Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History

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Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 666 ratings · 204 reviews

Did you know that breast milk contains substances similar to cannabis? Or that it’s sold on the Internet for 262 times the price of oil? Feted and fetishized, the breast is an evolutionary masterpiece. But in the modern world, the breast is changing. Breasts are getting bigger, arriving earlier, and attracting newfangled chemicals. Increasingly, the odds are stacked agains...more

Hardcover, 338 pages

Published May 7th 2012 by W. W. Norton & Company (first published January 1st 2012)

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Nov 02, 2012 Joanna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science, 2010s

Crunchy, crunchy, crunchy book. I could pour some milk on it and eat it for breakfast, it was that crunchy. The author, Florence Williams, is a self proclaimed "granola girl," and the back flap says she is a contributing editor of Outside magazine, so fair enough, I guess, but damn she had me fooled with the subtitle "a natural and unnatural history." It should have been "Breasts: if you think they evolved as a sexual display you are fooled by patriarchy, and chemicals give you breast cancer and...more Crunchy, crunchy, crunchy book. I could pour some milk on it and eat it for breakfast, it was that crunchy. The author, Florence Williams, is a self proclaimed "granola girl," and the back flap says she is a contributing editor of Outside magazine, so fair enough, I guess, but damn she had me fooled with the subtitle "a natural and unnatural history." It should have been "Breasts: if you think they evolved as a sexual display you are fooled by patriarchy, and chemicals give you breast cancer and "They" don't care, chemicals get into your breast milk and... are you breast feeding? you should be breastfeeding even if you had "breast fever" three times like I did because breast feeding is the best, and did I mention chemicals are bad yet, and if you get breast implants you are... Texan!" gasp hiss

It gets kinda tiring. It was pretty relentless. You can tell she tried to hold back a little, like "Okay, I'm not writing for Outside right now gotta temper it a bit" but it still popped through in really weird places. Like, going to the farmers market in Colorado and talking about how she had to ask the sellers if the food ever touched plastic and haha they didn't look at her too weird isn't Colorado awesome... the cafeteria lady doesn't serve chicken nuggets and hamburgers only once a month she worships her (I felt like I was missing part of the story here, were they trucked in directly from McDonalds or were they just ground beef/chicken, and if that is a problem please tell me instead of it being some hippie dog whistle. she doesn't directly tell you anything about that)... and she mentions how she refused even an OTC pain pill after giving birth, so uh... congratulations on that? what?

Granted stuff like that is not much of the book, and most of it was well-researched and easy to read. But the... "memoirishness" of this sort of journalism doesn't work for me. It's like, I'm sorry, but I didn't read this book to spend time with you. I don't even like you. Can we go back to what the book was about, please.

But I admit though I am agrumentative towards books. It's like before I read them I tell 'em, "well, let's see just what the hell you think you are, then," with arms crossed and eyelids lowered. well.

Edit:
Interesting slate article on why it's not the best idea to think human evolution is just like, guys choosing to have sex with the hottest chicks. (less)

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Aug 25, 2012 Alexandra Grabbe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Breasts: a Natural and Unnatural History by Florence Williams is an important book. What woman doesn’t have a friend or family member who has gotten breast cancer? Florence Williams answers all the questions you might have had about breasts and many you could never have imagined. One out of eight women in the United States will get breast cancer. Women today are getting the disease at a far younger age than previous generations. This book is a must-read for every woman … and man. There is even a...more Breasts: a Natural and Unnatural History by Florence Williams is an important book. What woman doesn’t have a friend or family member who has gotten breast cancer? Florence Williams answers all the questions you might have had about breasts and many you could never have imagined. One out of eight women in the United States will get breast cancer. Women today are getting the disease at a far younger age than previous generations. This book is a must-read for every woman … and man. There is even a chapter about Camp LeJeune where marines drank polluted water and developed breast cancer. Williams also investigates early puberty in girls and how it may affect them as women. I especially enjoyed Chapter 6 on, as the author switched from the past to the present and future, reporting on the latest theories and possible causes. I learned that young women who breastfeed their children are protected by pregnancy hormones, while women, who choose to bear babies later in life, run a higher risk, and that a new 3D detection test is under development. I met biologists like David Newburg, who studies breast milk in an attempt to duplicate some of the benefits, “the Nutrasweet for the survival set, the mysterious stuff of breast purified into a paper packet.” I was pleased to have the author confirm my theory on the danger toxic chemicals in the environment pose to human health and shared her dismay that government agencies are not doing more to protect us. “Perhaps it’s time, say many activists, to look deeper into chemical exposures, especially since damning evidence in animals and in occupational studies is slowly mounting,” writes Williams. If you suspected many breast cancers are environmental in origin, here is confirmation. Williams writing style was, at times, a bit flippant for my taste, given the gravity of the subject. Still, I recommend giving this book to every woman you care about. The author’s extensive research may cause them to make some lifestyle changes and live longer. (less)

