Breasts: Our Most Public Private Parts

by Meema Spadola

From embarrassed early bloomers to the vice-president of the "Itty-Bitty-Titty Committee," a wide variety of women (surgeons, strippers, mothers, daughters, breast cancer survivors, lingerie professionals, teachers, and housewives) reveal what women really feel about their breasts as symbols of sexuality, motherhood, and power. Drawing from her award-winning HBO documentary, the author investigates how breasts shape women's lives and play a crucial role in the experiences of puberty, motherhood, sex, health, and aging. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Genres: Nonfiction

247 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1998

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm going to be fair. This book is more or less a transcript from an okay documentary of the same name. But it's in prose form. I saw most of the documentary ages ago. Anyway, without the benefit of seeing the women speaking, naked from the waist up, breasts exposed, these words on paper have no power. They become trivial and self-important. You read "I never liked my breasts". Big whoopee. Stop whining. But when you see and hear that same grown woman say it, and hear her tone of voice, and see those breasts, it's completely different. Maybe the book should have been in transcript form, with photos.
Ignore the book and rent the movie if you must. The author has a bazillion agendas including anti-cosmetic surgery. It's God-like for women to exercise choice unless it's a choice you disagree with, right Meema? This book was written in 1998, when the jury was still out on silicone implants. The jury is now in. Silicone implants have been ruled safe, and went back on the market in 2006. FYI, many women choose saline because it's CHEAPER, as much as 25% cheaper, not because it's "safer".

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Our most public private parts," indeed. This will remind women and educate men about how our lives as girls were forever changed once we started sprouting these things. This is also great for some "grass is always greener" lessons! No matter what kind of a pair you've got, someone out there has wished theirs were more like yours.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting. It was filled with stories told by women varying in age and race, stories about women and their their breasts, when they developed them, what they think about them, women with big breasts, small breasts, saggy breasts, women with implants, women who have had breast reduction surgery, women who have breastfed, overweight women, and so on and so forth. I highly recommend renting the documentary instead of reading this book because this book is basically just a transcript of what you will see on the documentary, minus the nudity. Read the book if nudity bothers you.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think there is a lot of good stuff in the book. Especially for the young (really, no one looks the same...and like someone else said, the author did preach about the "be happy in yourself" a bit) For myself, I have always had a fear of cancer -- no reason that I can find (my grandparents and mom haven't had any problems) -- I love my breasts and a lot of my identity is tied up in them, so I guess the fear is losing them. Anyway, loved the book.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I haven't seen the documentary. An okay read. Much of what was written and discussed felt very obvious to me, so I wouldn't say the book was particularly enlightening and I personally found that to be a little disappointing.

[Yvonne O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nonfiction look at women's attitudes towards their breasts, others' breasts, and societal trends as well as influences while growing up. (By the director of the documentary of the same title).

This was a really good read! So much rang true, and the common experience of others is really heartening/comforting. 243 pages that every woman should read.