From GoodReads:
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 against us in the struggle with breast cancer, even among men. What makes breasts so mercurial and so vulnerable?
In this informative and highly entertaining account, intrepid science reporter Florence Williams sets out to uncover the latest scientific findings from the fields of anthropology, biology, and medicine. Her investigation follows the life cycle of the breast from puberty to pregnancy to menopause, taking her from a plastic surgeon ‘s office where she learns about the importance of cup size in Texas to the laboratory where she discovers the presence of environmental toxins in her own breast milk. The result is a fascinating exploration of where breasts came from, where they have ended up, and what we can do to save them.
My Review : I first saw this in the library and had to admit it sparked an interest. I am always drawn to book that tells how the female body works. For example I loved Woman: An Intimate Geography.
I was not disappointed with this book. It goes into detail about how the female breasts primary function is. It also gives facts such as the breasts milk contain pollutants from the environment in it. Who would have thought that breast milk which is supposed to be the gold standard has environmental pollutants found in it? Now I have information I can throw out at my breastfeeding loving friends. You are feeding your baby environmental pollutants. HA anyways that was just one area that was discussed in depth.
I also found the history of breast implants to be fascinating. I have always told myself when I get back down to a reasonable weight I was going to treat myself to these implants. After reading this book though I am having second thoughts. I mean did you KNOW what all could go wrong? Leakage, the breast turning into a doorknob, the sac traveling to places where there should not be a breast? Maybe self acceptance is the way to go here.
Another thing it talked about was how girls are going through puberty earlier in life. It used to be that girls went through puberty at 15 or 16 and now they are going through it at 12 or 13. There were different theories present but researchers really don’t know why.
That’s not all that is discussed in this book. The topics and the writing are fascinating and it is never dry. If you are a woman I encourage you to get to a library or book store and get this book.