The Fertility Doctor

"The authors bring a man and a century to life as they recount two primary discoveries underlying women's still controversial reproductive rights."

"The Fertility Doctor provides a balanced portrait of a twentieth-century medical giant... They [Marsh and Ronner] deal deftly too with with the ironies that marked Rock's long career."

"This book will hold an important place in the archives of reproductive medicine."

"Eminently readable... It gives an excellent account of his Boston Irish Catholic family background, his childhood, and his psychological maturation."

"Marsh and Ronner have written what is undoubtedly the most thorough and wide-ranging account we have yet on Rock's career and life."

"Using an impressive body of primary source material, Marsh (history, Rutgers Univ.-Camden) and Ronner (Univ. of Pennsylvania School of Medicine) depict Rock's life through his medical practice and research, both of which seem to define Rock as a person."

"The book is most successful in its exploration of Rock's research... offer(s) scholars of American Catholicism a useful portrait of a committed Catholic who deliberately stretched and molded his faith to fit both a more modern world and his own conscience, long before the Second Vatican council made such flexibility more acceptable."

"This is a well-researched and welcomed contribution to reproductive history."

"Enormously valuable."

"Marsh and Ronner provide us with a much enriched understanding of one of history's most remarkable gynecologists."

"Marsh and Ronner's collaborative efforts make for a fascinating and important study of Rock and his contributions to the science and culture of reproductive medicine."

"The biography of Rock provides detailed insight into the difficult challenges a doctor faced in pushing at the boundaries of reproductive health."

"A successful scientific biography."

"What this book does and does exquisitely is to bring John Rock's life and life's work to the forefront... of the decades of hormonal history."

"A fascinating biographical study of a key figure in twentieth-century America... a complete portrait of John Rock as a son, brother, husband, father, student, doctor, researcher, and public figure."

"A spell-binding analysis of the development of modern reproductive medicine. The authors, a gynecologist and a historian, interpret the conflicts and frustrations in this new field through the life and career of John Rock, whose medical and communication skills, coupled with his sincere commitment to the Catholic Church, made him uniquely qualified as one of the field's principal protagonists. The authors pay close attention to the social and scientific forces of the time when a new and controversial approach to pregnancy prevention was launched—with distinct moral and social interactions."