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The Choice: The Abortion Divide in America
For fifty years the abortion debate has remained stagnant, trapped in sterile categories and familiar rhetoric. Each side thinks they know what the other has to say, so they don’t listen. Consequently, they have become deaf to each other’s pleas.
Danielle D’Souza Gill, in a pathbreaking new book, blows the lid off the abortion debate, which is radically different than it was when the Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling of Roe v. Wade in 1973. Technology has transformed the landscape and allowed people to see development in the womb. Ultrasound has rendered many old assumptions about abortion obsolete.
The Democratic Left has become radicalized on abortion. It is no longer a necessary evil, but a positive good. Consequently, the Left has legitimized a form of mass killing in this country that dwarfs the deaths caused by cancer, smoking, homicide, terrorism, and war.
Writing with freshness, intelligence, and insight, Danielle explores the contours of the debate, taking into account new ideas, new technology, and new laws and putting forth a new vision for a life-affirming society.
In Socratic style, Danielle builds her case in response to the strongest contentions of the pro-choice camp. She engages their most powerful arguments head-on, carefully examines them, and then dismantles them. The result is a pro-life argument so persuasive that it will reach into the heart of the most hardened opponent.
While it is a heartbreaking book, it is in the end inspiring. No matter what you believe about abortion, this book will educate, astonish, and deeply move you. It may move you to a position different from what you now hold.
If you read one book about abortion, make it this one, The Choice: The Abortion Divide in America.
Danielle D’Souza Gill, in a pathbreaking new book, blows the lid off the abortion debate, which is radically different than it was when the Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling of Roe v. Wade in 1973. Technology has transformed the landscape and allowed people to see development in the womb. Ultrasound has rendered many old assumptions about abortion obsolete.
The Democratic Left has become radicalized on abortion. It is no longer a necessary evil, but a positive good. Consequently, the Left has legitimized a form of mass killing in this country that dwarfs the deaths caused by cancer, smoking, homicide, terrorism, and war.
Writing with freshness, intelligence, and insight, Danielle explores the contours of the debate, taking into account new ideas, new technology, and new laws and putting forth a new vision for a life-affirming society.
In Socratic style, Danielle builds her case in response to the strongest contentions of the pro-choice camp. She engages their most powerful arguments head-on, carefully examines them, and then dismantles them. The result is a pro-life argument so persuasive that it will reach into the heart of the most hardened opponent.
While it is a heartbreaking book, it is in the end inspiring. No matter what you believe about abortion, this book will educate, astonish, and deeply move you. It may move you to a position different from what you now hold.
If you read one book about abortion, make it this one, The Choice: The Abortion Divide in America.
- GenresPoliticsNonfiction
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
44 people are currently reading
1174 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 13, 2020
This book is an important and necessary read for all Americans, and for all people across the world, to understand and know what an abortion really is, to understand the politics at play, and to understand science. While the author does present her opinions, she also presents real data, solid research, interviews from pro-choicers and pro-lifers; she cites articles from all Main Stream Media news sources, from various educational institutions that are conservative and that are liberal; and she presents a clear and succinct picture of what is really at stake, in America. Of the mass-genocide of innocent lives. As a Neonatal ICU RN, this resonates with me, with all the 21+ week miracles I work so hard to save, of these tiny fighting miracles that many on the far Left are saying are necessary to abort to save a mother's life. Danielle debunks this myth in this book, as well as many other myths and fallacies in the pro-choice movement. She also communicates empathy and compassion for women who find themselves in a state of "unwanted pregnancy," and she presents other options for these women (adoption, etc). While I understand abortion is a very complex issue in these divisive times, it is imperative to understand the science, the facts, and also the politics at play, so that we as humans can think rationally and clearly, and care for ALL humans, no matter their age or location in life.
November 13, 2020
this is propaganda
October 15, 2020
"You know you did it right if you crush down on the instrument and white material runs out of the cervix. That was the baby's brain. Then you can pull out the skull pieces...Sometimes a little face comes back and stares at you."
I'm ashamed to say that I didn't know it is legal to get an abortion throughout your full 9 months of pregnancy in 7 states. The horrifying sentence above is a description of a second trimester abortion. And a first trimester is no less horrifying.
The mass killing of babies has become commonplace in America and framed as a woman's health issue and healthcare. This book lays out the arguments that most have for abortion and passionately deconstructs them to rationally answer questions about the beginning of life, whether a baby feels fear and pain, when a person's rights exist - including their right to live, true healthcare for women, the burden on the welfare state, and more.
I was surprised to learn that Democrats have opposed health regulations for abortion clinics - such as being within 30 miles of a hospital and having hallways wide enough to fit a stretcher should an emergency arise. This is incongruous with the idea of women's healthcare. The beginnings of Planned Parenthood and the celebration of who those founders were and their eugenics ideals to this day are also equally saddening.
Men's rights are also discussed which is something that is important to note and should not be fully dismissed.
Though her writing may turn off readers who disagree with her stance, the truth is still there and deserves civil discussion and attention.
I'm ashamed to say that I didn't know it is legal to get an abortion throughout your full 9 months of pregnancy in 7 states. The horrifying sentence above is a description of a second trimester abortion. And a first trimester is no less horrifying.
The mass killing of babies has become commonplace in America and framed as a woman's health issue and healthcare. This book lays out the arguments that most have for abortion and passionately deconstructs them to rationally answer questions about the beginning of life, whether a baby feels fear and pain, when a person's rights exist - including their right to live, true healthcare for women, the burden on the welfare state, and more.
