Customer Reviews

Raquel: Beyond the Cleavage

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I never expected to enjoy Raquel, Beyond the Cleavage as much as I did. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. Who knew that Raquel Welch possessed such an engaging and entertaining writing voice? Apparently, her editors had a clue. And how brilliant for her to stick to a subject for which she has such obvious credibility: aging and beauty.

This book delivers a beautiful, bright, and mature woman's perspective on such topics as yoga, menopause, plastic surgery, makeup, style, and relationships. It's not earth-shattering, expert, or wholly unique material, but it does provide a refreshing personal take on what it means to be a middle-aged or older woman in America today.

I will say that her publisher did her one disservice: using the subtitle, Beyond the Cleavage. It may lead people to assume that the book is just another ghost-written memoir about a sex symbol, when it is, in fact, a self-composed collection of Ms. Welch's valuable thoughts and experiences. I intend to give my mother a copy for Mother's Day this year.

Who would have guessed that Raquel Welch was a woman of the day? A woman who is not afraid to speak her mind, but one who does not step with the masses. She has a 'thing' about the sexuality of today, but she is not a prude. She believes that women should be feminine and that is her right, she has earned it.

Most of us know Raquel as the sex symbol and actress, and that is how her career was born. She wanted to be a serious actress, but her beauty got in the way. She never really accepted that, but she did learn to stand for her rights. She was never in a nude scene and her career may have suffered for that, at least that is what her agents told her. Raquel lived in California most of her life and married at a young age. She had two children and she says that first marriage was the best of her four. At some point the marriage went awry, and Raquel went to Hollywood and starred in her first film. The famous scene of Raquel in a tattered bikini of sorts chasing prehistoric monsters. She moved on to 47 films and had a wonderful career. Her two children were left with nannies, and it took time for Raquel to make that up to her children. It was not until she was in her later years that they became a close family. She has friends and family and if a man comes into her life that will be OK, but she is not out looking.

Raquel gives us a of minefield of beauty information that is quite helpful. Eye and face pads that help with wrinkles. Skin care dos and don'ts, and the regime that she uses every day to maintain her youthful skin and appearance. She talks about clothes and dating and looking your age. Raquel is into healthy eating and exercise, she has been her entire life. She found Yoga to be a particular good form of exercise, and for those of us who have arthritis, she suggests yoga to help with painful joints. Raquel should have her own line of skin care, she would be the most informative of representatives. She is a great role model, although I don't think she wants to be in that role. She could be a real mentor to many of the young and older women of today. She has good common sense and the ability to convey that advice with a down to earth attitude. I am quite impressed with this book and Raquel as a woman. Raquel lives her life according to her morals and standards, and she is 'Woman Hear Her Roar'!

Recommended. prisrob 04-01-10

Raquel Welch Collection (One Million Years B.C. / Bandolero! / Myra Breckinridge / Mother, Jugs & Speed / Fathom)

Raquel: The Raquel Welch Total Beauty and Fitness Program

Raquel discusses cosmetic surgery enhancements in the third person as if she has never had anything done. Very basic info. She admits to wearing wigs and hairpieces because she sells them. The most recent picture inside this "new" book is 1982. I enjoyed her previous book "The Raquel Welch Total Beauty and Fitness Program" published circa 1984. This book has duplicated most of that information. I would recommend her previous book but would pass on this one.

I pre-ordered this book and was anxiously awaiting its arrival. I kept receiving notices from Amazon that the publication was postponed (again). I was therefore surprised when I finally received it to see that most of the useful information was simply information that she had published in her previous book over 20 years ago.

