Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation

I borrowed this book (by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim) from a friend, who said she enjoyed it, I might enjoy it but I also might take umbrage at some things written in it.

It's true. I enjoyed the history, quirky cheesecake ads from the 1930's onwards, but I really took issue with the sneering, "Well, for some women periods are a big deal. For us, world peace is a big deal." tone. The book is well written with a ton of pop culture references, and an exhaustively researched history. The layout was a little confusing as the headings seemed to be a bit arbitrary--history, wacky things you didn't know, dangerous things about tampons, wacky people and their menstrual-obssesions at the end. They also seemed extremely dismissive about women who just don't want periods. gasp! How unnatural! What about the environment, the moons and Mother Earth? She would want you to have periods!

Yeah I am exaggerating a bit, but seriously? There are women out there (present company included) who do.not.need.them. Ever. Since the switch to Seasonale (Thank you big Pharma, you saved my life!) I have been the happiest girl around. That time of the month? Nope, more like maybe that time of the year! Making the switch was the single most empowering thing I could have ever done, not harness myself to the extreme pain and misery of the 'being a woman' bullshit. I would have rather been a man, but I digress...

Also, they ramble on about homeopathic cures, natural cures, the cure-all of 'exercise' (yeah, tell that to the woman who vomits she is in so much pain. huh.) and then alienate the period-less woman by saying, ''oh yeah, they have it bad sometimes." Dismissive much?

And they also manage to alienate the 'Earth Mother' types that write menstrual poetry, or paint pictures of uterii, or create uterus pincusions or whatever. They consider them over the top and odd...

In conclusion: Ads and text of the historical contexts are awesome. Fun book to read on that pretext, and very very interesting. Women have been prejudiced against and oppressed because of their bodies forever.
Not so good: Holier-than-thou about women who simply refuse to be taken hostage by their bodies, by the Nature Woman expectations. Some of us didn't ask for this and won't put up for it. If a man had to deal with this, the world would stand still.