Not exactly what I thought it would be this is about the pitfalls of modeling. It wasn't exactly the behind the scenes look I thought it would be. Better suited to someone trying to break into the industry then someone who doesn't know anything about it at all. ( )

Written at about an 8th grade level, this book presents a mostly-honest look at the challenges and tribulations of life as a working model. However, the book is full of fawning model profiles and disingenuous comments about how models must not be thin, but rather "fit and healthy", which make it clear that whatever else she is, Jeanne Beker is dependent on the kindness of the fashion industry for her livelihood. Full of photos, this book is capable of being read in about an hour, for all its flaws, it should be required reading for any teenage girl who has dreams of "making it" as a model. ( )

Strutting It is a book for those interested in modeling as a career or interested in the modeling profession. The author is passionate about the topic and lets us behind the scenes of this glamorous and demanding world. It talks about the physical characteristics desired as well as the personality traits that will allow someone to become successful in this field.

The book also discusses the history of modeling as well as the bigger names. The modern names mentioned are probably more familiar to the reader. There are also many models mentioned that I was not familiar with and with no picture or visual to go with the name it seemed as if the author was name dropping rather then going into why she included them in the first place. ( )

Although I've never been big into fashion (I rarely even wear makeup) and certainly have never aspired to be a model, this book caught my attention for research purposes. Purported to be a behind the scenes guide to the modeling industry, I figured it would be a good source of information should I ever return to writing as one of my characters is an aspiring photographer/model.

In reading the book I was pretty pleased that it delivered on its premise. Although the fashionista "voice" of the author is not what I usually enjoy, it certainly fits the subject matter. She see-saws between letting prospective models know that yes, the life of a model (especially the rarely achieved but oft sought after "supermodel" status) is indeed as glamorous as you might believe, but the road to getting there is long, hard, lonely and exhausting. I also enjoyed the small bios she included on many of the better known models in the fashion world, although some of the factoids were rather gossipy/trite. The author continuously laced her narrative with warnings on the work and the atmosphere of the modeling world. With the very, very good can come the very, very bad.

Overall I did enjoy the book. It provided me with some insight on the behind the scenes I was looking for plus some factual information I wouldn't normally have found out just doing internet search. I'll be hanging on to the book for future reference. ( )

I read this with my ten-year-old sister in mind since she is an avid mini-fashionista-in-training. Being in my mid-twenties, this book isn't for us. It is for those teens and pre-teens who are interested in the fashion business and have their sights set on being a supermodel.

As someone whose knowledge about the fashion industry is just enough to pass, I found this book to be quite fascinating! It shows the pros and cons of going into the modeling business and just what to expect if you can get your foot in the door. I also really enjoyed hearing about models from the first supermodel to the famous models of today. I was especially excited to see information on my favorite current models, Agyness Deyn and Crystal Renn! I will agree with other reviewers that I wish there had been even more pictures. This is a fashion book, after all! It isn't enough to read about the fashion and the models; we want to see them! Plus, since the book is geared towards pre-teens and teens, I think the book would have done a better service to them with more photos to illustrate their points.

My biggest complaint is with the fact that author Jeanne Beker uses the word "inimitable" on almost every page. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but that seemed to be her favorite word and she overused it. Did the copy editor not catch it and request that she use another word from time to time? By the end of the book, every time I saw that word, I got annoyed. That may just be my own personal issue, but as someone who has done a lot of writing and editing in her day, I was just sorely disappointed on that front because it made the text start to feel stale and repetitive.

Overall, I give this book three stars. It gets an average rating due to its repetitive nature, the fact that there aren't enough pictures, in my opinion, for the subject matter and their demographic, and the advice could be a little more practical. However, the book is well made, and it is obvious that time and attention was put into it. For a young girl who has dreams and aspirations of making it in the fashion industry, I'd recommend picking up this book for them. ( )