Overweight

I'm not sure if my disappointment is in the quality of the book, or in the fact that I was misled by the cheery cover & title.

British mysteries are quite a different genre from American hard-boiled detective stories: they are cosy and comforting, almost a "Tea and Murder" party. Yes, there has been a murder: but brutual details are not stressed, so as not to disturb the reader's equanimity. Instead, we are given a delicious smorgasbord: piquant characters, a peek into a society or life-style very different from our own, a tantalizing puzzle to solve through logic and the famous "little grey cells". Although McKevett is an American author, the cover, the title, and the blurb on the back cover led me to believe that "Bitter Sweets" belong to this genre.

We are indeed offered piquant characters, although no character development. But the violence of the murder jolted me out of the cosy Tea and Murder mode. Even more distressing was the lack of a puzzle ... the murderer was easily identifiable. Why read a mystery when there is no mystery?

It starts off with a page-turning premise. Savannah is hired by a client to find his long-lost sister. She begins to help then finds that the sister is being stalked by an abusive murderous ex-husband and that he may be the supposed "brother." The woman is murdered and everything points to the ex-husband, whom Savannah may have helped, but then he is murdered in the same way.
Later on the plot crumbles and the mystery is resolved by introducing confessions and new witnesses (although I suppose that is what mostly happens when real murders are solved).
Savannah is a great character with a complex and ambiguous set of relationships. She is unmarried, past 40 and overweight. She is estranged from her mother and father and had to raise her siblings with the help of her grandmother. Her closest male friends are Dirk, whom she finds sexually repugnant and a gay male couple whom she finds sexually attractive. She is closely involved with her pretty female assistant.
There are patches of inspirational sickly sloppy sentimental stuff but they can be skipped or you might even like them. This is second in the series. Rather darker and better plotted (which is not saying much because McKevett is not a great plotter, at least as far as the main mystery is concerned) than the others.

She is dripping with southern sass. The characters jump off of the page right into GA or MS or LA. I've read all four of the Savannah reid novels and hunger for more. She has a fabulous range of communication between the dour yet male-hiding-his-feelings Det. Coulter as well as the "perky" asst.in Tammy Hart. Throw is some Ben and Jerrys ice cream w/ a dash of magnolia scented bubble bath and I feel as though I am back home in the south. I love the way that she has not forced her main character, detective Savannah Reid, to sleep with every male couterpart she meets and I feel proud to be female. Throw in her friendship with other male characters, some ice cream, lit candles and tales of her upbringing with Granny Reid and she is a true strong female character for which I find myself cheering!!!! I impatiently await her next novel.

I was intrigued by the promise of this novel, billed as BBW (Big Beautiful Women)-friendly. Soon lulled by undeveloped characters and boorish academia, I skipped to the end. I was horrified to discover the insensitive anti-fat ending. The stuff of schoolchildren mockings. Great. More fat abasement to perpetuate already biased stereotypes. Here was an opportunity to promote an engaging piece about warm, caring, sexy love with a BBW. Instead of BBW-loving being embraced as a healthy relationship, it was placed in the same category as masochism and dreams of loving in a leper colony. This book is not BBW-friendly and in fact, quite the opposite.
I absolutely do not recommend this book to BBWs, FAs or other culturally progressive folks looking for a good read.

I read FLESH in less than a week. It is a wonderful book the flows like a conversation. It is filled with accurate descriptions of academia, descents into voyeruism and other fetishes, and wonderful words (keep a dictionary handy-this book is a vocabulary builder). You follow the narrator's story without pause, waiting for the questions he brings up to be answered. You're on the edge waiting for answers until the last ten pages of the novel, but when the story ends you're still intrigued waiting for more definite answers. It is intelligent erotica with great "Fish out of water" descriptons. Read it despite the ending.

A crisp, lively story with interesting characters and fascinating psychological turns. The satire of academe is delicious. Max's diary, revealed toward the end of the novel, is a gem worth waiting for. I liked this book a lot. Galef is both funny and profound.

Subject matter NOT appropriate for elementary grades because it is full of name-calling, hate, sneakiness, deceipt, lying, breaking of school rules, etc. Introduces children to "psychic stuff".