The read is Excellent/Very Good. The book is a straightforward talk to women that allows you to get acquainted with Raquel the person. The advice is sincere. It is a fun read. The health and beauty advise is valuable from an expert. The talk about hormones is helpful. The pictures are interesting but what I was hoping for was more updated pictures of Raquel's children - these pictures are the same as her exercise book from 20 years ago. Also, there are far better pictures of her from her collection than she chose. The pictures were otherwise good overall. She doesn't dish much gossip out on her leading men - taking the high road, but this could have been of some interest to the reader. The tips for aging well are worthwhile. I bought the Frownies upon her recommendation to relax my face muscles. I don't even use them much, but I see the instant difference. The vitamin recommendations and diet tips are also very good. Raquel lets women know about how women used to communicate, how they communicate now and how to better do so as women should in society. She has also established her spirituality and her religion again which is refreshing. What is so upsetting is that when I watch an old movie of Raquel's, I realize how much ahead of her time she was and how Hollywood did hold her back from using her for her real potential. Some people think she is just complaining - but she was the first sex symbol to do outdoor activities, such as riding a horse but she was knocked back then as being unfeminine - not athletic and progressive. Then, she kept her heritage under wraps until she was established. Her natural beauty and her attractiveness came from being multicultural but her natural attributes were questioned instead of being accepted as real. She had a minor role in Bedazzled but well-remembered- but look today, how Elizabeth Hurley had the starring role in the remake and nobody remembers the remake movie! Raquel was considered an aging sex symbol (People Magazine) that needed to find a plan what to do at 34 in 1974- but look at Sharon Stone becoming a sex symbol at 34 in 1991. There should be some type of award Raquel Welch should receive from Hollywood and a great new movie role to end all roles. Raquel is so much more refreshing than than Marilyn Monroe. Raquel is as much as a woman's woman to be a mentor to all of us, not just a sex symbol for men to look at. So many actresses have done the Raquel Welch style today - from Elizabeth Hurley to Cindy Crawford - to Angelina Jolie- to Hillary Swank, etc. They can pose in a fur bikini, get exotic, etc. but they can't hold a candle to the Raquel Welch - the icon and the woman! Raquel starred in her own spy movies and roller derby flicks, as well as spaghetti westerns! She was great at serious television movie roles, comedy, foreign films, dancing and singing on stage shows - including Broadway, NYC. Raquel is feminine but a woman's libber before her time. She has allure, style and great insight. Read the book!

Where to begin? It's my own fault I guess for not doing more research on the book but I honestly thought this was an autobiography. After talking to friends who had seen her on Oprah and watching her myself on the Today Show, I believed that this would be a brave, brash, gutsy, detailed account of one woman's life experience with aging in America as a potent theme throughout the book. Unfortunately it turned out to be a book of random thoughts on various topics, some of those thoughts being contradictory and confusing, especially on the subject of replacement hormones and plastic surgery. I appreciated that she took the time to write a book geared mostly toward older women but I would have much rather read the exciting story of her life as it evolved through the decades with her thoughts on make-up, hair, hormones, sex and aging seamlessly woven into that story.

Beyond the Cleavage is loads of fun. As you read the book, you can't help but feel you are sitting in Raquel's sunroom chatting over coffee. She makes everything so personal and you really feel as if you were right by her side during the ins and outs of her four marriages, her early acting career and her trials and tribulations of being a successful actress while trying to raise two small children.
While she divulges many personal and somewhat private things about herself-- including a page devoted to the various famous men in her life--when it comes to the "staying young" remedies she discusses, you can never quite tell if she has tried some of the more dramatic ones such as cosmetic surgery, Botox and breast implants. But, she does offer a lot of pros and cons on each and sort of leaves it up to the reader to imagine whether or not her knowledge is purely academic or personal. Let's face it, one look at her picture on the book cover tells us whatever she has or hasn't done, it's all worked extraordinarily well. I mean, just look at her! She is absolutely gorgeous and 70 years old, to boot!
The book is full of fun little anecdotes of episodes throughout her life. I loved the chapters about her life as a young girl. She was the eldest of three children, with a very sweet mom and an uber- domineering father who invoked fear in the entire family. One day, she discovered an ability to finally stand up to him, which set her free to later learn to love and even perhaps understand him. Her knack for acting began at a very young age, as she often put on plays in the garage, complete with costumes and makeup.
I found it fascinating that Raquel Welch is one of the small contingent of Hollywood conservatives, who believes in individual responsibility and personal freedoms. And, despite her early fame as a sex symbol, she went to great lengths to convince directors she would not shoot nude scenes in her films. And, just like many of us, she talks about issues with TMJ, "eye patch" therapy to prevent wrinkles, and the need to battle the occasional bulge! Her discovery of yoga some thirty years ago has been instrumental in her fitness routine. Finally, she leaves us with an inner peace of being able to live "in the moment", after so many years of worry and self-doubt.
All in all, it was a fun and informative book, and now I feel as though I could call up Raquel for advice on anything from beauty to men!

