Beauty Books

"I think if people are graceful and have some peace within them, then they are beautiful." Ellen, 52 (page 108)


Rosanne Olsen's book, This Is Who I Am is an absolute must read.* The pages are filled with women, each beautiful and courageous, and their thoughts about bodies and beauty. Every woman's story resonates in me. "I could have written that." "That was me." "That is me." "Will that be me?"

This book is a reflection of me. Of every woman.

I have yet to meet a woman who is completely in love with herself, her body, her being. The women in Ms. Olsen's book are no different.

And yet, their words are inspiring. Full of hope as they each strive for peace.

While each woman's words echoed in me, the most profound statement which sums up the theme of this book came from Jami, a wise woman at 19, "Perfection is a myth." (page 69)

Perfection most definitely is a myth. Beauty is found in the imperfections. In the wrinkles and cracks, scars and sags. It's in these "blemishes" that our uniqueness lies. Our uniqueness is what makes us beautiful. Each and every one of us.

Rosanne Olsen celebrates this uniqueness in the pages of this book. Her skill with the camera captured each woman's soul with gentleness and respect. The women glowed from the pages, making their words come alive. I could hear each woman speak to me, through their eyes, their expressions, their body positions.

I found myself talking to these women.
To Rae Ellen, 59 (page 56), who described her attempts to lose weight over the years, I cried, "You're beautiful just as you are! Stop the dieting cycle. Stop the yoyo!"
To LaRae, 25 (page 58), when I read, "Maybe I can inspire women everywhere to love themselves, no matter their size, naked or clothed," I shouted, "ROCK ON!"
To Susan, 48 (page 86), who wrote "It frustrates me that this is a lifetime challenge: the tongue versus the chin, the taste buds versus the circumference of my thighs." I moaned, "No! I refuse to believe that it has to be that way. I refuse to believe that one has to choose deprivation to be healthy."

The women in This Is Who I Am are powerful. Each is amazing. It is only fitting that Ms. Olsen chose to end this book with Maya Angelou's poem, "Phenomenal Woman." Each of these women are indeed phenomenal. I applaud their courage in showing themselves to the world - emotionally and physically.

I applaud Rosanne Olsen for her bravery. For showing to the world that beauty is inside each and every one of us.

Every woman should have a copy of this book. She then needs to share it with her children, grandhcildren, nieces, friends' children ... The photography is incredible and the personal reflections are poignant, timeless and moving. I purchased five additional copies as gifts. My only regret is I'm not in it!

This is a beautiful book. The stories that go along with the pictures are inspiring.

What a piece of work to truely inspire women and men alike. This shows it's not WHAT we are but WHO we are that really counts. We all have issues and although we look a little different on the outside , we all struggle with things to be overcome! Already thinking of "Who else can I give this to?".

Absolutely beautifully done "coffee table book" of photographs & quotes by women of all ages & sizes & stories to illustrate the media models of perfection are not NORMAL!

This is one of the first books in a long list of fashion books that I own. It is one of my favorites. It is a bit academic as another reviewer mentioned, but I feel that's an important part of what makes this book a keeper. It covers European, mostly English fashion of the aristocracy. There are some great historical anecdotes. My favorites involve Empress Eugenie lounging audaciously around in her red knickers, and some about the rare daring lady to show up to the Ascott races in "pants". The writing isn't as witty as other books, but the historical detail is fantastic. There are quite a few pictures as well. The arrangement of the pictures and text is chronological and very easy to follow. The only drawback is that the pages are matte and not glossy. And the spine falls apart after a few years of hard labor.

A good and informative book. Just looking through it I learned a few things that I hadn't ever heard or noticed before, such as the way that tightlacing of corsets doesn't seem to have been too common before the late 1860s.
The book is very reasonably priced. The only trouble, which probably, were it to be fixed, would make the book cost a lot more, is that I often wish the photographs were printed in better quality.

It is a rare opportunity to see how people dressed in reality so far in the past. By contrast, fashion plates always show the garment in its perfect form, portraits are idealized, and original illustrations change the proportions, whether purposefully or not, to fit the times of the artist, not that of the garment. Photos do not lie.

