Winner of four major awards, Joan Jacobs Brumberg’s Fasting Girls, presents a history of women’s food-refusal dating back as far as the sixteenth century. Here is a tableau of female self-denial: medieval martyrs who used starvation to demonstrate religious devotion, “wonders of science” whose families capitalized on their ability to survive on flower petals and air, silent screen stars whose strict “slimming” regimens inspired a generation.Here, too, is a fascinating look at how the cultural ramifications of the Industrial Revolution produced a disorder that continues to render privileged young women helpless. Incisive, compassionate, illuminating, Fasting Girls offers real understanding to victims and their families, clinicians, and all women who are interested in the origins and future of this complex, modern and characteristically female disease.
This outstanding book is a must read for anyone going into psychology, neuroscience, working with adolescents, education, and public health. Brumberg’s ability to write medical history is phenomenal. This is definitely one of the finest books I’ve read in this genre.
Her research is meticulous; I was surprised and impressed with the sheer amount of information she provides concerning this problem during the 19th century. Many in the medical profession still believe that this disorder is something brought on by our society in the 20th century, but she shows that anorexia has been with us for a long time.
Author: Joan Jacobs Brumberg
Year of Release: 2000