--- product_id: 5837813 title: "Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History" price: "€ 43.88" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.it/products/5837813-breasts-a-natural-and-unnatural-history store_origin: IT region: Italy --- # Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History **Price:** € 43.88 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History - **How much does it cost?** € 43.88 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.it](https://www.desertcart.it/products/5837813-breasts-a-natural-and-unnatural-history) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description desertcart.com: Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History: 9780393345070: Williams, Florence: Books Review: The Human Mammary Gland In All Its Glory - The family of animals known as mammals are so named because they are the only creatures on earth that have mammary glands with which to feed their young. Of the mammals, humans are unique as we have the only mammary glands that extend from the body from the time of puberty onward. All other species in the mammal family have mammary glands that extend and become engorged for the purpose of lactation following pregnancy, but they also retract when lactation ceases and the infant is weaned. Why humans have this feature is a serious area of research and there is much debate over how this development evolved. Some scientists believe it had a sexual purpose, while other scientists believe it had a distinctly functional purpose. The author examines both schools of thought and provides information from both. Following the examination of the development of breasts, the author reviews the biology and functioning of breasts. Descended from sweat glands, it would appear from the outside that breasts are fairly simple apparatus that become functional following pregnancy and then returned to dormancy. However, the breasts are extremely complicated organs and one of the least studied organs in the human body. While we know a fair amount, there is a great deal that has yet to be discovered about the workings of the breast. Biologists are working on a continual basis to try to unlock the secrets of the breast, and with luck will be able to do so at some time in the future. Even breast milk itself is little understood, there are literally tens of thousands of components of breast milk, yet only a relatively few have actually been identified. Moving on from the biology of the breast, the author examines the issue of breast augmentation and its effect on the health of women who partake of this practice. Beginning with the development of silicone as a breast enhancement material, the author follows advances in breast enhancement technology, as well as the pit falls. She also discusses a San Francisco woman who made a career out of her giant, enormous breasts. She wanted to see the effects that breast augmentation have had on her through the years. It is a relatively young medical field, yet breast augmentation has become one of the most common surgical procedures, with thousands done every year. Even though there is a high rate of complication, women continue to flock to surgeons have breast augmentation done. The author finishes out with the final chapters on the effects of chemical pollutants and the role of estrogen and progesterone play in disease development. She examines a number of chemicals to explore what, if any, affect they have on both breast tissue and on the nursing infant. We know that a number of chemicals are passed on through breast milk, but we don't know what effect that has. In addition, we do not know the true facts of prolonged estrogen and progesterone exposure to breast tissue, particularly after the period of menopause. The examination of chemical pollutants and hormones leads to an examination of the state of breast cancer research and where we are at in the fight to prevent breast cancer. It is amazing how little we currently know about the causes of breast cancer and what we can do to prevent it in the future. In writing a book of this nature, it would be easy for the author to fall into one of several traps. The first would be to write a scientific tome loaded with data and statistics, as well as biological information that would be better suited for a medical journal rather than a general circulation book on the subject of human breasts. The other would be to write a book that contains titillating, sophomoric humor. The author does a fine job of walking the narrow line between being overly biological and overly sophomoric. She presents the information in an easy, understandable way and the book is actually a pleasure to read and fairly difficult to put down. She doesn't shy away from the occasional joke, but they are always in good taste and are actually rather funny. I would highly recommend this book to all women as an owner's manual. It contains a great deal of information that women should know about the state of breast cancer research, as well as breast self-examination and how the breast actually functions. I would also highly recommend it to any male who has a female in his life. Many men tend to think of the breast as little more than sexual objects, yet they are complicated and fascinating organs in the human body. If men knew how complicated the breast was, they would probably give it a great deal more respect. Review: The Role of Breasts - In Western culture, at least, breasts play a curious role. Despite existing primarily for feeding babies, breasts have been sexualized and fetishized. However, in Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History, the author takes a more serious look at breasts and their role in human development and how modern lifestyles may be contributing to breast cancer. One of the first subjects explored in the book is the evolutionary history and why human breasts look so different from mammary glands in other mammals. The difference may be attributable to the shape of the human head. With a larger brain and a changing shape, nipples had to protrude further from the mother's chest so a baby could feed and breathe at the same time. Thus, human breasts evolved to be large during a woman's entire