Menopause, a word once verboten, is now, seemingly, on everyone’s lips. It’s taken over social media feeds, female-targeted morning news and talk shows, and is even showing up as character plot lines in movies and tv series. It should come as no surprise, then, that menopause is aiming to take over your book shelf next.
A number of titles have been published in recent years, but with all these books aiming to fill the once-cavernous void of information around menopause, one naturally arrives at the question: how many meno-reads do you actually need?
Here I hope to help you sort through by answering a few questions that will help you pick the meno-read you need, including:
- How deeply will this book serve your curiosity—is it meno-deep or meno-light?
- Is this information presented in a compelling and interesting way that makes it easy to digest?
- Does the book leave you feeling empowered to address your menopause experience?
- Do you feel “seen” by this author—that some small aspect of your own experience was captured among its pages?
The good news is—with so many books—there is something for everyone! So let’s start by finding what’s right for you…beginning with the latest release…
Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I’d Known About Menopause by actress Naomi Watts is not so much a tale of menopause lived, but a reflection back—a journey marked by questions along with trial and error that weaves in stories of those in Watts’ orbit and advice sourced from experts in the field. In many ways it manifests the “whisper network” that was portrayed in last year’s perimenopause “sensation,” All Fours—advice culled together as one journeys through menopause when no official resource exists. (Watts’ entry into the menopause transition pre-dates menopause as a trending topic on Google or social feeds.)
This is not a book that strives to deeply educate you on menopause, though Watts has expressed that she hopes it helps women advocate for their health. One will find many common menopause concerns touched upon throughout its pages, along with some of the associated societal ones—those like appearance, weight, and ageism where the glare of stardom and desire for a long acting career draw them into acute focus.
Yet, while wielding advice, the book strives to present a balanced view throughout—towing the line between finding your own way and emphasizing the key strategies (nutrition, exercise, sleep, etc.) which underpin menopause advice. The writing, for the most part, keeps it real and relatable—though there is a tendency to try and oversell that relatability ala “Stars, They’re Just Like Us.” That said, the name drops are few and far between keeping the focus squarely on the menopause journey and what it can mean to embrace it.
This book is for you if… you are someone who is looking for an introduction to menopause. You are either starting to recognize some signs of hormonal change taking place OR are on the cusp of this phase of life, looking to get a leg up. You often turn to your friends for advice and a book that offers the equivalent of a girlfriend-to-girlfriend conversation (albeit with a celebrity) feels like the right place to start.
The New Rules of Menopause: A Mayo Clinic Guide to Perimenopause and Beyond by Stephanie Faubion, MD offers a comprehensive guide on the menopause transition, offering expertise and advice from women’s health specialists, chief among them: Dr. Faubion, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health (and Medical Director for The Menopause Society). Written in plain and easy to understand language, the book offers the facts of menopause, the tools available to manage it and key steps for enjoying your best life out of it—all backed by the latest scientific evidence and research.
This book is for you if… you are looking to fully immerse yourself in an understanding of menopause and the physiological impacts taking place throughout the body. You don’t want to leave any stone unturned and want a reference book you can turn to that’s been thoroughly vetted and interpreted by experts in the field.
In The Menopause Manifesto, Dr. Jen Gunter, an an outspoken proponent of women’s health, has made it her mission to counter stubborn myths and misunderstandings about menopause with hard facts, real science, historical perspective, and practical advice. This book truly does the service of educating you in a way that’s both interesting and easy to understand. It acknowledges your experience—and society’s role in it—while also helping to combat the myriad of misinformation that works to undermine your care. If knowledge is power, then Dr. Gunter ensures that that’s what you walk away with!
This book is for you if… you are someone who doesn’t take anything lying down—including menopause. You’re aiming to understand the body, what’s driving the experience (including the societal views that play a role), and to distinguish menopause from marketing. Lastly, you’re ready to take what control you can—and be part of a generation that redefines the menopause experience.
The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver, MD, aims to help women take charge of their health with a book that focuses on the variety of changes that menopause can bestow upon them, alongside a toolkit of options that can help women cope with the symptoms.
This book took the world by storm last year and if this is one’s first foray into understanding menopause, it’s understandable why: Dr. Mary Claire Haver makes you feel seen AND heard, as demonstrated by the numerous case studies/testimonials of frustrated women peppered throughout which frame the storytelling. Have a particular symptom?
Expect to be offered an explanation and a solution, though emphasis tends to lie on solutions that Dr. Haver, herself, is a proprietor of: hormone therapy, an anti-inflammatory diet program (The Galveston Diet), and supplements. That said, the book underscores the inflection point menopause brings to a woman’s health while advocating mightily for women to take the steps they need to maintain a good quality of life at this time—including consideration for the use of menopause hormone therapy which remains woefully underutilized.
This book is for you if… you have long been looking to find an explanation for a myriad of symptoms and are tired of countless doctor visits or being outright dismissed. You KNOW something has changed and you want to know what, along with what solutions can be at hand. The #1 priority: getting answers that inform a plan of action—not just to relieve symptoms, but ensure future good health.
It isn’t all in your head—yet it is. The Menopause Brain by Lisa Mosconi, PhD is the 2024 follow-up to the XX Brain where world-renowned neuroscientist Mosconi reveals the role estrogen plays in the female brain, finally shedding light on the profound impact it can have on brain health and function. Memory loss, mood changes, anxiety, hot flashes and even heart palpitations all stem from changes and adaptations taking place within the brain as result of hormone fluctuations and withdrawal, and this book finally gives voice and validation to the myriad of cognitive symptoms that have stymied, frustrated, and worried menopausal women for centuries.
While Dr. Mosconi’s work stems from her research on Alzheimer’s Disease—particularly given its incidence in women, the picture painted is not a dire one. In fact, Dr. Mosconi demonstrates that menopause is yet another transition for women that, with the proper (self) care, allows the brain to emerge renewed and enhanced, ushering in a new vibrant chapter of life.
This book is for you if… you have been troubled by, or are curious about, the cognitive impacts of menopause, such as vocabulary/memory loss, anxiety, and mood changes (among others). You also have interest in understanding what these changes signify now and what they can mean for the long run with an eye to taking the steps necessary to ensure your mental and long-term health.
Authored by international exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist, Stacy T. Sims, MSC, PhD, (along with writer Selene Yeager), Next Level: Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals Through Menopause and Beyond is a handbook for performance-driven individuals looking to understand how optimizing habits around muscle-driven nutrition and fitness, sleep, and stress can help them continue to achieve their personal best. A former professional athlete, coach, and nutrition scientist, Sims has been at the forefront of the women’s performance conversation, identifying key sex differences in the way
women should nourish themselves and train; she was in fact, one of the earliest advocates for increasing protein intake and strength training (“lift heavy sh*t”) as women aged. The book itself is straightforward and easy to read, with a no-nonsense approach that seeks to provide proper context and an action plan for those who have no desire to slow down.
This book is for you if… you are an active woman and/or athlete looking to understand and counteract the physical, mental, and emotional changes that can derail your performance on the field, in the race, or simply, at the gym. You are curious about muscle science and how you can optimize your nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management to continue delivering your personal best.
Looking to put other types of books on your nightstand? I’m an avid reader of all sorts so join me over at Goodreads for other books that may pique your interest!
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