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Cracking the Menopause

While Keeping Yourself Together

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Cracking the Menopause

By: Mariella Frostrup, Alice Smellie
Narrated by: Alice Smellie, Mariella Frostrup
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Summary

'Essential reading for everyone' – Marian Keyes

This enlightening audiobook is passionately narrated by the authors, Mariella Frostrup with Alice Smellie.

It’s time for us to start talking about the menopause. Cracking the Menopause, from straight-talking broadcaster Mariella Frostrup and health journalist Alice Smellie, has all the information you need, delivered with characteristic wry humour.

It’s high time we renovated and elevated this life change. Despite the centuries of speculation and propaganda, we are not overheating or inherently cold, we are not hysterics or boiling vats of toxic poisons, we are not dried up or washed up, we are simply menopausal.

In this no-holds-barred guide, Mariella shares her own journey through the menopause, along with the latest science, advice from leading experts and humorous illustrations – to provide an informative source of wisdom and enlightenment.

Featuring case studies from women in every walk of life and all stages of their menopause journey, Cracking the Menopause opens up the conversation about an urgent topic that half the population will experience, but barely anyone is talking about. Designed to equip you with the knowledge to manage your symptoms from perimenopause onwards, this essential book separates the myths from the reality and offers expertise, hope and advice.

'I inhaled this book, it's fantastic. Women of all ages need to read it.' – Claudia Winkleman

'Mariella and Alice have just written one of the most important books of the year, bravo.' - Gabby Logan

 Adulthood & Aging Aging & Longevity Developmental Psychology Personal Development Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Self-Esteem Menopause Health Funny Witty Mental Health
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Critic reviews

A fresh, insightful take and a great read. (Helen Fielding)
Essential reading for everyone. (Marian Keyes)
I inhaled this book, it's fantastic. Women of all ages need to read it. It’s genuinely helped me understand why I wake up at 5 a.m. and made me laugh along the way. (Claudia Winkleman)
Cracking the Menopause should be mandatory for every medical student and pretty much anyone else who cares about the quality of a woman’s life over the age of forty. Mariella and Alice have just written one of the most important books of the year, bravo. (Gabby Logan)
Menopause is the dark matter of modern medicine, until now almost totally neglected. This book shrugs off generations of silence and stigma. It’s confessional, scientifically accurate and extremely funny. It’s for anyone who will experience the menopause themselves or who knows someone who will . . . so that’s basically everyone. (Dr Chris van Tulleken)
Optimistic, hilarious and informative. A rallying cry for women to love and look after themselves at any age. (Susannah Constantine)
This book is nothing short of revolutionary! Finally, some validation for women who’ve been swirling around aimlessly seeking answers in tomes of patriarchal gibberish. This book arrives at exactly the right time; a guidebook for that stage in life, previously only surviving in shadows and whispers. MENOPAUSE, at long last: a badge of honor. (Naomi Watts)
A fabulous read. For me, this is the first conversation around the menopause that is inclusive of ethnically diverse voices. This is a must-have, revolutionary book for everyone to read. (Dr Nighat Arif)
This friendly, feisty book has all the myth-busting facts, tactics and strategies we need to sail through menopause and not just survive, but thrive. (Alice Hart-Davis, founder of The Tweakments Guide)
Brilliantly well-informed, hugely helpful and, above all, empathetic to women’s needs: I wish I’d had this to read when my own perimenopause kicked in. (Saska Graville, MPowered Women)
A must-read for women of any age. It does not just crack the menopause, it makes it cool. I, for one, cannot wait to become a grumpy and free menopausal woman after reading this book. (Miriam Gonzalez Durantes)
It’s astounding and shocking that a process over half the world’s population will go through is still so poorly understood. This book goes a long way towards clearing up the myths and misconceptions that still surround the menopause. (Lydia Slater, Editor-in-Chief, Harper's Bazaar)
It’s fascinating, and a little scary that men are so ignorant about something that will probably significantly affect someone they’ve lived with for two decades! (Mark Pougatch)
All stars
Most relevant
Brilliant book, thank you so much ladies. My son actually bought me the book bless him. As a 56 year old black woman it made me feel so relieved that the bad experiences I had with my GP refusing me HRT back in 2017 because she wasn't a fan and did not know much about it, then she subsequently printed of some correspondence and about alternative treatments, ie sage tablets, black cohosh, etc, none of these worked and I suffered on. I couldn't sleep at night due to waking constantly with my bed drenched in sweat and feeling like I was going to spontaneously combust. Hot flushes during the day, anxiety and all she prescribed me was Mirtazapine which I didn't take. I did remember watching Mariella's programme about the menopausa in 2019, I again visited my GP, again she didn't want to know. After nearly losing my mind due to sleep deprivation, I had a private last year consultation with a specialist menopause clinic and my life has completely changed, it still early days, 7 months and I've had to try different things HRT, but flushes during the day are gone and finally I can sleep. Whilst reading the book I could relate/draw on so many of experiences of others in the book. This book had made me feel normal again. Thank you again for bringing menopause out into the open, it's nothing to be ashamed of but how woman have been treated is.

Wow, at last representation and acknowledgement,

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excellent coverage, albeit a different approach; plenty of moments to laugh, and plenty to look forward to. I like the real life quites dotted around the various topics - like having friends to share experiences with. I hope this book is widely read, including by medical & psychology professionals.

Don't skip the Epilogue!

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This book was genuinely insightful and interesting and the authors are very knowledgeable with first hand experience. I'm probably around 15-20 years off of menopause (at least that's the plan) but it was so good to listen to this book now. It gives you a heads up of what's to come and that it most definitely shouldn't be shamed (not that I ever thought it should but it definitely has been). I will enjoy my periods whilst they last and the large amount of oestrogen too!

I have SO much to look forward to

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This book is totally fabulous. So well researched.

I thought I was a head of the curve planning for my menopause at 48.
In hindsight I should have planned for ‘my’ perimenopause. When I look back I just wasn’t firing on all cylinders. I didn’t think it was perimenopause., I thought it was just ‘ME’.

I’ve been on HRT for a few years now and it is great but it doesn’t tick all the symptom boxes. This book has given me the inspiration to explore more.

I have listened on Audio and have bought the kindle version because I think I will dip into this little gem of a book numerous times in the future.

For a first introduction to this book, the audio version is priceless.

Thank you Mariella and Alice.

Every body needs to read this book 😃

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I’m a bloke and wanted to understand more. The Preface was was more than enough to set the scene and this book helped me understand what the menopause is and it’s impacts. I apologise now to my partner if I make mistakes and lack immediate understanding or awareness but I’m here on this journey with you

This book has helped understand what my mum went through and what my partner and I can expect, how I can be proactive, attentive and understanding at this moment in her life - thanks for the insight

I never knew!!

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