The Truth about Bras,Boobs and High-heeled Shoes! by Ann Young

Is there more to life than sex?

My new book The Truth about Bras, Boobs and High -Heeled Shoes! Is there more to life than sex? delves with humour and insight into some of the beliefs that exist in the mind of the modern day woman. From our bras and knickers, to shoes and romance, money and sex, discover with a touch of light heartedness, how we have been told to live our lives. Only then can we begin to understand the potential we have to turn things around, finally creating what we ourselves choose to create in our lives.GOODREADS

The cover and title of the book are attractive enough to draw my attention. It's simple and straightforward. As a 21 year old woman, I'd like to know the truth as well. However I had thought this book would be more textbook, based on facts and plausible information. The book is based on the authors opinion and insights about how women are socialized into acting a certain way. An opinion that's probably shared by many women because I found myself agreeing to many things in the book.

It's easy to identify with many of the issues stated in the book because they're very common girl-problems. Like why do we have to wear bras or feel insecure about our breasts. the first chapter starts off pretty well; it addresses the standard of beauty society gives to women and how breast have become this sexual object. It's written in first person and the author proposes we consider men wearing something similar to a bra to keep their free-moving assets in place. These garments exist but men can simply choose to wear them or not. Women have been wearing them for a long time it's become so normal we don't question them. The chapter promotes the message that woman should love their bodies and not constantly criticizing them. You are a woman, so adore yourself. 

The first chapter makes a very good start until you get to the part where she uses apes as an example: that they are not self-conscious about their bodies and have simpler lives and how it would  give us a different perspective on things to imagine animals behaving like humans. Imagine an ape being insecure about her breasts and not being able to attract a mate. The comparison was a bit off for me. I get the point she's trying to make. However animals have different ways of attracting potential mates than humans. Monkeys urinate on themselves to attract a mate. Except for this minus point the rest of the chapter is substantial enough. it addresses the indoctrinated image of women as sexual objects.

The rest of the chapters are more or less the same addressing different things and promoting a change in the way people think. Chapter 3 The Bedroom, again had me expecting something else but this is an actual chapter dedicated to a persons bedroom and why people don't want their own and why we have to "share ' them with our partners. I wouldn't mind my own bachelorrete pad. However the authors opinion about the perfect relationship being between two compatible people who fully support each other and in which there would never be criticism. Seems too perfect and impossible. 

The author succeeds in getting her message over: we need to change our mindset. We should love our bodies and be happy with who we are. Making choices based on what makes us ,as women, happy and healthy and not based on the standards of what society wants or expects from us. A message of empowerment. Definitely a book I would recommend because it's a book to reflect on.


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*I was asked by the author to review this book