A Very Hungry Girl: How I Filled Up on Life...and How You Can, Too! [Paperback]

Jessica Weiner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2003

"A Very Hungry Girl" chronicles the journey of Jessica Weiner, who spent most of her life hungering to be someone else. She was so desperate to be accepted and valued that she spiraled into an eating disorder, experiencing the attendant lack of self-esteem that rules - and almost ruined - her life. This compelling book relates Jessica's very personal story, and also captures her unique persona as she travels the country as a performer and motivational speaker listening to thousands of other people's stories. Through her work, Jessica has become the voice of her generation and speaks with a relatable and realistic point of view.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Twenty-eight can be a bit young to write a successful memoir, and, in this case, the author, a performer and motivational speaker, would have done well to get more life experience before attempting it. Although her parents were very supportive of her, she was picked on by classmates who disrupted her elementary school years and eroded her self-esteem. By the time she was 12, Weiner had become dissatisfied with her body and quickly developed an eating disorder that led to a seesaw of starving, bingeing and getting sick. She attended a performing arts high school where she enjoyed acting, but spent her free time with girlfriends who binged together in order to maintain the ideal body Weiner felt society demanded of females. She describes her relationships with boyfriends in college, including one that turned briefly abusive. Therapy helped with the eating disorder, and Weiner began performing theatrical pieces that dealt with body image and violence toward women. In 1995, Weiner created the ACT Out national theater company, performing these pieces for several years at colleges across the country, and she details the feedback sessions held with troubled students after the show. Weiner's personal story comes from the heart and may help others with eating and self-esteem problems. Her writing, however, is often unfocused, and the many testimonials from students included throughout the narrative smack of self-promotion.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Jessica Weiner is a motivational speaker, author, talk show host and human being who has dedicated her life to creating work that lifts and upholds the human spirit. She is president of Parallax Entertainment, a multimedia company that produces theatre, television and films based on a wide range of topical issues such as eating disorders, body image, relationships, addiction, school violence, hate crimes and personal empowerment. While her topics are widely varied, her message is the same: we have the power to change our lives - every second of the day! Jessica is the author of ten plays and numerous magazine articles. Jessica has reached more than 1,000,000 people with her creative message of hope, strength, and action.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Hay House; Second Printing edition (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401902235
• ISBN-13: 978-1401902230
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,061,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jess Weiner inspires audiences worldwide with her authentic take on living a confident life. She is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of Talk to Jess, LLC, a multi-platform media company creating programs aimed at showcasing empowering stories and is the founder of the Actionist® Network - a global online community that recognizes and connects individuals and organizations who are making a difference in the lives of others. Jess is also the author of two best-selling books, "A Very Hungry Girl" and "Life Doesn't Begin Five Pounds From Now".

As a leader within the confidence community for over 15 years, Jess is best known for bringing public attention to the negative effects media images have on the self-esteem of women and girls. She currently serves as the Global Ambassador for the Dove Self-Esteem Fund and travels the world speaking and hosting workshops on self-confidence for a multitude of corporate and educational audiences. She has worked as a consultant and brand strategist with Fortune 500 companies, notable non-profits, and educational institutions such as Wal-Mart, Time Warner Cable, Centers for Disease Control, Yale and Harvard.

Jess's work has been featured by countless media outlets including Oprah, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. She currently edits and writes columns for MSN.com and Seventeen Magazine and is a frequent contributor to The Today Show and CNN Showbiz Tonight.

Follow Jess on:
Twitter @jessweiner.com
http://www.facebook.com/jessweiner
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jessweiner
Become a member of the Actionist® Network: http://www.jessweiner.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is my second review - I reccomend it to many of my clients., July 27, 2005

By 

Steve Nenninger "Dr. Steve Nenninger NMD" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Very Hungry Girl: How I Filled Up on Life...and How You Can, Too! (Paperback)

What Publisher's Weekly (whoever they are) misses, is the fact that by sharing our authentic story we liberate others with the same hidden issues. Whatever the author lacks in life experience (how old to you need to be to tell the truth anyway) she makes up for with her no holds barred authentic real voice. This book is not a self diagnosic manual and the author makes no claims that it is. What it is, is a reflection of one persons struggle with her relationship with food, and herself, and life. All of us that have gone through various versions of these things can relate to the book. As a 42 years old physician I found it as meaningful as my 20 year old daughter. That is a pretty good scope for a personal story. FYI, Nowhere does she mention "memoir" or "diagnosing others". However, her belief that there are many more people out there with unhealthy food relationships is much closer to the truth in my ten years of practice then the "offical numbers". Worth sharing with those you love that may need to reflect on their food relationships.

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Chasing Her Own Ambulance, October 13, 2003

By 

"mswoman" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Very Hungry Girl: How I Filled Up on Life...and How You Can, Too! (Paperback)

I was really excited to get my hands on this book. Having suffered from eating disorders myself, I was hoping it would re-affirm my recovery efforts.

Imagine my surprise and disappointment after drowning in the hubris and shameless self-promotion that pours from every page of A Very Hungry Girl. The book prompted me to write my first Amazon review.

I couldn't believe that there were positive Amazon reviews until I noticed that many of them hail from the author's friends. This manuever is wholly in line with the thinly-veiled thesis of the book. The author hopes to profit from her disease and even more abhorrent, the suffering of others.

I wish I could write that the book is mediocre but at least the intention is heroic, but I cannot.

Please, please, please read Life Inside the Thin Cage by Constance Rhodes for less ego and more inspiration.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A GIFT TO MY DAUGHTERS, November 16, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Very Hungry Girl: How I Filled Up on Life...and How You Can, Too! (Paperback)

I saw this young woman on television recently and rushed out to by her book - not necessarily because I was worried my daughters were struggling with an eating disorder but because I wanted them exposed to such a wonderful role model. As I suspected both of my girls (19 and 22) LOVED the book and related to Jessica immediately.

This book opens up a greater dialogue between familes about body image, weight obession, and the societal view on girls. It inspires you to take action every day in what you can. It made my daughters feel connected and hopeful that they too can touch the world.

Anyone can relate to this book because it is about struggle, journey and triumph. In big and small ways we all have experienced the same thing. I can't wait for her next book!