Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ, Not Conformed to the Culture [Hardcover]

Teresa Tomeo (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 7, 2011

Popular radio host Teresa Tomeo knows from experience that the self-image of American women is being distorted by pop culture. With its emphasis on youth, physical beauty, and sexuality, the secular media is encouraging women--and girls--to see themselves primarily as sex objects.

A professional TV and radio journalist, Tomeo pulls together the latest research on social behavior and trends in order to demonstrate that women are harming themselves and their chances for true happiness by adopting the thoroughly modern, sexually liberated lifestyle portrayed in magazines and movies. Packed with not only persuasive statistics but also powerful personal testimonies, Extreme Makeover shows that it is not the slogans of the sexual revolution and the women's liberation movement that free and dignify women, but the beautiful teachings of the Catholic Church.

So what are women steeped in the Hollywood and Cosmo girl version of reality to do? Undergo Tomeo's Extreme Makeover. With the help of this book, they can shed the toxic messages that objectify and enslave them and embrace the truth about being a beloved daughter of God.

Extreme Makeover is an unusual, incredible, intelligent, well-written balance of practical, everyday secular information within a religious structure. That is unique; I'm impressed ... (Extreme Makeover) is required reading. I don't care what your religion is; this is required reading."
-Dr. Laura Schlessinger

Editorial Reviews

Review

Extreme Makeover will be one of the most significant books for women in the 21st century. It pulls back the curtain on why every woman feels confused and hurt. ---Meg Meeker, M.D., Author, The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers

Writing with vivid energy and insight, Teresa Tomeo has created the best kind of book about faith: rich in content, engaging to read and thoroughly practical in its implications. Tomeo knows the pressures and dishonesties facing women in modern American culture from firsthand experience, and she leads women to Jesus Christ with compelling personal testimonies and uncommon persuasive skill. For any woman who seeks the true foundation of her dignity, this is the book to read--and to share. ---Most Reverend Charles Chaput, Archbishop of Philadelphia

Teresa Tomeo is a passionate and persuasive apologist for the Catholic faith. In Extreme Makeover, she offers an earthy, candid, refreshing rejoinder to conventional feminist wisdom and builds a solid case for the liberating power of Catholic orthodoxy. ---Colleen Carroll Campbell, TV and radio host, author, The New Faithful

Product Details

• Hardcover: 211 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press (October 7, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586175610
• ISBN-13: 978-1586175610
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Catholicism > Roman Catholicism

More About the Author

Teresa Tomeo is an author, syndicated Catholic talk show host, and motivational speaker with more than 30 years of experience in TV, radio and newspaper and spent 19 of those years working in front of a camera as a reporter/anchor in the Detroit market. In the year 2000, Teresa left the secular media to start her own speaking and communications company, Teresa Tomeo Communications, LLC. Her daily morning radio program, Catholic Connection, is produced by Ave Maria Radio in Ann Arbor, Michigan and now heard on over 200 Catholic stations nationwide through the EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network and is also carried on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio.

Teresa is a columnist and special correspondent for the national Catholic newspaper, Our Sunday Visitor, the dynamic "New Feminism" blog and appears frequently on the EWTN Global Catholic Television Network. Teresa and co-hosts the new EWTN television series, The Catholic View for Women, and is the field reporter for their annual March for Life coverage in D.C. Teresa has also been featured on The O'Reilly Factor, Fox News, Fox & Friends, MSNBC, and the Dr. Laura Show, discussing issues of faith, media awareness, and Catholic Church teaching, especially as it relates to the culture.

As a speaker Teresa travels around the country addressing media awareness and activism, as well as sharing her reversion to the Catholic Church. She also leads several pilgrimages and retreats each year to various holy places around the world. In 2008, she was chosen as only one of 270 delegates from around the world to attend the Vatican Women's Congress held in Rome marking the 20th Anniversary of John Paul the Second's Letter entitled On the Dignity and Vocation of Women.

