Summary of Joan Jacobs Brumberg's The Body Project

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The young female body has changed over time, and today’s girls menstruate earlier than they did a century ago. They also have sexual intercourse at a younger age than they did a century ago. #2 Menarche’s new timetable is problematic on two levels. While girls are healthier and mature earlier, there has been no acceleration in their emotional and cognitive skills. Moreover, society does not make any special effort to help girls deal with the lag between their biological and intellectual development. #3 By the 1900s, the American standard of living had improved greatly, and this was reflected in the bodies of girls. There was a national crisis over what girls should do in the 1900s, as many physicians and middle-class parents were worried about the health consequences of female education. #4 Menstruation was a mystery for a long time. It was not understood what it was, whether it was normal or pathological. It was believed that the ovaries were the most important organ in a woman’s body, and that they were the primary determinant of female health and well-being.