LIZ: Book #37

The Good Eater: The True Story of One Man's Struggle With Binge Eating Disorder by Ron Saxen

252 pages

Completed 9/26/10

This memoir takes you from abused, chubby little Ron to unhealthy-habitted model Ron, to self-destructive Ron. And the whole while, you want to feel for this guy, but I found that you just can't. It took me quite some time to get through this one; not because it was dull or didn't interest me, but because I honestly just wanted to smack the character through the book.

Binge eating, which affects millions of Americans, was the focus of this book; but not really addressed. Yes, it was clear as Saxen shoveled multiple Big Macs and one pound bags of candy followed by entire loaves of fried bread that this was unhealthy binging at it's finest. But the author seems to have used this book to connect his feelings to the food (which I know is the reasoning behind binge eating, but not the reasoning behind this book); if he was unhealthy, unhappy, tired, wary, scared, uneasy, pleased, or overwhelmed - in went the food. Skyrocketing from 204 lbs. to almost 300 in an unbelievably short amount of time, Saxen was just hard to feel for.

Yes, the short peek into the male modeling world and crazy dieting ideas Saxen tries was entertaining, albeit sad, but towards the end of the book, I found myself completely uninspired. Instead of addressing his clear binge eating disorder, Saxen chooses to close the book out by introducing his new love interest and simply summing it all up by saying "I am happy now." For this to be the explanation behind why he doesn't binge eat anymore is absurd. For people looking to this book for advice or reaching out for help, Saxen addressed BED terribly, especially connecting his happiness with healthiness and leaving it at that.

LIZ: BOOK #36

Hungry by Crystal Renn

256 pages

Completed 8/30/10

Leading plus-size model Crystal Renn takes us into her susprinsingly dramatic childhood, her dive into anorexia and exercise addicition, her entrance into the modeling world, and her subsequent conquering of it at her heaviest. Entertaining in the way most fashion world memoirs are, and as sad as most spiraling teenage girls into eating disorders always are, this was a good - albeit very quick - read.

Typically if a memoir begins presenting statistics to me, I skip the chapter; if I had done so in Renn's case, I would have finished in half the time. However, this was a rare case in which I welcomed the numbers and journal article excerpts. The appalling low numbers of weights, salaries, and ages of these models was shocking were countered with the fashion industry's heavyweights (no pun intended) adding their own opinions and experiences about the plus-size world of things.

What is intriguing about Renn's story is that her plus-size status doesnt not always designate her to only the plus-size jobs. She's closed out Jean Paul Gaultier's runway shows, she has starred in Dolce & Gabanna's ad campaigns, and has over a dozen high fashion covers under her belt. She was the back behind (ha!) the breast cancer ad of the velvet-draped goddess. All at a size 14. And by maintaining her sanity, her brain, and herself.

LIZ: BOOK #27

Fashion Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones & Anonymous

336 pages

Completed 6/13/10

The third book I've read in the true-account Babylon series by composed by Edwards-Jones, this book didn't disappoint. More entertaining than "Air Babylon," but still not quite up to "Hotel Babylon," I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Featuring a fairly new English fashion designer, her flamboyant partner, her gorgeous muse, and a stylist as wacky as they come, this book features names and designers in the fashion world that would make any Vogue reader swoon.

I know this book is a composite of many fashion industry stories the author gathered, but nevertheless, I tried to figure out who this designer was. In fact, I may have enjoyed it more if at the end, her identity was revealed. Speaking of the end, it was disappointing. Unless a sequel is planned (which it is not), the conclusion was too open-ended.

If you've read either Air or Hotel Babylon, I highly recommend this book. Edwards-Jones sticks to her same tried and true writing formula, which makes for an easy, but entertaining read.