Teresa has authored six books and her latest best-seller, Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ, Not Conformed to the Culture was released in October of 2011 from Ignatius Press and has been named "required reading" by Dr. Laura Schlessinger. Her first book, Noise: How Our Media Saturated Culture Dominates Lives and Dismantles Families, published by Ascension Press, is in its second print. Teresa's autobiography, Newsflash! My Surprising Journey from Secular Anchor to Media Evangelist was published in September of 2008 and also co-authored a series of best-selling Catholic books for tween girls focusing on modesty and chastity that was also made into a Television Series on EWTN called All Things Girl.

Passionate about sharing her faith and educating others on the truth, Teresa has just been named a Professor for St. Benedict Press' Catholic Courses, teaching on subjects such as Manage Media Wisely and Women in the Church. Teresa's new book for women, Wrapped Up: God's Ten Gifts for Women will be released in August 2012 with Servant Books and she is also currently working on a new book, God's Bucket List for You, which is expected be released by Random House/Image Books next year.

CONNECT WITH TERESA TOMEO!
* WEB SITE: http://www.TeresaTomeo.com
* YOU TUBE: http://www.YouTube.com/MrsTeresaTomeo
* FACEBOOK: http://www.Facebook.com/MrsTeresaTomeo
* TWITTER: http://www.Twitter.com/TeresaTomeo

Learn more about Teresa's PR/Marketing/Media Services Company: Teresa Tomeo Communications, LLC at http://www.teresatomeo.com/Media-Services

Teresa has a Monthly E-Newsletter. Subscribe for FREE at www.TeresaTomeo.com

Learn more about Ave Maria Radio/Catholic Connection at http://www.avemariaradio.net

Learn more about EWTN at http://www.EWTN.com

Join The Catholic View For Women's Mailing List and on Facebook:
www.TheCatholicViewForWomen.com
www.Facebook.com/CatholicViewforWomen

Subscribe to OSV to read Teresa's column in Our Sunday Visitor: http://www.osv.com

Teresa also writes for the dynamic "NEW FEMINISM" blog: http://www.newfeminism.co/author/teresa-tomeo/

Subscribe to EWTN's National Catholic Register: https://sfsdata.com/ncr/sub3freewpo.aspx?KEY=9TOMEO

Learn more about the two new "Catholic Courses" Teresa is teaching: https://catholiccourses.benedictpress.com/index.php/page/shop:author/author_id/331/

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ for women (and men)! October 27, 2011

By Gary E Zimak

Format:Hardcover

When I first heard about Teresa Tomeo's new book from Ignatius Press, Extreme Makeover (Women Transformed By Christ, Not Conformed To The Culture), I assumed that it would be a "woman's book". Accepting that fact, I still wanted to read it in order that I could recommend it to the ladies. After reading this book, however, I was pleased to discover that everyone (including men) can benefit from her powerful message.

One of the main reasons I appreciate Teresa Tomeo's work is that she just flat out "gets" the Catholic Church and the culture in which we live. More importantly, she understands that they are at odds with each other. Society tells us to "do whatever feels good" and the Church tells us to imitate the example of Jesus. The media tells us that the Church is "old fashioned" and that babies are an inconvenience while the Church reminds us that truth doesn't change and that life is a precious gift from God.

I found this book difficult to put down. In the opening chapter (What's a Girl Like Me Doing in a Church Like This?), Teresa gives her personal testimony and offers first hand proof that "the Truth will set you free" (John 8:32). That "Truth", of course, is found in Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church. In the pursuit of happiness and freedom, Tomeo bought into the lies put forth by the media: career first, total self centeredness, and the irrelevance of the Church. Now, after finding out for herself that this approach won't bring happiness or even freedom, she can honestly declare that "God and His Church have it right"!