I was surprised to learn that Democrats have opposed health regulations for abortion clinics - such as being within 30 miles of a hospital and having hallways wide enough to fit a stretcher should an emergency arise. This is incongruous with the idea of women's healthcare. The beginnings of Planned Parenthood and the celebration of who those founders were and their eugenics ideals to this day are also equally saddening.
Men's rights are also discussed which is something that is important to note and should not be fully dismissed.
Though her writing may turn off readers who disagree with her stance, the truth is still there and deserves civil discussion and attention.
February 7, 2022
To all people saying this is propaganda: admit it, you haven't read the book at all :)
You are just here trying to bash a book on an unpopular opinion...
Propaganda is when you keep lying to women for decades, harping on the need for women to abort to be free, which is a LIE.
Suck it up, buttercup!
You are just here trying to bash a book on an unpopular opinion...
Propaganda is when you keep lying to women for decades, harping on the need for women to abort to be free, which is a LIE.
Suck it up, buttercup!
March 6, 2021
Frankly no stars. Absolute propaganda, factually disproven, and complete garbage
February 20, 2023
Took me far too long to read due to the weight of the topic but finally finished. Rtc
July 21, 2021
The Unholy Sacrament of Abortion
The direction that the abortion controversy in America has taken in recent years has surprised me. Two or three decades ago, abortion advocates spoke of wanting abortion to be “legal, safe, and rare.” There was a hint of sadness in these words, of regret.
In 2020, however, when Danielle D’Souza Gill penned this new book, things have changed. Even as Americans have moved slightly in the pro-life direction, it would seem that the Democratic Party has lurched to the left in the last ten years and has hardened its position on abortion. Now, at least among the outspoken pro-choice leaders, abortion is not viewed as the lesser of two evils, but as something to be celebrated.
Gill discusses actress Michelle Williams, who used the occasion of her Golden Globes award speech to talk about her abortion and celebrate her “choice,” gushing that “[she] wouldn’t have been able to do this without employing a woman’s right to choose.”
Here is Gill’s response: “Leftists may wonder why conservatives find Hollywood satanic. It is primarily because of moments like this, where Michelle Williams appears to say essentially that she killed a child growing inside her in order to win a golden statue. She used her acceptance speech to position herself as an advocate for abortion and to encourage other women to do the same. She was seemingly proud of having had an abortion and in effect said that it enabled her career and her success, and of course, there she was holding the precious golden statue. What will little girls who saw her give that speech on TV, girls who hope to be an actress or win an award one day, think? ‘That’s what I need to do to achieve my dreams.’” (p. 122)
After noting how the internet exploded with praise from other Hollywood actors and leftist activists, Gill remarks:
“Every little girl should know that she does not need to kill another person to be successful, beautiful, smart, or admirable. Or to win a golden statue.”
Abortion, Gill goes on to argue, does not empower women. All of the earliest feminists, from Susan B. Anthony to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, were pro-life. Stanton wrote, “It is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit,” referring to abortion as no different from infanticide.
No, abortion is not a pillar of feminism. Rather, it is a sacrament of the religion of absolute personal autonomy. It takes the sacred words of the Christian sacrament of Communion – “This is my body” – and throws them back up to heaven in defiance and with a clenched fist – “This is MY body!”
Put in that light, then, leftists should not wonder why, in Gill’s words, conservatives find Hollywood satanic. Because on the altar of absolute personal autonomy, they have sacrificed their compassion, their reason, indeed, their very humanity.
“America is a society that has lost its moorings on this issue. We have allowed mass killing to become normalized.” And if you think that is just being melodramatic, consider that “if you kill a preborn sea turtle, you get a $100,000 fine and one year in prison. If you kill a preborn bald eagle, you get a $250,000 find and two years in prison. Yet a human in the womb can be killed on demand.” (p. 49)
And this has happened 61 million times in America since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion.
Gill closes her book, The Choice, by asking us, the readers, “What is your choice? Do you make the choice to take a stand for the voiceless? As Jesus asks, ‘Who do you say I am?’ we can almost think of the fetus asking us, ‘Who do you say I am?’ Do you answer ‘cluster of cells’ or ‘person with dignity’? (p. 275)
It has been said that the health of a society is measured by what it does with its children. May we work to restore health to our desperately sick society by not only making abortion on demand illegal, but making it unthinkable.
(Postscript: 18 years ago, in 2002, Dinesh D’Souza wrote a book called “What’s So Great About America.” Here’s the dedication: For Danielle, who will one day understand. Bless you, Dinesh D’Souza, because your daughter has shown us in this sensitively written book that she does indeed understand.)
The direction that the abortion controversy in America has taken in recent years has surprised me. Two or three decades ago, abortion advocates spoke of wanting abortion to be “legal, safe, and rare.” There was a hint of sadness in these words, of regret.
In 2020, however, when Danielle D’Souza Gill penned this new book, things have changed. Even as Americans have moved slightly in the pro-life direction, it would seem that the Democratic Party has lurched to the left in the last ten years and has hardened its position on abortion. Now, at least among the outspoken pro-choice leaders, abortion is not viewed as the lesser of two evils, but as something to be celebrated.
Gill discusses actress Michelle Williams, who used the occasion of her Golden Globes award speech to talk about her abortion and celebrate her “choice,” gushing that “[she] wouldn’t have been able to do this without employing a woman’s right to choose.”
