The Mass Market Woman
Defining yourself as a person in a world that defines you by your appearance
In The Mass Market Woman, McBryde writes how affected women are by the standards set by the beauty culture. She gives many examples of how culture puts a large emphasis on the way a woman looks, their focus and sometimes their obsessions on physical appearance. McBryde, a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School and currently working for the Indian Health Service in Alaska, presents five sections to help “define yourself as a person in a world that defines you by your appearance.”
Section one, “Understand The Beauty Culture,” discusses the strong emphasis American culture puts on having the right body and how that equates to a woman being successful. In section two, “Remember Your Values,” McBryde writes about what things matter more than a woman’s looks and encourages women to spend their time in ways other than changing their appearance. Section three, “Stop Self-Criticism,” the author focuses on changing attitudes and questioning why time is spent emphasizing appearance. Section four, “Seek Self-Acceptance,” supports being in touch with inner beauty, self-love and appreciating the way one is. Section five, “Enjoy Healthy Self-Improvement,” offers ideas and conversations in supporting a healthier person.
The chapters in each section are concise and easy to read. The content of the book is beneficial—especially to high school aged women or women that are intimidated by the media and their ideas about what the perfect woman should look like.
Reviewed by
Jackie Ankerson
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
