The Beauty Myth

By: Naomi Wolf

Narrated by: Suzy Jackson

Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's Summary

The bestselling classic that redefined our view of the relationship between beauty and female identity.

In today's world, women have more power, legal recognition, and professional success than ever before. Alongside the evident progress of the women's movement, however, writer and journalist Naomi Wolf is troubled by a different kind of social control, which, she argues, may prove just as restrictive as the traditional image of homemaker and wife. It's the beauty myth, an obsession with physical perfection that traps the modern woman in an endless spiral of hope, self-consciousness, and self-hatred as she tries to fulfill society's impossible definition of "the flawless beauty."

©2002, 1991 Naomi Wolf (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

still revelant

even though it's almost 20 years since this updated version of the early 1990s book was published, it's still relevant today. eye-opening, stunning.

5 people found this helpful

Sadly, this is all still relevant

An important commentary you owe it to yourself, your wife, your daughters, your coworkers to read.

4 people found this helpful

Should be required for all women!

Absolutely eye-opening, provocative, and fiery. All women need to hear this message! Paradigm changer.

4 people found this helpful

Every western woman should read this book!

This book is both enlightening and frightening. It illuminates a lot of the issues that modern women face. I can't think of a book that better explains how patriarchial culture effects women and shapes the way we think and perceive reality and particularly our bodies. It's still completely relevant 25 years after it was written. I highly recommend it to any woman who has body issues or for anyone who is interested in the impact of social/cultural conditioning on western women.

4 people found this helpful

Any Update??

I really enjoyed the perspective the author discussed, it led to a further thought process both into my own life and other women, but I would vastly enjoy an updated edition!

3 people found this helpful

a total game changer.

20 years has not made this any less poignant. amazing. a must read for women world wide.

2 people found this helpful

Everyone needs this book

This book is the best thing that has ever happened to my life. The performance is seamless. Do yourself and everyone you love the favor to listen. I'm literally getting multiple physical copies and giving this book as a present to anyone I think might actually read this. Read this if you're a woman, or if you love one. #classic #feminist #patriarchy #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

7 people found this helpful

Perfect

This should be read by every singl girl and boy at schools, and every grown up Women and men

1 person found this helpful

So conflicted...

The book makes salient points, but they're often overwhelmed by the over dramatic prose, lack of proper backing research, and overuse of hyperbole and anecdotes. Written with less melodrama, this book could have been great.

4 people found this helpful

Needs updating, research and lacks clarity

What disappointed you about The Beauty Myth?

The subject is still very relevant to women today but the writing has not aged well. The book has an unfortunate tendency towards hyperbole and the authors description of patriarchy in western history and her hypothesis on how it creates the pressure to be beautiful needs to be overhauled in a new edition or taken with a large dose of salt.

What was most disappointing about Naomi Wolf’s story?

This is a topic that is deeply relevant to every woman, feminist or not, and the book doesn't do it justice.

Which character – as performed by Suzy Jackson – was your favorite?

The narration is excellent, Suzy conveys the tone of the writing without making it laughable and is very easy to listen to.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The narration is excellent and made slogging through the writing to get to the underlying truth less painful.

Any additional comments?

An important topic, but I'd you're already past feminism 101 I'd skim through this in print.

6 people found this helpful

Frightening, insightful and uplifting.

Women and men, everyone should read this and be liberated. Excellent performance of excellent writing.

5 people found this helpful

Essential reading

Though now 24 years old, this book is still terrifyingly current.

The book I wish I had read at 14.

3 people found this helpful

Hard work, but worth it

I loved Suzie's voice, I felt really engaged by her.

The information itself was incredibly enlightening, but hard going and dry at points. I'm glad I kept going as the middle chapters about sex and porn were especially interested.

I would recommend, but be aware it's dryer than most modern non-fiction books

2 people found this helpful

Brilliant, harrowing, enlightening

Everyone should read this book. With the advent of social media, app filters and reality tv it is, if anything, more relevant today than when it was first written.

1 person found this helpful

Interesting, informative and shocking

This book definitely gave me food for thought and made me see things from a different perspective. Great book

1 person found this helpful

A MUST READ FOR ANY WOMAN ANY AGE!!!

The revolution of consciousness in fairer relations between the sexes begins here with this book. Buy it for every woman that you love and every man that loves women.

A classic to boost self-love

Great narrative. This book is a great present for young women too. In 2019 and many things still happening exactly the same. Let's change the rules not ouer bodies!

Brilliant

The book is brilliant! It was a pleasure to listen to the voice of the narrator :)

A Must Read

This book absolutely blew my mind. I thought I knew a lot about feminism and diet culture, but this really sheds a lot of light on why things are the way they are.

All men are out to get us?

I really wanted to like this book but I feel like the author is reading too much into things. I really don’t think that all men are out to get us or that they want women to not work. Perhaps some do?

6 people found this helpful