Here is Gill’s response: “Leftists may wonder why conservatives find Hollywood satanic. It is primarily because of moments like this, where Michelle Williams appears to say essentially that she killed a child growing inside her in order to win a golden statue. She used her acceptance speech to position herself as an advocate for abortion and to encourage other women to do the same. She was seemingly proud of having had an abortion and in effect said that it enabled her career and her success, and of course, there she was holding the precious golden statue. What will little girls who saw her give that speech on TV, girls who hope to be an actress or win an award one day, think? ‘That’s what I need to do to achieve my dreams.’” (p. 122)
After noting how the internet exploded with praise from other Hollywood actors and leftist activists, Gill remarks:
“Every little girl should know that she does not need to kill another person to be successful, beautiful, smart, or admirable. Or to win a golden statue.”
Abortion, Gill goes on to argue, does not empower women. All of the earliest feminists, from Susan B. Anthony to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, were pro-life. Stanton wrote, “It is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit,” referring to abortion as no different from infanticide.
No, abortion is not a pillar of feminism. Rather, it is a sacrament of the religion of absolute personal autonomy. It takes the sacred words of the Christian sacrament of Communion – “This is my body” – and throws them back up to heaven in defiance and with a clenched fist – “This is MY body!”
Put in that light, then, leftists should not wonder why, in Gill’s words, conservatives find Hollywood satanic. Because on the altar of absolute personal autonomy, they have sacrificed their compassion, their reason, indeed, their very humanity.
“America is a society that has lost its moorings on this issue. We have allowed mass killing to become normalized.” And if you think that is just being melodramatic, consider that “if you kill a preborn sea turtle, you get a $100,000 fine and one year in prison. If you kill a preborn bald eagle, you get a $250,000 find and two years in prison. Yet a human in the womb can be killed on demand.” (p. 49)
And this has happened 61 million times in America since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion.
Gill closes her book, The Choice, by asking us, the readers, “What is your choice? Do you make the choice to take a stand for the voiceless? As Jesus asks, ‘Who do you say I am?’ we can almost think of the fetus asking us, ‘Who do you say I am?’ Do you answer ‘cluster of cells’ or ‘person with dignity’? (p. 275)
It has been said that the health of a society is measured by what it does with its children. May we work to restore health to our desperately sick society by not only making abortion on demand illegal, but making it unthinkable.
(Postscript: 18 years ago, in 2002, Dinesh D’Souza wrote a book called “What’s So Great About America.” Here’s the dedication: For Danielle, who will one day understand. Bless you, Dinesh D’Souza, because your daughter has shown us in this sensitively written book that she does indeed understand.)
October 1, 2020
I will be doing a full review on the website, Future Female Leaders and I will even be publishing an interview with the author on the same site.
I couldn't keep count with how many moments I had where I needed to pause to digest what I had read. So many compelling arguments, facts, anecdotes, and truth. The chapters are organized by starting with a myth and the rest of that chapter debunks that myth from many differently angles.
For a debut author, I was wildly impressed with her writing capabilities, her ability to layout an argument and defend it, and her matter of fact writing style. There is no fluff in this entire book and that is the best part.
Set to be published on 10/6/2020!!
I couldn't keep count with how many moments I had where I needed to pause to digest what I had read. So many compelling arguments, facts, anecdotes, and truth. The chapters are organized by starting with a myth and the rest of that chapter debunks that myth from many differently angles.
For a debut author, I was wildly impressed with her writing capabilities, her ability to layout an argument and defend it, and her matter of fact writing style. There is no fluff in this entire book and that is the best part.
Set to be published on 10/6/2020!!
August 24, 2022
I think this is a book everyone should read, but most won't. The reason most won't is because this book outlines and argues, point by point and detail by detail the horrors of abortion. Now for most of my life, I was pro-choice. i thought I was being "feminist" when I was really being selfish. Now I've never had an abortion mind you, but I wanted my right to choose and not be forced into something by men who don't have to suffer an unwanted pregnancy; they get to choose to walk away. That's one of the arguments. Why don't we prosecute men more, especially rapists? (Of course that's hard to do when liberal cities let rapists out of jail and use covid as an excuse). But instead of teaching men to step up to the plate, we punish the innocent. and this is all part of the liberal agenda to destroy the nuclear family. As someone who isn't a particular fan of humanity, I feel as though those 61 million people killed can be forgotten, but as a Catholic I am sickened (welcome to my inner turmoil dichotomy). I'm sick and tired, though, of abortion being used as birth control for selfish whores. Yeah, I said it. Even with rape/incest, abortion should be illegal. Again, why punish the innocent? If it were only for rape, there would be a lot of women lying and say they were raped, but as someone who lost a family member to a rape and subsequent homicide, I know what the (collateral) damage feels like. I know that way too many rapists go free, but again, hurting someone who happened as a result and who didn't hurt you isn't going to remove that trauma. But the main point of this book isn't that one point; it's the many arguments liberals make in order to not be held responsible for their own actions. By legalizing abortion it's become an option, something to do during lunch instead of the "pull in case of emergency" switch that it was meant to be. It was also passed entirely by men - men who don't want to be held responsible for their actions, either. Sorry guys, but you stick it in, you also deal with it.
Our society has become a culture of $1000 i-phones, $10 lattes, participation trophy selfish crybabies, and blm bullshit while ignoring what really matters: life. black lives matter? Not inside the womb they don't! And certainly not since planned parenthood (an oxymoron in its own right) was created by a known racist.
If Roe v Wade were to be overturned (which is SHOULD), you'd have a lot of people screaming about "women's rights" all the while realizing that their actions DO (and SHOULD) have consequences.
EDIT: RvW WAS overturned (thank God). Use condoms or *gasp* don't have sex unless you're ready to possibly be a parent
Our society has become a culture of $1000 i-phones, $10 lattes, participation trophy selfish crybabies, and blm bullshit while ignoring what really matters: life. black lives matter? Not inside the womb they don't! And certainly not since planned parenthood (an oxymoron in its own right) was created by a known racist.
