Customer Reviews

The Mass Market Woman: Defining Yourself As a Person in a World That Defines You by Your Appearance

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is so friendly to read. I really liked the personal tone of the writing and the stories. I've been struggling with the changes of my body after childbirth and this book really helped me to realize that there are many things more important than worrying about my body.

I heard the author on NPR and ordered the book. I can't stop reading it. This is the first book I've read that explains reasons why women feel bad about their appearance and then gives ways to feel better instead of just telling us to exercise more or diet more. A great book.

I love this book. I've felt so bad for so long about my body and this book made me realize how much I've been missing. I wish I read it as a teenager.

The Mass Market Woman is an insightful book that captures one of the most difficult issues for women today, self-acceptance of our bodies. As a woman who has struggled for years with weight issues and appearance, I found Dr. McBryde's book a wonderful resource to get me back on the right track to discovering who I want to be and how I want to spend my life. As a mother of a daughter, I hope to raise her with a healthy attitude towards her own body and a strong self-esteem.

Excellent reading material for any female. Coming from a generation hounded by Seventeen Magazine from age 11, this really woke me up to the constant messages we women are bombarded with from childhood. It helped wake up to the person I can become if I continue to fear aging and trying to stay 22....it gave me a new perspective on becoming a truly valuable person. A great first step to exploring exactly who it is you are and how you feel about your appearance vs. who you could become.
Wish it were easier to find, and I certainly wish she had written other material!

This is a wonderful book. I read it constantly. The chapters are short- almost like meditations. It is a really refreshing perspective on how women can focus on what is really important in their lives.

I bought and read this book when it was first published. I used it to begin discussions with my two daughters about the importance of developing an inner life versus obsessing about one's appearance. It proved a very valuable tool in that regard. I just ran across the book again on my bookshelf. My daughters are in their early 20's now and their values are firmly in place. But they, and I, and the next generation of women, are continually hounded by a media which won't "give up" trying to convince us that we need improving. This beauty-obsessive attitude promotes self-criticism and self-doubt and inadequacy. Wake up, women of America. Take back your power. Stop believing the insidious lies that the media giants are using against us, just so that they can get us to spend our hard-earned money to line their pockets!

I've had this book on my bookshelf for a couple of years, but I've never picked it up. I think I was put off by the title, which is really inadequate to the contents. But I finally did, and found it to be quite thoughtful and insightful.

No book can be powerful enough to address the pains of body dysmorphic disorder and eating disorders (whether under- or overeating). That has to be done in real life, with the help of a caring professional. But if you are dealing with serious problems such as these, or with less disturbed but still painful obsessions and with constant self-criticism, this book is a good source of reminders for how to shift your attention toward the positive.

The author's own journey is quite apparent throughout the book, at times directly through her words, but often less directly through her insight. It's an act of love to turn that journey into a gift for others.

A judge a book by the number of lines I underline. This had about 4. It consists of 1-2 page essays on body-image, dieting and beauty issues. I wished the essays were longer and more factual. It is a helpful read if you are studying self-acceptance,but by far the best book on the subject is, "How Much Does Your Soul Weigh?" by Dorrie McCubbrey.