The Art of Being a Woman: A Simple Guide to Everyday Love and Laughter [Hardcover]

Veronique Vienne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 5, 2006

It takes a great woman to spot greatness in other women. Have a good laugh at your own expense.
Discover how completely happy you are in your own skin.

Such experiences, says Véronique Vienne, are expressions of the art of being a woman.

In this gem of a book, Vienne gently guides women of all ages and cultures through the practical– and a few rather more whimsical– lessons in the art of womanhood and in the joy of loving life as only a woman can. Along the way, she imparts unique gifts of wisdom such as:

• An alert mind is the most eye-catching feature of a face.
• Smart compliments can improve the way you look as much as beauty products.
• Paying more to eat less is counterintuitive, yet it is the best diet around.
• Fashion is a nonsurgical nip-and-tuck technique.
• Female camaraderie keeps you healthy.
• Men should be given the benefit of the doubt (because they truly need it).

With its spirited prose and witty illustrations, The Art of Being a Woman informs and celebrates the many ways we all can release our insecurities, count our blessings, and experience what the French call “joie de vivre,” a lively tryst between heart and mind.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

To "get the hang of" being a woman, "you have to be willing to get rid of your self-doubts and acknowledge your innate gifts and talents," advises the author of the bestselling The Art of Doing Nothing, in this guide to achieving Gallic-style femininity and sophistication. Advising women to abandon flirtatiousness and, instead, cultivate "mental acuity," to celebrate other women as teacher–soul mates and to adopt her paradoxical interpretation of the sex wars, Vienne describes the sexiness of self-acceptance and of playfulness in bed, cautions against high achievers' obsessive focus on performance, extols the benefits of drifting afternoons spent window shopping and recommends housecleaning in a "nice dress" and heels while regarding the home as "an intimate partner: treat it as you would a lover." Offering similarly whimsical advice on beauty ("become radiant by keeping an incandescent secret smoldering below the surface of all your facial expressions"), she recommends giving in to love as "a prelude to falling in love with life." Divulging the secrets of the classic French woman's wardrobe and how to create a French salon-style soiree, Vienne inhabits a carefully cultivated persona of the cosmopolitan sophisticate. She dispenses advice about success and well-being that will infuriate and titillate in equal measure. (Dec.)
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About the Author

Véronique Vienne is the author of the now-classic The Art of Doing Nothing, The Art of Imperfection, The Art of Expecting, The Art of Growing Up, and The Art of the Moment. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, and Paris, France.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1st ed. edition (December 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307337243
• ISBN-13: 978-0307337245
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 1 x 7.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #367,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vivienne is absolutely right!, February 23, 2007

By 

Caroline Jourdes "hoonynoon" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Being a Woman: A Simple Guide to Everyday Love and Laughter (Hardcover)

Being born and raised French and now living in Chicago, I can completely relate with Veronique Vienne and this great book. Yes, French women are raised very differently, and from that their regards towards food, cooking, working, cleaning, dressing up, and being sexy is based on different beliefs from the Americans.
When Vivienne recommends to cherish your home and clean in it in your best outfit, that doesn't mean literally in high heels, of course, that means you know those chores are beneath you intellectually, but every action has its beauty, its purpose, its grace, its honorable simplicity, therefore its not a chore anymore, it's a service to yourself, so you don't have to turn yourself into the completely ridiculous sweatpants and oversized t-shirt person you despise in you. And when she talks about cooking to loose weight, well same thing applies here. I personally don't cook much but I know my ingredients and what is right and good for me to eat. Most americans sadly are not raised with the knowledge of quality eating for their own body needs. They don't know the difference of what is a proper lunch dessert and dinner dessert for example, right for a good digestion. Fast food and junk foods have jinxed most of their taste buds and cravings from childhood. So Vivienne advises to reduce your portions, sure, but mostly to discover, analyse and eat the right stuff (fresh and clean food) and it will elevate you. And from a woman stand point, don't go and think French women are perfection, far from it, they aren't as ambitious, as gender-aware and as friendly to each other as American women, but their appreciation of variety of styles, from antique to modern, of fashion, of manners, and of self-respect and self-indulgence is what has made them distinct and widely admired. This book goes way beyond that, is an easy read and I have been offering it to my very best friends so they can realize what a privilege it is Being a Woman.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful and the perfect gift for a favorite female, January 12, 2007

By 

C. Farley "seafaire" (Bakersfield, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art of Being a Woman: A Simple Guide to Everyday Love and Laughter (Hardcover)

Although this is lightly written, the information inside is a fabulous celebration of how to live and celebrate the life of being female. Lots of the information is original, clever and makes you both smile and nod in agreement with the wit and wisdom of the author. Because of its smaller size, high quality paper and charming illustrations this is a perfect gift for a female friend, girl graduating high school/college or anyone in need of a lovely pick-me-up.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what I was expecting, December 23, 2006

By 

Jessica - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art of Being a Woman: A Simple Guide to Everyday Love and Laughter (Hardcover)

This is the first of Ms. Vienne's books that I have purchased. She was recommended by Anne Barrone because she brings the French joie de vivre to American women. It is a very easy and quick read, it is very uplifting and the language is smooth and pretty. I have not actually done much in applying the philosophies for any period of time, but I did get a joie de vivre while reading it. She talks about house cleaning and men and her words make both seem charming and enjoyable, even the most irritating things. I highly recommend this book to bring joie de vivre to every woman.