If Roe v Wade were to be overturned (which is SHOULD), you'd have a lot of people screaming about "women's rights" all the while realizing that their actions DO (and SHOULD) have consequences.
EDIT: RvW WAS overturned (thank God). Use condoms or *gasp* don't have sex unless you're ready to possibly be a parent
February 20, 2023
While there were some good arguments and some decent research, this book is judgmental and closed-minded. It made me angry and sad to read, and immediately made me want to disagree with the author even when I didn’t. The overly political and judgmental tone is part of what is wrong with this entire conversation today. Why can’t we be kind and persuasive?!
January 23, 2021
This book changed my opinion. I’m definitely convinced that in all abortions regardless of trimester you are killing a human being. I still think there should be some choice early on in the pregnancy. Not fully pro-life now, but a little less pro choice.
June 3, 2022
incredibly biased. the three stars is for the research, not the delivery.
March 2, 2022
(Occasionally I have this masochistic need to read books/articles/blogs from people with vastly different views from myself, as I feel isolating yourself in an echo chamber is unhealthy. So this book was an obvious fit for that need, since it is so drastically in opposition to my own views.)
First the positives:
-This book was well-written and compelling. The author relies heavily on scientific, rather than the typical solely religious arguments we’ve all heard numerous times in order to support her position (she does touch on the religious aspect briefly however, and I will address that later). The author has certainly taken on a lot by trying to address any and all arguments for or against abortion, so her work ethic here is pretty impressive. Additionally, I’ve never heard from someone Pro-Life discuss at any length the importance of birth control education and guaranteed maternity leave, as well as expressing such loud support for working mothers, so that was refreshing. Most conservatives have no real plan for what they think should happen if their goal here is met.
-In Chapter 10, she describes how predatory men in power pressure women into abortions they may or may not want in order to avoid years of child support, and/or having to claim responsibility for their actions. I do agree with this. Too many powerful men use and discard women for their own gain, with little thought to how their partners are affected. Many famous men act like women are just after them to get pregnant for child support (when there are plenty of precautions they could take, not to mention the social and economic power imbalance between them is enormous). Plenty of statistics repeatedly tell us: women are at the highest risk for being murdered while they are pregnant, and the perpetrators of these murders are almost always their intimate partners.
-I also agree with her about how Corporate shit-libs do have a creepy fetishization of abortion (based on public comments from Lena Dunham, Hilary Clinton, and Elizabeth Warren, just to name a few). Although, she calls anyone who is not conservative "The Left"-these people are not The Left. For the love of God, please do not lump us in with them.
Ok now for the negatives:
-The author uses numerous cherry-picked statistics, and then catastrophizes them. For example, in Chapter Four, when describing the alleged safety of medication abortion, she proclaims that of women who take Mifeprestone to terminate their pregnancy, 2.9-4.6% of women take a trip to the emergency room for complications (whether these emergency room vists were necessary or not was not a statistic I was able to confirm, since the cited source in the footnote was no longer available online). Compare this to the whopping 31% of women who have complications giving birth. Here's a more comparable statistic: 17.4 out of every 100,000 pregnant women die giving birth in the United States every year (if you are Black, this number goes up to 37.1 out of every 100,000), while medical abortions only account for 0.65 deaths out of every 100,000 patients.
-Later on in that same chapter, she mistakes correlation with causation for women with mental health issues and addiction problems who have abortions as “proof” that they are related, without examining whether or not these issues were present before the time of the pregnancy, and without considering that those could be possible reasons why someone would choose to not continue a pregnancy. For someone who pretends to care deeply about the mental health of pregnant women, she then calls postpartum depression “not a permanent state” (postpartum depression typically lasts for upwards of three years, and around 15% of mothers develop this), and plays it off as not a big deal, because “you now have this gift”.
-Her downplaying of serious issues continues with her response to a woman being pregnant as the result of a sexual assault. Her solution? Just kill the rapist! Despite the obvious legal repercussions, this has the possibility of being a point every woman would agree with-until you view the author's website, where the homepage has an enormous photo of her with Donald Trump, or you if you didn't skip the Introduction, where she accuses all of Brett Kavanaugh's accusers of being liars who were only seeking attention. Clearly the author doesn't take sexual assault victims seriously, so re-reading this section takes on a much darker tone, and comes across quite flippant-if not outright disrespectful.
-Numerous times, the author will throw out a well-articulated point backed up with a fantastic, credible, and unbiased source. But then she will throw in a strawman argument, or name-calling. It was a weird juxtaposition.
-An entire chapter is dedicated to the narcissistic whining of ME ME ME from men who disagreed with their partners’ choice to have an abortion. It seemed oddly controlling and abusive that these men expressed such bizarre statements of aggression and desire to control their partner’s bodies. The absolute entitlement of one man interviewed made me so nauseous, I had to walk away from the book entirely for a while. Obviously these women were trying to leave the dangerous relationships they had found themselves in with these men. Men have felt so entitled to women’s lives and bodies for so long, that even the most brainwashed Pick-Me would roll their eyes at the absurd level of whining displayed here.
-Kylie Jenner is used as an example of a young woman having a child possibly before they were ready, and discusses the positive effect it she claims it has had on her life, while completely ignoring the fact that Ms. Jenner has never had to worry about paying bills. Recovery after birth was no issue for her either due to her ability to afford extensive plastic surgery and medical care. She does not even have the need to be involved in her child’s life at all due to the presence of a team of nannies, and on-site day care at her company. (However this just may be a realistic example in the author’s mind. I can not comment with any certainty on the author's financial or social standing, but based off her tone and the photos on her website, it is safe to assume that any social or economic obstacles to successful parenting just might be a little too large or foreign for her to grasp). She also says that Justin Bieber's mother was considering an abortion, and then decided to have him instead--this is not the argument she thinks it is.
