Female Fertility and the Body Fat Connection

This book lays out a fascinating analysis of the causal relationship between fatness and fertility, and it is undoubtedly a testament to the enduring power of the author's work that so many of the ideas in this book seem quite intuitive to me--I've grown up with these ideas generally accepted. The empirical analysis in the book is first-rate, and I found the population studies illuminating. My complaint, though, is the the incessant name-dropping and asides about where she was when data was found or a conclusion reached are almost unendurably tedious. I appreciate that she has a great deal of respect for her collaborators, and I certainly appreciate how difficult it must have been for a woman to propose a totally new hypothesis to the male-dominated medical community of the early 1970s, but that really belongs in her autobiography, not in a piece of analysis. The inclusion of these personal asides detracts from the otherwise dispassionate, analytical tone and distracts from her very interesting and really revolutionary ideas. I am, perhaps, too fussy as this is really my only complaint about the book. It is otherwise an elegant synopsis of 30 years of research and a helpful resource for those trying to conceive or generally interested in conception. But enough with the names and CVs.

This fascinating, intelligent book makes for quick reading and lots of thinking. I wish I'd discovered Rose Frisch a long time ago, as she explains some events of puberty that, had I understood them at the time, would have alarmed me far less. This was an encouraging, lively, and absorbing book. Hopefully it will help women struggling with infertilty and body image to get to the bottom of at least one area of potential misunderstanding. I've recommended this book to several friends and will continue to get the word out.

This is a wonderful informative book. It's an invaluable work for anyone who's looking to understand female fertility, and a great read too.