Empresses of Seventh Avenue by Nancy MacDonell
Blurb: In the tradition of The Barbizon and The Girls of Atomic City, fashion historian and journalist Nancy MacDonell chronicles the untold story of how the Nazi invasion of France gave rise to the American fashion industry.
My thoughts: This book took me a while to finish, but I really enjoyed everything I learned. It was chock full of information I knew nothing about, and I have a new appreciation for how the American fashion industry came to be during World War II. I think this took me a while because it was so detailed and informative that I needed to get a breather to retain it all. I had no idea how little I knew about our country’s fashion history, and I could totally see this being a college course (that I would have happily added to my curriculum!)
Empire of the Elite: Inside Condé Nast, the Media Dynasty That Reshaped America by Michael M. Grynbaum
Blurb: From a New York Times media correspondent, a dishy history of the Condé Nast magazine empire, home of Vogue, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and more, focusing on its glitzy heyday from the 1980s through the 2000s.
My thoughts: I think my biggest qualm with this book has to do with the audiobook narration. It was tough. I found the entire thing to be a slog to the end, and I felt like I had successfully run a marathon when I was done. The narration sounded like a robot telling me the history of Condé Nast and almost felt like a punishment I was voluntarily putting myself through.
I don’t mean that to sound harsh, but the audiobook really took away my enjoyment of this book, especially on a topic I’d typically have so much interest in. I enjoyed learning about Condé Nast’s storied history, but my favorite era to learn about was the 90s, when money was no object for the employees or the cost of creating beautiful magazine content. The end of the book goes into the internet era, and how some publications were late to the game. These parts of the book intrigued me the most. I think this story is best enjoyed by reading the book and avoiding the audio option!
Metabolism Repair for Women by Lara Briden
Blurb: Through a compassionate lens, Metabolism Repair for Women takes a biology-centered approach, shifting the focus from calorie counting to supporting the systems that regulate metabolism. For example, the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympethic) has a huge effect on hunger and energy expenditure—especially in women. So do the gut, liver, gallbladder, and, of course, the hormone insulin.
The book is a troubleshooting guide for insulin resistance and weight gain and provides a 10-step plan for identifying personal metabolic obstacles, such as digestion problems, medications, and hormonal issues. It then offers actionable strategies for overcoming those obstacles and explains why a simple intervention like fixing the gut can reverberate through the entire system to reduce hunger and stimulate fat burning.
My thoughts: As a longtime follower of Lara Briden, I was really excited to read this. I’ve struggled with health issues for six long years now, and I suspect many of them are hormone-related. This book was packed with helpful information, from supplements to what and how to ask your doctor for certain tests. I could write my own book on how hard it is for doctors to take women seriously, but I really love Dr. Briden’s approach to health. She provides helpful information in an easy-to-understand way, and I highly recommend this book and following her website or social media.
Barbieland: The Unauthorized History by Tarpley Hitt
Blurb: In Barbieland, journalist and The Drift editor Tarpley Hitt exposes the long-hidden backstory of the world’s most famous doll. After snuffing out her predecessor, Barbie climbed to the throne of global girlhood and stayed there, fending off rivals with a mix of strategic marketing, government influence, ruthless litigation, and covert tactics worthy of a classic spy novel.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one! As someone who grew up with tons of Barbies, I never knew much about the company behind the iconic doll. This book goes into incredible detail about how the company started, all the players involved, and the controversies they’ve faced over the decades. I love me some investigative reporting, especially about a brand that helped shape my childhood!
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