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20th out of 433 books
—
215 voters
Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation
by
Elissa Stein (Goodreads Author),
Susan Kim
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 yo
Hardcover, 254 pages
Published
November 10th 2009
by St. Martin's Griffin
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First, I want to point out that I like the idea of this book. The argument that women have always been period-hating victims of men and the femcare industry's judgement and marketing is cool with me; I hate the femcare industry and like yelling about misogynism as much as the next lady. The many vintage advertisements and illustrations are nice, and realizing that "water cure" meant "water-stimulated orgasm to relieve hysteria" was pretty cool.
However.
Several things about the book rubbed me the...more
However.
Several things about the book rubbed me the...more
The authors use a lively, irreverent tone to take readers through the history and American cultural experience involving menstruation, that very taboo subject. I feel that the book is strongest when they assert that a natural biological process associated with fertility has been co-opted by the "femcare" industry into a monthly event that is feared and hated, mostly for the purposes of selling us products -- pads, tampons, hormonal replacement therapy, Midol, what have you. (No surprise: that's...more
I wished the book was easier to read because I would have liked it a heck of a lot better. I was excited to read the book, especially when the clerk laughed a bit when she saw the cover and read the title.
I appreciated all of the historical value from magazines, advertisements, scientific stories, and patent information, but the drawn-out and sometimes out-of-touch writing left me hearing the Peanuts teacher "WAH WAH WAH" instead of engaging in a history lesson with a touch of humor and serious...more
I appreciated all of the historical value from magazines, advertisements, scientific stories, and patent information, but the drawn-out and sometimes out-of-touch writing left me hearing the Peanuts teacher "WAH WAH WAH" instead of engaging in a history lesson with a touch of humor and serious...more
I thought this book was really interesting to read. I definitely learned a few things about what it was like in the past for women. And, I am quite content to be living in the modern world. The more I thought about it the more I realized this is more of a look at how "fem care" (as the authors called) was marketed towards women and how it influenced the way we think and feel about it, and how it influenced how the products available over time evolved. I also seem to share the authors' sense of h...more
The subject matter was very interesting (maybe not for men, but fascinating for women, anyway). The primary source materials scattered throughout the book (chiefly advertisements for tampax and douches of yore) did a great job at expressing the attitudes of the advertisement industry throughout modern times.
However, the writing style was wretched. An interesting topic was degraded through an excessive attempt to be humorous, and it constantly jerked me back to the recollection that I was readin...more
However, the writing style was wretched. An interesting topic was degraded through an excessive attempt to be humorous, and it constantly jerked me back to the recollection that I was readin...more
The profound cis-bias in this retrospective work proves uncomfortable, considering its apparent feminist origins. Altogether, the determination of the authors is shot down in their own failure to look outside the realms of the second wave of feminism. The nature of 'Flow' as chronicle to menstruation produces polar statements in the presentation of varying historical perspectives. For instance, the book bears emphasis upon the uterus-bearing person as physiologically and psychologically independ...more
I found this book browsing through the "new titles" section of my local community library. I picked it up not so much to learn about the history of menstruation, but more with the idea of taking it to work and leaving it lying about to bug my uber religious co-worker. With all of my non-Oprah, non-Nora Roberts-esque books (military sci fi, liberal parenting treatises, Michael Pollan), she tends to read the back and then give me a "WTH are you *reading*?" look. But I digress. This book thinks it'...more
This book was such a brilliant idea, and the authors did a great job. I read another bloggers review about Flow and they were just had such a strong reaction to it, not positive or negative really just strong, that I thought it was definitely worth reading. Flow tells the cultural history of the period and how woman's status and health care have changed over time. It's written in a friendly, personable style. While many reviewers feel like this means the book was geared at the younger set, I thi...more
straight from my tumblr directly to you:
complaints about Flow: it insults my love for the Mütter Museum by insinuating that it is ghoulish and morbid, and that by extension so am I for loving it. fuck that, it’s an incredible collection of a bygone medical era and I can’t wait to go back and hide in it and never leave.
slightly more serious complaints about Flow: it is extremely hetero- and cis-sexist (“all women menstruate!” kind of tripe, as if a uterus defines womanhood) and a bit too light fo...more
complaints about Flow: it insults my love for the Mütter Museum by insinuating that it is ghoulish and morbid, and that by extension so am I for loving it. fuck that, it’s an incredible collection of a bygone medical era and I can’t wait to go back and hide in it and never leave.
slightly more serious complaints about Flow: it is extremely hetero- and cis-sexist (“all women menstruate!” kind of tripe, as if a uterus defines womanhood) and a bit too light fo...more
This book is incredibly interesting. Even though I already knew a good portion of what the authors were discussing, there were plenty of things I didn't know. Overall, I thought the content of this book at least appeared well researched (there's a sizable bibliography which I'll be exploring) and was also nicely presented and well-designed.