I read Revenge of The Snob Squad. I thought it was a good book. I liked this book because it had some adventure and it also had some sad parts. I think other kids between the age's ten-twelve would like to read this book. I recommend this book to other people.

"Revenge of the Snob Squad" is a dark, middle school comedy about a group of self-proclaimed misfits. They are thrown together on a gym class track team and learn that revenge can indeed be sweet.

Peters' narrator, the compulsive eater Jenny, is called "Lardo Legs" by the popular "in" crowd. Instead of swallowing her bitterness, she ingests a constant stream of candy bars. She also points her sarcastic barbs at those around her--parents, classmates and even herself. She joins ranks with Prairie Cactus, who has a strange name and a pronounced limp, hulking Max McFarland, the biggest girl in the sixth grade, and Lydia Beals, a whining, klutzy girl the other kids call Bealsqueal.

Together the Snob Squad discovers that there is more than safety in numbers; there is also pride and friendship.

Sondra Solovay is a lawyer, author, lesbian, feminist, Berkeley-resident and obese person. Tipping the Scales of Justice is Sondra's activist war-cry describing how disenfranchised obese individuals are in American society. Sondra's personal politics come out in this book as she complains that "fat" people deserve to be accommodated for in every way imaginable. Sondra loves statistics and this book is full of them. Sondra shows that thin women make more money than fat women. Thin women are selected for jury duty more often than fat women, (so what? does anybody actually like jury duty?) She even goes so far as to label obesity descriminiation as the civil-rights issue of the century. This book attempts to deal with sensitive issues of teasing and hurt feelings but comes off as a long political rant about how everyone should cater to her because she's overweight. There are better books about the subject, such as those written for the clinical psychology field regarding female body image.

In perhaps the first and only authoritative book on fat prejudice, attorney Sondra Solovay paints a disturbing picture of widespread mistreatment of the obese and urges extension of current law to remedy these problems. Proclaiming "fat discrimination" as the civil rights issue of the millennium, she calls for increased legal protection, detailing a litany of abuse afflicted on fat people by peers, teachers, employers, and even judges. She disputes the prevailing notion that fat people's size is their own fault, saying scientific evidence shows that obesity is not within the individual's control. Because body size may be immutable and not reflective of a person's abilities, she argues that anti-discrimination law should apply. She touts progress against fat discrimination, including laws passed in Michigan and California that specifically prohibit discrimination on the basis of weight in employment and housing.

The author recommends applying disability laws to the obese, a controversial stance which puts her at odds with other so-called fat-rights advocates who resist using the disabled label. After examining several cases involving the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, she concludes that the courts' treatment of larger-sized people under these laws too often is inconsistent, confused, and tainted by fat prejudice. She proposes a clearer, more logical way of categorizing and analyzing these cases, and reiterates how de-stigmatizing obesity helps correct pervasive misperceptions of fat people's abilities.

The book's strength lies in its focus on education and reform and the human face put on the problem of fat prejudice. However, even the author's extensive use of footnotes can't compensate for the dearth of legal materials involving weight discrimination. The appendices list organizations devoted to fat-rights advocacy, recommended readings, samples of anti-discrimination laws and excerpts from the ADA. But the paucity of published opinions reflects the reason why the book is a "tool of legal scholarship" as opposed to a "handbook" -- the still novel issue remains largely confined to academia and talks shows, not the actual practice of law. In our progressively heavier society, fat people may be closer to tipping the scales as the majority, but one wonders whether protection against fat prejudice will ever become the prevailing legal norm.

Tipping The Scales of Justice is a very well written examination of the legal and personal issues surrounding weight based discrimination. Ms. Solovay touches on all the relevant issues with clarity and insight, born out of a devotion to Justice and the desire to make this issue understood to all who read about it. She is a passionate activist and a marvelous writer. Without a doubt this book will stand the test of time as a solidly researched, superbly written book. Congratulations, Ms. Solovay!