The pictures feature mostly upper-class people in attractive poses, and the reader can enjoy seeing these people in their clothes, in a variety of settings, in the middle of different activities (cycling, skating, boating, traveling through snowy mountains, playing tennis...). The people sitting for portraits are looking their very best, trying out different positions, picking their finest clothes. As for the garments themselves, the pictures are clear and attractive, and the details are so telling!

The text dissects the pictures and explains costume of the era in detail, discussing the general trends, exceptions, class distinctions, and how the people in these old photos relate to all this. A Very good book for a costume historian.

This compact book is full of photos and it has great explanations from beginning to end. The author explains carefully every photograph, and also each of the fashions worn by the subjects.

If you love old photos of Victorian and Edwardian fashions, then this is a nice book to own for your library. (Also, the price is reasonable).

Dover Publications, monarchs of 19th-century fashion surveys, have hit another one clean out of the park with this superb examination of Victorian and Edwardian fashion from the coronation of Victoria to the early 1900's. Originally published in England in the early 1960's as "The Mirror of Reality", this book was acquired and republished by Dover in a handy paperback edition up to their usual high physical standards (Dover is well-known for the high quality of its paperback books). Alison Gernsheim delves into every single aspect of costume in the period, from buttons to boots, and the accompanying B&W photos, well over a hundred of them, are worth even more words. The fashion-plate books such as Stella Blum's "Harper's Bazar 1867-1898" and Joanne Olian's "Victorian and Edwardian Fashions from La Mode Illustree" are absolutely indispensable for showing the fashions of the era as their designers conceived them, but you need - I say again, _need_ - this book to see how those dresses looked in the real world.

Excellent reference book on the latest cosmetic surgery procedures for face and body. Does not include reconstructive procedures.

Beauty in the Balance is a wonderfully written book covering a wide range of topics in cosmetic surgery and treatment. Dr. Rosen and Dr. Ablaza reveal the many options available using every day language. The decision to select cosmetic surgery is often confusing and frustrating, this book tackles the many issues and answers the questions those considering surgery often have. This is a must read for anyone considering cosmetic surgery.

Karla L. Hall
National Organization of Vascular Anomalies
[....]

I was truly impressed with "Beauty in Balance". It gave me a clear understanding of the procedures and this in turn helped me to have realistic expectations. I would recommend this book for anyone contemplating cosmetic surgery.

I'm so impressed with this book. It contains clear-detailed information in a professional yet easy to undestand manner.

I found this book to be most helpful in researching cosmetic surgery and the various procedures I am considering. The information was succinct and easy to read. I feel much more confident about the process as a result of reading this book. I recommend this book with great enthusiasm!

This is a wonderfully written book. I think it is a must have for women everywhere. I never thought to read labels on make up or shampoo and now I do it without even thinking about it. I highly recommend this book; it is an easy read and full of powerful insight and information.

Ever wanted to get back to the basics? This is step by step introduction into natural beauty treatments you can prepare for yourself and even save money. There are so many helpful hints to inspire you to use natural treatments for your body.

This book is awesome. It really brings out the true beauty of a woman in her spirit and her flesh. Don't let the cosmetic industry pull one over on you anymore. Get this book and look better and feel better for less. Less on your pocket book and less toxins in your body.

This is a very informative book showing you how to create your own skin care treatment from organic products. They have worked well on my skin and saved me money! The devotional section is wonderful in helping me view myself the way God does!

I read this book within 3 hours and came out renewed!

My thought process on beauty reorganized & re prioritized thanks to her simple, Godly devotionals. And although I do make an effort to live healthy there are occasions when I'm tempted and give in to our commercialized garbage at the store...whether it be food,body care,clothes,etc.

I went shopping the day after I read the book and bought her beauty recommendations...all of them! ...food and all :) I should also add that while you read my review note that I'm bi-racial (bl/wh) and battle dry skin everywhere and have frizzy,bushy,slightly wavy hair. :)

It's only been a couple of days but I already feel better. I feel better just knowing that I have the absolute best yet surprisingly cheapest beauty routine that money can buy, my energy is up thanks to the organic nuts and raw honey and fruit, and my hair smells FABULOUS!! I ended up buying Aubrey Organics hair products and my scalp feels wonderfully fresh (no dandruff) and my hair is silky.

