Product Description

Based on extensive research and in-depth interviews with women from various socio-economic backgrounds, Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters lays bare a stark new world culture of eating disorders, food and body issues that affect virtually all of today's women. Though eating disorders first came to be recognised about 25 years ago, Martin's book shows how the issues surrounding body image have only become more complex, more dangerous and more difficult to treat. The current 'epidemic' of obesity is simply the flip side of the same coin. Drawing from interviews with sufferers, psychologists, nutritionists, and other experts, Courtney Martin's book reveals a whole new generation of 'perfect girls' who have been conditioned from a young age to over-achieve, self-sacrifice, and hate their own bodies - this, despite being raised by a generation of mothers well-versed in the lessons of feminism. Filled with vivid and often heartbreaking personal stories, Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters is both a shocking expos and call to arms, offering hope for a new beginning, one young girl at a time.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #383845 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
'Great news! The vexed knot of eating disorders, body image, and self-esteem gets updated with fresh analysis and new examples for a new generation. Courtney Martin's takewill bring insight to a whole new group of teenagers and young women.' NAOMI WOLF, author of THE BEAUTY MYTH 'An engaging and heartbreaking account of the tragic circumstances girls and women find themselves in today as they struggle to find a body they can feel secure with.' SUSIE ORBACH, author of FAT IS A FEMINIST ISSUE '...a smart and spirited rant that makes for thought-provoking reading.' THE NEW YORK TIMES

About the Author
Courtney E. Martin is a writer, filmmaker and teacher. Her work on eating disorders, perfectionism and feminism has appeared in the New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor, the Village Voice, Time Out New York, Utne Reader, Bust and Bitch magazines.

Customer Reviews

An eye-opening wonder
I picked up this book for my dissertation and I was spellbound. I steamed through it in a matter of days, read every single part of it, captivated. This book is an incredibly important book for all women to read, it really tackles our body issues in a heartfelt, forceful and truthful way. It will open your eyes to the reality of how women percieve their bodies and the damage done because of our own internal battles with life, the media and the pirsuit of perfection. Every woman will identify with at least several aspects of this book, if not all of it. Its a brilliant update and elaboration on Naomi Wolf's The Beauty Myth. (written nearly 20 years ago but is still alarmingly relevant)Less confrontational than The beauty myth, this book is filled with personal stories from women who have struggled with the battle between being a perfect girl and a starving daughter.

Very influential
Having suffered from anorexia in the past and still have 'issues' with food and body image this book was one of the most influential for self recovery I have read on the subject and has helped me gain a better perspective about the ubiquitous issue of body image for women everywhere. It has also helped me with issues of self-worth - well done to the author - a great book and an enjoyable read with lots of little anecdotes from individuals about their own personal experiences. I would recommend it to anyone struggling with or affected by an eating disorder.

Very interesting!
A really interesting read, raised quite a few points about society and the pressures that girls place upon themselves to look a certain way. I was pleased that Martin examined the issue of body hatred from many different angles; anorexia, bullimia, overexercising.

Well worth a read.