Period Power by Maisie Hill
If there was ever a book to perfectly encapsulate the knowledge we should have gotten in sex-ed back in grade school, but didn’t, this would be the book.
Period Power: Harness Your Hormones and Get Your Cycle Working For You is an educational, data-driven, and experience-proven book that everyone with a menstrual cycle needs to read. I learned more in just over 300 pages than I ever did about my own body in 20 years of education.
As the title explains, the purpose of Period Power is to help women and those with menstrual cycles harness their hormones and understand their own cycles so well, that they can begin to use it to their advantage. Maisie Hill does an amazing job of providing scientific data, references, and extensive research to help people understand their own cycles.
At first, I was intimidated by the wordiness and density of the book, but after a few pages, I understood why it was so lengthy. Not only does Hill give the scientific spiel for all of the hormones and processes involved in the menstrual cycle, but she also uses personal experiences, scenarios, analogies, tips, and tricks to help the reader put all of those terms to good use.
I love Hill’s in-depth breakdown of each week within the cycle as the four seasons of the menstrual cycle. The information in these chapters alone helped me identify areas within my own cycle that could be beneficial and potentially harmful to myself. I learned about the times of the month when my hormones are at surges and dips, when it’s time for me to go easy on my schedule and when it’s time to pack in social gatherings and meetings.
It’s so hard to put words how amazing this book is, so all I will say is that if you are someone who menstruates, I HIGHLY recommend you read this book. I guarantee that you will learn at least one thing about yourself and your body that you never knew about before, and that you will learn at least one way to use your period to empower yourself.