Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: How the Quest for Perfection is Harming Young Women

If you read this book with an open mind, there is not one person who wouldn't benefit from it. It's an in-depth description/study on some of the main topics circulating around eating disorders. Courtney structured the book topic by topic or rather, chapter by chapter, and for each new section she made sure to mention some real life stories alongside how people are handling or not handling it and how it affects the young girls suffering from these disorders or are bordering that uncompromisable leap. She does so in a very respectful manner because stepping on anyone's toes, especially in a matter so difficult and sensitive as eating disorders, is no where near helpful or motivational.Some of the topics focused on are the father-daughter/mother-daughter connection, the media's influence, sexual drive in correlation to society, spirituality, the college years, the years after college and many more. Overall I highly recommend this book for anyone because the information is vital in helping everyone to be culturally competent when it comes to eating disorders. People will learn that there is no rhyme or reason when finding a causation and how the real topic at hand is not the outer display of disarray, but the inner turmoil paired up with that drive to be "perfect."Any downfalls?--She makes slight mention of men suffering from eating disorders, but it is definitely a book primarily based around girls and women who struggle with them. Yet this is not to say men can't read this book and take anything away from it--that is definitely NOT the case. Society, as a whole, influences what is around them, and as much as people (both male and female) like to think, eating disorders are not just a problem for one half of the population. Guys do affect how women think of themselves. Again, it's not the WHOLE picture, but it can be apart of it. So for those father's who are raising a daughter, read this. For those father's raising a son, read this. If you don't want to read this book, then read another one that seems more approachable because whether you like it or not, eating disorder rates are rising and the amount of helpful preparation girls are receiving isn't getting nearly the increase required to combat the detrimental rate.--Also, this book alludes to some feminist topics. Reading this book when you're an anti-feminist without an open mind to new ideas that may or may not change your concrete opinion will not benefit you and it will not benefit others in need of help. This is not to say you cannot read any eating disorder books because you'll cause others to stumble. This is just to say that this book is probably not going to be put on your "I love you this book" shelf. She's VERY respectful and endearing, from what I saw, and she only means to be an advocate for those quieted by their "perfect girl" identity. Take it lightly and remember the girls reading this, like myself, who are struggling with this problem.-----As far as shipping goes, the book came earlier than expected! At first, the estimated delivery date was set for March 15th, but it came on Pi Day. Awesome job by Amazon.com LLC :)

First, let me qualify myself: At the time I read this book, I was working in a clinical hospital setting conducting groups for adults in partial hospitalization mental health treatment. My primary treatment specialties are domestic and sexual violence, PTSD, self-injury, and ED. I want to directly, assertively strike against the review that calls this book "deluded" and "dangerous." It is neither.Courtney Martin's writing is marinated in wisdom, and her insights are eloquent. I have read stacks and stacks of books on body image, eating disorders, perfectionism, and feminist theory, and this book is THE TOP of my list of all of them. Martin nails it. She is wise enough to see body image as more than a pounds-and-ounces issue; more than skinny-and-fat bipolar beauty; more than "blame it on magazines" superficialities. No, Martin takes a remarkably broad, and well-informed, view: eating disorders are one of the products of a matrix of cultural, familial, spiritual, and physical influences on young women's development.Martin doesn't present herself as an expert, and she wisely defers to doctors and clinicians for treatment information. What she does present skillfully is her insight into how women are conditioned--and then condition one another--to translate impossible concepts of "perfect" into impossible concepts of "body." By "perfect," Martin doesn't settle for the narrow definition of "perfect beauty." She posits that "perfection" in this context is a larger and more oppressive ideology of performance, achievement, being seen and loved, finding existential meaning, avoiding rejection, and transferring internal crisis into external body recomposition. This isn't some vague, tenuous connection she's making, either; Courtney hits the bulls-eye over and over until the reader has a profoundly expanded understanding of women, bodies, and culture.I kept waiting for some flaw to appear: "surely she'll treat men in a two-dimensional stereotyped way!" Nope; she approach the topic of men's role (as fathers and partners) very maturely. "Surely she'll elaborate on the problem and skimp on solutions!" Nope; she ends her book with a manifesto of hope--a "new story", she calls it. "Surely she'll employ an exaggerated feminist paradigm to ED, so that the issue fits her beliefs." Nope; she is heartbreakingly honest about her own struggles, and the importance--and shortcomings--of feminism in exploring them.Courtney, if you read this, THANK YOU. As a male reader, I am so blessed to have been given these insights. I hope you will continue to write, and I have a personal list of topics I wish a writer with your skill and word power would take on for us. It's a shame this book isn't a widespread classic; it's my new "Revising [sic] Ophelia."

Very shocking how honest this book is. More women should read this book to understand you and your food and image battles don't need to be fought solo. This truly opened my eyes as they first 15 pages really struck home for me. It was like this book was in my brain. Since reading it it has changed my perspective on food and also how women are perceived,

Go to a major art gallery and look at the paintings of women. Here is the reflection of society's opinion of the desired woman over time.Then visit your local large newsagent or the magazine rack at the airport and consciously look at the photographs of (young) women and girls (there are none over 40 unless the article is saying they still look 30!). In under a minute you'll know what's currently desired.Now spend another minute thinking through the lifestyle choices females in western society are offered. And then if you can, the inferences/biases evidenced by what you see from current magazines.Consider also that feminism has been a force for 40 years, attempting to draw attention to society's attitudes to females and 'liberate' women.Also, these 'feminist-aware' women are the mothers of today's young women who buy these magazines.Modern western (Americanised ?) society is full of bias, hypocracy and how much misogeny? And why? And what are the consequences?Why would 10 year old girls, once described as 'little girls', now be interested in make-up and considering dieting if they became 'overweight'? What describes a 'successful' woman? What pressures do girls experience growing up, as teenagers and young women? Who does the pressurising? What happens if they don't conform?This book is written by an educated and intelligent young American female who has throught hard about being a member of the female half of society today, where the male half continues to have precedence.Read this, it will open your mind to things which mostly operate below your level of consciousness.Any writer for any women's page/coloumn/magazine could do with reading this book and then writing - soon!