Pain, Pleasure, and American Childbirth

This scholarly work results from a study of childbirth in the United States between 1914 and 1960, for which the author has consulted a plethora of both popular and technical sources. For a medical text, it is very readable, as it traces women's shifting attitudes toward control over birth processes, alleviation of pain, and pursuit of pleasure from participation in the birth of their children. ... An excellent history, copiously documented; highly recommended for university as well as medical libraries.