We know it simply as "the pill," yet its genesis was anything but simple. Jonathan Eig's masterful narrative revolves around four principal characters: the fiery feminist Margaret Sanger, who was a champion of birth control in her campaign for the rights of women but neglected her own children in pursuit of free love; the beautiful Katharine McCormick, who owed her fortune to her wealthy husband, the son of the founder of International Harvester and a schizophrenic; the visionary scientist Gregory Pincus, who was dismissed by Harvard in the 1930s as a result of his experimentation with in vitro fertilization but who, after he was approached by Sanger and McCormick, grew obsessed with the idea of inventing a drug that could stop ovulation; and the telegenic John Rock, a Catholic doctor from Boston who battled his own church to become an enormously effective advocate in the effort to win public approval for the drug that would be marketed by Searle as Enovid. Spanning the years from Sanger s heady Greenwich Village days in the early twentieth century to trial tests in Puerto Rico in the 1950s to the cusp of the sexual revolution in the 1960s, this is a grand story of radical feminist politics, scientific ingenuity, establishment opposition, and, ultimately, a sea change in social attitudes. Brilliantly researched and briskly written, The Birth of the Pill is gripping social, cultural, and scientific history."

Powered by eBay Turbo Lister ***Is this book a gift?***

If so we will gladly gift wrap the book (in an attractive gift paper) and send it (inside a padded envelope) directly to the recipient. We can also enclose a gift card......choose from one of the ideas below (or choose your own sentiment).
There are no charges for these services. Just contact us (via 'contact seller' or direct e.mail) with your instructions. We will confirm the details with you before sending the book.

1) I saw this out of print book and thought of you. I hope you enjoy it.....love (name).
2) Happy Birthday (name), this book is now out of print but I/we thought you'd love it. From (name)
3) Merry Christmas (name), hope this book brings back some happy memories. Love (name)

**We do not enclose an invoice with gift wrap books unless requested by the sender.

***We do enclose a slip which says 'This book is now out of print and has been tracked down by Highland Book Cavern'.

Sending Out of Print (Used) Books as Gifts

*1) It is perfectly acceptable to give a (used) book as a gift when the book is out of print and new copies are no longer available. It shows that you have given a lot of thought to tracking down a book you know the recipient will love rather than settling for a book which is not ideal just because it's new. This is particularly true when it comes to nostalgia books (books about the town or village you grew up in, or the school you attended, or maybe your favourite holiday memories). We all like to take a nostalgic look at our younger day memories.

*2) Ideally the book should be in good or better condition (preferably very good or like new). You should be able to see a photo of the actual book in the listing before buying and a description of condition for the actual book for sale.

*3) A professional seller will also give at least a brief description of the book contents (a synopsis).

*4) DISAPPOINTMENT. The last thing you want when buying a used book as a gift is to find out the seller has neglected to mention it's an ex library copy. Check this before buying.