The one thing that really irritated me about this book, however, was the tone. I wish I had kept a tally of how many times the words/phrases "hapless(ly)" (to...more
The one thing that really irritated me about this book, however, was the tone. I wish I had kept a tally of how many times the words/phrases "hapless(ly)" (to...more
Love this book! I appreciate the author's willingness to approach such a "taboo" topic and to explore the history and culture surrounding menstruation. It certainly isn't a scholarly piece of work, but I think that is part of the appeal and I appreciate how approachable the book is - I could hand it to a 13 year old and let her discover for herself the ugly side of our society's treatment of women and menstruation.
Some of my favorite quotes from the book:
"Why have the females, throughout histor...more
Some of my favorite quotes from the book:
"Why have the females, throughout histor...more
Brilliant little book filled with wonderful pictures of old advertisements. The microhistory side to this book is fantastic, going the whole way back to ancient Egypt and Greece to examine the origins of the taboo of ever acknowledging menstruation. It's not at all some dry history book, however. The writing feels like a conversation, a very laid-back, chill conversation, with the authors.
As far as education for myself as a woman goes, the book wasn't earth-shattering. The most educational sect...more
As far as education for myself as a woman goes, the book wasn't earth-shattering. The most educational sect...more
I did not *enjoy* this book, per se. (See here) But it was a truly informative read.
Sure, there are some tiny mistakes (for example, doctors endeavoring to produce hysterical paroxysm did not *always* have the patient stand - the patient could also be reclining) but that is being nit-picky. And the tone can be a little too full-on "How can anyone not love their period?" (Quite easily, thank you.) But the book makes up for this by providing you with some eye-opening facts about how menstruation h...more
Sure, there are some tiny mistakes (for example, doctors endeavoring to produce hysterical paroxysm did not *always* have the patient stand - the patient could also be reclining) but that is being nit-picky. And the tone can be a little too full-on "How can anyone not love their period?" (Quite easily, thank you.) But the book makes up for this by providing you with some eye-opening facts about how menstruation h...more
2 likes · like · see review
Sep 11, 2012
Cheryl Gatling
added it
My husband brought this book home from the library for me the day I announced I was having my period. Wait. Did I just tell the whole Goodreads audience that I was having my period? Right out loud? Yes, and why not? One point of the book is that something that is such an integral part of every woman's life doesn't need to be a source of shame and secrecy. Let's talk about it. Let's talk about the history, the science, the discomforts, the different ways of dealing with it. The absolute number on...more
This was a fun book, jazzed up with lots of vintage ads. The authors' bias is clearly feminist and anti-big-pharma, so I was in their court from page one. If I have a complaint about this book, it's that it skews pretty young. There's one breezy chapter covering perimenopause and beyond- and that's it. So the target audience is considerably younger than your intrepid reviewer, who admits to more than a passing interest in hot flashes and scary clots the size of Rhode Island. Not that this kept m...more
2 likes · like · see review
I have had so much fun reading this book. First of all, it gives a detailed description about how menstruation is seen through the ages (in earlier times they thought it was a disease, or that a woman menstruating was possessed by the devil) and how women through the ages lived with their periods, before the time they were tampons and disposable pads as we know them now. How could these women live without a tampon? I can't imagine life without it. I got so much respect for women living in earlie...more
2.5 stars. This is a great idea for a book, and it looks fantastic--the design and layout are top-notch. And all the vintage advertisments for feminine products were really great to look at. But for me, the writing style really grated. It felt like reading Seventeen magazine--preachy, didactic, and way too cutesy. Adding to the the feeling that I was reading something aimed at youth rather than adults was all the repetitive, careful explanation about drug companies and makers of feminine product...more
1 like · like · see review
Fun non-fiction book about how weirded out people are by a normal bodily function. The book is worth looking at for the historic artwork alone (mostly advertisements for "femcare", as they call all the stuff that is marketed to help you deal with your period), but the text is entertaining, too. There's a bit about language and misogyny, history, cross-cultural beliefs and religious taboos, the medicalization of menstruation and a look at the history of hysteria and PMS, smells, problem periods (...more
One of our regulars at the library recommended this book to me, and I was really confused as to why a diehard Lovecraft fan would encourage me to read this book. He wasn't wrong though, the book is brilliant.
Ok, the facts are fascinating. The illustrations, product info, and vintage advertisements are a hoot. The page for page moments where I say to myself "Oh that's why..."
It's actually the authors writing style that is really getting me to keep reading the book. I love their frank candor in...more
Ok, the facts are fascinating. The illustrations, product info, and vintage advertisements are a hoot. The page for page moments where I say to myself "Oh that's why..."
It's actually the authors writing style that is really getting me to keep reading the book. I love their frank candor in...more
I love the cover of this book, and let's face it, it sounded like it might be interesting. This time the cover art and the description did the book justice; it was interesting, and fun to boot.
