In <em>The Politics of the Pill</em> Rachel VanSickle-Ward and Kevin Wallsten tell the story of contemporary birth control policy and the role that women played in it. First they chart the twists and turns of a fascinating controversial and consequential policy debate. Second they use their analysis of contraception politics as a vehicle for identifying more generally the position of women in the public sphere and the influence that gender exerts across policy-making and media venues.