adult life, unlike other mammals which only expand while lactating. The author points this out in how the development of breasts is so interconnected with overall human development and intelligence. Another thing looked at is the often bizarre history of breast implants. According to the book, breast augmentation is the most popular voluntary surgery performed in the United States. Breast feeding and breast milk are also explained such as how complicated and important the makeup of milk is. She also compares milk to formula and how changing opinions caused a severe drop in the percentage of mothers breast feeding in the mid-twentieth century and how later on women were instead encouraged to breast feed again. A good portion of the book is spent looking at breast diseases, especially cancer, and how a changing environment and culture may be altering how breasts develop in young girls. The author notes how girls are beginning to develop breasts earlier in industrialized countries. She also notes how the number of breast cancer cases is also increasing. Some reasons why are explored including a more modern lifestyle, number of children and pregnancies, and exposure to modern products which contain chemicals whose effects are not entirely known. A whole chapter of the book is dedicated at looking at the rare male form of breast cancer. Men are susceptible to breast cancer because all men have a small amount of (undeveloped) breast tissue for the same reason they have nipples. My only real criticism of the book is that in some sections where the author looks at various chemicals and everyday products with such chemicals seems at times alarmist and the author comes off as rather anxious over it. The long-winded lists of chemicals and various statistics also seemed rather out-of-place at times. I mostly enjoyed this book because it was a mostly serious look at a subject that is too often appreciated for the wrong reasons. I would recommend this book to those with a casual interest in biology or physiology. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #948,510 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #148 in Anatomy & Physiology (Books) #728 in Anatomy (Books) #2,656 in History (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 175 Reviews | ## Images ![Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51q7XmHM6lL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Human Mammary Gland In All Its Glory *by F***L on May 24, 2012* The family of animals known as mammals are so named because they are the only creatures on earth that have mammary glands with which to feed their young. Of the mammals, humans are unique as we have the only mammary glands that extend from the body from the time of puberty onward. All other species in the mammal family have mammary glands that extend and become engorged for the purpose of lactation following pregnancy, but they also retract when lactation ceases and the infant is weaned. Why humans have this feature is a serious area of research and there is much debate over how this development evolved. Some scientists believe it had a sexual purpose, while other scientists believe it had a distinctly functional purpose. The author examines both schools of thought and provides information from both. Following the examination of the development of breasts, the author reviews the biology and functioning of breasts. Descended from sweat glands, it would appear from the outside that breasts are fairly simple apparatus that become functional following pregnancy and then returned to dormancy. However, the breasts are extremely complicated organs and one of the least studied organs in the human body. While we know a fair amount, there is a great deal that has yet to be discovered about the workings of the breast. Biologists are working on a continual basis to try to unlock the secrets of the breast, and with luck will be able to do so at some time in the future. Even breast milk itself is little understood, there are literally tens of thousands of components of breast milk, yet only a relatively few have actually been identified. Moving on from the biology of the breast, the author examines the issue of breast augmentation and its effect on the health of women who partake of this practice. Beginning with the development of silicone as a breast enhancement material, the author follows advances in breast enhancement technology, as well as the pit falls. She also discusses a San Francisco woman who made a career out of her giant, enormous breasts. She wanted to see the effects that breast augmentation have had on her through the years. It is a relatively young medical field, yet breast augmentation has become one of the most common surgical procedures, with thousands done every year. Even though there is a high rate of complication, women continue to flock to surgeons have breast augmentation done. The author finishes out with the final chapters on the effects of chemical pollutants and the role of estrogen and progesterone play in disease development. She examines a number of chemicals to explore what, if any, affect they have on both breast tissue and on the nursing infant. We know that a number of chemicals are passed on through breast milk, but we don't know what effect that has. In addition, we do not know the true facts of prolonged estrogen and progesterone exposure to breast tissue, particularly after the period of menopause. The examination of chemical pollutants and hormones leads to an examination of the state of breast cancer research and where we are at in the fight to prevent breast cancer. It is amazing how little we currently know about the causes of breast cancer and what we can do to prevent it in the future. In writing a book of this nature, it would be easy for the author to fall into one of several traps. The first would be to write a scientific tome loaded with data and statistics, as well as biological information that would be better suited for a medical journal rather than a general circulation book on the subject of human breasts. The other would be to write a book that contains titillating, sophomoric humor. The author does a fine job of walking the narrow line between being overly biological and overly sophomoric. She presents the information in an easy, understandable way and the book is actually a pleasure to read and fairly difficult to put down. She doesn't shy away from the occasional joke, but they are always in good taste and are actually rather funny. I would highly recommend this book to all women as an owner's manual. It contains a great deal of information that women should know about the state of breast cancer research, as well as breast self-examination and how the breast actually functions. I would also highly recommend it to any male who has a female in his life. Many men tend to think of the breast as little more than sexual objects, yet they are complicated and fascinating organs in the human body. If men knew how complicated the breast was, they would probably give it a great deal more respect. