I purchased this book after reading the many rave customer reviews on the amazon.com site. The book is actually a compilation of papers and articles by experts and activists. It does offer a great deal of expert information as well as many articles that will bolster the resolve of any woman suffering with endometriosis to become her own best advocate for compassionate medical care, and, with luck, cure.
However, I believe the book is actually a source for those who are already well-acquainted with the disease. While there are articles that refer to things like "stages" of the disease (stages being I through IV), the book does not contain a basic overview chapter that spells out how these stages are defined. There is no overview of common "endo" effects (i.e.--likely to first affect the ovaries and fallopian tubes, affect on bowel and bladder indicates more widespread or advanced stage of disease?)
I recently underwent surgery to remove an ovarian mass that turned out to be an endometrioma. I am in my 40s, and until two weeks prior surgery I (fortunately, luckily) did not experience pain. My doctors did not suspect endometriosis because I had never displayed classic symptoms. Suddenly, I am dealing with a disease I have never considered. I need in-depth information, but I need it to take me from a beginning level. I don't deny that this book is a marvelous resource, but if you are looking for basic information and explanations, I would suggest searching further, or supplementing this purchase with another, more basic, reference. (Personally, I'm hoping to find "Endometriosis for Dummies!") Also, this book was published in 1995--a lot can change in 5 years.