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Jun 21, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, science

Every year in my elementary school, there was a lesson about head lice, either a filmstrip or a weekly reader article, and, I would spend the entire lesson trying not to scratch my head at the thought of lice. Florence Williams' book is like that. Informative, interesting, even entertaining, but it made me itch.

Breasts begins with the laughable evolutionary theories of why humans alone have breasts, all of which center on men liking them. She gives us a peak into the world of breast implants -...more Every year in my elementary school, there was a lesson about head lice, either a filmstrip or a weekly reader article, and, I would spend the entire lesson trying not to scratch my head at the thought of lice. Florence Williams' book is like that. Informative, interesting, even entertaining, but it made me itch.

Breasts begins with the laughable evolutionary theories of why humans alone have breasts, all of which center on men liking them. She gives us a peak into the world of breast implants - the history and the how-to and the why - and discusses how our obsession with how they look has distracted us from real scientific inquiry. She says, "By insisting that breasts are sexually evolved and relegated to a sexual destiny, we have encouraged women not to value breast-feeding, and sadly, often not to value their normal, natural bodies. Breasts have only slowly offered up their secrets, and we have been too distracted by their beauty to look very hard."

Williams goes on to interview the handful of scientists around the world who are interested in how breasts grow and function. With them, she explores the anatomy of this unique organ throughout the lifespan, its primary function - feeding babies, and the threat of cancer. This is fascinating stuff. Our breasts are amazing, the only organ in our body that rewires itself when needed, as many times as needed. However, it is because of this ability to change at a cellular level that they are so vulnerable. Scientists are just beginning to understand them.

Throughout, Williams discusses research into the impact of our environment on our breasts. It is this topic that made me itch. Our exposure to environmental toxins influences every aspect of the development of our breasts, from when we get them to the contents of our milk to the cancer we fear. Like a sponge, our breasts seem to store particles of everything they touch, including the pollutants in our food and air. I wish the solution were as easy as replacing my plastic tupperware with glass, but the abundance of chemicals in our modern lives makes contact with these substances unavoidable.

Williams realizes that. She sees no easy answers, no quick solutions, but in writing this book, she has brought these issues to the general public, made us itch, and begun a conversation, and that is a good start.

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May 07, 2013 Elvis Brown rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book starts with a list of some of the words that are used to describe breasts. A good way to start a book, well, it got my attention.

A narrative from a woman who for various reasons gets her breast milk analyzed to see what's in it. The horror starts there.

A lengthy report on all the toxins we know about and heaps that we don't, at least until now. There is nothing here to brighten your day but lots to make you think about improving the days you have left.

A seriously good piece of work tha...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction-read

I heard Florence Williams being interviewed on Fresh Air, and it was intriguing enough to make me request this book from the library. As a woman who has breasts it seems I don't know much about them other than my preferred bra style and the effects of gravity pulling them south. So I guess it was high-time I learned a bit about what's going on in there. Turns out they are some pretty fascinating organs. In short, Breasts are awesome!! and not just cause they're sexy and guys like 'em!

Did you kno...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars

At first the writing in this book was a bit over-the-top for me, but I found this book a very important cultural, biological, and environmental history of such a bell-weather part of our bodies. Topics I found most interesting were: Why are young girls getting breasts earlier? Why are some boys? What is driving forward rates of male breast cancer? What are the chemical influences on development? How does breast feeding transform and bolster the immune systems of babies? What about all of the tox...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Ralph rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ms. Williams starts her book on breasts on a jolly, even slightly lascivious note:

Funbags. Boobsters. Chumbawumbas. Dingle bobbers. Dairy pillows. Jellybonkers. Num numbs.

"We love breasts, yet we can't quite take them seriously. We name them affectionately, but with a hint of insult."

Breasts embarrass us. They're unpredictable They're goofy. They can turn both babies and grown men into lunkheads.