I used the facial wash recipe and followed with the honey & olive oil and within hours noticed that there was less redness. My pores shrank and my skin glowed! My favorite part was that I didn't have to be sure not to get nasty soap in my mouth or eyes...I actually licked my cleanser,toner, & moisturizer and went...MMMMM, YUMMY! My tip with the olive oil is to put it on a damp face so it redistributes better and your not left with oily spots.

Her website offers even more information. You can download invitations,recipes,and tip sheets to host your own Beauty Secrets of the Bible party. Sounds like fun! I'd enjoy doing that with my church women.

Now to go get a job just to afford the essential oils...BUT, then again I would've saved myself literally hundreds of dollars last year had I used this regimen instead, making the expensive oils pennies in a bucket.

If you're like me and possess a 'thing' with the lips...RUN, don't walk, RUN to the store and get yourself her fabulous tip of Burt's Bees lip products...balms,glosses,sticks. They ROCK!

Recommended to me by a well known tattoo artist, this book truly gave me the nuts and bolts info I needed to make the big leap. Especially helpful
to me were the explanations of the different areas of the body that are typically tattooed w/their Japanese names. There was also a stunning picture of a gorgeous girl with a ray of butterflies tattooed in the body suit style. As the art evolves from a badge of the criminal class to pure art, I believe we will see more feminine interpretations
of this masculine art form. Excellent from text to pictures!

I was in the process of researching Japanese tattoos for my own tattoo design and purchased four books. Bushido was the best for telling the story and history of Japanese tattooing and the pictures were equally amazing. Bushido was informative and pictures were beautifully shot. By far the best book on the subject I have seen.

It's a cool book that shows us many curious aspects of the japan tattoo history and tradition.
But, in another way, there's a lack of variety of photos, like koi fish and masks for example.

Horioshi work speaks for itself and this book is an impressive tribute to it. The pictures are fantastic and it's very nice to see that the family business has its heritage assured.

This book is a great reference for tattoo artists and other artists that enjoy the art of Japanese tattooing. It displays full page photographs (including close ups) so you can see the detail and subject matter quite well.

I loved this adorable little book, and you will too. It is written with charm (pun?) and wit and made me smile lots of times. The pictures are beautiful and will inspire you to want even more charms than you already have. Definitely buy it if you are at all interested in charm bracelets.

This is a nice picture book and fun to look through but when it comes to putting together charm bracelets the suggestion is to take it to a jeweler. Charm bracelet collectors, buy this book. Charm bracelet makers, look elsewhere.

Yes, this book about charms is, well, charming! If you like jewelry, themed or not, you'll like this book. I was smiling as i looked through it, and I make themed charm bracelets myself, so it was fun to see what other people have done over the years. So many charms, so little time!

If you have ever had a charm bracelet, currently collect charms, or have ever wanted to start a collection - this book is for you! The ideas, history, and photos of the bracelets are all wonderful. It inspired me to clean up my old charm bracelets and, along with my current one, put them on display. They are works of art that tell a story. This book is also a great gift. It has inspired those I've given it to as it inspired me.

I was browsing one day at the Gardner in Berkeley, CA and saw this book. I bought it for a friend and it was so fun that we decided to start charm bracelets of our own. The fever caught on and now there is a group of us that are trading and swapping stories. My bracelet is becoming my history and its great to watch it evolve.

The book is beautifully designed and written.

I have listened to most of
E. Tolle's book on cd and especially loved this one for the 2nd cd. I find his message powerful and important in todays world. This set contains the best meditative music I have ever heard. I'm sure I lent it out and never got it back, so for the very powerful music in this set I am reordering....very well worth it!

Gateways to Now is a wonderful extension of Tolle's two books: The Power of Now and A New Earth. The audio book is a way to hear Tolle's ideas from his own voice. Tolle gives several ideas of ways to become "More Present". It is well done and great for expanding consciousness.

This CD has some techniques discussed by Tolle to perceive inner space. They require some repeated practice for those not familiar with meditation, but seem to work fine. The music is a minor distraction.

