Lissa Rankin

I have an allergic reaction to the typical language in popular women's health writing. All that talk of the "sacred female flower" or "luscious lady lips" makes me break out in hives.

There's certainly plenty of that in this book, but luckily author Lissa Rankin also goes strong on no nonsense health facts and unequivocally shoots down media- and business-driven, and outdated myths, attitudes, and perceptions about what it means to be female and how women's bodies work. Certainly, What's Up show more Down There? is no Woman: An Intimate Biography, but then, that's not the audience she's writing for, either. Final verdict: this is an excellent book for anyone wanting to learn the basics about women's anatomy and health, but in a chattier, more informal style than straight-up science writing. show less

I enjoyed this book. It delivered exactly what it promised: a conversational, approachable read full of useful information. I had hoped for a little more… I was left at the end with a bunch of questions I wish had been addressed, but I understand that the author had to select some of the most frequently asked questions to answer, and had to stop somewhere or the book would have been 900 pages long. I skimmed through some of the chapters that didn’t interest me a whole lot (the one on show more pregnancy and the one on childbirth, for example - been there, done that, not doing it again), but for the most part the author kept me engaged and interested throughout. I’ll definitely save this one for my daughter, and put it on a special bookshelf for her to discover when she’s old enough to want to know her body better but is too embarrassed to ask her mom. show less

I'm glad I took the time to re-read this book because I did end up with some great take-aways.

1. Doctors are not healers. They can help diagnose and treat, but your body is in charge, so learn to listen to it. Your doctor should be your partner, not someone you look to for all the answers, but someone you work with.

2. The placebo effect is fascinating and REAL. Rankin offers true case studies, research and anecdotes to back this up. Open yourself to the possibility that your mind can help show more you heal.

3. Stress is a killer, we all know this, but this book really emphasizes the need to keep your stress under control. Should be priority #1.

Toward the end of the book, Rankin says you can't be healthy on your own, that you need a team of people helping you. I don't have the time or money to see six different kinds of "healers" and I think that's a bit excessive, actually. She mentions that she sees an astrologist and I kind of wish I didn't know that.

You can get the information from her book for free by watching her interviews on YouTube, or by downloading her self-healing kits from lissarankin.com. show less

At first I was just drawn to the memoir parts of this intriguing book but Rankin gives you everything about herself and I was interested when she tried to show her efforts to be in two worlds at the same time, starting from her medical background and training. I couldn't imagine how her husband could put up with so much, even accepting his role as a house husband -- and in the end the marriage did wind up in a surprisingly peaceful divorce where the two live next to each other. Rankin is show more trying to do so much, even with the idea that you start small and something grows. Basing it on love and a divine being probably helps her but it does take a rather incredible leap to try and absorb what she is promoting as a sort of missionary. show less