Looking Good: Male Body Image in Modern America

by Lynne Luciano

An illustrated examination of male body image focuses on the cultural, social, and economic forces underpinning the growing national obsession with the male physique. 10,000 first printing.

Genres: Science, History, Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published November 5, 2000

Reviews

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking Good is a great introduction for people who want to learn about the development of male aesthetics over the past century. I enjoyed learning about the evolution of appearance aids especially; Luciano doesn’t go into great depth on the various procedures, but I felt like what she explained was enough for the purposes of her book. Luciano’s strength is always tying back what happened with why it was happening – I love that – lots of connections all over the place! Yay.

The organization of the book is a little odd, but it actually works quite well if you’re just reading front to back. Sadly, her “cliff-hanger” closing paragraph statements don’t always get explained in her following sections, so I was left a little unsatisfied on certain claims.

I don’t know much about Luciano, but by reading this book I got the feeling that she was something of a feminist, though definitely not a “raging” one. While I have no problem with this, I always appreciate it when authors give a bit more “where I’m coming from” info in their introductions, just so I can understand the reasoning a bit better. She does, however, have a nice chunk of notes in the back of the book explaining some of her source choices. I wish she would have gotten over citing Schwarzenegger for most of her body-building examples: true, he is the one most US citizens would be most familiar with, but there were others she could have drawn on to better illustrate some of her points.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The passage of decades brings altered outlooks on everything that touches mankind in society. How men view themselves in relation to the world around them is no exception. Assistant Prof. Luciano digs deeply into the notions of health, beauty, virtue, masculinity, self esteem as well as the mechanics of desire as she probes just what constitutes “good looks” for modern American men.

As well as being extremely insightful about changing values, Ms. Luciano also shows the benefits and detriments of health and beauty regimes as men become more and more obsessed with maintaining youthful, attractive appearances. She also doesn’t shy away from showing the ugly side of masculine narcissism: the dangers of Viagra, the pitfalls of hair transplants and the horrors of botched phalloplasties, et al.

This isn’t a self-help book. “Looking Good” doesn’t purport to tell anybody how to deal with men suffering from ‘roid rage or hair transplants gone wrong. What it does do, and excellently, too, is outline the altered aspects of 21st-century males.

Ms. Luciano wisely doesn’t go on and on with medical jargon or the intricacies of court battles. But she clearly knows her subject, making this is a probing book and not boring in the slightest.

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A standard overview of changing standards of male beauty. Nothing special here, but the stuff about hair plugs was amusing. Worthwhile if you're looking to quickly familiarize yourself with the subject. Luciano's last name has changed but she's still around, teaching at a state university in California.

[Rafal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly fascinating. Covers only 4 topics over the course of time. I believe they were physical fitness, hair, plastic surgery, and impotence. Sort of an odd construct for a book. It feels like 4 related term papers than a coherent novel.

[Dante · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone wrote a book dissecting the most interesting topic on Earth: my everlasting vanity? I'm there!

[Mikael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fascinating, especially the chapters on penis enlargement surgery that put the doctor in jail!!!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gets weirdly tangential at points and is a little unorganized, but overall pretty good.