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    The Cookie Book: Celebrating the Art, Power and Mystery of Woman's Sweetest Spot
    Unavailable
    The Cookie Book: Celebrating the Art, Power and Mystery of Woman's Sweetest Spot
    Unavailable
    The Cookie Book: Celebrating the Art, Power and Mystery of Woman's Sweetest Spot
    Ebook279 pages2 hours

    The Cookie Book: Celebrating the Art, Power and Mystery of Woman's Sweetest Spot

    By Maritza Breitenbach

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Self-esteem and self-empowerment are vital for a rewarding and fulfilling life and are often bolstered by belief systems and societal views. But what if these systems or views prevent us from truly accepting ourselves because of miseducation or taboo? Such is the case for most women and the vagina, an organ so vital to our very existence, yet shrouded in secrecy and shamefully hidden.

    In Maritza Breitenbach's The Cookie Book, she sets out to dispel taboo and promote female self-empowerment through her artistically beautiful and historically rich exploration of the human vagina. Fun, easy-to-read and light, The Cookie Book is a "must-read" for young adults and women of all ages just learning about or ready to take ownership of their own hidden treasure. The Cookie Book also details important rites of passage from tot to teen, pregnancy and childbirth to menopause.

    Inspired by her love of research and her own inability to talk about the vagina with confidence and ease, Breitenbach found women embarrassed and anxious about its appearance, aroma, general function, among others issues. Breitenbach believes when we view our vaginas as a source of pride and wonder rather than something of which to be ashamed, we empower ourselves beyond question in the most essential part of our being.

    The Cookie Book is filled with rare and interesting historical snippets and has over 100 color photographs and illustrations by famous painters such as Picasso, Rodin, de Goya, among others, all designed to encourage women to share information with friends and loved ones. The beautiful artwork, historical facts and cartoons promotes communication, which Breitenbach says is essential to liberating women and the vagina from taboo and bringing ownership back to every individual that has one or loves one.

    10 Things You Probably Don't Know About the Vagina:

    1. Female infants lubricate vaginally in the first four to six hours of life
    2. The absence of a biological father through separation or divorce is known to bring on early menstruation
    3. Famous painter Rodin did an illustration of the vagina titled "Sex of the Female"
    4. A scent called "Vulva"--fashioned after the vagina's aroma--can be purchased from Germany and is said to drive men wild
    5. Clockwork-powered vibrators were invented in 1734 and used in asylums by doctors hoping to curtail hysteria
    6. Napoleon Bonaparte preferred the unwashed smell of Empress Josephine's "Black Forest"
    7. What a woman eats can affect the scent of her vagina
    8. Masturbation has a wide range of health benefits
    9. In China a vagina with all its hair removed is known as a "white tiger"
    10. The average vagina has a pH of 3.8 to 4.5, and maintaining pH is important for overall vaginal health

    The Cookie Book has invaluable information for every women as they journey through life--from infancy to adolescence, being a lover and a mother, to menopause and beyond. It explores the vagina's anatomy, aroma, function, the effects of puberty, sexual intercourse, pregnancy, childbirth and menopause. Young adults and women of all ages (even men) can gain insight into the mystical hymen, g-spot, masturbation and the history of contraception
    as well as learn how to avoid, recognize and treat vaginal infections and sexually transmitted diseases.

    Although based on medical research, The Cookie Book is light, entertaining, fun, and accessible to all women, regardless of academic background. This is the perfect woman-to-woman, mother/daughter, father/daughter gift.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTurner Publishing Company
    Release dateJan 3, 2013
    ISBN9780897936637
    Unavailable
    The Cookie Book: Celebrating the Art, Power and Mystery of Woman's Sweetest Spot

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    Reviews for The Cookie Book

