| Norwegian title: | 40 uker, en menneskegraviditet og 81 andre måter å få barn på |
| Author: | Anna Blix |
| Binding: | Innbundet |
| Year: | 2023 |
| Pages: | 248 |
| Illustrator: | Simonsen, Frøydis Sollid |
| Publisher: | Cappelen Damm |
| Språk: | Bokmål |
| ISBN/EAN: | 9788202774479 |
| Kategori: | Narrative Non-fiction |
It takes 40 weeks to grow a human baby. Along the way, the relationship between the foetus and the pregnant woman bears resemblance to that of a parasite and its host. One takes and takes, while the other continue to give, risking their health in the process.
Anna Blix takes the reader on a personal, investigative, and deeply fascinating journey through each of the 40 weeks in a human pregnancy. Parallelly, for each week, we meet other creatures who have just delivered their next generation into the world. The bacteria E. coli has multiplied by two within 20 minutes. An Eastern grey kangaroo is pregnant for just 5 weeks before giving birth to a baby the size of a bean, which then crawls into its pouch to grow. And the birds with the longest incubation period of all, the wandering albatross, is done with their incubation period after only 10 weeks.
Why do we as humans carry our babies inside our bodies for so long, and is there a reason that we are throwing up and feeling nauseous? Are there better ways to reproduce? And does any living creature reproduce in a stranger way than us humans?
This book gives evolutionary comfort throughout the troubles of pregnancy, and an explanation as to how we ended up here: as the smartest species with the most tiresome, but nonetheless not such a bad way to reproduce.
«There is no better literature than great non-fiction. Written by specialists who are unbound by strict terminology or publication pressure, but in a liberal and relaxed language. The biologist, journalist, writer and columnist Blix is incredibly good here. […] the most amazing stories about mating, pregnancy, gender and sexuality.»
DAGBLADET, six/six stars
Extremely funny about difficult births
«.. my judgement is that this is the best book I've read so far this year. The combination of well-written text, a good frame story and incredible facts about weird pregnancies, is simply put a winner. I'm unsure if I'll have the pleasure of reading anything better this year.»
AFTENPOSTEN
Anna Blix glows as the feminist David Attenborough
«But in Anna Blix's book, the emotionally anchored philosophizing about the drastic life change is non-existent. Here it is about the physical and concrete work, and it is both highly entertaining and educational - and not least a solid feminist work. Rearranged organs, twisted stomach, compressed bladder, flaming heartburn and skeleton sliding apart. Ah, it's a joy to read. (...) Blix is a master at making complex science understandable to regular people.»
KLASSEKAMPEN
One of Aftenposten's best books of 2023
«This is an incredibly funny book about births in the animal kingdom.»
Anna Blix skriver forbilledlig om dødelige kjønnsåpninger, gravide sjønellik, tokjønnede snegler og elskovssyke delfinhunner.
Men i Anna Blix’ bok er den følelsesforankra filosoferingen over livsomveltningen ikkeeksisterende. Her er det den fysiske og konkrete jobben det handler om, og det er både svært underholdende og lærerikt – og ikke minst et solid feministisk arbeid. Ommøblerte organer, vrengt magesekk, sammenpressa blære, flammende halsbrann og skjelett som glir fra hverandre. Ah, det er en fryd å lese. (...) Blix er en mester i å gjøre innvikla vitenskap forståelig for vanlige folk.
Karoline Henanger, Klassekampen«Uansett er dommen at dette er den beste boken jeg har lest så langt i år. Kombinasjonen av en godt skrevet tekst, en god rammefortelling og utrolige fakta om merkelige graviditeter, er rett og slett en vinner. Jeg er usikker på om jeg får gleden av å lese noe bedre i år.»
Gunnar Kagge, Aftenposten| Germany |
| United Kingdom |
