STACKED by Susan Seligson

(Bloomsbury, 2007)

 

From Publishers Weekly

 

Starred Review. Like an artful comedienne, journalist Seligson (Going with the Grain), a self-avowedly well-endowed woman, wittily recounts her experiences as she anecdotally examines "what breasts mean to their bearers as well as their beholders." Assessing an abundant lexicon of breast slang, Seligson ponders the role of breasts as the marker of femininity, conversing with women of all ages about how their breast size affects their daily life and self-image. Quizzing experts on the evolutionary role of breasts for human sexual attraction, she surveys the history of the brassiere before purchasing "the perfect bra" at a renowned Manhattan retailer. Seligson's candid observations are hilarious as she visits a workaholic editor for Busty Beauties magazine and searches for the Guinness-record-holder for breast size, one Maxi Mounds, at an exotic dancing event. Questioning the global phenomenon of breast augmentation, Seligson reveals industry scams and discusses the psychology, ethics and cultural implications of implant consumerism with leading plastic surgeons and media scholars. Concluding with cross-dressers and their removable breasts, the author proclaims herself at peace with herself as "a person who happens to be stacked." Seligson's earthy merriment and compassionate humor triumph as she surefootedly tours a subject bound to elicit strong feelings ranging from adulation to derision. 
 

“A good-natured examination of the breast question…Seligson…[is] a dazzlingly good sport…Stacked is on the side of right—a celebration, neither prudish or depraved, of ‘female orbs’ in all their hypnotic glory.”—New York Times Book Review

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“A petite woman naturally endowed with large breasts, humor writer Susan Seligson had only to look down to find the subject of her next book…In Stacked, Seligson has written an entertaining treatise on America's breast obsession.”—Boston Globe

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“Bearing a suitably overstuffed quiver of mammary synonyms (Seligson deserves some sort of lifetime-achievement award for elegant variation), her book is an entertaining… tour of plastic-surgery clinics, exotic-dancing trade shows, and the national bedroom.”—Atlantic Monthly

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“Witty and illuminating.”—Philadelphia Inquirer

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"While we're at it, we might banish a couple of self-image anxieties. "Breasts are by far the most emotionally fraught and irksome of body parts, " Susan Seligson writes in her recent book Stacked: A 32DDD Reports from the Front." "I remember those years of painful self-consciousness, when I felt as if my boobs were on their way to taking over the rest of me, like a form of kudzu," she says. But at 51, she notes "I have tome to accept, embrace, and even adore them…They suit me now more than ever, at a time in my life when I feel confident and sexy but don't take myself--or them--too seriously." —More

 

“On location in L.A., [Seligson] manages to be both sympathetic and funny in profiles of the creator of Busty Beauties and of plastic surgeon Robert Rey, cable TV’s Dr. 90210. Her pilgrimage to Las Vegas in search of 156MMM dancer Maxi Mounds has an entertaining Waiting for Godot quality, and it’s informative to boot: Who knew that polyprolene string was the implant material of choice for the ‘macro-boob sorority’?”—New York Observer

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“Susan Seligson deftly and humorously guides you through this universal infatuation.”—Metro newspapers

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“As Seligson puts it, ‘Everybody loves to talk about boobs’…though few do so with the humor, poignancy, smarts and insight Seligson mixes artfully throughout chapters that examine the importance of the breast in our culture...Breezy and informative.”—Springfield Republican

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“Seligson writes with wisdom and humor.”—Tucson Citizen

 

“Seligson….finds the humanity in just about all of her interview subjects.”—Kirkus Reviews

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“I always thought beautiful breasts were there just to behold and hold, but Susan Seligson set me straight.  Breasts are there to write about.  I don’t know how adolescents will take to Stacked, but we Golden Agers are here to take the turns on the trip she offers.”—Norman Mailer  

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“Stacked answers the question ‘Why do women have nipples?’ so wittily and thoroughly, let’s hope it’s the beginning of the Seligson Series of examinations of body parts. Next stop: the Mound of Venus.”—Kate Clinton, comedian and author

 

“This is totally tit lit.”—Bookslut.com

 

 

GOING WITH THE GRAIN (SIMON & SCHUSTER)

 

"I didn't know that anyone could write a good, zippy book about bread, but I was wrong. Full salute to Susan  Seligson." —Norman Mailer

 

"Freewheeling, always entertaining...an invitation into worlds that might otherwise be off limits." — The Boston Globe

 

"Seligson is a deliciously entertaining guide. Her palpable enthusiasm translates into stories spiced with rich detail and witty commentary." — The Christian Science Monitor