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eBook/Digital Version available from:
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Score: 76 |
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| Menopause: A Comic Treatment |
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ISBN: 978-0-271-08712-2,
144 pages,
Hard Cover ISBN-10: 0-271-08712-9 |
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| Copyright: |
2020 |
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| Edition: |
1st |
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| Editor: |
Czerwiec, MK |
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Specialties:
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Family Medicine
, Obstetrics & Gynecology
, Maternal/Child |
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| Publisher: |
Penn State University Press |
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| Series Title: |
Graphic Medicine |
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| List Price: |
$29.95 |
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| Google: |
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At A Glance
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Like so many other issues surrounding women?s reproductive health, menopause has been treated as a cultural taboo. On the rare occasions that menopausal and perimenopausal women are depicted in popular culture, they are stereotypically cast as the butt of demeaning jokes that encourage us to laugh at their deteriorating bodies and emotional volatility. The result is that women facing menopause often feel isolated and ashamed. In a spirit of community and support, this collection of comics presents a different view of menopause that enables those experiencing it to be seen and to feel empowered. Balancing levity with sincerity, these comics unapologetically depict menopause and all its attendant symptoms, from hot flashes and vaginal dryness to forgetfulness, social stigma, anxiety, and shame. Created from a variety of perspectives, they represent a range of life experiences, ages, gender identities, ethnicities, and health conditions. The common thread uniting these stories is the affirmation that, while we can and should laugh at ourselves, no one should be ashamed of menopause. The comics in this book encourage us to share our experiences and to support one another, and ourselves, through self-care and community. Featuring works by a host of pioneering and up-and-coming comics artists, Menopause is a perfect foil to the simplistic, cheap-joke approach society at large has taken to this much-derided women?s health issue. Readers will revel in the sly humor and universal truths found here. Learn more and order here
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Reviewer:
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Barbara Hoffman,
MD
(University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center)
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Range
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Question
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Score
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| 1-10 |
Are the author's objectives met? |
4 |
| 1-10 |
Rate the worthiness of those objectives. |
10 |
| 1-5 |
Is this written at an appropriate level? |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Is there significant duplication? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) |
1 |
| 1-5 |
Are there significant omissions? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) |
4 |
| 1-5 |
Rate the authority of the authors. |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Are there sufficient illustrations? |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Rate the pedagogic value of the illustrations. |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Rate the print quality of the illustrations. |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Are there sufficient references? |
N/A |
| 1-5 |
Rate the currency of the references. |
N/A |
| 1-5 |
Rate the pertinence of the references. |
N/A |
| 1-5 |
Rate the helpfulness of the index. |
5 |
| 1-5 |
If important in this specialty, rate the physical appearance of the book |
N/A |
| 1-10 |
Is this a worthwhile contribution to the field? |
4 |
| 1-10 |
If this is a 2nd or later edition, is this new edition needed? |
N/A |
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Reviewer:
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Barbara Hoffman,
MD
(University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center)
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Description
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| This is a first-edition, 130-page, hardback compilation of approximately 25 cartoons based on the symptoms of menopause. Cartoons are color or black and white, and most are multipage. A wide range of artistic styles and cultural perspectives are presented. |
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Purpose
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| The goal is to humorize the annoying symptoms of menopause yet also present the freeing aspects of this transition. The editor's inspiration was to look at menopause from a different perspective. Given the number of affected women, the goal is certainly worthy. |
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Audience
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| This book is written for the layperson transitioning into menopause. It is easy to ready and visually engaging. As a member of their target audience, albeit with not the most developed sense of humor, I did not find most entries particularly funny. Topic redundancy and the wordiness of each cartoon were deterrents. I did find great value in the diversity of perspective and clever presentations. It definitely conveyed that all women traverse the transition differently. The contributors are an eclectic mix of cartoonists, authors, and medical professionals. The book's wide cultural mix provides a broad view of menopause transition and its varied presentations and influences. |
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Features
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| In cartoon form, this book presents the experience of menopause transition from a humorous perspective. In toto, the book provides many different perspectives and is very inclusive. The illustration quality and their color-print reproduction are outstanding. |
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Assessment
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| This is a new and unique offering for those interested in a humorous look at menopause transition. It serves as a sociocultural prism through which to view menopause and to see its diverse presentations and influences. |
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