The Estrogen Elixir

"Much has been written about post-menopausal estrogen therapy . . . This wonderful book tells the story."—Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, M.D., New England Journal of Medicine

"A good read."—Wulf H. Utian, Journal of Clinical Investigation

"The Estrogen Elixir sets a high standard for future histories of pharmaceuticals and of aging."—Jimmy Elaine Wilkinson Meyer, Journal of American History

"This book takes an in-depth, socially analytical look at the evolution of menopausal hormone therapy in the United States, with a focus on estrogen since its discovery . . . Watkins tells the story accurately and objectively. No accusations and no praise, just the facts."—K. Eddie Gabry, MD, MS, JAMA

"Watkins provides a fascinating, multi-faceted study of HRT, leaving no voices out of the debate."—Wendy Kline, History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences

"Watkins presents a detailed account of the historical record of the subject."—Carlos Sonnenschein, Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine

"More than a medical history of HRT. It is also a history of the medicalization of women's health and changing cultural attitudes toward aging, femininity, female identity, women's health activism, and the science of drug evaluations."—Dominique Tobbel, Chemical Heritage Magazine

"A fascinating aspect of Watkins's story is how drugs can be rebranded in the face of falling sales."—Bruno J. Strasser, Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences

"A significant work on the social history of American medicine and a major contribution to the growing literature on hormonal therapeutics and research."—Chandak Sengoopta, Isis

"Estrogen Elixir has many strengths . . . a commendable and welcome addition to emerging literature in modern women's health history."—Suzanne Junod, Ph.D., Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences

"An exemplary study of how the nation which first had access to oral contraceptives first came to terms with their advantages, and their drawbacks."—Times Literary Supplement, reviewing Watkins's On the Pill

"Intelligent and well-structured . . . An admirable exercise in social history."—Nature, reviewing Watkins's On the Pill

"A particularly fascinating issue, trim and focused, sophisticated and helpful, fresh and very interesting."—American Historical Review, reviewing Watkins's On the Pill

"In every carefully organized, lucidly written chapter Watkins provides surprising corrections to conventional thinking about the new birth control method."—Journal of American History, reviewing Watkins's On the Pill

"Anyone concerned with the debate over scientific advance and medical authority will find this a highly stimulating study."—Journal of American Studies, reviewing Watkins's On the Pill