This book is horrible! I bought it thinking it would be about her life, an autobiography, no no it is a self help book, in "her" opinion. I got about 1/3 thru the book and put it away, couldn't finish it, how boring, don't waste your money, I did and now I have a book that I probably won't be able to get a buck for a a garage sale

I thought this was an autobiography of Raquel but it is more of a guide of how to take care of yourself for later in life. She does provide a short bio (which is well written) and then goes in depth about taking care of your body. I found it very informative and if you are a female, Raquel really provides many tips. All in all, she is a terrific writer and it is a joy to read. She is a classy lady which the world could benefit from.

I love Raquel Welch. She's talented, she's full of life, she owns any screen or role she takes on and let's face it, she's drop dead gorgeous and a bombshell. This book, however, is truly disappointing. It should have been titled 'Much Ado About Nothing' because the description, cover and back cover all give you the impression that this is Raquel Welch's moment in the spotlight. You'd think you were going to be treated to an autobiography penned by Raquel herself that takes the fans into her world and talks about her life in and out of the spotlight. Instead, this is really nothing more than a how-to guide for women.

The Good: I'd say the first chapter and parts of the final few chapters of the book were the best. These were pretty much what I expected out of the book - Raquel talking about her life, her experiences, her childhood and lots of personal anecdotes about fame.

The Bad: Where to start. First, nowhere on the cover or in the description did I read that you needed to be a woman to get anything out of this book. Welch really alienates her fan base by writing a book that's just for women and ignoring the fact that she has male fans. This isn't an autobiography. If you're expecting Welch to reveal tidbits about her life and go in depth about her career, this isn't your book. This is basically a book all about womanhood, health tips for women, fashion tips for women and Welch going on ad nauseum about what it means to be an aging woman in today's society. Sigh. Really, this feels like a big mess of a book. Why not say on the cover that this is a health/lifestyle book? Why make it look like it's an autobiography and yet have Welch state repeatedly that she enjoys her privacy, she won't kiss-and-tell ... then, again, why make the book look and appear like an autobiography? I felt the description and even the title was very deceptive because the editors/publishers knew that few people would buy a book that's all about Raquel Welch's tips to a healthy life. They would, however, buy a book that's all about Welch and her life in the spotlight. But, again, this book is hardly about that. What infuriated me even more about the book is that she starts off by saying she's no health guru, she's no authority figure and can't rightfully give out health advice but devotes a sizeable portion of the book telling you what supplements to take, how you should exercise, nutrition tips as if she is an expert! I wouldn't have minded one or two chapters devoted to her health and beauty routine but it's pretty much the entire book with the exception of two bookend chapters.

In all, if you're interested in how Raquel Welch takes care of herself, her ideas on staying healthy, menopause, hormone therapy, tips for dating younger men, yoga and how sex is overrated, by all means, get this book! If you're looking for a biography/autobiography about Raquel Welch ... this isn't it. In away she comes off as a bit conceited in this book because she goes on at great length about how she maintains her looks, her sex appeal, her body and there's very little about her life or what drives her. To me, it's a let down because I was really looking forward to reading a book written in her own words (or at the hands of a ghostwriter) that'd really show and explain who she is and what's driven her and made her such a star. There's very little personality in 'Beyond the Cleavage' and a lot of superficiality on display. My recommendation is that you skip this book.

Very pedestrian, self-serving account with little personal revelation and mediocre pictures. I was hoping for more at this stage of her life.