-The brief religious aspect was completely discredited when she started quoting the pope. One can not claim to care about children and yet also support an organization that has orchestrated and covered up numerous cases of child abuse. Especially when spending the following few pages preaching about how important it is not to be complicit in matters that you feel are morally wrong.
-Lastly, not all women want to be mothers. Parenthood is an extremely challenging experience that is not for everyone (and certainly not everyone is cut out for such a task). The author completely denies the existence of these women. There are so many obstacles for these women to get elective sterilization procedures preformed due to outdated attitudes and outright sexism in the medical field. She claims all women who become mothers are eventually completely happy with their decision. Unhappy motherhood is an enormous taboo in society, so its not as if there is a large discussion on the matter just yet, but these women do exist, and they are everywhere. This is how you end up with another Casey Anthony or Andrea Yates.
First the positives:
-This book was well-written and compelling. The author relies heavily on scientific, rather than the typical solely religious arguments we’ve all heard numerous times in order to support her position (she does touch on the religious aspect briefly however, and I will address that later). The author has certainly taken on a lot by trying to address any and all arguments for or against abortion, so her work ethic here is pretty impressive. Additionally, I’ve never heard from someone Pro-Life discuss at any length the importance of birth control education and guaranteed maternity leave, as well as expressing such loud support for working mothers, so that was refreshing. Most conservatives have no real plan for what they think should happen if their goal here is met.
-In Chapter 10, she describes how predatory men in power pressure women into abortions they may or may not want in order to avoid years of child support, and/or having to claim responsibility for their actions. I do agree with this. Too many powerful men use and discard women for their own gain, with little thought to how their partners are affected. Many famous men act like women are just after them to get pregnant for child support (when there are plenty of precautions they could take, not to mention the social and economic power imbalance between them is enormous). Plenty of statistics repeatedly tell us: women are at the highest risk for being murdered while they are pregnant, and the perpetrators of these murders are almost always their intimate partners.
-I also agree with her about how Corporate shit-libs do have a creepy fetishization of abortion (based on public comments from Lena Dunham, Hilary Clinton, and Elizabeth Warren, just to name a few). Although, she calls anyone who is not conservative "The Left"-these people are not The Left. For the love of God, please do not lump us in with them.
Ok now for the negatives:
-The author uses numerous cherry-picked statistics, and then catastrophizes them. For example, in Chapter Four, when describing the alleged safety of medication abortion, she proclaims that of women who take Mifeprestone to terminate their pregnancy, 2.9-4.6% of women take a trip to the emergency room for complications (whether these emergency room vists were necessary or not was not a statistic I was able to confirm, since the cited source in the footnote was no longer available online). Compare this to the whopping 31% of women who have complications giving birth. Here's a more comparable statistic: 17.4 out of every 100,000 pregnant women die giving birth in the United States every year (if you are Black, this number goes up to 37.1 out of every 100,000), while medical abortions only account for 0.65 deaths out of every 100,000 patients.
-Later on in that same chapter, she mistakes correlation with causation for women with mental health issues and addiction problems who have abortions as “proof” that they are related, without examining whether or not these issues were present before the time of the pregnancy, and without considering that those could be possible reasons why someone would choose to not continue a pregnancy. For someone who pretends to care deeply about the mental health of pregnant women, she then calls postpartum depression “not a permanent state” (postpartum depression typically lasts for upwards of three years, and around 15% of mothers develop this), and plays it off as not a big deal, because “you now have this gift”.
-Her downplaying of serious issues continues with her response to a woman being pregnant as the result of a sexual assault. Her solution? Just kill the rapist! Despite the obvious legal repercussions, this has the possibility of being a point every woman would agree with-until you view the author's website, where the homepage has an enormous photo of her with Donald Trump, or you if you didn't skip the Introduction, where she accuses all of Brett Kavanaugh's accusers of being liars who were only seeking attention. Clearly the author doesn't take sexual assault victims seriously, so re-reading this section takes on a much darker tone, and comes across quite flippant-if not outright disrespectful.
-Numerous times, the author will throw out a well-articulated point backed up with a fantastic, credible, and unbiased source. But then she will throw in a strawman argument, or name-calling. It was a weird juxtaposition.
-An entire chapter is dedicated to the narcissistic whining of ME ME ME from men who disagreed with their partners’ choice to have an abortion. It seemed oddly controlling and abusive that these men expressed such bizarre statements of aggression and desire to control their partner’s bodies. The absolute entitlement of one man interviewed made me so nauseous, I had to walk away from the book entirely for a while. Obviously these women were trying to leave the dangerous relationships they had found themselves in with these men. Men have felt so entitled to women’s lives and bodies for so long, that even the most brainwashed Pick-Me would roll their eyes at the absurd level of whining displayed here.
-Kylie Jenner is used as an example of a young woman having a child possibly before they were ready, and discusses the positive effect it she claims it has had on her life, while completely ignoring the fact that Ms. Jenner has never had to worry about paying bills. Recovery after birth was no issue for her either due to her ability to afford extensive plastic surgery and medical care. She does not even have the need to be involved in her child’s life at all due to the presence of a team of nannies, and on-site day care at her company. (However this just may be a realistic example in the author’s mind. I can not comment with any certainty on the author's financial or social standing, but based off her tone and the photos on her website, it is safe to assume that any social or economic obstacles to successful parenting just might be a little too large or foreign for her to grasp). She also says that Justin Bieber's mother was considering an abortion, and then decided to have him instead--this is not the argument she thinks it is.
