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Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Winner of four major awards, this updated edition of Joan Jacobs Brumberg's Fasting Girls, presents a history of women's food-refusal dating back as far as the sixteenth century. Here is a tableau of female self-denial: medieval martyrs who used starvation to demonstrate religious devotion, "wonders of science" whose families capitalized on their ability to survive on flower petals and air, silent screen stars whose strict "slimming" regimens inspired a generation. Here, too, is a fascinating look at how the cultural ramifications of the Industrial Revolution produced a disorder that continues to render privileged young women helpless. Incisive, compassionate, illuminating, Fasting Girls offers real understanding to victims and their families, clinicians, and all women who are interested in the origins and future of this complex, modern and characteristically female disease.
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| great |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This book has a lot of great info in it. I enjoyed reading it and found a lot of it to be new information.
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| Necessary Reading |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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The obvious strength of this book as a history of the development of Anorexia Nervosa comes from its unbiased approach. As a historian, the author has walked brilliantly the fine line between simply retelling the past and critically evaluating it. (Sometimes stupid ideas need to be called stupid ideas!) It is essential reading for anyone with an interest in eating disorders or nutrition.
The subtle strength of this book is its format for discussing disease development in a social and political context. Anyone interested in disease etiology beyond simply the biochemical approach should also read this book, as a guide to how to put disease in a realistic context.
Brilliant all round!
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| Fun Informational Read |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This book was very well done.
I had previously read a book like it called "From Fasting Saints to Anorexic Girls" which was written in the manner of a stuffy academic. At first I was afraid this book might turn out to be the same but thankfully I read the reviews on it and decided to give it a try.
I would recommend this book to anyone with an eating disorder or interested in the history of the relationship between women and their bodies.
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| Stunning! |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I never knew there was a history of girls refusing to eat. This book starts all the way back from Midevial times up until the 1980's, when the book was written. I found it extremely fascinating. I would reccommend this book to anyone with an eating disorder, people who are into psychology or history, or just if you are looking for a great non-fiction book. Do not pass this one up!
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| Absolutely fascinating |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This book was totally absorbing. I didn't want to put it down. Who would have thought that such a terrible disease would have its origin in the Medievel church, as women starved themselves for their beliefs and to become (as they believed) holy. But, like most things under the sun, it's all been done before, so there really shouldn't be any surprise that self-starvation has a very long history. I really enjoyed the histories of the individual "fasting girls." And Ms. Brumberg's description of the Victorian middle class was priceless and eye opening, considering how that era is so romantizied by a lot of us today. The book revealed so much about how culture (present and past) shapes our opinions of ourselves, especially us women. Reading the book brought out my anger that society and culture expect women to have "perfect" bodies..."perfect" everything, and the pressure that is on us, both as teenagers and adults. I recommend this book to anyone who would like to know more about anorexia nervosa and its history. There is a great deal of fascinating information. Just keep your dictionary handy to look up all the medical terms Brumberg quotes (and for some of her own words as well). My only disappointment in the book was that it ended too abruptly. Her book had me hooked, and then, finally, it had to end. I think there is a great deal more to be said about this disease, and I hope that she keeps up with the history and maybe writes another volume. Kudos to you, Ms. Brumberg. Very well done.
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