This book is must-reading for those interested in feminist issues pertaining to women's health in general and childbirth in particular. This book is pro-midwive, pro-natural birth, and pro-consumerism. A most interesting history of maternity care is included. If you've every wondered how we got so far away from natural birth, this book is for you.

I bought this book in the middle of some very difficult decisions whether to have an amniocentisis following a positive MSAFP. The premise, that for many women pregnancy is tentative for the first trimester because of fear of miscarriage and for the second trimester because of fear of negative results from the amnio really fits my experience. I was hoping this book would provide some validation and reassurance. It didn't. It is very much a social commentary which subtly criticizes women for wanting to control whether or not to bear a child with a disability or fatal deformity. I was hoping to have some validation of my experience, and instead I felt judged and criticized.

While not exactly what I expected I found this book to be rather eye opening. The premise of the author, while she wrote about 100 or so women she interviewed, was that amniocentesis is a test that, if the results are bad, leads to abortion. In other words, this test gives women the opportunity to selectively abort children who are seen as otherwise imperfect in today's society. Whether or not you support the test, this book gives you much food for thought. A word of caution though, this may not be the right book to read if you are looking for the right answers to an amniocentis you are contemplating right now. It may be better read while you are not pregnant.

Very negative book that exaggerates dangers of a new technology. To demonstrate her exaggeration, turn to page 14 where she states "Every possible area of basic research has been cut, and cut again, and cut yet again. But genetics gets funded." Between the books that exaggerate the negative and those which ignore the dangers exist more balanced books. One such book is Lois Wingerson's "Unnatural Selection: The Promise and Power of Human Gene Research." Lois correctly points out on page x that "There are exaggeration and misinformation at both ends of that spectrum--and a wealth of important detail in between, steadfastly overlooked by both sides." In my opinion, "Genetic Maps" represents the pessimistic end of that spectrum, and should be avoided.

A former medical researcher and now a historian of medical ethics, I take a position between the two that have been expressed to date. We absolutely must consider the consequences of any new technology, and Rothman explores the possible deeper implications of the human genome-- which has at this point been deciphered. At times, her writing smacks of revised undergraduate lectures with all their attendant hyperbole, but for the most part she presents crucial questions in a clear and readable manner. I would recommend this book to persons who want to think responsibly about genome issues, but with the caveat that they should also read other points of view.

This book helps us better understand the limits of genetic research and testing, and the dangers of believing that this magic new bullet will solve a host of social and medical "problems". For women especially, this book is must reading.