THE HUMAN STORY: Facts on Birth, Growth and Reproduction

by ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 26, 1969

A primer on the facts of life--including adolescent changes and how to handle them--that sounds like the textbook it was (Scott, Foresman, 1967) and proceeds like the hygiene course it's presumably intended for. The physical signs of change are explained (with tips on acne and menstruation), some psychological manifestations mentioned; conception, cell division, fetal development and childbirth are briefly described, and a final chapter sets forth the fundamentals of genetics. All very clear-cut and reassuring--also clean-cut (e.g. no contraception or masturbation) and, for the intended ten-to-fourteens, rather shallow. Certainly the youngster entering puberty could profit from Love and Sex in Plain Language, for one, while The Secret World of the Baby (1968, p. 1179, J-455) is immeasurably more informative and affecting re the baby pre- and post-birth. (Even the Paul Showers book for second graders is fuller in this area.) Compression to the lineaments of a pamphlet is all this has to offer, plus a certain sterile clarity.

Pub Date: May 26, 1969

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1969

Categories: NONFICTION