The Slow Moon Climbs

A surprising look at the role of menopause in human history - and why we should change the ways we think about it.

Are the ways we look at menopause all wrong? Susan Mattern says yes and, in The Slow Moon Climbs, reveals just how wrong we have been. From the rainforests of Paraguay to the streets of Tokyo, Mattern draws on historical, scientific, and cultural research to show how perceptions of menopause developed from prehistory to today. Introducing new ways of understanding life beyond fertility, Mattern examines the fascinating 'Grandmother Hypothesis,' looks at agricultural communities where households relied on post-reproductive women for the family's survival, and explores the emergence of menopause as a medical condition in the Western world.

The Slow Moon Climbs casts menopause in the positive light it deserves - as an essential juncture and a key factor in human flourishing.

“"Winner of the PROSE Award in History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, Association of American Publishers"”

Susan P. Mattern is Distinguished Research Professor of History at the University of Georgia. Her many books include The Prince of Medicine and Rome and the Enemy.

A surprising look at the role of menopause in human history -- and why we should change the ways we think about it. Are the ways we look at menopause all wrong? Susan Mattern says yes and, in The Slow Moon Climbs , reveals just how wrong we have been. From the rainforests of Paraguay to the streets of Tokyo, Mattern draws on historical, scientific, and cultural research to show how perceptions of menopause developed from prehistory to today. Introducing new ways of understanding life beyond fertility, Mattern examines the fascinating 'Grandmother Hypothesis,' looks at agricultural communities where households relied on post-reproductive women for the family's survival, and explores the emergence of menopause as a medical condition in the Western world. The Slow Moon Climbs casts menopause in the positive light it deserves -- as an essential juncture and a key factor in human flourishing.

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