Even though I love to read, because of a life long engagement with ADD and insomnia,it is not often easy to obsorb or retain the contents of any book let alone one such as this. One that requires serious contemplation and quiet reflection. However I found this book to provide,a meaningful metamorphosis to this mecurial mind, a soothing serenity to my secluded spirit, and a sedative to my oft troubled soul, things that I seldom enjoy. I completely agree with many of his points, such as the eternal nature of our Spirits. Also the concept that all living things have presence and Spirits. In fact I have I personally found that while riding my bicycle in the nearby mountains(for me by keeping my body active seems to quiet this overactive mind)I can actually hear and feel the presence of life forms around me especially durring early spring mornings. On several occcassions I hold my hands close to the long grasses, trees, or whatever life form is near and feel it's energy and each ones' very discerable Spirit/presence, which is exciting to be part of. Additionally on such mornings it seems that the annimals, insects,etc. do not fear me and will often come out and seemingly greet me. They know I come in peace and love, with an appreciation for each of them and their Creator. It is also interesting to note that most of the indiginous peoples of the earth were very much in tune with all this. I believe this book can help all of us get in touch with the spiritual side of all that exists on this planet. It sure makes it a much more interesting and beautiful place to live!!A New Earth

I have only just learned about E. Tolle. Over the past weekend a friend of mine mentioned the class series at the Oprah website for his book "The New Earth". I signed up but couldn't sit at the pc for that long. Instead I went to purchase The New Earth audio cd from my local book store last night. They didn't have it in stock but they did have The Gateway to Now, so that's what I got. When laying down for bed I started the cd (disk 1). How amazingly comforting his voice is! How amazingly simple his message is. I want more!!! I also listened on the way to work this morning. I didn't want to get out of the car once I got there.

I'm so happy to have found E. Tolle. Ten times in this short review the "I" is mentioned. Oops make that 11! If you are looking for a new direction of thinking, get this cd!

I must admit that I am not too keen on this book. Although it doesn cover the basics of fashion illustration I just don't think its a great illustraton book. Its a great referance don;t get me wrong but I know for a fact that Bina Abling's Fashion Sketchbook (the most recent veersion) has a heck of alot more than this book and it may be a bit pricer (just buy it used!) but The Fahsion Skecthbook it well worth it. TRUST ME!

Illustration Fashion: Concept to Creation appears to be popular with a wide range of students who are both beginners, intermediate students and advanced designers. This book offers a step-by-step approach to movement of designs from the croquis (base, working sketch) to the final copy. It has references to designs for facial and body features and it has detailed illustrations of a huge range of different pieces of clothings. Stipelman explains as well as gives examples of ways to successfully convey the mood of an outfit.

Overall - it's very handy. For advanced students, however, bear in mind that it would probably be more of a reference for you than anything. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have a look at other books available here on Amazon.

I found this book to be extremely helpful and useful, far superior than some I have encountered.

I did not realize how resourceful a book this was until I actually sat down and looked through it. I had this book and another fashion illustration book (by Kathryn Hagen) for six months and all this time, I was referencing the other book only to gain insignificant knowledge of fashion illustration. While the other book contains beautifully drawn illustrations, it did little to enlighten me to the techniques, which is important when learning.

I didn't look through Steven Stipelman's book before because I deemed it boring and uninteresting based on a brief flip through. When I actually sat down to start reading it, it all seemed to make sense. What Mr. Stipelman does that other books on this topic fail to really do is to talk about technique and concepts. He outlines standards for drawing croquis (working sketch) in steps, which is a must because a croquis is a foundation for fashion illustrations and will eventually lead to a final drawing.

He also applies the step by step explanation of how to do different poses and how clothing rests on the body in different ways. A big bonus is that he also provides a historical background wherever he can to each section because each period of time had its own ideal for "the" silhouette or body type. It really just ties in well because you get a broader understanding of fashion's past and its relation to the current ideals of fashion.

Whereas some fashion illustration books merely display pages of illustrations done by the author or professionals in the fashion industry, this book is written and arranged in such a way that you feel you're actually in the classroom being taught one-on-one all that it takes to illustrate fashion effectively and beautifully.

I am intrested in fashion design and this book has helped me to learn how to draw the figure and face, etc. If you are a beginner in fashion design this should be your first book to get. This book is a keeper!!

I am a young "Anglo-American" (white) girl living in a Texas/Mexican border town with a 98% hispanic community, and am on my way to learning the language fluently. I read this book in my Spanish class, and nearly died from the beauty of this book! It has helped me along with recognizing and comprehending Spanish along with leaving me a satisfied reader. Someday when I speak fluent Spanish, I will read this to my daughter and am sure it will be her favorite bed-time story. :-)

Seeing as though I couldn't get the real Marianela quickly, this one suited quite well, perhaps even better. I had to write a paper on it and the simplified language made mush easier to understand.

