In Your Face: The Culture of Beauty and You

Did you know that to achieve a trendy pale complexion during in the Middle Ages, women applied blood-sucking leeches to their faces? Or that it was fashionable in China for women to bind and crush their feet to demonstrate grace and wealth? The award-winning book "In Your Face: The Culture of Beauty and You" presents what humanity has done over the years and in various cultures to, as the author puts it, "fit in, stick out, or measure up." "In Your Face" also explains why we place so much importance on appearances, who gets to decide what's hot and what's not, and what forces shape our views about beauty. This fact-filled book examines the lessons we learn from fairy tales, ancient mythology, popular movies and magazines regarding beauty, youth and attractiveness. We hear from models and actors about what it's like to be judged by their looks, and learn how businesses and people get rich by making others feel insecure. "In Your Face" brings us stories we may not hear elsewhere, and helps us put beauty into perspective so we can stop feeling so controlled and influenced by it. Fun, helpful tips for coping with the pressures around looks also appear at the end of each chapter. "In Your Face's" many startling examples of what females (and males!) did and do in the pursuit of beauty show how one single definition of beauty doesn't exist; that what is considered beautiful comes and goes with time; that many cosmetic procedures can be dangerous; and that seeing beyond the surface can give us the inspiration to care about things that matter much more--such as feeling good about who we truly are inside, and what we can accomplish in this world.