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Role of Breasts *by F***K on September 2, 2012* In Western culture, at least, breasts play a curious role. Despite existing primarily for feeding babies, breasts have been sexualized and fetishized. However, in Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History, the author takes a more serious look at breasts and their role in human development and how modern lifestyles may be contributing to breast cancer. One of the first subjects explored in the book is the evolutionary history and why human breasts look so different from mammary glands in other mammals. The difference may be attributable to the shape of the human head. With a larger brain and a changing shape, nipples had to protrude further from the mother's chest so a baby could feed and breathe at the same time. Thus, human breasts evolved to be large during a woman's entire adult life, unlike other mammals which only expand while lactating. The author points this out in how the development of breasts is so interconnected with overall human development and intelligence. Another thing looked at is the often bizarre history of breast implants. According to the book, breast augmentation is the most popular voluntary surgery performed in the United States. Breast feeding and breast milk are also explained such as how complicated and important the makeup of milk is. She also compares milk to formula and how changing opinions caused a severe drop in the percentage of mothers breast feeding in the mid-twentieth century and how later on women were instead encouraged to breast feed again. A good portion of the book is spent looking at breast diseases, especially cancer, and how a changing environment and culture may be altering how breasts develop in young girls. The author notes how girls are beginning to develop breasts earlier in industrialized countries. She also notes how the number of breast cancer cases is also increasing. Some reasons why are explored including a more modern lifestyle, number of children and pregnancies, and exposure to modern products which contain chemicals whose effects are not entirely known. A whole chapter of the book is dedicated at looking at the rare male form of breast cancer. Men are susceptible to breast cancer because all men have a small amount of (undeveloped) breast tissue for the same reason they have nipples. My only real criticism of the book is that in some sections where the author looks at various chemicals and everyday products with such chemicals seems at times alarmist and the author comes off as rather anxious over it. The long-winded lists of chemicals and various statistics also seemed rather out-of-place at times. I mostly enjoyed this book because it was a mostly serious look at a subject that is too often appreciated for the wrong reasons. I would recommend this book to those with a casual interest in biology or physiology. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Informative and Interesting *by S***E on September 11, 2012* It is written in an easy flowing manner but has a zillion interesting bits of info, some funny, some amazing, some worrisome. Did you know that breast milk contains 100 to 600 different types of bacteria and that fact has just been recently discovered ( no one ever looked, just assumed it was sterile). That breats are the only organ that do not have their own specialty even though they are responsible for the survival of mankind? That there are lots and lots of stem cells in colostrum and they are not sure what they are for but they think breast milk might be the future of treatment for aids and cancers? That breasts are canary in the coal mine when it comes to toxins and that american women have the highest level of toxins in their breasts of any other country and a lot of these toxins are very concentrated forms of estrogen mimickers - we are doing a grand experiment on our children, especially are female children. MOST of these toxins are from PLASTICS BPA (and others) yet children's most children's toys contain these substances. Also great discussions on developing breast cancer - even if you do not have kids - or especially if you do not, or had them late in life, this is good to know about. There is also the anthropology of breasts where lots of researchers spend time and money trying to prove that breasts evolved to attract mates (who cares about the milk, nobody wanted to study that!). Or the marketing of breasts where plastic surgeons and implant manufactures wash each others hands with tons of money via marketing. My favorite line goes something like Jesus may have turned water into wine but women trans-substantiate blood into milk everyday in every country. Anyway it is way educational, informative, interesting and fun to read ( a bit scarey in parts ). I am thinking about semi purging plastics from my life, but that is of course impossible. But I can remove lots of them. We can also pass this book on and get some momentum going to have our government pay attention. Many other countries have already banned a lot of these plastic components. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.it/products/5837813-breasts-a-natural-and-unnatural-history](https://www.desertcart.it/products/5837813-breasts-a-natural-and-unnatural-history) --- *Product available on Desertcart Italy* *Store origin: IT* *Last updated: 2026-04-30*