This book was on a "must-read" list that a midwife gave me. As a dutiful pregnant woman, I bought it (along with a slew of others) and promptly dug in.

When I woke up eight hours later, still in the first couple of pages, I tried again. Not with a terrible amount of success I might add. While I devoured other pregnancy and childbirth books, for six months I kept coming back to this one and trying it over again, but never got further than about 1/3 of the way through.

I understand that this is an older book, but it is incredibly dry and dull. The author makes a few good points, but they are tied up in so much statistical rhetoric that your eyes glaze over before you can process them. I kind of got his point that fear and anxiety cause complications in childbirth, but as to the why? The medical terminology got a bit dense for me.

If you're in the medical profession, you might find this an easier read. In fact, it's probably great for childbirth professionals. For the casual reader or mom-to-be on the other hand, it's one to pass up, unless you're suffering from pregnancy-induced insomnia and need a quick cure.