-The brief religious aspect was completely discredited when she started quoting the pope. One can not claim to care about children and yet also support an organization that has orchestrated and covered up numerous cases of child abuse. Especially when spending the following few pages preaching about how important it is not to be complicit in matters that you feel are morally wrong.
-Lastly, not all women want to be mothers. Parenthood is an extremely challenging experience that is not for everyone (and certainly not everyone is cut out for such a task). The author completely denies the existence of these women. There are so many obstacles for these women to get elective sterilization procedures preformed due to outdated attitudes and outright sexism in the medical field. She claims all women who become mothers are eventually completely happy with their decision. Unhappy motherhood is an enormous taboo in society, so its not as if there is a large discussion on the matter just yet, but these women do exist, and they are everywhere. This is how you end up with another Casey Anthony or Andrea Yates.
November 2, 2021
I disliked the fact that this author equated "pro-choice" with "the left" ignoring the fact that there are numerous left of center pro-life groups- Feminists for Life, New Wave Feminists, Feminists Choosing Life of New York, Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians, Rehumanize International, and others.
It's not "the Left" that supports abortion, it's the pro-choice movement. The pro-life movement has both left-wingers and right-wingers in it.
There were a few times when the book made a reference to an article but when I read the actual article, their quote wasn't entirely accurate or was taken out of context. There was one time when it referred to an article of women's stories of abortion and had two quotes from the article, each attributed to a different woman, when they both came from the same woman. Not sure if that was just carelessness.
Glad I went to original sources on everything they quoted from.
I also feel she is wrong to oppose welfare- clearly poor women who have their babies are going to need help. She acts as though everyone on welfare is irresponsible, and that mothers who are poor will somehow be able to care for their children without help. she simply dismisses the "pro-lifers don't want welfare so they don't care about children" argument out of hand, without acknowledging the need many pregnant women have. She mentions pregnancy resource centers by way of saying pro-lifers support women (and they are important) but ignore that women need more than that.
She did do a very good job with her footnotes though- I hate it when people just put a link in the footnotes and no details and the source is impossible to find.
It's not "the Left" that supports abortion, it's the pro-choice movement. The pro-life movement has both left-wingers and right-wingers in it.
There were a few times when the book made a reference to an article but when I read the actual article, their quote wasn't entirely accurate or was taken out of context. There was one time when it referred to an article of women's stories of abortion and had two quotes from the article, each attributed to a different woman, when they both came from the same woman. Not sure if that was just carelessness.
Glad I went to original sources on everything they quoted from.
I also feel she is wrong to oppose welfare- clearly poor women who have their babies are going to need help. She acts as though everyone on welfare is irresponsible, and that mothers who are poor will somehow be able to care for their children without help. she simply dismisses the "pro-lifers don't want welfare so they don't care about children" argument out of hand, without acknowledging the need many pregnant women have. She mentions pregnancy resource centers by way of saying pro-lifers support women (and they are important) but ignore that women need more than that.
She did do a very good job with her footnotes though- I hate it when people just put a link in the footnotes and no details and the source is impossible to find.
September 13, 2022
A very hard-going book, but also a monumentally important one, well-argued and compassionate towards both the unborn and their mothers. I got into an argument with my wife over this (she is also pro-life) because of the little she heard as I played it on Audible in the kitchen, she thought Danielle's ideas was naive and superficial. I accused her of being unfair, basing her judgement more on the fact that she is Dinesh D'Souza's daughter, as if that in itself were a bad thing.
I think this book was brilliant. It is often very upsetting and leaves you feeling an unpleasant mixture of sadness and disgust at the way something so objectively evil is not just tolerated but celebrated in our culture. But at the same time, especially in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's majority vote against Roe v. Wade, it also leaves you daring to hope that the mass killing of unborn children will not always remain as widespread and glorified as it currently is.
I think this book was brilliant. It is often very upsetting and leaves you feeling an unpleasant mixture of sadness and disgust at the way something so objectively evil is not just tolerated but celebrated in our culture. But at the same time, especially in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's majority vote against Roe v. Wade, it also leaves you daring to hope that the mass killing of unborn children will not always remain as widespread and glorified as it currently is.
August 24, 2022
None of her opinions are cited. Stuck in the cult of the skydaddy.
You can google plan c pills if you need help obtaining an abortion, even if your state restricts or bans it :)
You can google plan c pills if you need help obtaining an abortion, even if your state restricts or bans it :)
May 11, 2023
Gill presents answers to common pro-abortion and pro-choice arguments. Very clear, thought-provoking and well-researched.
