The Slow Moon Climbs - The Science, History, and Meaning of Menopause

A surprising look at the role of menopause in human history-and why we should change the ways we think about itAre the ways we look at menopause all wrong? Susan Mattern says yes and, in The Slow Moon Climbs, reveals just how wrong we have been. From the rainforests of Paraguay to the streets of Tokyo, Mattern draws on historical, scientific, and cultural research to show how perceptions of menopause developed from prehistory to today. Introducing new ways of understanding life beyond fertility, Mattern examines the fascinating "Grandmother Hypothesis," looks at agricultural communities where households relied on postreproductive women for the family's survival, and explores the emergence of menopause as a medical condition in the Western world. The Slow Moon Climbs casts menopause in the positive light it deserves-as an essential juncture and a key factor in human flourishing.

About the author

Susan P. Mattern is Distinguished Research Professor of History at the University of Georgia. Her many books include The Prince of Medicine and Rome and the Enemy.

Product details

• Authors: Susan Mattern
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.03.2021
• EAN: 9780691216720
• ISBN: 978-0-691-21672-0
• No. of pages: 480
• Dimensions: 135 mm x 205 mm x 30 mm
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Biology > General, dictionaries; Evolution, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Women's Studies, SCIENCE / History, HEALTH & FITNESS / Women's Health, SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Evolution, HISTORY / Social History, Social & cultural history, SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Biology, HISTORY / Women, Women's health, History of Science, Women’s health, Social and cultural history, Gender studies: women, Human biology, Gender studies: women and girls, Evolution / Evolutionary biology