Time for a cool change

Don't Sweat It by Nicky Pelligrino, Allen & Unwin, $36.99 .. ..

.. .. .. .. .. .. Considering half the population goes through menopause, we really don't talk about it nearly enough.

Nicky Pelligrino aims to change all that, at least in New Zealand. She starts with a statement women of a certain age can really relate to — “Everyone was really, really annoying”. Midlife, she says, is also a coming of age, being on the cusp of something interesting.

Women are used to being “hot, sweaty, angry, sad, itchy, anxious, bone-tired, fatter, vaguer, sleepless, wrinklier . . .”. Women of this age are also not supposed to be sexy or dress as they used to when they were younger.

There's plenty of misinformation out there about hormone replacement therapy, natural therapies, hot flushes and sleeplessness. Even male doctors are full of old theories.

But women are starting to talk to each other about what's happening to them, and this book is a great place to start. Women are holding Menopause and Martinis evenings, talking to each other candidly about how to handle “the change” as our mothers used to whisper.

Nicky gives some practical advice and shares her own experiences, which makes this a very readable guide for women — and men. She disposes of the many myths and blasts through the mystery with humour and practical advice.

If you're a woman — or a man — you need to read this. — Linda Thompson