"When we look into the nature of the fetus, we know it is life, and we know it is human life. Something that is inhuman does not become human as it gets older." -p. 24
"All of us are a cluster a cells. Literally. To say that the fetus is a cluster of cells is just as correct as saying you or I are a cluster of cells. It is not possible for life to exist without the clustering of cells." -p. 25
"As soon as we differentiate between 'humans' and 'persons', we have set the stage for man's most perverse horrors. This is the justification the Nazis used, claiming that Jews are humans but not persons. This is the justification used for slavery, claiming that blacks are humans but not persons. By saying someone is a human but not a person, you are saying you have the right to do with them as you wish-- torturing them, killing them, using their skin for lampshades." -p. 52
"We keep hearing from our culture that women should be empowered, and I agree. But is it empowerment to take innocent children's lives? Of course, as women we have power over them. They're largely helpless. But what if we use that power to kill them? What does that make us? Women do have the power to kill the innocent, but that doesn't make us powerful in the way we ought to be. We should seek the power to do good in the world and to improve the lives of others, not to take them." -p. 125
"Abortion, far from being 'women's empowerment,' actually supports the concept of the patriarchy... Abortion doesn't support women, and it ultimately supports a structure of male domination and male authority. And today's leftist feminists who promote abortion have acquiesced in this... Think of all the men out there who are thankful for abortion... These are male jerks who like abortion because it enables their promiscuous lifestyle and lets them use women as playthings. Why should empowered women enable these people? Men who force abortion on women are the dregs of society. And ironically, feminists have become their enablers." -pp. 127-28
"Statistically, abortion does not empower women. Most babies aborted around the world are girls...It is horrific that more black babies than white babies are aborted." -p. 130
"Many women can attest to the fact that motherhood has made them a stronger person, as it has presented challenges that they never would have faced otherwise, but it also presents them with empowering rewards and a remaking of their inner life that they never might have expected. Life is full of challenges, and it is how we meet them, respond, and rise to the occasion that defines us." -p. 131
"I find Planned Parenthood's view that in order to be an intelligent woman, you have to support the killing of innocent babies, flat-out ridiculous. There is nothing hypocritical about women opposing killing babies because killing babies is not synonymous with women's health, well-being, or our nature. We are nurturers, communicators, fighters, and preservers of life, not killers." -p. 145
"If Planned Parenthood were truly focused on 'parenthood' as their name suggests, as well as women's health, then they should be promoting adoption instead of performing abortions...(PP) does not actually provide anything to women to help them be a parent. It can offer you a lot if you want an abortion, but if you are having a baby, what does it offer you? Absolutely nothing." -p. 189, 243
"Less than one-half of 1 percent of abortions involve victims of rape, according to the Guttmacher Institute... We should all know that the way to prevent children from being conceived in rape is to vigorously prosecute rapists and keep them off the streets...'If someone has to die as a result of rape, then we should kill the rapist- not the unborn child.' (-Kelsey Grammar)" -p. 206
"Saying a child is unwanted does not make it any less human at birth. Life is the right of every person. Our worth as human beings should not be determined solely by whether our parents want us. That doesn't define worth at all. Human life has an intrinsic dignity, an intrinsic preciousness, an intrinsic worth. And it is that worth that determines our right to live." -p. 252
"When we look into the nature of the fetus, we know it is life, and we know it is human life. Something that is inhuman does not become human as it gets older." -p. 24
"All of us are a cluster a cells. Literally. To say that the fetus is a cluster of cells is just as correct as saying you or I are a cluster of cells. It is not possible for life to exist without the clustering of cells." -p. 25
"As soon as we differentiate between 'humans' and 'persons', we have set the stage for man's most perverse horrors. This is the justification the Nazis used, claiming that Jews are humans but not persons. This is the justification used for slavery, claiming that blacks are humans but not persons. By saying someone is a human but not a person, you are saying you have the right to do with them as you wish-- torturing them, killing them, using their skin for lampshades." -p. 52
"We keep hearing from our culture that women should be empowered, and I agree. But is it empowerment to take innocent children's lives? Of course, as women we have power over them. They're largely helpless. But what if we use that power to kill them? What does that make us? Women do have the power to kill the innocent, but that doesn't make us powerful in the way we ought to be. We should seek the power to do good in the world and to improve the lives of others, not to take them." -p. 125
"Abortion, far from being 'women's empowerment,' actually supports the concept of the patriarchy... Abortion doesn't support women, and it ultimately supports a structure of male domination and male authority. And today's leftist feminists who promote abortion have acquiesced in this... Think of all the men out there who are thankful for abortion... These are male jerks who like abortion because it enables their promiscuous lifestyle and lets them use women as playthings. Why should empowered women enable these people? Men who force abortion on women are the dregs of society. And ironically, feminists have become their enablers." -pp. 127-28
"Statistically, abortion does not empower women. Most babies aborted around the world are girls...It is horrific that more black babies than white babies are aborted." -p. 130
"Many women can attest to the fact that motherhood has made them a stronger person, as it has presented challenges that they never would have faced otherwise, but it also presents them with empowering rewards and a remaking of their inner life that they never might have expected. Life is full of challenges, and it is how we meet them, respond, and rise to the occasion that defines us." -p. 131
"I find Planned Parenthood's view that in order to be an intelligent woman, you have to support the killing of innocent babies, flat-out ridiculous. There is nothing hypocritical about women opposing killing babies because killing babies is not synonymous with women's health, well-being, or our nature. We are nurturers, communicators, fighters, and preservers of life, not killers." -p. 145
"If Planned Parenthood were truly focused on 'parenthood' as their name suggests, as well as women's health, then they should be promoting adoption instead of performing abortions...(PP) does not actually provide anything to women to help them be a parent. It can offer you a lot if you want an abortion, but if you are having a baby, what does it offer you? Absolutely nothing." -p. 189, 243
"Less than one-half of 1 percent of abortions involve victims of rape, according to the Guttmacher Institute... We should all know that the way to prevent children from being conceived in rape is to vigorously prosecute rapists and keep them off the streets...'If someone has to die as a result of rape, then we should kill the rapist- not the unborn child.' (-Kelsey Grammar)" -p. 206
"Saying a child is unwanted does not make it any less human at birth. Life is the right of every person. Our worth as human beings should not be determined solely by whether our parents want us. That doesn't define worth at all. Human life has an intrinsic dignity, an intrinsic preciousness, an intrinsic worth. And it is that worth that determines our right to live." -p. 252
June 18, 2025
As a left leaning individual, I still like to read these types of books so I’m aware of other points of view and can keep myself educated. That being said, this book was decently written, the research, organization, and effort were there. However, at times it felt like I was reading a high school paper trying to hit the word count minimum. What’s with all the “literallys”?