Good book, very valuable when trying to emotionally support a child with a weight problem. The book includes tips on getting the family involved in healthy activities, how to allow your child to express their feelings without criticism, and how to overcome obstacles in the classroom, organized sports, and with friends - and how labelling a child can be harmful - overweight is a condition your child may have, but not necessarily "is". There wasn't a lot of helpful dietary information, and I feel there was a little apathy on part of the authors, an attitude of acceptance of overweight as long as the child doesn't feel that they are being treated poorly by peers. Almost as though it's OK to be fat, if your child has "nice" friends. Regardless, I still would have bought this book because it did offer practical & sensitive thoughts on connecting with your overweight child, but do consider additional sources for dietary information.

2/25/02 The book will not support the notion that "lean is mean'(however hard it tries to) nor that a fat woman should feel complimented when "the taxi driver" says he wishes his wife were as 'jolly' as the 'stouter versions' who ride in his cab are...but it will support the proof that Ms Reichman 'looks thinner' than she said she was(many good photographs with hats that suit her well), and that she has authored a book that was pleasant reading with several pages devoted to itemized beauty tips!

I borrowed this book from my local library, expecting to find a supportive and informative book about being pregnant and plus-size. After all, I consider myself an intelligent woman, and I already know that being obese is a detriment to my health and any future pregnancies. That is why I already follow my dietician's eating guides and exercise regularly. I picked up this book to get practical information that I might need if I decide to become pregnant. Instead, I was left with guilt, fear, and a sense of unworthiness, not just if I become pregnant, but as the plus sized woman that I already am.

The first half of the book explains the physical impacts of being obese, both for pregnant and non-pregnant women. It is very dry and clinical, like a medical journal, and is full of citations and clinical study statisics. This section was thorough but very cold, explaining in medical terms the numerous, negative perils that overweight women face with pregnancy. There is no concern for the emotions or needs of the reader, without any practical tips such as symptoms to watch for or questions to ask your doctor.

The second half of the book focuses on nutrition and exercise. Although there are many practical suggestions here, such as sample menus and fast food tips, the authors are still very impersonal and even commanding and condescending.

If you want a thorough, medical explanation of the effects of obesity on your pregnancy, or want some nutrition tips and sample menus, this book provides them. Just be prepared to face a tide of self-doubt, fear, and hopelessness. If you are already pregnant, perhaps you should take the author's veiled suggestion to reevaluate your decision once you've "gained perspective" of the risks that you and your unborn child are facing.

What a disappointment! I bought this book seeking some reassurance that, yes, while there's higher risk for large pregnant women, a normal pregnancy with a healthy baby *IS* possible. I didn't receive this reassurance--rather the worst case scenario version of why large women shouldn't breed, with case studies and anecdotal stories about women who have had problems--never once do they tell a story about a woman who was plus-sized who followed some basic care guidelines and had a healthy baby.

I think I'm more worried now than when I picked up the book. Please don't spend money on this. There are better resources out there for larger pregnant women. And you're already paying your doctor--talk to them.

I just finished reading this book. I borrowed it from the library thank goodness! Anyhow, I just recently found myself unexpectedly pregnant and am obese. I am very concerned about my health and was looking for a supportive book to help reassure me, and to provide tips on helping me improve my outcome. This book does provide tips--by using scare tactics! The first half of the book is filled with statistics on all the horrible things that can happen to overweight women who get pregnant---how much more likely they are to have their babies die, how much more likely they are to end up with a C-section, how much more likely they are to end up diabetic or hypertensive, have a baby with birth defects, etc, etc. One section even alluded to pregnancy termination as an alternative (and believe me I am very pro-choice, but I felt like anyone reading this book would be intimidated into believing an abortion was better than facing pregnancy while overweight). So the first half of the book was the "pit of terror". The 2nd half of the book was all about minimizing weight gain, and how obese women need to watch what they eat and exercise because too much weight gain will lead to (re-read first half of the book *rolling my eyes*). The entire book read like some scare tactic to frighten fat women into having abortions, starving themselves while pregnant, or scaring the ... out of them so they spend the entire 9 mos obsessing about whether or not they are going to give birth to a deformed baby, have a C-section, or die.

Please do NOT get this book unless you are a masochist and enjoy being upset. I was looking for a book that would be supportive, because after all I already am pregnant and don't need to be reminded about how terrible it is that I got pregnant in the first place. To anyone looking for support, there are some very plus-sized friendly websites out there. I was over 300 lbs when I delivered my last 2 babies and had perfectly normal pregnancies and deliveries with no complications. My skinny sister on the other hand suffered from severe pre-eclampsia with all 3 of her pregnancies.

