Details Condition: BRAND NEW Format: Paperback ISBN: 9781529059052 Publisher: Bluebird (Pan Macmillan) Overview Cracking the Menopause: While Keeping Yourself Together is a candid, witty and thoroughly researched paperback guide to perimenopause and menopause. Written by broadcaster Mariella Frostrup and health journalist Alice Smellie, it blends personal experience, expert interviews and up-to-date science to help readers understand symptoms, treatment options and self-care strategies. Approachable rather than clinical, it's designed for women navigating this life stage, as well as partners, friends and colleagues who want to understand and support them. About the Book Menopause affects roughly half the population, yet for generations it has been treated as a taboo subject, spoken of only in euphemism or as the punchline to a joke. Cracking the Menopause sets out to change that. Mariella Frostrup shares her own perimenopause journey with characteristic frankness, while co-author Alice Smellie draws on years of health journalism to translate research into practical, readable advice. Together they cover the full spectrum of symptoms — from hot flushes, brain fog and disrupted sleep to changes in mood, libido and long-term risks such as bone density and heart disease. The book features interviews with leading gynaecologists, GPs, psychologists, nutritionists and sleep specialists, giving readers a trustworthy grounding in the options available, including hormone replacement therapy, lifestyle adjustments and complementary approaches. Case studies from women of different ages and backgrounds sit alongside the science, so no reader feels alone. Wry illustrations and Frostrup's trademark humour keep the tone warm even when discussing difficult subjects, and the book has been widely praised for making an under-discussed topic feel accessible and useful. It's a book to read cover to cover or dip into chapter by chapter. Clear, jargon-free explanations of perimenopause and menopause symptoms and their causes Evidence-based guidance on HRT, treatments and lifestyle changes to help you make informed choices Expert interviews with gynaecologists, psychologists, sleep specialists and nutritionists Real case studies that normalise and validate every reader's experience Warm, witty tone that makes a difficult subject approachable rather than daunting A practical paperback reference to return to as symptoms change over time About the Authors Mariella Frostrup is one of Britain's best-known broadcasters, a long-standing host of Radio 4's Open Book and a weekly columnist for the Observer, who has also fronted a record-breaking BBC documentary on the menopause. Alice Smellie is an award-winning health and beauty journalist who writes for major UK publications and co-founded the campaign group Menopause Mandate. Together they bring lived experience and journalistic rigour to this collaboration, making complex medical information feel personal, honest and easy to follow. Why You'll Love This Guide Honest, funny and packed with expert insight, this paperback turns a confusing life stage into something manageable and even empowering — the perfect companion, or thoughtful gift, for anyone facing the menopause. Please Note: Cover design may vary slightly from the image shown; this listing is for the current UK edition with the ISBN stated above.