Menopause: The Age of Choice

Abstract

As a second-year medical student, I recently spent time observing in the office of an obstetrician-gynecologist. I was impressed by the frequency with which his menopausal patients mentioned how helpful they had found a book he had given to each of them.<i>Menopause: The Age of Choice</i>is a small paperback written by a nurse practitioner-physician's assistant, Susan Toshach Macfarlan. The book evolved from the author's personal and professional experience with menopause. It is a quite successful attempt to provide answers based on current medical understanding in an age when women are taking a more active role in their own health care. The medical information is presented with enough detail to make the book a handy reference for physicians other than obstetrician-gynecologists, but in language clear enough for the lay reader. The personal style lends a warm, conversational tone. The book focuses on choice based on current medical information and