Karin Lesnik-Oberstein explores the debates and decisions around the uses of reproductive technologies, specifically in relation to childhood and the having of children. Even books ostensibly devoted to the topic of why people want children and the reasons for using reproductive technologies tend to start with the assumption that this is either simply a biological drive to reproduce, or a socially instilled desire. This book uses psychoanalysis not to provide an answer in its own right, but as an analytic tool to probe more deeply the problems of these assumptions. In doing so, Lesnik-Oberstein addresses wider issues to do with thinking around, and articulating ideas about, nature, culture, history, society, the family, the individual, and the child. Instead of largely taking for granted the idea that of course people want to have children, and of course they want them to be their "own," and, of course, they want these children because everyone knows what children are, this book will not take these ideas for granted, but argue instead that the child and the desire for the child constitute in particular and specific ways "a value, a theme of expression, an occasion of emotion." Given that it is the idea of an "own" child that underpins and justifies the whole use of reproductive technologies, this book is a crucial and wholly original intervention in this complex and highly topical area.

Children's Literature is an original and lucid study of the figure of the `child' as it is presented in the rapidly expanding field of the criticism of children's literature. The book argues that, in fact, this same body of criticism reveals the realm of `childhood' as one constructed by the adult reader, and that it is underpinned by the narratives of the liberal arts' educational ideals. This lively polemic places literary discussion into the current wider debates about childhood in psychology and psychotherapy, and represents a significant re-thinking of `childhood' and approaches to children's literature.

This is the first academic book ever written on women and body hair, which has been seen until now as too trivial, ridiculous or revolting to write about. Even feminist writers or researchers on the body have found remarkably little to say about body hair, usually ignoring it completely. It would appear that the only texts to elaborate on body hair are guides on how to remove it, medical texts on 'hirsutism', or fetishistic pornography on 'hairy' women. The last taboo also questions how and why any particular issue can become defined as 'self-evidently' too silly or too mad to write about. Using a wide range of thinking from gender theory, queer theory, critical and literary theory, history, art history, anthropology and psychology, the contributors argue that in fact body hair plays a central role in constructing masculinity and femininity and sexual and cultural identities. It is sure to provide many academic researchers with a completely fresh perspective on all of the fields mentioned above. -- .

How are ideas of genetics, 'blood', the family, and relatedness created and consumed? This is the first book ever to consider in depth why people want children, and specifically why people want children produced by reproductive technologies (such as IVF, ICSI etc). As the book demonstrates, even books ostensibly devoted to the topic of why people w