Childbirth and the future of homo sapiens / Michel Odent.

London : Pinter & Martin, 2013.

160 pages ; 22 cm

Copy 1. Donor: Family of Sheila Kitzinger.

Introduction: The long-term consequences of how we are born: an anthology of valuable studies -- 1. Ecce homo -- 2. Evolution revisited -- 3. The future of the human oxytocin system (An underused physiological system ; The capacity to give birth ; The capacity to breastfeed ; Genital sexuality ; Capacity for empathy ; Should we learn from bulldogs?) -- 4. A landmark in the evolution of brain size? (Inextensible limits ; Pulverized limits) -- 5. 'Microbes maketh man' -- 6. Should we criminalize planned vaginal birth? (Two important steps ; Measuring the safety of caesareans) -- 7. That is the question (Answer ; Multiple functions of the Primal Health Research Database ; The concept of critical period) -- 8. Active management of human evolution (The reasons for a new question ; Active management needs objectives) -- 9. Physiology v. cultural conditioning (Understanding the laws of Nature ; Deep-rooted cultural conditioning ; Reinforced cultural conditioning) -- 10. Reasonable optimism (Before a spectacular scientific discovery ; The discovery ; Immediate implications of the discovery).

11. Avenues for research (A basic simple physiological concept ; The concept of neurocortical inhibition) -- 12. Repressed common sense (If ... ; Analysing a concrete scenario ; The science-common sense collusion) -- 13. The story is not finished -- 14. Labour pain revisited (A protective physiological system ; Meanwhile) -- 15. No paradigm shift without language shift (Towards a new vocabulary ; Avoidable terms ; 'Gestational diabetes' as a typical example ; Other examples) -- 16. Love as an evolutionary handicap (The concept of critical period in the light of anthropology ; Giving birth before and after the Neolithic revolution ; 'Maternal urges' neutralized) -- 17. Reasonable pessimism (What is in the balance? ; Towards the planet of Aspies? ; The future of depression ; The sorcerer's apprentice) -- 18. The future of enthusiasm -- 19. Homo sapiens and the virosphere (Smashing barriers ; The viral threat) -- 20. Cultural blindness (Cul-de-sac epidemiology ; Learning from biographers ; The vital function of madness).

Includes bibliographical references (pages 140-157) and index.