    3.5/5

    18 ratings8 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      I really wanted to like this book. I thought it would be a good addition to my library as someone who participated in the Vagina Monologues in college, strongly identifies as a feminist and whose spiritual path involves the Goddess. Instead I had to force myself to read the whole book. The first thing I did not care for is the huge amount of euphemisms. Yes, I understand that there are many names for the vulva and vagina. Again I did the Vagina Monologues which also means that I understand the power in words. How about using some more affirming words like Yoni and less comparing our genitalia to food? Or using the actual words of vulva and vagina more? I guess part of my upset with this book is how often women's bodies were compared to food, things to be devoured. I did not care for the art at all. A lot of times it did not match what was being talked about in the text and left me scratching my head trying to figure out what they were trying to show. I would not recommend just on the art alone. I also would have thought you would have had more images of actual vulvas, vaginas and cervixes! Show the actual beauty of the female form. She had some interesting tips and information. I would have recommended that with some of her outlandish claims that she would have cited them right away. I had to google some of her citations because they were so ridiculous like the study stating that not having a father around effects getting your first period. Her subtle jabs on women's promiscuity or lack of information about gay relationships were unwelcome as well.Overall I would not recommend this book to my clients (I'm a holistic health coach specializing in women) nor would I bring it to any of my Goddess or feminism meetings.
    • 5/5
      Not only was this book informative it was interesting and funny. Maritza explains the art of shaving, diseases, how to tell your daughter about her coming body changes and much, much more. There was a lot of information that I already knew but there was also a lot of information that I didnt along with some interesting statistics. This boook was a joy to read and I am even passing it along to the other woman in my life. I would recomend it to anyone interested in interesting facts about women or to a parent preparing for their daughters change into adulthood.
    • 4/5
      I gave this a four star rating because the illustrations alone make The Cookie Book a delightful piece of literature. Combine that with the historical data and medical information, and you have an essential book for women of all ages. I especially think, because of the positive look at femininity and solidarity of women everywhere, this would be a great gift for any young girl at puberty. Actually, it would be a great gift for a woman of any age because it's not just about "the cookie" but about the entire essence of womanhood.
    • 3/5
      This book is like one of those gift books that tells you all sorts of interesting scientific, cultural, and historical things about frogs, except it's about female anatomy. It covers a lot of bases, but in a breezy and not-in-depth way. I appreciate the way she demonstrates comfort with "using the words" and discussing things that people are shy about. I think it has the potential to be a conversation starter for a teenage girl. But... I think it's not quite enough information about too many things, which causes me to worry that the explanations are too quick and easy, when perhaps they need more. The part about menopause felt rather alarming for someone who will have to experience it some day. It bothered me that the only mentions of homosexuality were one small paragraph explaining that in some countries gay people can get married and in other countries they can get killed, and a line explaining that lesbians are more likely to get bacterial vaginosis. While these facts are true, it seems lacking to have these be the only mention in the entire book. Also, in the section on STIs, she explains that HIV proceeds to AIDS over the course of ten years and then you die. She vaguely mentioned that there are drugs, but I don't think she adequately stated that they can now keep you in health for a good long time. The artwork is sometimes interesting (I particularly like the flower with piercings!) but often I could not figure out how the picture contributed to either the chapter or the book in general. I especially didn't quite get the emphasis on food, and found it oddly distracting to have cookies, cupcakes, and bread pictures throughout the book.
    • 5/5
      The Cookie Book taught me all kinds of things about myself that I didn't know. I'm not a reader of non-fiction but this was an easy read and I love how Ms. Breitenbach took up the cause to make women more comfortable with themselves. I would recommend this to any woman who wants to know herself better and issue challenge women who are afraid to learn more to give this one a try.
    • 4/5
      THE COOKIE BOOK is about women's bodies, specifically their vaginas. If that topic makes you squeamish, this book is definitely not for you. But if you're interested in building a woman-positive culture for yourself and your sisters, daughters, and friends, this book is a charming and intelligent step forward.The book has considerable reach. It briefly surveys the cultural history of the vagina and vulva, and then focusses on health and wellness matters. It provides straightforward information on menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, and sexuality in old age; on pubic hair and labial piercing; on STDs and female genital mutilation; and much else. The writing is lively, playful, and funny; the author makes the most of English-language euphemisms for women's sexual parts and invites readers to play too. While not overtly feminist, the tone is warmly woman focussed and upbeat. The physical presentation is also charming. A small, colourful book, it is thoughtfully illustrated with classical art, contemporary photography, and a range of drawings.This is such a smart, cute book! I really enjoyed reading it and highly recommend it.
    • 4/5
      This is a sweet little book which celebrates the spirit of women as it relates to our vaginas. There are beautiful reproductions of paintings, illustrations and photographs. It is thoughtfully and creatively laid out – an aesthetic delight! The Cookie Book delivers exactly what it promises to provide: “historical snippets and intriguing facts about the vagina”. Any additional information is left for the reader to pursue on his or her own. The author gives numerous pages of her reference materials for ones further study. It is not a negative treatise, but one that tells our sons and daughters it is wonderful to be a female; to have our seemingly mystic parts, and to be possessed with the awesome gift as creators of life. This is an ideal book to give our daughters in celebration of menarche, or simply to have laying about the house casually for our adolescent children to read at their leisure. It is not a harsh or scary presentation. It is not anti-male or society. However, at the same time, harmful myths and practices are not ignored. They are tactfully addressed. Emphasis is placed on proper hygiene and healthy choices. This book discusses the female body and its functions, as well as identifies the traditional and cultural myths, trends and facts surrounding the vagina. The goal being, to dispel the female shroud and to help our society – especially women - embrace their bodies with all its beauty, pain and wonder. Not a bad idea!
    • 2/5
      Cute, colorful, eye-catching to begin with. Appealing artwork and photography throughout. Mixes scientific fact with historical fallacies as well as quirky humor and how-tos. Kind of a light, quick history of the vagina and neighboring anatomy, it's more of a novelty, gifty sort of book. While it "celebrates" this most feminine of body parts, it's not overly feminist in tone. Female genital mutilation is briefly discussed as a cruel, painful, dangerous practice forced upon young girls to control their sexual activity and reproduction, it ends with the admonition that we are "ethically wrong in presenting women of other cultures as victimized, submissive, or ignorant" when it comes to "ritual circumcision". Rape is only indirectly mentioned in the context of inappropriate sexual actions by children and unusual vaginal discharge in young girls. The book also takes the tone that being "satin soft and well groomed" via waxing, sugaring, shaving, trimming, and carving cute shapes into our pubic hair (or completely removing it, by which "males are instantly aroused by the fully matured anatomy") is the norm and what we all are doing. Menopause and vaginal changes are very briefly touched upon as are a handful of STDs. There is a list of terms, a good-sized bibliography much of which is online sourced, and an index.