As she presents the various topics such as the "abortion distortion" and the "contraception deception", we learn of the many instances where the media misleads us in order to further their own biased message. Did you ever think about where the term "pro-choice" came from? Tomeo provides a little history and enlightens us that this was a carefully selected choice of words designed to take the focus away from the horror of abortion. Coversely, those of us who support life are consistently described by the media as being "anti-abortion" or "anti-choice". These terms were also deliberately chosen by abortion supporters (and the media in an attempt to promote their agenda and characterize us as negative and against "choice". As for the "contraception deception", Teresa doesn't hold back as she proclaims that "the Church is spot-on when she says contraception is a barricade to true intimacy and openness between spouses and between them and God". She supports this argument with sound research and first-hand knowledge, providing a much needed rebuttal to the message proclaimed every day by the media.

One of the most powerful topics in this book deals with Jesus, His Church, and the Dignity of Women. When was the last time you heard the all male priesthood defended by the media, especially by a woman? Teresa devotes an entire chapter to the Church as a defender of women's dignity. There is no way I can do it justice, so I'll simply say that she makes her point articulately, convincingly and with lots of references to Church documents. As further proof of the fact that she "gets" the Church, Tomeo includes the much underutilized sacrament of reconciliation as part of her Spiritual Beauty Plan for women. Well done!

Rounding off this book are personal testimonies from several women who have come to appreciate the beauty and truth found in the Catholic Church. As a man, I can speak to women about these topics 24 hours a day, but the message is a hundred times more powerful when it comes from other women. I strongly recommend this book for all women as it presents the truth that you won't get from watching TV. As for men, I urge you to buy this book for the women in your life, but make sure you read it first...there's a lot you can learn from it too!

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Young Woman Should Read This Book November 7, 2011

By Brandon Vogt TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Most of the women behind the sexual revolutions thought they were doing a good thing. They saw how women had little control over when they got pregnant and, because of that, were `tied-down' to the home. So it was of course natural, in their minds, that the arrival of contraception should be hailed as their great liberation.

But what they didn't foresee was that contraception brings all sorts of negative effects. Fundamentally, it encourages men to see women as sexual objects. When procreation is separated from sex, sex becomes primarily about pleasure, which makes women a means to an end, a "thing" to be used. It also advances infidelity, makes abortion much more common, and puts a stronger focus on physical appearance.

Over the last half-century, all of these effects have taken hold. Check out any primetime TV show or open up any popular women's magazine and you'll find strong emphases on youth, looks, and sexuality. Unfortunately, many women--especially young women--have grown up with this distorted femininity and it's all they've ever known.

Well one cultural commentator thinks it's time to unveil the truth. In her new book, Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ, Not Conformed to the Culture (Ignatius Press, hardcover, 212 pages), popular radio host Teresa Tomeo takes on this conventional feminism with passionate verve and sharp insight.

Tomeo's book emerged from her own early experiences with liberal feminism. She begins the book explaining how she went from hot-shot media personality to struggling newlywed, wrestling with things like contraception, self-image, and the role of family. However her life was transformed and her self-image healed when she discovered the radiant teachings of the Catholic Church on life, love, and true womanhood.

In her mind, the Catholic Church assigns women more dignity and value than anyone else. "There is no better place for a woman to be," she says, "than in the arms of the Catholic Church." And she spends the rest of the book leading other women to this same source of freedom.

One of the chapters includes what Tomeo calls a "spiritual detox", a practical game-plan for spiritual healing. There she provides many practices that any woman can do to not only banish a distorted view of feminism but to replace it with one filled with dignity. Her core message here is that a woman's value is not tied to her physical appearance nor to what she does, but to the simple fact that God wants her in this world, that she is a "Daughter of the King."

Extreme Makeover wraps up with a handful of testimonials from women whose lives were similarly changed through discovering their dignity in Christ. It's fascinating to see how each woman was healed by recovering their own dignity.

Author Meg Meeker claims that "Extreme Makeover will be one of the most significant books for women in the 21st century. It pulls back the curtain on why every woman feels confused and hurt."

