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A wonderful review of my book, A Woman's Guide to Low Self-Esteem, was posted on The Los Angeles Beat by Books Editor Simone Snaith.
You can read the full article here on The Los Angeles Beat. The book (paperback and eBook) is available for purchase here on Amazon. It is also available at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, CA. 
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For many women, morphing from inner critic to inner fan on a daily and permanent basis requires breaking something deep, dark, and ingrained in the soul. It requires breaking our belief that whatever it is we were born with... well, it could use some work. How did this happen? Is it in our DNA? In my opinion, the answer is no. It's a complex situation with many external factors to blame. However, I can offer one big fat target at which to point the finger of blame---women's advertising.
Back in the early 20th century, this message was blatant and often cruel, leaving no room for mistaken interpretation. These days, the message is often more subtle. The bad news about our "flaws" is now dressed up in the guise of glamour and empowerment. As long as there are products to be sold, there will be messages bombarding women to fix every little (or big) thing: feet, calves, knees, thighs, hips, bellies, breasts, arms, hands, necks, chins, lips, teeth, noses, eyes, eyebrows, hair, and skin. And if that's not enough, we also need to fix our personalities in order to succeed personally and professionally in this competitive world. How can any woman be expected to navigate around all these daily messages without being impacted in some way?  Last year, I embarked on a massive research project to trace how far back this kind of advertising has been slung at women. What I found is that our mothers, our grandmothers, our great-grandmothers, and all those before them have been bombarded with negative messages. I found so many that I decided to write a book about it. No wonder so many of us were told, "We must! We must! We must increase our bust!" along with all kinds of guidance and warnings about what we had to do with our looks and personalities to make it in this world. You hear something long enough, you believe it! 
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DARLENE LACEY
Darlene Lacey writes about the past with a sharp lens on what it means to us today. She is the author of books and articles about America’s (almost) forgotten history. Her wit and insights have made her a popular interview source. She remembers the past and is not afraid to share it! CATEGORIES
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