HW 40 - Insights from Book - Part 3

You find yourself at a cocktail party (because yes your old enough to be at one) with the author of the book you just finished reading. You order yourself and apple martini and approach the bar where she is sitting alone. To demonstrate that you really read it, you say, "Hey - thanks for writing Birth. Your main idea of how the historical aspect of birth has had an effect on our perception of it today made me rethink pregnancy & birth for the better."

But the author looks up, surprised to be talking to someone who is clearly not old enough to be at a bar, but was more surprised to be talking to someone who instead of sharing their own birth story actually rephrased the main idea of the text she spent months giving birth to asks, "Really, which parts were most effective or important for you?" When you answer, "Well, in the last third of the book you focused on the father's role in birth and the post birth time period, which added another angle to the first 2/3rds of the book. But let me be more specific." And then you listed the top 3 ideas/pieces of evidence/insights/questions from that final third of the book (and somehow even listed page number references because your just that good). I especially appreciated how you discussed

1. The father's role during the birth and how it was no longer optional but their duty. (207)

2. What happens physically after birth (specifically what happens to the placenta). (220)

3. And the bonding process, both how important it is for the mother and child as it can lead to effect the relationship between the two.(228)

At this point, realizing that she's having a unique conversation with someone who is underage yet still incredibly handsome and also who is a serious reader of her book, the author asks - "But what could I have done to make this a better book - that would more effectively fulfill its mission?" You answer, "Well, let's be clear - your text sought to provide historical analysis, from the perspective of doctors and yourself for the book-reading-public to better understand pregnancy & birth in our culture. Given that aim,Proxy-Connection: keep-alive
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nd your book, the best advice I would give for a 2nd edition of the text would be, to add a more emotional aspect to your book, make the reader feel as if they are connecting to you and not just researching the history of birth although it is interesting it can also make a reader feel disconnected. But I don't want you to feel like I'm criticizing. I appreciate the immense amount of labor you dedicated to this important issue and particularly for making me think about The historical aspects of birth & the effect it has had on our perspectives . In fact, I'm likely to do my birth unit final project differently as a result of your book, now why don't you let me buy you a drink." The author replies, "Thanks! Talking to you gives me hope about our future as a society! and i will take that drink you incredibly good-looking and intelligent young man."