Description: "A remarkably original contribution to the anthropology of reproduction, "Marketing the Menacing Fetus in Japan" provides broad and deep insights into the culture of sexuality and gender in Japan. Framing the issues historically, as well as anthropologically, Hardacre artfully blends a wide variety of sources, from the demographic to participant observation, from surveys to rich life histories. The book is a major contribution to feminist studies of abortion, and its impact is likely to equal that of Faye Ginsburg's justly famous book, "Contested Lives.""--David I. Kertzer, author of "Sacrificed for Honor: Italian Infant Abandonment and the Politics of Reproductive Control"
Review Quotes: "Hardacre uses personal narratives and regional case studies to demonstrate the highly contested nature of "mizuko kuyo. . . . By examining earlier rituals surrounding reproduction, the author shows that "mizuko kuyo . . . is not a 'natural' Japanese response to abortion, but rather a contemporary, commercialized phenomenon."--Carol C. Chin, "Journal of Women's History