Raquel Welch: Beyond the Cleavage

I'm going to return with a VERY long and detailed review in a few days-this book is FANTASTIC!! Though not an auto-biography this delightfully intimate book does cover various parts of her life in-depth, her thoughts on motherhood, ageing, friendship, younger men, fitness, makeup, skincare, cosmetic surgery, dating, menopause and HONEST observations about how trashy the Paris Hilton/Madonna/pole dancing effect has negatively impacted women. Regarding some of the reviewers who express disappointment that some of her material is reprinted from "Raquel Welch: Total Beauty and Fitness" DO note that other authors also do this and that she DOES flesh out the material in greater detail here. I think it's a good call as the aforementioned book (A VERITABLE MASTERPIECE!) is out of print and unknown to many under 30's. Plus it is heartening to know that, unlike many other celebs who trend hop diets and exercise regimens, that the same tenets have worked for RW for so long and obviously so well. As for her astute cultural observations, Ms. Welch has many and did what Ari Levy failed to do in "Female Chauvinist Pigs" , which was expose the stupidity of raunchy culture. I'm a huge fan of Rocky Welch and have followed her career since I found a copy of Total Beauty and Fitness at Treehorn Books in Santa Rosa, when I was teen. I still remember my college roommate reading the poses to me out loud and doing an inadvertent somersault during "Standing A." I was given this new book, "Beyond the Cleavage" for my 32nd birthday yesterday. JOY OF JOYS!!! What a FABULOUS WRITER!! No surprise, she is a TRUE FEMINIST. Two kids by 21, going after her career as a single mother, never being financially supported by a man AND never acting vulgar or trashy to get press. I wish feminism had made less room for the "lipstick is oppression" credo and later the sleazy corporate vulgarity of Madonna and instead made more room for the multi-dimensional class acts like Raquel. Feminism has turned too many women (especially under 30) off by not allowing alternate versions of "being liberated" into the fold. I guess 2nd wavers just hated RW because she's beautiful as she sure was cast out without a second glance. And with all due respect, Camille Paglia one of the only 2nd wave voices to praise RW and get it right, herself wasted far too much time on the low life narcissistic antics of madonna to really do this great lady justice. RW proves that there is simply too much abject hypocrisy in second wave feminism. Feminists slammed sex bombs like Raquel Sophia Loren, and Erica Gavin, yet how much money did these same women pay their fellow sisters who were their nannies and maids watching the farm while they went to work? Did they ever fight tooth and nail to give them healthcare, unions or a living wage? Noooooooo...they fought to live like men, get the best deal on childcare and make money(see Leslie Bennetts...barf) not liberate women. Thankfully some third wavers like myself are

Raquel looks amazingly beautiful at 69 and it was great to read how she does it. She is a very inspiring woman. I will use her beauty tips since they are very common sense, and I also appreciated the advice for which beauty procedures to stay away from. She definitely has both beauty and brains.

I did not expect this book to be so good but women out there it is great! There is lots of information for us on what to expect during menopause and how a beautiful women got through it along with many other tips. great job!

The inner beauty of Raquel Welch comes out in this book. She is a warm and thoughtful woman and she cares about women and helping them navigate the rough terrain that faces women over 50 and 60, who are often devalued in society. She generously shares her beauty secrets and how she does her makeup along with advice for handling menopause and living a full life alone in later years. I was surprised that, although she has consulted with top experts, she can and does do her own makeup like a pro and can even cut her own hair. She knows all about wigs and hair pieces of course, and in my opinion, hers are the prettiest. Her life hasn't always been easy and it has taken her a lot of work to succeed and she has a killer diet for keeping her figure. I loved the book and hope she writes another. I think she should write a book with photos instructing women over 50, 60 and 70 how to do makeup and apply wigs and hairpieces. The existing books are mainly for 20-somethings.

Very good book! It made me like her a lot better after reading it.