Reviews

Lessons from the Fat-O-Sphere: Quit Dieting and Declare a Truce with Your Body by Kate Harding, Marianne Kirby

shinychick's review against another edition

5.0

Nothing I haven't read before, but surely updated since the once-groundbreaking "Fat! So?" I don't read either of these ladies' blogs often, but the book was good - and gave a lot of references, which I wholly appreciate.

sarahbotreads's review against another edition

4.0

I read a lot of self-help books - I mean, A LOT. And I've come to the conclusion that what makes a self-help book helpful doesn't really have much to do with the actual content; for me, at least, it's more about the author's voice. Are they giving me the information in such a way that it resonates with me? This one really worked for me. The recurring basic theme is that there's no morality inherent in one's weight, eating habits, exercise habits, etc; that is to say, you're not "bad" or "good" based on what you eat, how often you work out, or what you weigh, and there are no virtuous or sinful foods. As usual, these are all things I know rationally, but are always good to be reminded of, and Harding and Kirby do so in that gentle-yet-unyielding way, the way you expect your best friends to talk to you, without denying the reality that making these sort of mental shifts is hard work that takes a long time.

bowienerd_82's review against another edition

4.0

I'm not really in the target audience for this book, but I thought it was really well written and an excellent read. It's got a really awesome message about being body positive both for yourself and for the people around you.

I've absorbed a lot of the dangerous media messages they discuss, and this book really made me think about a lot of pre-conceptions. It's a great resource, and I'm glad I read it.

halesware38's review against another edition

5.0

This and Fat So?! By Wann are my two favorite books on this topic. I love them.

memily's review against another edition

5.0

Also titled "Screw Inner Beauty" in some places. This book was amazing and really helped me to start changing my life and feeling better about myself. Who knew it could happen?

vulveeta's review against another edition

3.0

I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did, but none of it is Brand New Information for me. It's written more for people who are totally new to the fat acceptance movement. If I had read this a few years ago I probably would have loved it, but I was already reading the blogs at that point.

sarah_d's review against another edition

4.0

As someone who has been talking the body acceptance talk for her entire adult life (even if it's been much harder to also walk the walk), the information presented in this book was not new to me, but it was very, very affirming to read it and be reminded, especially as I have recently decided to finally and truly walk the walk and work on loving and accepting myself just as I am. I wish every woman I know, fat or not, would read this book and consider how much nicer life would be if they spent all the energy they spend hating their bodies on making peace with them instead. The work is just as hard, but man it feels so much nicer.

rachelsayshello's review against another edition

I don't review galleys until their pub dates (for the most part). BUT I will say that this is a funny, genius, important little book, and I'm sending good vibes its way.

jaeclectic's review against another edition

2.0

This is a nice little book, and I feel kind of bad about not rating it higher, but "it was OK" is a pretty accurate statement of how it worked for me. I think I'm just not quite the target audience.

This would be great for someone who has had limited or no exposure to Health at Every Size concepts, and seems geared particularly to younger women -- which is fine, just not exactly me.

librarykath's review against another edition

4.0

A good solid, no nonsense shot of wisdom that all women and a lot of men should read. Kate and Marianne bring on the sanity!