who would appreciate taking a week off every month. It would be kind of like a high-end spa, somewhere in the mountains, with lots of delicious food, good books, cats, and no kids or men.
Except for Lars the masseur.
A Must-Read! November 16, 2009
Amanda ReCupido (NY)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Informative and funny, FLOW is a guide for all women who have had to sit through the requisite "growing up" videos in grade school and fuzzy advice from their mothers. I even learned a thing or two!
But aside from its educational value, the book puts a pop culture twist on this oft-taboo subject, making menstruation accessible and open to conversation. Plus, vintage ads! Who doesn't love vintage ads? A great conversation starter for all the women (and men!) in your life.
A groundbreaking book November 17, 2009
EricaL (NYC)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
This is a very interesting and informative book. Not for women solely, but for anyone interested in learning more about a subject that there's definitely a lot more to be learned about.
My boyfriend picked up my copy of this book and started rifling through it. "This is a really good book, I am going to read the whole thing," he said.
I agree, excellent book. Educational, fun, and also the book itself is coffee table ready in appearance. I definitely suggest checking this one out.
Amazing book with an important message, not just menstrual trivia! March 10, 2010
Mig (Houston, TX)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book is amazing. I read it cover to cover in about 2 weeks, and it only took that long because I teach full time and am in grad school. The main point of this book is that women's periods (and related processes such as menopause) have historically been viewed as dirty, wrong, or even diseased (this is not, of course when they're being ignored which also happens way too much), and such views have been used to explain and enforce why women are inferior, create feelings of shame and embarrassment, and make a LOT of money for various pharmaceutical and feminine care companies (often with little consideration of the affects on women's health or safety). However, the authors argue that these ideas (and the feelings they create in both women and men) are not only often outdated, wrong, and disturbing, but even possibly dangerous.
The information is the book was eye opening to say the least. I realized that many of the questions I had were shared by countless women, and I have a much better understanding of my body now. Many topics were addressed that I was not even aware of, and I have been studying this sort of thing for a while. I am so glad they talked about feminine care items, issues with mass produced items, and possible alternatives. Am I going to rush out and change how I do things? Probably not, but it's nice to have information that's current and presents both the positives and negatives. The amount of information in this book is astounding. On this basis alone, I have recommended it to every friend I have (even some of the men!). That the authors present this information with humor and honesty was very refreshing and kept me interested (this is not a dry, boring textbook!).
Is there an agenda in this book? YES! Arguably, there are several. Still, the most basic one, that women need to stop feeling dirty or embarrassed or ashamed, by a completely natural process which we pretty much all go through is one that I think almost every woman can support. The idea that women's needs should be addressed in a style that is most healthy for women (and maybe even the earth) instead of what will put the most money in the pockets of big companies is another one I think we can all get behind. Even the authors admit that some of the "pro-menstruation" stuff out there is a little much, but just because some of it is not your cup of tea is not a good enough reason to dismiss it all.
The authors lay all of the information to support their argument in a rather organized fashion, and the research seems pretty sound. There is a lot of information about historical views or actions, but most of them contribute to the overall point of the book. As mentioned, the humor is fun and keeps things moving. Some of the information was scary or infuriating, but in the "women need to know this is going on because it affects our health" way. A very little bit of it was down right icky, but again, mostly relevant and important. Overall, I would recommend to any woman to read (ok! at least skim) this book because I really feel there is a lot of truly important information here which I certainly have not found elsewhere. I highly suggest you read this book as I really cannot say enough good things about it.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 21
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