The Upgrade: How the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife and Beyond

The author wrote not only about symptoms and treatment of transition and the upgrade, but provided many real life stories and wisdom from her own experiences. My partner and I read to each other and gave us both hope that this time of life can turnout well. Thank you.

At 45 I was starting to feel hopeless and a little crazy. I have been told my hormones are fine and I am no where near the ‘upgrade’ my body has been telling me a different story. This book has given me insight into my body and what’s going on and it’s also given me hope about what my future could look like. I’m going to buy a hard-copy and I feel like I will pick it up in the future and maybe read some sections again. I would recommend.

Initially thought it was too technical but a I moved forward found it extremely informative. Helped me to recognise that my experiences were normal. A must for all women experiencing the change!

I am still reading the book and I am so impressed. It is informative and funny in parts

Got bored with it and didn’t agree with half the things she wrote about. Doesn’t matter how much you try and beef up the menopause everyone suffers differently

This book is exhausting and I didn't finish it. It made me feel guilty and that I was not doing enough to fight nature. Like many of us , I am having a rough time being perimenopausal. The author suggests while dealing with it and everything else this time of life gives us (challenges of work, family and aged parent care anyone?) we need to be working much harder. I also need not to be poor as l will have to have time and money to support my fight for a rejuvenated body that is 'reset'. We poor women must take HRT and have a doctor who can tailor out treatment and drugs specifically for us. We must go on a strict diet and eat only lean protein and vegetables to keep off weight gain. If we do put on weight, and also are not sleeping as well, we are eating too much and we are not exercising enough. We need to do exercise until we are tired (walking, pilâtes or ballet three times a week, and yoga as well?) and then sleep well so we can get up at least an hour earlier than normal. This will help us not get depression. Quite frankly this sounds like an expense training regime and not being sympathetic to either our bodies or minds or the responsibulities ordinary women have at this stage of life.

There is so much excellent and important information in this book. Since most of my friends are in the peri or post menopausal stage of life, I buy several of these at a time and given them away. As with Brizendine's first book The Female Brain, this book brings much needed info about the impact of hormones on a woman's brain to the general public.

Toutes les femmes qui approchent la ménopause doivent lire ce livre.

I have read all 3 of them. The Female Brain was purchased years ago on one of those Barnes and Nobles buy 2 and get the 3rd free free tables. It is easily one of the best books I have ever read. I have raised 2 daughters and I am a woman. Once my girls started dating, I felt I needed to read The Male Brain. It, too, was outstanding! I have purchased The Female Brain book to give to parents anticipating the arrival of a daughter. In buying the last Female Brain book on Amazon, I discovered she wrote The Upgrade. I just finished it. What an excellent read!! Wish I read it earlier but it wasn't written when I needed it through the "transition". That said, it validates all I went through and gives so much information about life past menopause.I am a health care professional so know science... but not to the extent this author does. She includes a lot of it in her books. That said, at 67, retaining the scientific specifics is not happening BUT she backs up everything with examples of real people scenarios... and the concepts (and lessons) stick like glue. She makes it fun to learn and the lessons learned help you understand so much. In conversations with my patients and friends, I source these lessons constantly.I highly recommend reading all of her books!

Borrowed this book from public library; liked it so much I bought a copy. Very little current info available on menopause other than the "Manifesto". Goes beyond the physiology and includes important psychological connections.

Just bought this for mom & my aunt and it really made them feel better about where they were in their aging process. Gave them some hope and confidence.