Shari Graydon

I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think this book is a really great introduction if you want to learn more about the beauty industry and the social and psychological studies that are constantly being developed in relation to it. It’s also a good introduction for some feminist topics related to the perception of beauty and the impact it can have on women -but also men- of all ages and social categories. The book admittedly focuses mainly on the reality of North America when it comes to these themes, but many of the thoughts and conclusions that are presented can be applied to other cultures: in my case, South America shares a lot of the views that are depicted here, so I could personally relate to what I was reading and could compare it to my own reality and experiences.

With that being said, you have to approach this book keeping in mind that you won’t get that many new insights if you’ve already read a little about these topics or if you are familiar and/or involved with feminism and some form of social studies. It will help you reaffirm some of the things you’ve probably been seeing a lot of, and it has the added bonus of being an incredibly aesthetically pleasing way of doing so. Once again, this is a book that I would love and hope to eventually have a physical copy of, because it is just stunning. The illustrations and the way the text is displayed on every page make the whole experience of reading really pleasing and memorable.

This book is definitely a valuable contribution to the continuous questioning of beauty and social norms that is currently happening. Diet fades, airbrushed images of models and celebrities, beauty ideals that are pretty much impossible to achieve, the power and influence of social media: all of these things are incredibly relevant right now, and in this book they are approached in a way that makes them both thought-provoking and easy to understand, which is always appreciated.… (mere)

I really enjoyed Shari Graydon's works on media for young adults, but I found this collection of essays quite disappointing. A number of the essays tried too hard to be funny. One in particular about the experience of peeing by Dawn Rae Downton (sp?) was just bizarre. There was little about the"joys of aging" and a real lack of interesting insights. I read close to 2/3 of the book and found that I was leaving it alone for longer and longer periods of time. I finally returned it to the library. If you want light reading--say, while waiting for a dental or medical appointment--this might be the book for you. Otherwise, though, I really don't recommend it.… (mere)