I enjoyed this book. It delivered exactly what it promised: a conversational, approachable read full of useful information. I had hoped for a little more… I was left at the end with a bunch of questions I wish had been addressed, but I understand that the author had to select some of the most frequently asked questions to answer, and had to stop somewhere or the book would have been 900 pages long. I skimmed through some of the chapters that didn’t interest me a whole lot (the one on pregnancy and the one on childbirth, for example - been there, done that, not doing it again), but for the most part the author kept me engaged and interested throughout. I’ll definitely save this one for my daughter, and put it on a special bookshelf for her to discover when she’s old enough to want to know her body better but is too embarrassed to ask her mom. ( )

One of the best non-fiction books I've read in a long time. Every woman should read it. :) ( )

I have an allergic reaction to the typical language in popular women's health writing. All that talk of the "sacred female flower" or "luscious lady lips" makes me break out in hives.

There's certainly plenty of that in this book, but luckily author Lissa Rankin also goes strong on no nonsense health facts and unequivocally shoots down media- and business-driven, and outdated myths, attitudes, and perceptions about what it means to be female and how women's bodies work. Certainly, What's Up Down There? is no Woman: An Intimate Biography, but then, that's not the audience she's writing for, either. Final verdict: this is an excellent book for anyone wanting to learn the basics about women's anatomy and health, but in a chattier, more informal style than straight-up science writing.