Written by Ilya Sandra Perlingieri, Ph.D., The Uterine Crisis contains a brief history of how women have been brutalized and used as guinea pigs in Western medicine. Perlingieri's writing voice is appalled and offended throughout, whether she's depicting extreme examples--such as the penetration of women with hot pokers during the Spanish Inquisition--or less dramatic issues involving non-organic foods, bleached tampons, and white flour.

Perlingieri is a dedicated enthusiast of citations, and the book is littered with notes, quotes, and references to an enormous number of medical journals, studies, government reports, and scientific studies. It's impressive, and lends the author a great deal of credibility. Although at times a bit too shrill, Perlingieri's research provides a great deal of information to the reader. It's just that it's so thorough in recounting all the dangers and poisons that women in American society are surrounded by, it's scary and incredibly uncomfortable to read about. Much of the book is difficult to swallow, producing a glum, doomsday reaction. The only way it seems possible to remain living in any degree of health appears to be as a raw foods vegan, drinking 74 different types of medicinal teas daily, and eating huge quantities of mushrooms.

Perlingieri's attack on the state of women's health may be justified, but the alarmist approach is panic inducing. For those women with a commitment to better health and longevity, this book can be a gold mine, particularly with its inclusion of recipes and instructions for natural home remedies. However, if you're not willing to make a great deal of lifestyle changes, this is just another bit of bad news to give you nightmares. MARJORIE SKINNER