The authors are women, and often I found myself thinking this sounded more like a day out with the girls than a primer on the history of menstruation and all things associated with it. The writing has a very nice, easy "you-are-there" style, which helps as sometimes the subject matter is just - well - yeah...more
The authors are women, and often I found myself thinking this sounded more like a day out with the girls than a primer on the history of menstruation and all things associated with it. The writing has a very nice, easy "you-are-there" style, which helps as sometimes the subject matter is just - well - yeah...more
Humorous and funny, sad and true stories and information surrounding the American cultural understanding of menstruation. Great book to pass the time but actually feel like you're learning something. It got me on a real kick to notice how sexist advertising is and how little our culture does to change it regarding periods and "sanitary products." Who are advertisers to say that our natural body functions are unsanitary or that we as women have a serious problem (yes, read about Lysol marketing i...more
Ah, yes, that favorite time of the month when Aunt Flow comes to visit... Most cultures view a girl's first period as a sign she is a woman and ready to be married. For Western women, we view nature's red gift as an inconvenience or annoyance. The authors have produced an irreverent, yet educational book about menstruation in American society. What is a natural, biological process has been medicalized by the advertising establishment. Stein and Kim also look at how menstrual flow has been viewed...more
A lot of interesting information and trivia (Flight attendants tend to have irregular and heavy periods, who knew?). The authors have pretty strong feelings about the industry around feminine hygiene products, which I sympathize with - I think the use of fear to sell products is generally bad. At the same time, it's hard to read a chapter excoriating the "femcare industry" for advertising their products to preteens immediately after a chapter which describes the ancient greeks just wrapping what...more
While it has a fabulous cover and subject for great potential, Flow did not exactly hit the spot for me. For the first part of the book, I was definitely interested but by the middle, I was bored and skimming more than reading. I think Stein could have had a stronger book if she had not attempted to be witty in every other sentence. I felt that it kept pulling me away from my line of thought.
I also believe that Stein’s attempt to give her reader every little detail killed my interest. While reli...more
I also believe that Stein’s attempt to give her reader every little detail killed my interest. While reli...more
I just started reading this. So far, I'm completely fascinated (was going to say "absorbed," but thought better of it) by the historical print ads throughout the book. One of the pull quotes caught my eye: "For the record, it's been proven that bears won't maul you if you have your period." The paragraph from which that quote is pulled is, as they say, laugh-out-loud funny, and well worth the price of the book. I almost want to say "hysterically funny" but: no. At any rate, I'm looking forward t...more
This book was Amazing!!! I picked this up because I thought it might be an interesting read, but as soon as I turned the first few pages, I was laughing out loud. Ok, so this book was written about Menstruation throughout history. Although some of the facts you will learn are Horrific, others are absolutely hilarious (although I am sure they weren’t to the women of the time). This book made me appreciate living in the 21st Century! “Flow” is a wonderfully informative book that is written in a co...more
I reserved this at the library because I saw a couple snippets of Susan Kim speaking with Sarah Haskins. Advertising+feminism+humor=great, right? Pretty much, yes.
Although I knew a good amount of the information in this book before I read it--dioxin in tampons, clitoral orgasm as historical cure for hysteria, condescending faux-medical femcare advertising, etc.--I also learned a reasonable amount of new info. For those less knowledgeable about the contemporary western cultural history of menstru...more
Although I knew a good amount of the information in this book before I read it--dioxin in tampons, clitoral orgasm as historical cure for hysteria, condescending faux-medical femcare advertising, etc.--I also learned a reasonable amount of new info. For those less knowledgeable about the contemporary western cultural history of menstru...more
Definitely interesting. The big pluses were the reproductions of various vintage advertisements and female "hygiene" brochures, even some from the late 1800s. I learned some things - some things I probably would have preferred not to think about (Lysol douches? Seriously?)
The minuses were the constant ranting about the misogyny of the feminine hygiene industry, etc. We got the point the first time you made it, no need to hit us over the head with it.
Also, when complaining about the lack of diver...more
The minuses were the constant ranting about the misogyny of the feminine hygiene industry, etc. We got the point the first time you made it, no need to hit us over the head with it.
Also, when complaining about the lack of diver...more
I really enjoyed reading this book. It followed along the same vein as lectures from a great university course that I took years ago (University of Ottawa - Psychology Dept - Human Sexual Behaviour), so a lot of the information wasn't a surprise to me. But that said, there was still information that was new (and shocking!) to me, so much so that I read it out in disbelief to my husband, who was surprisingly, yet mildly, interested too.
It's interesting and disturbing that menstruation is so medi...more
It's interesting and disturbing that menstruation is so medi...more
I loved the graphics in this book, which were historical ads for femcare products, but that's just because I'm into historical advertising. The cultural history was OK, although the authors didn't sell me on their credentials to handle such a medical topic (They admit they had no idea before writing the book that regular oral contraceptives have a week of placebos. Seriously?). They also seem to never decide if periods are awesome or if they're a big monstrous pain, yet they spend a lot of time...more
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ELISSA STEIN’S most current book is FLOW: the Cultural Story of Menstruation. She lived her publishing dream-come-true night with a launch party at Rizzoli's on 57th Street that The New Yorker wrote about the next day. Previous projects include NYC adventures with kids, interactive thank you notes, and labor support for parents-to-be, along with visual histories of iconic pop culture—two of which...more
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updated Jun 25, 2010 03:47pm
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Sep 14, 2012 06:39am