Comments on: Book Review: Flow: The Cultural History of Menstruation

By: Tina

Tina — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:12:54 +0000

I have not read this book yet either, however I was advised by a friend to check it out so I googled any reviews about the book and found your post. Interesting post and good review as well. I might need to read up a few more reviews. But thanks for the review on Flow which is all about period as you say.

By: Prexus Swyftwynd

Prexus Swyftwynd — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:08:55 +0000

I have not read the book, however, I manage to bump into this blog. It is indeed a shame that reusable products are still not mainstream and I can imagine the amount of disposable menstrual garbage that it put into the landfills everyday. Many of my girl-friends are still hesitant on using alternative products and it’s not easy persuading them. Heck, I even admit my own blog doesn’t cover enough on alternative products. Some of my readers have reocmmended that I cover it as a topic but information never seems to be as plentiful as our traditional disposable products. Hopefully as I read more about theses alternative products that I can share with my readers accurate and positive information.

Thanks for your review and reader’s posts! Hopefully I can begin to explore the nature of reusable products.

- Prexus
Author of MEN in Menstruation

By: Michelle

Michelle — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:56:05 +0000

Great review and spot on. I too was very disappointed to see menstrual alternatives stuck in the back of the book and for the only review of cloth pads to be negative. I learned many things from the book and loved the high-gloss layout but personally I found the tone to be a little too flip. There was one part of the discussion that was distressingly inaccurate. The authors claimed that women’s cycles being affected by the moon was a “popular myth” that has recently been supplanted by a scientific study on menstrual synchrony. What?! If you consider hundreds of cultures over thousands of years linking menstruation with the phases of the moon “popular myth” maybe. Further, the two ideas have nothing to do with one another and the idea that one idea has replaced the other is just a convenient transition in the writing, not a valid point. Menstrual synchrony is very interesting, but it’s its own topic having to do with phermones and women’s living situations.
Like the culture they write about, I found the book to be focused on the physical aspects of menstruation to the detriment of other discussions that could have been included, like a real look at other cultures, art, and the less tangible aspects of bleeding. But the up-to-date look at what we know (and don’t know) about the biology of bleeding was really good, and I was thrilled to see a new book come out on this topic.

By: Emma

Emma — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:10:03 +0000

I was disappointed with the section on menstrual alternatives. Instead of embracing companies who strive to give women healthy, environmentally sustainable options, they negate the validity of these products. Well written review, thanks!