Better Than Beauty: A Guide to Charm [Hardcover]

Helen Valentine (Author), Alice Thompson (Author), Emery I. Gondor (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2003

While beauty makes a first impression, charm lasts a lifetime. Featuring original artwork, this delightful handbook proves that charm never, ever goes out of style. First published in 1938, this classic compendium is overflowing with timeless advice to help guide you through a maze of social interactions with wit and finesse. You'll learn: How to engage in creative conversation; find the most flattering clothing for your figure;deflect unwanted advances;how to be kind to atrocious people and much more.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 164 pages
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble Books (2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760754403
• ISBN-13: 978-0760754405
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #277,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

144 of 144 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly modern (surprisingly!), October 15, 2007

By 

Kate Minola "Editor" (singingmoonpress.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Better than Beauty: A Guide to Charm (Paperback)

I bought this as research for a novel. That being said, there are only a few things that are dated in this book in my opinion-- things like how to make liquid shampoo and rinse it out if you don't have access to unlimited running water, how to use deodorant with dress shields, a balanced diet should include salt, and much advice on how to choose hats. I expected as much. I expected quite a lot more batting eyes and staying mousy-quiet to catch a man, to be honest, considering the time period.

Herein lies the surprise: the emphasis in this book is on how to be a classy individualist without being a stuffy bore. The authors carefully take into account that all women aren't the same, and shouldn't be. They even admit it might be advantageous for a working woman to swear in the office to get things done. What a couple of saucy dames these women are!

The first section encourages women to come up with a personal and practical style without sucking out the fun. They ignore the rules in fashion magazines (which appear to be the same rules in fashion mags today) and present everything you might need to know head-to-toe with simple rules.

For example, the placement and angle of your rouge is not as important as making sure it blends in gradually with your natural color. The only rule for hair is "Does it look like it would be pleasant to touch?" And my favorite, "If being on a diet makes you jumpy and irritable, it probably isn't worth your effort. Everyone prefers a few extra pounds to a shrewish disposition." Bravo!

Similarly, the second part, about charming others, uses this simple rule for etiquette: "The only bad manners are those which are unkind or which contribute to another person's discomfort." There. Emily Post in one line. In addition, remember the simple thank you, treat the waiter as someone helping you, not a robot. Don't let your date drive drunk.

The authors spend a lot of time warning the reader to shy away from conversations involving complaints, what they ate at breakfast, how much sleep they lost, needless tangents and lists of pointless encyclopedic facts. Why? Because they are boring. Need proof? When was the last time you paid attention to a stranger's non-political blog? I rest my case.

Instead they promote a) having fun and laughing and b) reading constantly to to fill yourself with topics of conversation that don't involve gossip. Here's the kicker, they discard the old rule that you shouldn't talk religion, media or politics in company and actually encourage women to watch out for propaganda and to "Read several newspapers with different points of view and get into a violent argument on the obvious coloring of the news." What?!!

In short, many young women would find they'd get and keep the attention of real, live people in the real, live world by emulating the attitudes of Helen Valentine and Alice Thompson FAR better than by posting glam pics on Myspace and complaining about how boys they like are constantly blowing them off "liek there OpInIoNs dont matR".

Someone send this to Paris and Britney, please?

157 of 163 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Real Charm Never Goes Out of Style, August 17, 2004

By 

April Blake (Genesee, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Better than Beauty: A Guide to Charm (Paperback)

The first half of this book is absolutely antiquated in its beauty and fashion tips, but these are the shallower aspects of charm and are expected to be more or less ephemeral. If you pay attention to the title, Better Than Beauty: A Guide to Charm, it's clear that the authors did not set out to be the once and forever final word on beauty and fashion. Also, if you can get past the advice that changing one's undies every other day is acceptable, you'll still find a lot of timeless advice on how to choose clothes, makeup and hairstyles that flatter you.

You'll find real wisdom in Part 2 of this book, however. This is the portion of the Guide to Charm that speaks to the aspects of culture that transcend clothing, makeup and hair styles. This is where you're going to find advice on how to ACT to get along better. The authors highlight the importance of putting yourself in the place of the people you interact with: treat them the way you want to be treated. Sound familiar? Some of you will still find this advice dated, and that's fine. This book is not for you then. But for those of you who know you can get contemporary fashion and beauty advice elsewhere, but want a friendly reminder on how to be charming on the inside, not artificial, pick up this book and go straight to Part 2. You'll find that real charm never goes out of style.

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A charming read from the past, April 30, 2003

By 

Wendy-Marie Chabot "The Bad Gwen" (Central CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Better than Beauty: A Guide to Charm (Paperback)

At a young age I found a beauty and lifestyles manual from the 1930s/1940s in my local public library. Sadly that title is no longer in the stacks. "Better Than Beauty: A Guide to Charm" is a wonderful substitute. To the modern eye, the advice on fashion and exercise may seem out of date. But some basic facts will never change. A well groomed lady is always a welcome creature.