It is possible to have good outcomes, and what women need is support and not to be terrified. This book is very fat-phobic in my opinion.

While I did appreciate the author's honesty and self-explorative approach to this book, I agree with the previous reviewer that this book went on way too long. The author actually presents the same anecdotes in different chapters and struggles with the same questions again and agin throughout the text, with little movement forward. Funny that the last section is entitled "Time to Move On." because she doesn't seem to do that very well. Unlike the previous reviewer, I don't recall anything in the book that indicated that the author's weight is contributing to health problems; in fact, my recollection is that she was able to ameliorate a number of health problems through healthy eating and exercise without any weight loss. My sense was that she was attempting to demonstrate that we talk about weight loss as a health necessity, when it is more often a culturally mandated appearance issue. My favorite line in the whole book was a quote from columnist Ellen Goodman: "Show me a woman who only wants to be thin for her health and I'll show you a man who buys Playboy just to read the interview."

This was the first book on size issues that I found when I began reading books on the subject. Whilst I have read several other works that seemed more relevant to me as a 25yr old fat woman I am glad I read this. I think it is important to see the issue from its many angles. No point of view is less valid than your own- and this is what is most important when approaching this work. If I was an older woman perhaps this would have been more relevant but as a lipstick loving twenty-something fat chick who has come to terms with my size and what it means in the society that I live in this book was socially interesting but not personally relevant. Another quick observation was that it is very bleak in its outlook. This is not the book if you're looking for something uplifting. If you're looking to have a good selection of size issue books on your shelf than buy this. If you're just looking for one book than try Fat!So? by Marilyn Wann.

I have read a number of books on the subject of fat oppression, and this is easily one of the most valuable experiences. The author intelligently and deliberately lays out the problem of weight-based oppression, and offers a coherent response. If you are resistant to the notion that it can be okay to be fat, you won't like this book. It challenges those prejudices with no apology. The looks-based oppression of women has been given a supposed validity under the guise of health, but Thorne works to show the absurdity of such claims. It is possible to be fat and happy and healthy, but there is much standing in the way. She doesn't pull her punches, and that is bound to put off some resistant minds. So often we see pundants decry to oppression while refusing to challenge the foundation and justification for the bigotry and prejudice. You won't see that here. Admittedly, the book moves at a somewhat uninspired pace and does not make for a good introduction to the problem of fat prejudices. If it is a topic of interest for you, however, I'm sure you will find this to be an interesting read.

This was my first Amanda Cross, and my last. The main character in this book detective Woody is pretty much incompetent and continues to talk about her size, which starts to get old around page 30. I did not really care about who killed the professor, and pretty much found all of the characters in the book uninteresting. I couldn't wait to finish this slow story to move on to something I actually wanted to read.

I was extremely disappointed in this book. Having read all of the previous mysteries written by Amanda Cross, I was looking forward to enjoying her literate and witty style, a thought-provoking plot and interesting character development. This book fails miserably in all three areas. The style is turgid, the plot is almost non-existent with a cop-out ending and the characters are one-dimensional (although I'm sure that Woody would say that she had more dimensions that that--I really did get weary of all the references to her size). I can only hope that the author will go back to creating a well-crafted mystery next time around. But I will first check with other reviewers before buying another book by Cross so that I'm not burned again by purchasing another such boring and poorly written myster.

As an avid mystery reader, I grabbed Amanda Cross' "Honest Doubt" hoping to find something literate and engaging. The Cover read 'A Kate Fansler Novel," whom I hoped to add to my list of must-read dectectives. What I found was Estelle "Woody" Woodhaven a fat female detective hired to solve the murder of a pretentious Professor of English Literature. Woody enlists Kate's help to solve the murder as she feels totally out of her league in Academia. While Woody's constant references to her size is annoying;it is her worship of Kate's intellect that eventually made this novel a real bore. One wonders how Woody made it through Law School. The characters are annoying and poorly drawn and the plot convoluted. I Would like to see Woody's Character in another novel sans Kate and with less reference to her size.