I had a drug-free childbirth, thanks in part to the Bradley Method. To prepare, I took Bradley classes and read both "Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way" by Susan McCutcheon and this book. The thing that disturbed me most about this book is that Dr. Bradley insinuates repeatedly that childbirth doesn't really hurt as long as you follow his instructions. Believe me, it hurts. I think Dr. Bradley has since passed away, but if he were alive, I'd really like to ask him how many times HE gave birth. I prefer to get my information from a more reliable source -- a woman who has given birth herself. If you're only going to read one book, read "Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way." If you're an information junkie like myself, read this one too. There's certainly a lot of info and it makes for interesting reading.

This was Dr. Bradley's original work on natural childbirth. This visionary OB helped women to reclaim the natural, joyous method of birthing for which their bodies had been designed. I read it and immediately sought out a Bradley instructor to learn the method. My daughter was subsequently born after a short, relatively painless labor (hard work, but no "pain"), with dad coaching. :)

I found it less helpful in describing the mechanics of the birth (for that, see "Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way"), but it was a very good overview and one which I recommend for folks who have heard of Bradley but are unfamiliar with the method.

This book is excellent preparation for Natural Childbirth (if you also take the Bradley Method Classes). My husband and I read this book and Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon. Both are essential if you want to have a wonderful pregnancy and childbirth experience. We planned on a hospital birth with an OB/GYN, but eventually switched to a birthing center and a midwife. It was the best decision! We had a perfectly healthy delivery & little girl... or should I say big girl at 8 pounds 12 ounces! We had NO interventions at all! My husband was an excellent coach, and I don't think I could have done it without his help. The Bradley Method really gets the husbands involved. This book should be read before you even get pregnant or soon thereafter!

Gillooly sets himself a big task: explaining where our beliefs about gods and other supernatural beings come from. It would be great to have a book that does this competently for the layman, using up-to-date scholarship. Unfortunately, Gillooly's scholarship on this subject seems limited to what a high school student could acquire in a few afternoons at a (small) public library from (old) encyclopedias and magazines. Gillooly seems to think Freud is the last word in scholarship in this area, apparently blissfully unaware of the beating Freud has taken in all areas in the last decade. It's sad to see Ashley Montagu endorsing this embarrassment of a book. I can only conclude he did not read it, or if he did, his normally keen critical faculties have failed him. We have a right to expect better from Prometheus; instead, this book will add fuel to those anxious to point out that critics of religion are often just as narrow and uninformed as the believers they criticize.

This book is full of facts to allow you to make your own decisions. Although some of the facts are harsh, it's an honest analysis of religion. He doesnt just cover christianity either, hinduism, buddism, etc are in there as well. He covers the bible, religious leaders, rituals. It's well written covering a good amount of topics. I learned a lot and enjoyed the book a lot.

Gillooly succinctly puts all the sources of derivation of Bible stories under one roof. Isn't it interesting that the ritual of Attis involved bread and wine used in a way similar to the Last Supper? that eqyptian, babylonian, and zoroastrians shared so many symbols with Christianity and Judaism?

Any of us who have looked in to the culture at the time of the Bible stories vaguely know some of these stories and their connections to the Bible. Here Gillooly keeps them tightly packed with their Jewish and Christian counter-parts.

This book will be offensive to those who are afraid to look at the facts of Bible authorship square in the face. But for those of you who are intrigued by the derivation of Bible stories and rituals, this is a gripping read.

Particularly fascinating are Gillooly's more medieval investigations involving demons, magic, and how these are intertwined with a Biblical sense of what illness is. How the Christian Church has evolved in its relationship to these doctrines in the light of science is one of the most telling aspects of what the church does.

The style and organization of the book make it difficult to put down. Gillooly finds the humor, but is likewise fair in his assessment of the meaning of the findings of archeology, and the study of ancient texts.