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Beautiful Bodies: A Memoir Paperback – July 25, 2017
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From the bestselling and beloved author of Coming Clean, a brave and witty examination of how and why we try to control our bodies with food.
Like most people, Kimberly Rae Miller does not have the perfect body, but that hasn't stopped her from trying. And trying. And trying some more. She's been at it since she was four years old, when Sesame Street inspired her to go on her first diet. Postcollege, after a brief stint as a diet-pill model, she became a health-and-fitness writer and editor working on celebrities' bestselling bios―sugarcoating the trials and tribulations celebs endure to stay thin. Needless to say, Kim has spent her life in pursuit of the ideal body.
But what is the ideal body? Knowing she's far from alone in this struggle, Kim sets out to find the objective definition of this seemingly unattainable level of perfection. While on a fascinating and hilarious journey through time that takes her from obese Paleolithic cavewomen, to the bland menus that Drs. Graham and Kellogg prescribed to promote good morals in addition to good health, to the binge-drinking-prone regimen that caused William the Conqueror's body to explode at his own funeral, Kim ends up discovering a lot about her relationship with her own body.
Warm, funny, and brutally honest, Beautiful Bodies is a blend of memoir and social history that will speak to anyone who's ever been caught in a power struggle with his or her own body―in other words, just about everyone.
- Print length234 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateJuly 25, 2017
- Dimensions5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
- ISBN-101477829571
- ISBN-13978-1477829578
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Editorial Reviews
Review
A People Magazine Best New Books selection
A New York Post Must-Read Books selection
An Elle Magazine Best Books of the Summer selection
A PureWow Best Beach Reads of Summer selection
An InStyle, W Magazine, and NY Daily News Summer Reads selection
“Keenly perceptive, unflinchingly honest, and ultimately inspiring.…Miller shares her dieting travails with humor and honesty while tracing the roots of our society’s obsession with body image.” —Booklist, Starred Review
“Who doesn't want the perfect body? We all do. Kimberly Rae Miller does.…[In] Beautiful Bodies, Miller examines a life of dieting and seeks to find where this unattainable image of the ‘ideal body’ came from.” —PopSugar
“If you find the subject of food to be both vexing and transfixing, you'll love Beautiful Bodies, Kimberly Rae Miller’s witty and wise memoir, social history, and, yes, love story about dieting, fitness, and body image.” —Elle Magazine
“What makes this memoir different from other accounts by women struggling with their weight is that the author knows the science behind it…” —Kirkus Reviews
“Miller’s story is one that any woman can slip into with great ease.” —New York Daily News
“In Beautiful Bodies, Kimberly Rae Miller writes intimately of the damage done when women’s bodies and appearance are discussed in degrading terms.…This account offers telling insight on the immense negativity surrounding body image, as well as acknowledging that love and acceptance of oneself is a constant exercise in reinforcement.” —Library Journal
“Kimberly Rae Miller’s magnification of modern diet culture, historic and current beauty standards, and the media’s influence over it all creates a really beautiful base for a conversation we should all be having.” —a Better Happier St. Sebastian
“Kimberly Rae Miller’s candid body image memoir…digs deep into the social history of weight loss and finding self-love after a lifetime of dieting.” —InStyle
“There’s no such thing as an ideal or perfect body, but the elusive quest to create one has guided Kimberly Rae Miller since childhood.…In Beautiful Bodies, she combines her personal experience with social history to explore how the idea of perfect bodies was formed and has shifted time and time again, becoming a little less attainable each generation.…Beautiful Bodies is full of history about body image that will entertain and sadden you.” —BitchMedia
“Miller, author of the excellent 2013 memoir Coming Clean (about growing up with parents who were hoarders), is back with another powerful book that’s part memoir, part social history. Here, [Miller] explores her complex and at times difficult relationship with food, eating, and exercise and examines how and why we try to control our bodies.” —PureWow
“Many women can identify with the thoughts and feeling of Kimberly Rae Miller, who struggles over figuring out just what the ideal body looks like. [In Beautiful Bodies,] follow Kimberly’s journey as she embarks on a fascinating, if not hilarious, voyage to uncover this mystery, which has plagued women (and men) throughout history.” —FamilyEducation
“There was not one slow moment in Beautiful Bodies. Despite [there being] many books on personal addictions including eating disorders, this book is head and shoulders above the others. Her story is one that many readers can relate to and her writing is accessible, her vulnerability incomparable.” —New York Journal of Books
“Just as she did in Coming Clean, [Miller] writes about pain and struggle with utter honesty, humor, and grace. If you have ever felt at odds with your body—as if no matter what you do, it simply isn’t good enough—you will see yourself in this wonderful book. If you have a partner or daughter who struggles with her body, this book is required reading.” —Gabi Moskowitz, producer of Freeform’s Young & Hungry and coauthor of Hot Mess Kitchen
“Weaving diet history with all-insecurities-bared personal narrative, Kimberly Rae Miller charts the cuckoo, dangerous, and heartbreaking efforts we endure to suppress our bodies into an imagined ideal. Funny, honest, and deeply empathic, this memoir of the public and private body chronicles the ultimate struggle—not to lose weight but to love the shape of our lives.” —Sarah McColl, founder of Yahoo Food
“Kimberly Rae Miller’s Beautiful Bodies will make you laugh and cry with her story of a life spent chasing a beautiful body. Truthful, heartfelt, and delightfully funny, Miller walks her path toward redemption with admirable grace—and reminds us it’s truly okay to be exactly as we are.” —Katie Sise, author of Creative Girl, The Boyfriend App, and The Pretty App
About the Author
Kimberly Rae Miller is a bestselling author, editor, and blogger. Her 2013 memoir, Coming Clean, was picked by both Amazon and Elle magazine as one of the best books of the year, and it was a nominee for the 2013 Goodreads Choice Awards. She has written on healthy living for numerous magazines and websites, including her personal blog, www.TheKimChallenge.com. Kim lives in New York City.
