WBWM is Dr. Christiane Northrup's new release. It is a terrific bargain at 931 pages for only $20! I have not read any of her prior books, but am well aware of her writings and workshops. What is particularly noteworthy is her conscious effort to integrate her holistic medical approach into the practice of women's health issues.

I am not qualified to comment on some uniquely female concerns such as infertility, menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), contraception, and motherhood. However, I felt that her insights into feminine intelligence, how to listen to your body, respecting emotions, pursuing pleasure and purpose and taking responsibility for your health were particularly prescient.

It should come as no surprise that women's brains are wired differently. The connection between the left and right hemispheres is larger in women than in men. As a result, men tend to be left-brain dominant, which means they think in a "solution oriented" manner. Because of their enhanced left-right communication potential, female brains easily engage both hemispheres. Since the right hemisphere has richer connections with the body than the left this provides women with more ready access to the "body wisdom" than men usually experience. This implies that men think in a more linear fashion while women do a lot more parallel information processing. Appreciating their intuition and being able to "wander through their thoughts" enables women to tap into the understanding provided by this feminine intelligence.

To comprehend what it takes to truly heal yourself and flourish, she suggests you must "assume responsibility for your end of the health care partnership." As David Riley, MD, notes: "Providing health is not the goal of our current (health) system; managing disease is the name of the game." This means doctors and hospitals function most effectively by "fixing" things when they break, not by using preventative medicine.

This is why knowledge of your body is so vital, because it provides inner guidance. So, educate yourself! And exert the power you have to get the job done. As Dr. Northrup says, "You have to create health yourself, but you don't have to do it alone." She encourages us to become aware of our health care options and to allow your feminine intelligence, bodily awareness and intuition to get you on the road to self-healing.

These are my perspectives on some of the timely information presented in this valuable book. Treat yourself by taking the time to discover many of the other health pearls she explores. As Deepak Chopra stated, "I recommend Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom to all women and also to all men who want to understand and nourish the women in their lives."