I completely agree with that and think Extreme Makeover can be a key for many women to unlock the prison of false womanhood--a true guide to feminine freedom. It's a valuable, timely book that should be in the hands of every young woman you know.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Facts are Stubborn Things November 20, 2011

By elena maria vidal

Format:Hardcover

"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." ~John Adams

We are in the middle of a war. It is a war which involves every man, woman and child because it is a war not only for our culture but for our souls. The main battlegrounds of this war appear to be the minds and hearts of women because it is women who make or break family life. Once family life is destroyed or corrupted then the state becomes supreme with each and every one of us as its puppets. When women are degraded then the entire society loses it dignity and heroism. Once a people lose their nobility of soul and sense of honor then there is nothing left to them but enslavement. We now waver at the brink but all is not lost for we have women who see things as they are and are not afraid to talk about it.

Journalist and radio talk show host Teresa Tomeo is one such woman who assesses the facts and tells the truth, as unpleasant as it may be. In her new book "Extreme Makeover" she writes eloquently of her own experience, what she has seen and what she has lived through, while putting it in the larger context of society as a whole. The feminist movement, which promised to liberate women, has only led to lowering the quality of life not only for women but for their children. Everyone suffers because of the breakdown of morality. "There is a natural order in terms of the way our bodies are designed. When we go against that plan, we make a mess of things for ourselves, and the mess spills over into our families--and into society." (p.61)

Although we live surrounded by the results of failed social experiments, Teresa offers the conclusions of several studies and articles from scholarly journals to back up her assertions. There is also an array anecdotes and news stories gleaned from her many years as an investigative reporter. Every page of the book is rich with information. Not a stone is left unturned and the evidence is sifted most thoroughly with meticulous documentation. For instance, in one of the discussions of abortion, Teresa writes:

"If the media were doing its job, it would see a pattern of misconduct in the abortion industry. In the last two years, abortion clinics in New Jersey, Alabama, California, Louisiana, Michigan, Maryland, and Kansas, just to name a few, have been investigated for violations of health care regulations, unreported cases of statutory rape, and problems with the licenses--or lack thereof--of the abortionists themselves.

* In Kansas a case against a Planned Parenthood facility involving 107 criminal charges, including 23 felonies, was remanded to the state's highest court.21
* Officials in New Jersey accused an abortionist, already under close scrutiny in three other states, of putting women at additional risk through botched abortions.22
* In Alabama the health department found violations at a Planned Parenthood abortion facility regarding the state's parental consent law.23" (p.64)

The brave work of Lila Rose and Live Action is shown as the valiant Catholic action that it is, as well as other heroic movements in the Church which stand up to the tyranny of the culture of death. "Extreme Makeover" is a book for the present moment, allowing us to see that moment in the light of tradition as well as in the chronology of the sexual revolution.

The moral teaching of the Catholic Church is not only beautifully explained but shown as the only practical and healthy way in which to live. To quote:

"Statistics support the Church's teaching that marriage is the proper context for sex. Research shows that about 40 percent of married women said that their sex life was emotionally and physically satisfying, compared to about 30 percent of single women. Research also shows that cohabitating couples do not have the same type of commitment as married couples and are less likely to be sexually faithful.42

Let's do a quick review. Accepting the messages of the culture leads many into sexual relationships outside of marriage. These relationships can lead to serious sin, serious physical and emotional illness, and serious problems for society. The fruits of these relationships are higher divorce rates, more abortions, more children born out of wedlock, increased numbers of STDs, major health complications, higher infertility rates, and increased objectification of women. Listening to God and keeping sex right where it is supposed to be--between one man and one woman, husband and wife in the marital bed--helps us avoid all of these troubles, and more. So which is more conducive to human happiness, "free sex" or the teaching of the Church?" (pp.96-97)

"Extreme Makeover" is a book which should be read by every young woman and every mother of teenage daughters. It is a book to have on hand when engaging in culture war debates on the internet. We need not be ashamed of the truth of our faith but for the sake of others we must speak out with love for what is true and good. And we need not be afraid, for others have paved the way.