Hope in a Jar: The Making of America's Beauty Culture Paperback – September 16, 2011

The used book was in perfect conditioned and packaged nicely. Great communication about product delivery scedule.

Well researched and written history of cosmetics in U.S. Nuanced discussion of how makeup was perceived, produced, marketed and used.

Dull and dry writing.

The author asks the question "Why are many women so interested in makeup?" and tries to answer it, while also telling you a history of the cosmetics industry. (It goes back further than I thought.) I don't think she fully answers the question, but the information and ideas she gives are thought-provoking. Maybe the point is that we're each supposed to come up with our own answers. I've been thinking about mine since reading this book two months ago.What's really cool to me is that the author doesn't think there's necessarily anything evil or anti-feminist about enjoying cosmetics. She doesn't try to say that women who buy makeup have given into their oppression. I've always loved makeup, yet considered myself an independent, modern person, and I don't think these ideas conflict.This is not a political book. It's more sociological. The author shows her fascination with this subject without passing judgement on anyone involved (although some of the industry people were ruthless and shady, and she lets you see that without hitting you over the head with it).

Although the author does bring up a few interesting points, on the whole this book is a bit too psuedointellectual for my taste. Some of the information is incorrect, ie. that black women spend more per capita on cosmetics than anyone else (hint: look at how Asian women spend their dosh), but I find rather basic mistakes like that are good for a giggle. Certain subjects just don't lend themselves well to 'academic' study, and cosmetics is one of them. Coming from someone who has taught Cosmetology, it's a bit like studying paper.

著者は文化史や女性史で有名なPeissさんです。辞書にも載っていない単語が出てきて，日本人には何回ですが，内容が優れていることはわかります。