Pablo, a rich blind boy is madly in love with poor Marianela. Things go smooth until renowned Doctor Teodoro Golfín offers to cure up Pablo's eyes. Marianela, who thinks she is ugly is afraid that when he starts seeing, he'll see how ugly(on the surface) she really is. Her fears are confirmed when he falls for his beautiful cousin Florentina, who doesn't treat Marianela too well. She is so attached to Pablo that if she doesn't look beautiful for him, she won't be any use to him. A very destructive point of view which she sticks to. It's a tragic ending but it's common in most Spanish-language stories.

What is the actual implication of this fictitious work? Isn't there a serious, profound and truthful lessons in this love story so down-to-earth but yet so complex?

Marianela, a love story published in 1878 portrays a relationship between a blind man and his guide-- not beautiful a woman, whom he imagines attractive. Loving him she worries that once the man recovers his eyesight realizes she is not as pretty as he thinks her to be.

The author wisely crafts an interesting symbolism between the capacity to see, which is always spiritual and emotional, and on the other hand the human eyesight which can be inadequate, restrictive and misleading.

The implication that runs through the whole story is that adversity is a blessing in disguise, since blindness forces him to be humble enough to perceive the beauty she and others manifest. Once he recovers his eyesight and sees her for the first time with his human eyes, he rejects her.

Wasn't he in possession of real sight while blind than when he was able to recover his sight and to humanly see? Isn't Perez Galdos message, that the capacity to see and understand is mental, emotional and not necessarily physical?

Finally I can say this classic must be understood as a lesson on the spiritual superiority over the evidence presented by the human senses. This emotionally complex story has a symbolism, it will teach a lesson to whoever is receptive enough to its deeper meaning.

I must admit that this book didn't pick my interest when I started reading it in My Spanish AP class in high school. Now after reading it I have to say that this book is wonderfully written and very educational.
Marianela is a girl who lives in The Mines of Socartes, she is the guide of a rich boy who suffers fom blindness Pablo. I loved Marianela's character since the first pages, she is so full of life, so innocent. All her life she lived out of the pity of others but it didn't matter to her. Pablo "said" he loved her and she lived in this illusion where she thought that she would finally be loved and not criticized by her looks.
Then, everything changed when Teodoro Golfin, a miracle doctor gave Pablo his sight. That's when everything changed. When Pablo saw what Marianela really looked like, he just started treating her horribly. Where did all his love go? I have to say that by the end of the book I hated Pablo with a passion. How can someone be so cynical as to tell a person how beautiful she is without really seeing the exterior appearance and then being disgusted by what he sees when he looks at how that person really looks? Sadly that's what happens with Pablo and it would have been better if he had stay blind.
This book bring some things that are really important. True beauty is on the inside, never judge someone by their exterior appearace because you might be surprised. True beauty is not something that you can see or touch, beauty has to be felt.
I highly recomend this book, it will touch your heart I promise

My mom was a victim of incest and it affected every aspect of her life. She didn't reveal the incest until shortly before she died. I never had an opportunity to talk to her about it. This book helped me to see what my mom lived with and is helping me come to terms with what the years of secrecy did to her life, as well as to my own.

Marilyn doesn't just tell you about a problem, she inspires you to do something about it & gives you the tools to be effective. As an elementary school nurse & ped-SANE (pediatric sexual abuse nurse examiner), I read the book hoping to gain insight into the problems of children who have been sexually abused. As a former victim of abuse, I read it hoping to gain insight into the emotional quagmire that was my life. Marilyn's balance of emotions and matter-of-fact-ness in telling her story, catapulted me into the world of purpose & action. Now I have the means to help other children as I could not help myself. I am more successful in my profession & have started a class with the help of the school principal & the district's asst superintendent to teach mandated reporters to be more effective in protecting our children. Thank you, Marilyn, you have multiplied the joy in my life a thousand-fold.

