In the beginning of Birth, the author Tina Cassidy says among the presents she received were the accounts of other women's birthing experiences. They led to the writing of this book. This must ring true to every mother-to-be. I cannot think of any mother who has not received others' delivery stories, some of them for reassurance and others with the truth adjusted for drama.

The author takes a good look at labor and delivery procedures during the early decades and points to the differences between them and today's advanced knowledge. Then, for the difficulty of the birthing process, she--or rather her research--blames a woman's pelvis. Evolution has not favored the woman, and the graphic on page 16 proves that by comparing a Homo Sapien's pelvis to that of a chimpanzee and Australopithecus Africanus.

Most of the information in the book is delightful and entertaining to read, like the superstitions and the midwifery practices in the earlier centuries but especially the one during the seventeenth century when the midwives used odd-shaped large syringes for baptism in utero. One has to feel for the mothers of those days. Yet, an informative section and some applause are extended to modern midwives for their expert help to babies and their parents.

Even though babies choose to be born almost anywhere, the location where the birth takes place could also be important in some cultures. Of the many delightful tidbits in this section, a couple of them are: in a locality in Micronesia, shallow water at the ocean's edge was the norm; on the Mayflower, a baby boy was born and given the name Oceanus. The book continues on with the following chapters by presenting serious information about the Lamaze method, obstetricians' tools and ultrasound, the postpartum period, bonding with the baby, and breastfeeding.

The most important chapter is Chapter 8: A Father's Place. Whether as a coach, a teammate, or a witness, a father is important to the mother and the baby, because this is when the baby's bonding with the father begins. It is a major blunder of cultures and history to have excluded fathers from the process.

According to the book's back cover, the writer of the book Tina Cassidy has been a reporter and an editor at Boston Globe. She has also written for The New York Times Magazine.

Rich with end notes, source notes, and a very extensive bibliography, Birth's first edition was published in September 2006, in hardcover with 320 pages and ISBN-10: 0871139383 and ISBN-13: 978-0871139382.

The process of childbirth cannot be predicted. No matter how carefully things are planned, the more the expectant parents learn about the birthing process, the better they fare. Reading a book like this one, which is well-researched and well-written, can help greatly to the parents to be. Then, for those of us who already have their children, Birth is still an enlightening and entertaining treat.