Bountiful Women: Large Women's Secrets for Living the Life They Desire [Paperback]

Carmen Renee Berry (Introduction) Bonnie Bernell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 2000

In spite of the prevalence of large women in our culture, they are not as visible as the statistics suggest. Where are they? Are they "weighting" until they reach some imaginary right size? Can they live a fulfilling life regardless of their size? In Bountiful Women, psychologist Bonnie Bernell, herself a bountiful woman, answers these questions with a resounding "yes"! This book is both a celebration and a how-to: affirming size while offering strategies for handling challenging situations such as negotiating a tight squeeze on an airplane or fielding judgmental comments about size. Filled with practical ideas, Bountiful Women is about the many choices available to large women today.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Many web sites are devoted to "bountiful women" (size 14 plus), who, according to the foreword, comprise half of America's female population. The popular press, however, does not often address this audience, so this work is a welcome addition to the self-help shelf. Bernell, a practicing psychologist in California, encourages readers to accept their bodies and relates how to deal with parental and employer disapproval, assumptions by society (especially by airlines, theaters, and restaurants) that everyone fits into a size 12 seat, and the "If I'm large, I'm unlovable" attitude. Comparable to Marilyn Wann's Fat! So? (LJ 12/98) and Camryn Manheim's Wake Up, I'm Fat! (LJ 5/1/99), this work offers clear and practical suggestions for building self-esteem and coping with everyday problems like asking for a seatbelt extender without embarrassment. Bernell would have better served her audience, however, with a brief discussion of the health risks bountifulness poses. That qualm aside, this is recommended for public libraries.DMargaret Cardwell, Georgia Perimeter Coll., Clarkston
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Wildcat Canyon Press (October 31, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885171471
• ISBN-13: 978-1885171474
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #167,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is for everyone!, October 6, 2000

By 

K. Rosenberg "Baxman" (Mountain View, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bountiful Women: Large Women's Secrets for Living the Life They Desire (Paperback)

I am a thin man, not a bountiful woman. Not only did I think this was an excellent read, it has changed the way I think about bountiful people. I admit, I have been susceptible to prejudice in this arena. No longer. Dr. Bernell has written a book that speaks so clearly, so eloquently, that I am now unable NOT to smile when around bountiful people. It's as if I'm now part of the inner sanctum of understanding.

If enough people read this book, life will be a bit easier on everybody. We'll be able to focus on the things that truly matter and go about our lives living to the fullest. Well done.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nourishment for the Heart, October 6, 2000

By 

Ginny Lee (Redwood City, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bountiful Women: Large Women's Secrets for Living the Life They Desire (Paperback)

Bonnie Bernell's Bountiful Women is a delicious and nourishing volume. Organized into bite-sized chapters, the book presents stories and illustrations on a myriad of topics - from core issues, such as health care and personal relationships, to life enhancement arenas, such as travel and personal pampering. As the bountiful women tell their stories, they reveal their wisdom, courage, humor, compassion, and tenacity. Celebrating each women's individuality, Bernell does not advocate "one size fits all" in her commentary and advice. Rather she writes about choices, the choices that should be available to all women, as she advocates against self-imposed limitations that narrow our lives, demean us, or wither our spirits. Fundamentally this book is about the quality of our lives, about "deservingness." While the focus is on bountiful women, Bountiful Women speaks to all women. It provides food for thought; more importantly, it offers a deep well of sustenance for the heart.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Has Important Info for all of us, Bountiful or Petite!, December 1, 2000

By 

C. C Weissberg (San Mateo Coast, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bountiful Women: Large Women's Secrets for Living the Life They Desire (Paperback)

I couldn't put this book down! Many of us have felt "outside" of popular culture for one reason or another. Bountiful people encounter hurdles we don't even imagine. Bonnie describes story after story of heroic women who confront the challenges head on, find love, exciting lives, and success despite society's negative image. While describing inspiring events, Bonnie manages to weave in heartbreaking examples of the discrimination and cruelty faced by bountiful people on a daily basis. It is an eye opener, and her messages about dating apply to EVERYONE.