Customer Reviews
A book for even the youngest of women. - By: , 17 Jul 1999 
I intended to read this book for its insites on body compulsion, but found the history of American Girls & their values & virtues very interesting. The text is easy to follow & directed for informing the reader while enjoying the history of grandmothers growing up. I am twenty years old & found I would've loved to have read this book even before puberty & I would also recommend it to the women of my family. Overall, the book is very informative, interesting & worth the reading.
Amazing, with right on insight! - By: , 26 May 1999 
I am a young woman of nine-teen years who thought this was an amazing book. Brumberg did a marvelous job of being objective & unbiased. Media's transformation over the years was most interesting (that showing ankles used to be shocking). This book was so right on. It told of howin the Victorian age how virginity was so esteemed & how society cherished & tried so hard to protect their teenage girls' sexuality & virginity. It also tells how girls' bodies are maturing at an earlier age thanin the past. There is so much information givenin a way that will make you think & come up with your own conclusions about the topic. She doesn't just spell it out for you. You have to read it for yourself to see what a marvel it is. This is not only a book for girls but for guys, for parents, for anyone..it will really puts alot of things together for you...it will turn your light bulb on for sure.
Amazing, with right on insight! - By: , 26 May 1999 I am a young woman of nine-teen years who thought this was an amazing book. Brumberg did a marvelous job of being objective & unbiased. Media's transformation over the years was most interesting (that showing ankles used to be shocking). This book was so right on. It told of howin the Victorian age how virginity was so esteemed & how society cherished & tried so hard to protect their teenage girls' sexuality & virginity. It also tells how girls' bodies are maturing at an earlier age thanin the past. There is so much information givenin a way that will make you think & come up with your own conclusions about the topic. She doesn't just spell it out for you. You have to read it for yourself to see what a marvel it is. This is not only a book for girls but for guys, for parents, for anyone..it will really puts alot of things together for you...it will turn your light bulb on for sure.
The Body Project reaches mainstream concerns about girls - By: , 29 Apr 1999 
The Body Project reaches a mainstream society that is dealing with concerns facing our young women & our society. I was, however, upset that Brumberg chose to talk about the body without referring to some of the most well known theorists on the body, like Irigaray & Butler. I know that the book was meant for a mainstream audience, but I still think the opportunity to expose a wide variety of readers to such important theorists is a worthwhile undertaking. I was disappointed. I was also worried about some of the information... the sources for the piercing section of the book were very out dated. Being a member of the g/ l/ b community, I felt that the assumption Brumberg called on that said piercing was somehow related to homosexuality misleading. I am worried about Brumberg's approach, but I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about the history behind the body projects we are currently undertaking as a society. Beyond that history (the second half of the book) I feel could be skipped.
Not nearly as good as I had expected - By: , 21 Mar 1999 i picked up this book excited to read it. i thought it would be as informative & interesting as naomi wolf's "promiscuities." but it was not. i found the book to be boring. as a feminist & a women's studies major, this book offered me no new insight & it simply was not provocitive. if you are looking for a good contemporary feminist read, try something by namoi wolf or susan fauldi.
