Customer Reviews

True Beauty

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

 

 

What a disappointment. Looking to read about a real woman, and get some good ideas for dressing and presenting oneself with confidence, one receives some whining and some pictures of a thin very pretty girl, then a heavier very pretty girl. Instead of sparking a revolution in women's image, we have a spectacular salesperson for larger clothes. This is not about real people, or our problems with weight and looking and feeling good. It's about a very pretty size 14-16 with a very well proportioned shape. Maybe I'm just too old (46) but I wanted the promise of the title. No positive attitudes, merely platitudes- no new practical tips. I feel I wasted my money.

Yet again, readers can hear the tired ideas about self-esteem, and receive the message that a plus-size lady can do whatever she pleases ... as long as it is exercise. Emme further reinforces the absurd stereotypes about "relationships with food" in her childhood reminiscences. Enough! In an era where so many women are obsessed with food, we do not need more time to dwell on the matter. Let's feed and exercise our intelligence for a change.

When I read this book, I felt Emme was describing my childhood. My father was also obsessed with his weight, and consequently, his childrens' too. He had a stroke when he was just 39. From then on, every meal began with "how many calories to you think this is" and ended with "if you keep eating like that, you'll get fat". He kept a food diary. We switched to non-fat milk, margariane and ice milk. He started watching me for signs that I was getting fat, and when he saw them, he was quick to point them out and offer "help". He did the same thing with my younger sister, who was actually quite skinny until she hit puberty. The skinny people where also under constant scrutiny. We were all became painfully aware of body size and very self concsience. To this day, and I am now almost 50 years old, his first comment to me after not seeing me in a while, is about my weight. I went through the same cycle of trying to starve myself and then eating everything in sight. I was successful in starving myself into a size 12 until I hit thirty and had my second child. Then the weight started creeping up. I have also found that the only thing that truly works is to love yourself first, then exercise regularly and eat sensibly. Diets sure don't work. I have tried them all. Lost the same 50 lbs. over and over again. As a parent, I was very aware of the messages I gave my children about their physical bodies. I never wanted them to clean their plates, but if they were hungry, I let them have a snack. Snacks were strictly forbidden in both my childhood home and my husband's. My husband and I have taken a good deal of critism for this, let me tell you. But I have two beautiful, grown children, who I hope, are much more comfortable with their bodies than I ever was or still am for that matter. We need to become much more tolerant of our differences. Racism is now found to be intolerable, but it is still OK to call someone fat.

Well, I actually got the book in a second hand bookstore for 5 dollars. I guess what surprised me is how it was in such good condition, my guess is maybe the previous owner didn't get the message. But I sure did, this book rocked! I loved everything about it. I can't relate to emme's childhood, my weight didn't become an issue until my teens. But I did relate to the fact she struggled in love and in her work. I have been inspired also to look into plus size modelling. Emme proves that women should be true to themselves, and not fit to anyone else's standards.

I read this book hoping to gain some confidence. My loss. Emme laments on being tall (yes that is really hard) and seems to think that plus sized means 'tall with big feet'. Her take on size acceptance is that we should not be overweight. (hello? Emme honey that's not size acceptance) The writing style is irritating. Emme, stick to modelling.

The reader of this book has to slog through such Emme "hardships" as her being an athlete, living abroad, dating, going to college, getting married, and becoming a top plus size model (she was signed to an agency the minute she walked in the door). If you can identify with all of that, you probably don't read or need a self-help book in the first place.

Bottom line: She's overweight and happy, but she is paid very well to stay that way. Unless you too are greatly rewarded for your "difference" (whatever that may be), it's nearly impossible to identify with her advice, her life, or her story.

UPDATE: I think the point of rating/reviewing books here is to help other readers make buying decisions. We all have different opinions. I don't understand why some readers get upset with other readers simply because they didn't feel the same way about a book. I didn't "miss the point" of this particular book as another reader suggested. I have been through more than Emme EVER will and I was looking for inspiration, not fluff.

"True Beauty" By Emme a leading plus size model, is a pretty good book. In the first part of the book Emme explain about her childhood and the issues thah she had with food. The second part of the book could only be discribe as a self-help. In this part of the book she offers advice when it comes to dealing will not only food, but clothing, make-up and even personal relationships. I did enjoy the book, but I were Emme, I would have offer pictures when she starting talking about clothes and make-up. But overall, this is a pretty good book.

This book is such a great confidence booster for those of us who are plus-sized. You have done a great job of letting us know we aren't alone. My fiance thinks you are one of the most beautiful women in the world. He saw you on the cover of MODE magazine and bought me the book the next day! Thanks for making me feel beautiful again.

As a very fashion conscious lady, I had explored this book hoping for ideas related to style - and was quite disappointed. Emme's chronicle of her (currently stereotypical) childhood, when food grew to have all sorts of meanings, is one with which I'm sure many readers will identify, but which is basically defeating. It only strengthens the idea that being large means unresolved "issues," which can have quite another effect than that of being truly stylish and confident.

It all falls rather flat. A gorgeous, successful model who depicts her earlier years as those of a tragic heroine is as stale as the old rags to riches tales. Nor are too many plus size ladies likely to find encouragement in the illogical notion that it is acceptable to be large as long as one is not overweight (quite a contradiction in terms.)

Though Emme does something of a commercial for plus size clothing, there are no true fashion tips. The premise seems to be "you are plus sized, you therefore must have unresolved issues and bad self-esteem, so take heart that another in this position was one of People's 50 most beautiful people." Aside from that few women of any size would have Emme's looks or figure, the supposed tragedy of early relationships with food (and other trendy ideas) is quite immature.

I caught the special on E! about Emme and just happened to notice that she had written a book. Later that week, I was in the bookstore, and I swear, the book called to me. From that all natural, but gorgeous cover photograph, to the last pages of large-size store and catalog companies, this book sucked me in! Women with weight problems have finally found a voice with Emme. She's the big sister I never had, encouraging me to like myself, and helping me to see the positive side of being larger than the cover models that we face each day. It doesn't get draggy with a lot of psychobabble, either. It's Emme's struggle and how she overcame her obstacles, while helping us to see that dreams are possible through very real and everyday eyes