Product details
- Publisher : Little A (July 25, 2017)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 234 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1477829571
- ISBN-13 : 978-1477829578
- Item Weight : 9.6 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #3,233,553 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,685 in Green Housecleaning
- #3,453 in Culinary Biographies & Memoirs
- #31,462 in Women's Biographies
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Kimberly Rae Miller is a writer and actress living in New York City. Her writing on healthy living has been published on Conde Nast’s blog network, Social Workout, Yahoo’s women’s network Shine, and in various magazines. She also contributes entertainment news to CBS Radio and CBS New York. In 2010, Kim was featured in Katharine Sise’s breakthrough career guide Creative Girl: The Ultimate Guide for Turning Talent and Creativity into a Real Career. You can read her personal blog at TheKimChallenge.com.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this memoir engaging and relatable, with a wonderful writing style that is honest and down-to-earth. The book receives positive feedback for its humor, being both funny and sometimes sad. Customers appreciate its beauty, with one review specifically mentioning its focus on having the perfect body.
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Customers find the book engaging and relatable, describing it as a captivating story about an important topic.
"...This book chronicles her journey into weight loss starting as a child into adulthood and also shows society's obsession with weight has been around..." Read more
"...style kept me somewhat interested & the small amount of historical offerings were interesting...." Read more
"...on audible and found the authors voice and tone gave it a real sense of human experience and vulnerability...." Read more
"Beautiful Bodies is a really good account of crazy body dysmorphia and what it does to us, our families, and our relationships...." Read more
Customers find the book to be a fabulous read, with one customer noting it's a great choice for book clubs and another mentioning it's an excellent companion to the author's previous work.
"I enjoyed this book a lot. I feel like the author was describing a lot of the inner dialogue we women face no matter what size we are...." Read more
"...Coming Clean”, also by Kimberly Rae Miller, is an excellent read & having enjoyed that book so much, I was very much looking forward to this one...." Read more
"...however, the book is honest and delightful...." Read more
"...Great read!" Read more
Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, finding it honest and easy to read, with one customer noting how the author eloquently conveys emotions.
"...Very well written and well done!" Read more
"...her lifelong struggle with dieting, you are missing out on a really well-written book...." Read more
"...I wasn’t completely disappointed...Ms. Miller’s writing style kept me somewhat interested & the small amount of historical offerings were interesting..." Read more
"...however, the book is honest and delightful...." Read more
Customers find the book beautiful, with one mentioning its focus on having the perfect body.
"...body acceptance for almost her entire life and I think it’s sad but beautiful that she could articulate all of it in such a way that so many can..." Read more
"...What I got out of it is that the perfect beautiful body does not exist...." Read more
"I loved Beautiful Bodies. As someone who has always struggled with my weight, I felt like Kimberly Rae Miller was talking to me...." Read more
"...of a person obsessed with losing weight, being thin and having the perfect body...." Read more
Customers find the book humorous, with some noting it can be a little sad at times, and one describing it as heartwrenching.
"...The author does a really fine job mixing humor while giving a brutally honest look at herself and how she grew up...." Read more
"I absolutely loved this book! It is funny, insightful and full of history that actually means something to me...." Read more
"...Perfect combination of facts, whit and heartbreak. Can't wait to read whatever the next book is! Loved it!" Read more
"...'s ability to share her personal odyssey with candor and humor is very impressive, not to mention her perseverance in rising above hardships and..." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2024I enjoyed this book a lot. I feel like the author was describing a lot of the inner dialogue we women face no matter what size we are. She had been in a journey of body acceptance for almost her entire life and I think it’s sad but beautiful that she could articulate all of it in such a way that so many can learn from. Very well written and well done!
- Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2017Kimberly Rae Miller has had a lifelong struggle with her weight. She's tried just about every diet and exercise program on the market with minimal results to even gaining weight on some of the programs. Despite writing different columns on healthy living for various websites and publications, she feels like a failure when it comes to achieving the ideal body. This book chronicles her journey into weight loss starting as a child into adulthood and also shows society's obsession with weight has been around for centuries.
I normally do not seek out books about weight loss or healthy living but because I received a free ebook from the publisher I decided to give this book a shot. I was pleasantly surprised to find out this book was so much more interesting than I first assumed. I loved learning the different examples on how dieting isn't a modern concept but has been around for centuries.
The author does a really fine job mixing humor while giving a brutally honest look at herself and how she grew up. I never felt that she placed the blame on others but instead gave examples of what may have contributed, such as growing up in a house that was overtaken by her dad's hoarding. I really enjoyed her writing and am interested in checking out her previous book.
Some people might criticize the author because in their eyes she might not be overweight enough and for some she might have what they believe already is an ideal body. I think this book shows that most of us struggle with how we look and just because others love us for who we are doesn't mean that we always love ourselves. I think if you only focus in on how you don't believe she is qualified to share her lifelong struggle with dieting, you are missing out on a really well-written book.
I received a free copy of this ebook but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinions.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2017Although touted as a history of diets, body image, etc. & society’s fixation on the human shape throughout the centuries, do not be fooled! While a small percentage is devoted to those, this is mostly a memoir that centers on Ms. Miller’s struggles with her own weight issues & her low self esteem.
“Coming Clean”, also by Kimberly Rae Miller, is an excellent read & having enjoyed that book so much, I was very much looking forward to this one. I wasn’t completely disappointed...Ms. Miller’s writing style kept me somewhat interested & the small amount of historical offerings were interesting. It’s just that reading a whole book about someone’s self-loathing because of their obesity is not my idea of entertainment. Had the description been honest, this book would not have been my choice.
On the flip side, because I read Coming Clean & came to care about Kimberly, (& her parents), it was nice to learn about this next phase of her/their life. In that respect, I’m satisfied with this 2nd MEMOIR.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2019This book really spoke to me and my life long struggle with weight and dieting. What I got out of it is that the perfect beautiful body does not exist. Women have been fed by society on what the perfect body should look like for centuries. We as woman should first and foremost love the person we are inside and stop trying to conform to an image society thinks we should be. The most destructive thing we have created is the mythical perfect diet, that is supposed to transform our bodies into Goddesses. We need to stop the madness. All of us are unique and special in our own way. We are not to be judged by what a BMI chart or a scale tells us. As long as we're healthy, what does it matter what are bodies look like to someone else. There are many skinny people in this world who are very unhealthy. We are all made by are creator to be beautiful regardless of our size. Let us start to appreciate the beauty inside and not so much on the outside.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2017Many of us have been there. That's the main take away from this book. Miller tells her in-depth feeling since childhood.. why couldn't anyone just answer her questions she had about health, and diet, and how to have a healthy, perfect body? She tries to answer those questions throughout her life and ends up living off of under 800 calories a day, working out for hours on end, eating a mostly vegetarian diet, and wondering why she can't lose weight...(broken metabolism-duh!) however, the book is honest and delightful. I listened to it on audible and found the authors voice and tone gave it a real sense of human experience and vulnerability. Anyone who has been "passionate" about health and fitness, or body image or dieting or any of that for years on end will relate to this book. The author goes on a little long at some times, but she doesn't want to leave anything out, and you can't argue with that. Some people might need to hear those bits!
Top reviews from other countries
- Tina BensonReviewed in Canada on September 22, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Excellent book. A must read. Took the words about my self out of my head.
- MRS C.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 26, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and entertaining
An easy but very good read - so well written and will strike a chord or two with anyone who like me has battled with their body!
- Kindle CustomerReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 19, 2017
4.0 out of 5 stars All bodies are beautiful (but some are more beautiful than others!)
I enjoyed this account of a woman's battle with dieting. I have had my own struggles with my body image as my weight has gone from effortlessly stick-thin teenager to having-to-watch-every-mouthful-or-I-will-balloon adult :(
The historical snippets of information about dieting were very interesting and I found the book to be well written and paced.
- AngelReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 21, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars a must read or all you body conscious
Very relatable ☺