Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, and the Body
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Book Overview
"Unbearable Weight is brilliant. From an immensely knowledgeable feminist perspective, in engaging, jargonless ( ) prose, Bordo analyzes a whole range of issues connected to the body--weight and weight loss, exercise, media images, movies, advertising, anorexia and bulimia, and much more--in a way that makes sense of our current social landscape--finally This is a great book for anyone who wonders why women's magazines are always describing delicious food as 'sinful' and why there is a cake called Death by Chocolate. Loved it "--Katha Pollitt, Nation columnist and author of Subject to Debate: Sense and Dissents on Women, Politics, and Culture (2001)
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0520240545
ISBN13:9780520240544
Release Date:January 2004
Publisher:University of California Press
Length:400 Pages
Weight:1.45 lbs.
Dimensions:1.0" x 5.9" x 8.9"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
This book was earthshattering!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
The first time I read Ms. Bordo's book, I was so into it that I didn't get enough sleep that night. This book tells us the brainwashing media and society use to control women as well as to maintain the power elite. If the elite, media or otherwise, didn't use impossibly thin, beautiful, made up blonde women to keep them divided and in control, the whole structure would have collapsed long time ago. Thanks Ms. Bordo for informing me about this, for I've been in darkness for many years.
Brilliant, relevant, a must-read for feminists
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
Although a challenging read for me at times, this book was full of "aha!" moments. I think Bordo nails it when it comes to how the issues women's size and appearance are portrayed in the media. I recommend this book highly to other feminists and those interested in media literacy.
Fantastic
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
Unbearable Weight is a scholarly yet accessible look at the historical and current representation of women in history and in popular culture. It is an excellent look at society's objectification of the female body and the problems that can arise for women because of this objectification. This book shines not so much as a linear collection of essays but as a reference for people who wish to study the marriage between feminism, western society, and its concentration on the female body. It has helped me to understand the media's role in my relationship with my body and in the amount of control that I have over it. "Unbearable Weight" has also been a great help in my research on this subject.I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand Western Cultures objectification of women's bodies through a feminist filter.
Awesome- Highly Recommended
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
Susan Bordo doesn't miss a beat in this work. Every sentence has a purpose and every paragraph is filled with valuable insight into the world of contemporary female bodies. This is a practical book for the curious consumer and the student of feminism alike. Her ideas about post-modernism are challenging and abstract, but reading Bordo will most likely open up a new world for you. It did for me and this masterpiece has become one of my all-time favorites. Best Wishes...
Susan Bordo is a Genius and this is a great book
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
Unbearable Weight is brilliant. From an immensely knowledgeable feminist perspective, in engaging, jargonless (!) prose, Bordo analyzes a whole range of issues connected to the body -- weight and weight loss, exercise, media images, movies, advertising, anorexia and bulimia and much more -- in a way that makes our current social landscape make sense -- finally! This is a great book not just for academics but for anyone who wonders why women's magazines are always describing delicious food as "sinful" and why there is a cake called Death by Chocolate. Loved it!
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