This book saved my life. I have been sexually abused as a child, from 2y onwards. When the terrible truth came out, when I was 35, it was overwhelming. I couldn't cope with it and had thoughts of suicide (as I did for years as a teenager). Then I remembered I heard about an experience of Miss America few years before...
Marilyn's story helped me to relate to my own- there was so many similarities, I had all the symptoms she had. Crying over her story helped me get in touch with my emotions, and most of all seeing that someone had made it through this darkness and craziness and had built a real life for herself, has been guiding me for all this time.
I have been abused by a relative and my father. The sad thing is that I see symptoms of childhood sexual abuse in so many people, while there is still so much stigma and taboos that prevent people from healing.
I am full of awe and admiration for Marilyn who had to courage to go forward with her story so many years ago. Thank you, I am eternaly grateful...

"Miss America by Day" shows that the more we share about our own experiences, the more others with similar experiences can relate. My copy of this book is filled with "Her too!" comments . . . The fear that friends and family would turn their backs on me if I disclosed, my inability to buy a book about incest because the clerk would "know," the physical ailments of unknown cause that slowly dissipated after I began to recall . . . and the importance of partners, children, friends, and therapists in the healing process.

I especially appreciated the way van Derbur interweaves her personal experiences with research by experts such as Drs. Chu, Hermann, Briere, etc. She did her homework.

(...)

Review of Miss America By Day: Lessons Learned from Ultimate Betrayals and Unconditional Love by Marilyn Van Derbur, Oak Hill Ridge Press, Denver, CO: 2003. ISBN: 0-9728-298-4-9, Autobiography/Abuse

I chose this book because April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month as well as National Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month, and those topics are my work. The topics are thoroughly covered in Van Derbur's voluminous non-fiction story.

Marilyn Van Derbur, a native of Colorado, is one of four daughters of a prominent Denver businessman (he is deceased). Her father was on numerous boards and committees, was honored with buildings named for him, and was president of "all the college fraternities in America." Both parents were active volunteers, donating time and money to culture and civic organizations. Marilyn's mother would often state that she had the "perfect marriage" and Marilyn was told that she was "blessed by being born into a perfect family." Marilyn's life appeared to be perfect, as depicted by the smiles in the pictures she shares throughout the book. Marilyn was crowned Miss America while she was attending the University of Colorado in 1958. When she graduated (with honors) Marilyn was a guest host on Candid Camera and a panelist on To Tell the Truth, as well as in commercials. She also waved to the public while in the Cotton Bowl and Thanksgiving Parades. She chose motivational speaking as her career, and was named the "Outstanding Woman Speaker in America" and was inducted to the "Colorado Woman's Hall of Fame." Indeed, anyone reading her story might experience a twinge of envy for all the fame and fortune that seemed to come to her so easily and effortlessly.

Except...Marilyn suffered from physical symptoms including insomnia, tics, ulcers, and panic attacks. When her body and mind rebelled against the constant travel, she experienced full body paralysis, yet doctors found no organic cause. What else might Marilyn be rebelling against? She had to search her mind and spirit to find the answers.

One of Marilyn's earliest memories is of her mother reading the Bible before bed. Another of Marilyn's earliest memories is of her father entering his daughter's bed after dark. What came next was repressed for decades until Marilyn realized that her father had committed incest from the time she was five until eighteen, an estimated six hundred times. All the while, her mother knew. Marilyn shares her split between the "night child" victim in contrast to the "day child" over-achiever. The physical symptoms she had endured were a manifestation of the connection between child sexual abuse and adult ailments.

Marilyn writes, "I had never prayed. I didn't want a more powerful father and I knew, deep inside, that the Father my mother was praying to when I was a child wasn't protecting me." However, when her story went public via the Denver media and People magazine, she asked of a Higher Power: "I want to help...If you show me the way ...I will do whatever you ask me to do." Thus began the next chapter of Marilyn's life. She writes that it is "my mission to educate judges, doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, therapists, and especially parents" about child sexual abuse. Not only does she educate with this book and her speeches, she also helps victims become survivors by sharing her healing journey. Throughout the book, Marilyn also shares with the reader her relationships with her husband and daughter, and the reader relishes in the emotional relief their unconditional love offers Marilyn. Ultimately, Marilyn manages to find peace.

I would recommend this book as an astonishing story and educational tool regarding child abuse and sexual assault.

Review written by Lynn C. Tolson, author of Beyond the Tears: A True Survivor's Story.