Williams quickly turns serious. In the United States, 700 new chemicals come on the market each yea...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was nice to have a book about breasts written by a woman who has a pair of her own. The chapters on the human evolution of breasts and the history of breast implants were fascinating . I was not so keen on the rest of the book. It was rather terrifying to think about the ever earlier arrival of puberty for more and more girls in our society. A large portion of the book deals with breast cancer, chemicals, chemicals in breastmilk, etc. and I found this portion very frustrating to read. I wante...more

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Dec 19, 2012 melissa/missy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

This is a really interesting book about breasts: evolutionary theories, breastfeeding, cancer, plastic surgery and beauty norms, and so on. It's an environmental history in that it uses the breast almost as a "barometer" for environmental and chemical changes, tracing the contamination of breastmilk, the proliferation of breast cancers, etc. It's important information and I think one of the big issues of our time is the way humans have invented entirely new chemical substances thinking we were s...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Jonny99 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Everything you ever wanted to know...no, like, seriously everything. Admit it, you have thought about them. C'mon...OK, good. No more primal and pervasive obsession exists in the U.S. so Williams should get major credit for recognizing a massive marketing opportunity and filling it. She does so by considering the body part from all angles although she wisely (from a moving books out the door perspective) focuses on the most tawdry aspect of the subject - their surgical manipulation. Williams tra...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Meggan rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's shocking how little we know about breasts and breastmilk, and I had no idea we knew so little until I read this book. It had a lot more about environmental toxins than I would have expected, but it's a very worthwhile read - it's not scandalous or sexy, but informative and easy to get through.

I thought the author was a little more "OMG THERE ARE THINGS IN MY BREASTMILK, IT'S PROBABLY TERRIBLE FOR MY BABY" than she needed to be; I am totally biased on the subject but she sometimes made it s...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Personally, I found the heavy leaning on evolution throughout the book to be rather off-putting. I do believe in intelligent design, although am not commited to a specific approach. As most modern authors tend to be, Williams was very confident in her reliance on the theory of evolution to explain the how/why of breast development.

I did find the subjects of environmental toxins found in breasts and breastmilk, the rise of breast cancer cases and theories attributing to this, and the various appr...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Todd Martin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: environment-science

Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History is all about boobies (as one might expect from the title); including their evolution, function, and roll in culture. However, more than the above, the book is about breast illness and environmental toxins and how human exposure to new chemicals may be changing breast health and that of breast-feeding infants. The book is scientific in its approach and is not salacious in any way {all the same, I’d recommend that guys who read on the train or other public...more Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History is all about boobies (as one might expect from the title); including their evolution, function, and roll in culture. However, more than the above, the book is about breast illness and environmental toxins and how human exposure to new chemicals may be changing breast health and that of breast-feeding infants. The book is scientific in its approach and is not salacious in any way {all the same, I’d recommend that guys who read on the train or other public places get the e-reader version, so they don’t look like pervs holding a big book labeled “BREASTS” in front of their faces}.

Although an experienced writer, this is the first book by Florence Williams and overall she did a good job with her scientific research of the topics discussed. However, Williams stated purpose is to explore the link between environmental toxins, endocrine disrupters and breast illness, and in this I felt her conclusions went somewhat beyond what science is currently able to tell us. We know that certain pollutants accumulate in breast tissue and can also be found in breast milk, but science has not linked these low level contaminants to breast cancer or other diseases. It is not unreasonable to suspect that such a link exists, or to recommend that women avoid exposure of environmental contaminants where it is possible to do so, but the best science we have today has not demonstrated links between specific environmental pollutants and illness. Williams’ caveats in this regard were rather weak given her extensive coverage of the topic.

Williams also presents some statistics in ways that can be potentially misleading. For example, stating that certain chemical exposures can double a woman’s chance of contracting a particular disease sounds quite horrifying. However, if the change is from 1 in a trillion to 2 in a trillion, it’s a doubling of a risk that is so low as to be unworthy of notice. In the absence of actual numbers it is not possible to determine whether the risks described should be of actual concern (although in each of the cases discussed, her writing is biased in a way to suggest that they are).