I think as much of an un-biased stance as possible was taken, but the facts of the author is apart of Trump’s team and an avid Christian kept making themselves clear. Would’ve appreciated if the book had stuck only to cold, hard facts and evidence.
The counter-arguments were weak, and by that I mean barely existent. In example, the talk of the father of the fetus not always getting a say in the abortion, there were some good points mentioned, but not once was all that the mothers go through brought up. This is, at its core, a women’s issue. The father can say not to abort the fetus and that he’ll care for the baby, yes. But does he have to grow it in his body for 9 months? No. Does his body change tremendously, take months if not years to return to “normal”, if it ever does? No. Does he have to go through the extreme pain of labor? Or carrying a baby inside of him for 9 months? No. It’s unfair to have not brought these points up, which is an example of the lack of counter arguments, and the erasure of some points.
Not everyone that’s born can go to a good family. There are children in foster care that may never get adopted, so stop quoting adoption as the saving grace of this issue. Would’ve loved to hear some research done on babies that went to foster care or got adopted, because I know they’re not all as lucky as you say they are.
There were well written points though. This book certainly presupposed some intense thinking. I still believe that women have a choice. And this is an issue that’s affecting the country the least right now. Let’s focus on making the world a better, safer, more welcoming place. Where we want to raise our children, and bring them into the world. Where we know they’ll grow up happy and healthy and loved.
I think as much of an un-biased stance as possible was taken, but the facts of the author is apart of Trump’s team and an avid Christian kept making themselves clear. Would’ve appreciated if the book had stuck only to cold, hard facts and evidence.
The counter-arguments were weak, and by that I mean barely existent. In example, the talk of the father of the fetus not always getting a say in the abortion, there were some good points mentioned, but not once was all that the mothers go through brought up. This is, at its core, a women’s issue. The father can say not to abort the fetus and that he’ll care for the baby, yes. But does he have to grow it in his body for 9 months? No. Does his body change tremendously, take months if not years to return to “normal”, if it ever does? No. Does he have to go through the extreme pain of labor? Or carrying a baby inside of him for 9 months? No. It’s unfair to have not brought these points up, which is an example of the lack of counter arguments, and the erasure of some points.
Not everyone that’s born can go to a good family. There are children in foster care that may never get adopted, so stop quoting adoption as the saving grace of this issue. Would’ve loved to hear some research done on babies that went to foster care or got adopted, because I know they’re not all as lucky as you say they are.
There were well written points though. This book certainly presupposed some intense thinking. I still believe that women have a choice. And this is an issue that’s affecting the country the least right now. Let’s focus on making the world a better, safer, more welcoming place. Where we want to raise our children, and bring them into the world. Where we know they’ll grow up happy and healthy and loved.
March 13, 2021
A very comprehensive book that takes on arguments presented in todays society from the pro-abortion stance. I found the book to be very well researched and was impressed at how Danielle D'Souza Gill picked apart so many arguments - some I had never even heard before! It is a fabulous tool for pro-life apologetics and I plan to share it as often as I can. It is so clear to me that being pro-life is in fact on the right side of history and I hope I live to see the day where this country and our world stops killing our offspring.
April 7, 2021
This book was good but the author didn’t present a whole lot of new information. Anyone who has been following the pro-life movement could have written this themselves. The two things I was able to take out of this book was the authors comparison that abortion frees up the mother to do better things with her life to slaves free up slave owners to do better things.
I also like the point she made that we want to design a society that we would not be scared of not knowing what position we will be in it.
I also like the point she made that we want to design a society that we would not be scared of not knowing what position we will be in it.
March 21, 2021
The author does a great job stepping through each pro-abortion argument and gives a clear anti-argument based on science and the Constitution. She also does a great job explaining the horrendous goals of Planned Parenthood. The last chapter might be the best where she explains why she is hopeful for our future (again, because science is on our side). At times the book seemed too long (it could use some editing), but I am glad I read it through.
January 15, 2022
Tough read on a tough subject matter. I like how the book was broken down into various arguments. I wish pro-abortion folks would be required to read this. Either way we need to do more to save the innocent.
July 7, 2022
This book provides thorough information to have constructive discussions about the baby in the womb of would be mothers. She addresses the common talking points of the pro-abortion side of this issue. A great book for pro-life people at this time in our history.
January 18, 2021
well researched.
March 16, 2021
Every adult and young adult should read this book.
December 22, 2021
Excellent book on abortion. It deals with the pro-choice arguments deftly. Very accessible and easy to listen to. Highly recommend!
January 15, 2022
Excellent source to refute arguments especially scientific arguments in favor of abortion. I loved the content. The author did a great job with making the case for life!
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May 6, 2022Sophomoric, misquoted, misguided. Readers, please stop and read a real nonfiction book - this is frankly ridiculous. Zero stars.
December 29, 2022
Excellent book on this subject. Would highly recommend!!
January 13, 2024
A fantastic book that breaks down all the arguments for abortion and shows how they fail both scientifically and morally.
Read it if you're on the fence.
Read it if you don't think babies feel pain in utero.
Read it if you think it makes life easier for women.
Read it if you already belive it's evil to murder innocent children.
Read it if you're on the fence.
Read it if you don't think babies feel pain in utero.
Read it if you think it makes life easier for women.
Read it if you already belive it's evil to murder innocent children.
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