Publishers Weekly
★ 07/05/2021
Mendelson and Conejo, creators of the Pussypedia website, debut with a thorough and empowering guide to women’s health. Aiming to “democratize the information I found hiding in those journal articles and academic studies” and make a resource that’s “maximally accessible,” Mendelson covers reproductive anatomy and addresses such fraught topics as sexual assault, eugenics, and patriarchy. She also breaks down the basics of hormones, offering a primer on the menstrual cycle and hormone therapy. Along the way, she destigmatizes women’s sexual pleasure, shares opinions on contraception (including options for trans and nonbinary people), and offers a briefing on abortions and an explanation of what happens during the procedure. The author kicks body shame to the curb and, in delightfully sassy prose, keeps things realistic—“we could all really stand to stop calling our body parts by the names of the dudes who ‘discovered’ them.” Conejo’s bright illustrations, peppered throughout, add flair. Women looking to ditch the shame will find this smart, inclusive, and practical guide the perfect resource. Agent: Elianna Kan, Regal Hoffman & Assoc. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
Not since the 1973 publication of Our Bodies, Ourselves has there been a book about our sexual selves that is so incisive, so inclusive, so frank—and so funny. Pussypedia is more than just a book about pussies, it is a brilliant manifesto about living with one. Zoe Mendelson and Maria Conejo have created a multi-faceted masterpiece that should be read—and memorized—by every body.”—Debbie Millman, author of Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits
“Pussypedia is a hilarious, ridiculously informative and absolutely necessary atlas for people with pussies. From pussy anatomy to sex and masturbation and all things in between, Mendelson takes an inclusive and intersectional approach to demystifying all things pussy. This book is a joyful, frank, and comprehensive corrective to the cultural ignorance surrounding people with pussies. If pussy is the promised land, this book is the compass that will guide you there."—Roxane Gay, bestselling author of Bad Feminist and Hunger
“Accompanied by Maria Conejo’s beautiful illustrations, Zoe Mendelson has written an astonishingly informational volume about the pussy, which they redefine in a new wonderfully gender- and organ-inclusive way.”—Ms. Magazine
“A comprehensive resource that's equally entertaining, educational, and empowering…..Whether it’s someone who has a pussy or someone who loves them, Pussypedia is an extraordinary read. Zoe shares insightful interviews with experts that break down intimidating content into something much more manageable and shares plenty of her own personal experiences. It’s science-backed research and girl talk in one. María’s illustrations walk that line, too. You’ll find labeled anatomical diagrams, menstrual products, or women and women’s bodies. Her inclusive drawings highlight the beauty of being female—one that is celebrated and proud.”—PrintMag
“A thorough and empowering guide to women’s health…. [Mendelson] kicks body shame to the curb and, in delightfully sassy prose, keeps things realistic….Conejo’s bright illustrations, peppered throughout, add flair. [Those] looking to ditch the shame will find this smart, inclusive, and practical guide the perfect resource.”—Publishers Weekly (starred)
“The no-BS book about bodies….The voice is also a treat. Mendelson writes with humor, honesty, and openness, never flinching from her own experiences and, on top of that, has a ton of research to back everything up….Opening each chapter are Conejo’s illustrations, big and bold and friendly.”—Feminist Book Club
“The book is learned, informative, poignant, often infuriating, and often also very funny. But what most distinguishes Pussypedia is it's an FAQ for questions that have been answered incorrectly, suppressed, deemed taboo, gone bizarrely uninvestigated and/or steeped in shame off and on for most of human history....The book itself is part-sex manual, part-comprehensive Mendelson's Anatomy of XX Plumbing, and part history of suppression.”—“Booksmart Studios”