In popular science books, I’ve found that journalists tend to do a much better job writing for the general public than scientists. Journalists write in a more engaging manner, present the information in a way that is more understandable and are more enjoyable to read. However, in that they are not scientists, journalists face a responsibility to present the science in a way that is consistent with the best evidence around which a scientific consensus has formed, and to point out any uncertainties that exist along the edges. Williams writing measures up to the positive qualities of a good journalist, however, I think some of her conclusions could have been a little more carefully drawn (and I say this as someone who strongly supports cleaner technologies and more robust pollution prevention measures). (less)

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Jun 06, 2012 Simone rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read

First, let me say that I highly recommend this book to anyone with a pair of breasts. Seriously. It made me think about mine in a whole new way. I heard about the book on NPR, and I wanted a copy just about as soon as it was released. This book is in much the same style as Mary Roarch books, lots of science information but presented with humor, interviews with scientists and anecdotes. The book initially starts with an evolutionary biology perspective, and throughout she is most interested in br...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Lisa Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Offers too few answers and didn't quite delve into some of the factors that women (& men) actually do have some amount of control over (diet, exercise, alcohol intake). Maybe that was beside the point for Williams--she spends many very very scary pages on chemicals in the environment that might be harmful. Sadly, it is unlikely that the average person can realisitcally avoid these ubiquitous compounds. Unless, the public and their elected politicians garner enough outrage to insist on a ban...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Kayt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

The subtitle of this book should really be "How breasts are under-researched and full of toxins that you will pump into your child and did I mention breastfeeding yet?"

Don't get me wrong, it was interesting and informative. But it was heavily focused on breast health--cancer, toxins toxins toxins--and breastfeeding (if you don't breastfeed your children are probably doomed to lower IQs and bad health and junk. Bad bad bad). Which, okay, is fine because it's very relevant. But based on the title...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

The younger of my two daughters gave me this book after reading it herself. Interesting, fascinating at times and informative, but as a woman getting closer to sixty, I'm left feeling somewhat anxious and worried about what I've possibly exposed my grown daughters to while breast feeding some twenty-seven years ago! I want to take comfort in knowing I was eating very healthfully and mindful of every single thing I put into my body both during pregnancy and while nursing, but geez...the container...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Valerie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science, nonfiction

This book covers the evolutionary history of breasts, the composition and functioning of the breast, the changes in the breast over the course of a woman's life including pregnancy and lactation, the recent phenomenon of earlier and earlier breast development in teenage girls, and the effects of our environment--particularly toxins in our environment--on our breasts. I thought it was excellent and quite engaging. Of course, much of it was relevant to me, since I'm nursing and I also have a famil...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Krista rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

I like to intersperse my fiction reading list with a healthy dose of anecdotal science books for the layman. I was instantly drawn in by the jacket of "Breasts," but experience has taught me not to assume that it will be a cohesive look at the subject matter. However, it did prove to be interesting, spirited and well-structured.

From the first chapters, Florence Williams has a cheeky tone about a subject matter that is both serious and hard to take too seriously. In writing about the fat content...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, library-book, wells-library, science, women

Apparently, boobs are amazing but, as they go on women, they have been overlooked (har har) by researchers for a long time. Another reviewer here complained that the book had only one short chapter on the "history" of the breast, that is, evolutionarily speaking. That reviewer apparently wasn't paying attention when the author said that that's about all we know on account of it's taken mankind so dang long to realize that they are something worth studying.

Another other reviewer said that the boo...more Apparently, boobs are amazing but, as they go on women, they have been overlooked (har har) by researchers for a long time. Another reviewer here complained that the book had only one short chapter on the "history" of the breast, that is, evolutionarily speaking. That reviewer apparently wasn't paying attention when the author said that that's about all we know on account of it's taken mankind so dang long to realize that they are something worth studying.

Another other reviewer said that the book was one long cheer-lead for breastfeeding and that it was just trying to lay a guilt trip on her for not doing it. It's a book about breasts. Breasts are for breastfeeding. If they book wasn't largely about lactation, I would think there was something wrong with the author. That being said, lactation isn't the sole focus of the book (a large part is devoted to cancer) and in fact the author may rub some lactation activists the wrong way for two reasons. First, Williams admits that breastfeeding is HARD and PAINFUL and anybody who says different is full of crap. Second, in the developed world, because of toxins that migrate from our breasts (which are sponges for flame-retardants, pesticides, and a whole host of other carcinogens) to our milk, nursing past the age of six months may not be of any benefit. (For context, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends one year. The WHO recommends two. For developing nations, the longer is still the better because of contaminated water supplies that would be used with the formula.)

Anyway.

I used to be irritated with all this breast cancer business because I am one of those people who is irritated by endless repetition and the wearing of tiny pink ribbons with greek letters on them by all the brodogs on the bus. Frankly, anything with a ribbon associated with it will pretty well immediately make me think of something else entirely. Thus, despite all the cries for "awareness" I was good and unaware of the ridiculous problem that is breast cancer. Rates are going up, there are lots of guesses why, but nobody can be sure. In the meantime, chemical companies run around dumping who knows what into the world and singing "la la la" whenever someone suggests that maybe that's not the hottest idea. To wit:

1) The draconian flame retardant standards in California were not set by well-meaning fire safety advocates in a state gone regulation crazy, but by the makers of the flame retardants.

