The Power of Looks

'Tackling an issue that is timely and controversial, Berry analyzes the way in which beauty and appearance affect all aspects of our lives from employment to romance, demonstrating that the very people who need procedures and products the most, the poor who suffer disproportionately from being unattractive, are the least likely to have access to them. A superb read.' Angela Hattery, Wake Forest University, USA 'This work makes a significant contribution to the sociological literature by examining the stigma, bias, and discrimination associated with social stratification and appearance. With its international scope and original review of theory and methods relevant to social aesthetics, it greatly expands our understanding of the social forces influencing power and inequality dynamics throughout society.' Denise Paquette Boots, University of Texas at Dallas, USA 'In the The Power of Looks, Bonnie Berry examines the unearned privileges enjoyed by people considered attractive by contemporary social standards. Her book is a very approachable, clear, and concise text that is suitable for both a non-academic audience and first-year university students in the disciplines of sociology, psychology, gender studies and cultural studies...[Berry] convincingly argues that the values placed on aspects of a person's appearance are arbitrary and rely on a reflection of the appearance of the people currently in power.' Culture and the Media '... The Power of Looks is a very interesting contribution to the sociology of the body and also to women’s studies, domains in which Berry is a central player. ... The Power of Looks brings an array of original con­cepts like ’appearance stratification’ which could even be adapted in other research related to the sociology of body and fashion (p. 119). ... this concise book could as well be of interest for graduates in gender studies, cultural studies, disability studies, and sociology.' Sociology