2) The U.S. military, in their infinite wisdom, converted a pesticide facility into a day care at Camp Lejeune. This, among other delightfully terrible decisions has made Camp Lejeune ground zero for men with breast cancer.

The book was understandable and passionate, a quick and breathless read for anyone with boobs. This business of the firstborn death rates of dolphins makes me look at my little son differently. I'm upset. I'm very upset. You try and try to eat the right things, use the right cleaners, buy the best products . . . and in the end it doesn't matter a hill of beans because stuff you've never even thought about has become ubiquitous in the American environment. And stuck to your boobs. Until your baby eats them.

Oh god.(less)

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May 08, 2012 Kita rated it 5 of 5 stars

Full disclosure: As anyone checking out my Goodreads friends will see, I am friends with Florence Williams. She is brilliant and funny in person. Turns out she is on paper as well. I picked up this book because I wanted to support her writing. I finished it in a few days because I found I couldn't put it down. The book begins with a list of humorous words for breasts ("Funbags. Boobsters. Chumbawumbas. Dingle bobbers...") but, while she peppers the entire book with humorous anecdotes, she doesn'...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Justine rated it 3 of 5 stars

As many previous reviewers echoed in their reviews, I wanted more. I wanted more about the history of breasts, about bra industry, the plastic surgery industry, more about boobs rather than the toxins that lurk in the breasts.

I finished the book last night and felt like I was wallowing in this deep pit of despair. So much so that I started researching organic couches and becoming aware of much plastic I touch on a day-to-day basis! The book also caused me to worry quite a bit about my own health...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Ed Vazquez added it

This is an absolute stupendous read. It covers the issues by so many perspectives that leaves you with just "aww" inspiration. Gives you the basis of breasts for more than what we superficially see them as, but a deeper sense of asexual maturity. I would highly recommend this book to all reader's young and old, parents, pastors, lawyers corporate heads, politicians, everyone that is affected by breasts. So that people can get a better understanding as to the magnitude of one part of the body, wh...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Weehermione rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had so many pages dog-eared for this review, but then I decided it would make this review into a novella, so basically:

-Breasts are fascinating in that they tell us SO MUCH about our bodies, the way they grow and change, and really importantly, reflect the environments we live in. And yet very, very few people are studying them. Like, at all. They aren't even included in tons of studies in which they would provide the ultimate data.

-Breast is best? Not so fast. Yes, breast feeding may impart r...more I had so many pages dog-eared for this review, but then I decided it would make this review into a novella, so basically:

-Breasts are fascinating in that they tell us SO MUCH about our bodies, the way they grow and change, and really importantly, reflect the environments we live in. And yet very, very few people are studying them. Like, at all. They aren't even included in tons of studies in which they would provide the ultimate data.

-Breast is best? Not so fast. Yes, breast feeding may impart really valuable infection-fighting germs and bio-thingies and whatnot (remember, I left my dog-eared book full of the technical terms at home) and yes, formula companies are always trying to reproduce these unique and crazy-amazing aspects of breast milk, to different levels of success. So yes, given the infection-fighting aspects of breast milk versus formula, one might think that OF COURSE "breast is best". Except that oh wait, things like JET FUEL and FLAME RETARDANTS have been found in the breast milk of women who sent it away for testing in the name of Science (including the author, who was number 101 in the study). These jet and flame chemicals are just some of the others found in breast milk that's being directly fed to childred. Often the breast milk from mothers living in certain environments borders on toxic waste (Inuit women, for example). In short, formula? Maybe not so bad, if one's breast milk will pass on things like carcinogens in toxic quantities. Whoopsadaisy there, Our Bodies. We're killing ourselves by living.

-Cells are CRAZY. For example, it's recommended that girls during puberty not undergo things like x-rays which will permanenetly change their cell structure (*or something -- again, book not in hand). Studies show that puberty is a HUGE risk time in a girl's life for permanently altering her biological future. And the future of her children, and their children, depending on the harm caused.

-Early puberty is still being studied and it'd pretty nuts, and people should pay attention. It's interesting, as is the whole study of the breast in conjunction with the rest of the body.

-This book is not all "BOOBIES!" -- it's scientific but easily readable. A lot of time is spent on talking about breast milk, which got a little boring, but at the same time, hey, it's a big function of breasts, so okay. I would have liked to see a whole rundown of everything that was reported in her various breast milk tests. I realize that's personal medical information, but she was writing a book on it, soooooo...

-Good companion to "Silent Spring"(less)

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Jan 13, 2013 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Like most modern science books, this book had several holes, not due to the author's lack of research, but because researchers simply don't know. One does not need a science background to understand this book, and it was very informative. However, none of the information presented in the book should have been surprising to any reader: human bodies are filled with toxins from industrialization, evolution had to have played a role, and human society is strange. What bothered me most was when the a...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Louise Silk rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

This book does an impressive job of exposing every form and function of the only major organ of the body without a medical specialty using scientific information, society norms, personal information and an easy-going sense of humor.

Williams asks important questions: Why are girls developing breasts at a younger age than ever before? What are the toxins in our environment doing to our breasts? How do the hormones in birth control pills affect our breasts? How did humans develop breasts? What is...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Beth added it

Shelves: non-fiction

This book was disturbing to me on several levels. In a humorous and engaging way, it points out ways that environmental toxins accumulate in our bodies — particularly in our breasts — and gives examples of how these toxins could affect our health. We need to be disturbed and shaken up in this way: to face uncomfortable possibilities, to learn more of how we can protect our health and that of our children, and to raise public awareness of issues that need more research — awareness that could lead...more This book was disturbing to me on several levels. In a humorous and engaging way, it points out ways that environmental toxins accumulate in our bodies — particularly in our breasts — and gives examples of how these toxins could affect our health. We need to be disturbed and shaken up in this way: to face uncomfortable possibilities, to learn more of how we can protect our health and that of our children, and to raise public awareness of issues that need more research — awareness that could lead to improved oversight and policy changes regarding the chemicals that we interact with on a daily basis.

But this book was disturbing to me on another level as well. Its research and real world examples were combined with dramatic inferences and emotive language, which gave this book a heightened scare factor. Granted, sensationalist writing sells, but I found the facts to be startling enough on their own without adding emotional manipulation. After finishing Chapter 6, for example, I felt as though the only safe way to prevent cancer and sterility in myself and my children (and their children) was to forsake everything processed and manufactured and to go live with the Amish — though even then we wouldn’t be safe from the toxins that have seeped into the groundwater. This is a far cry from the author’s final conclusions and recommendations of making healthy personal choices and promoting societal change towards better testing and regulation of environmental chemicals.

All in all, while this book raises awareness of important issues, I found it to be too sensationalist to be easily palatable. And I worry that “scare books” like this one will keep us in the developed world navel-gazing on our own “first world problems” rather than focusing on problems that we can solve. As I assess the value of significantly increasing my grocery bill in order to purchase exclusively organic products, I think of the fact that people are dying every day in the developing world from preventable diseases, and I realize even more the complexity and far reaching implications of how we spend our energy and resources as a society.
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Jun 21, 2012 Eve rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was hard for me to get through. It was interesting enough, but once beyond the fun cultural and historical survey of (mostly human) breasts, a significant portion of the book is dedicated to how our bodies store so many environmental toxins in these conveniently located packages. I learned that even in breastfeeding my daughter, I unwittingly passed on a lifetime's worth of accumulated toxins to her, likely resulting in early puberty and hormonal disruption for her own children. (Don't...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Cathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great book about a fascinating topic (and not just for the reasons you're thinking!). It's a serious topic, but this author finds ways to use a readable and humorous style. It's written by a journalist who not only looks at the evolutionary history of breasts but the social connotations and the sobering (and important to know about) vulnerabilities in our breasts. Our breasts, it would seem, are like canaries in the mine shaft with regards to chemicals in the environment. If for no other reason,...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Marissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Eh. I guess I don't like breasts as much as I thought I did. I got halfway through this book and gave up. After a promising start, the book turned into a discussion of the ways in which things can go wrong (from early onset puberty to breast cancer and more), a summary of scientific studies, and the conclusion that it's usually impossible to pinpoint any one factor in causing this or that disease or condition. The author ends up giving you just enough information that it's depressing to realize...more

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About Florence Williams

Florence Williams is a contributing editor at Outside magazine, and her articles and essays have been widely anthologized. Breasts was named a finalist for the 2011 Columbia/Nieman Lukas Work-in-Progress Award. Williams lives in Boulder, Colorado.

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13418346-breasts?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347905367l/13418346.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13418346-breasts?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History by Florence Williams[/url]

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