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Part 1:
JOSSEY-BASS RELIGION-IN-PRACTICE SERIES
Elements of a Good Project Proposal
Thank you for your interest in Jossey-Bass. We're glad that you're interested in publishing with us. Please consider the following information when submitting a project for publication:
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JOSSEY-BASS RELIGION-IN-PRACTICE SERIES
Publishing Mission
Transforming lives through the renewaland practice of faith
Through its Religion-in-Practice series Jossey-Bass intends to become a leading publisher of thoughtful, high-level books on:
Spirituality for engagement with the world
The responsible expression and practice of faith in all aspects of life: family, work, community, and congregations
The renewal and strengthening of religious leadership and the institutions of faith
We serve Evangelical, mainline Protestant, and Jewish communities through our publishing program.
Send query letters and proposals to:Mark David KerrEditor, Religion in PracticeJossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint989 Market StreetSan Francisco, CA 94103800.956.7339 phone
Part 2:
NEW BOOK PROPOSAL
OVERVIEW
It’s been called “the willing wound,” and this year alone it’s lured over ten
million women. Cosmetic surgery—often assumed to be the pursuit of the
vain and the shallow. Or is there more to our desire for beauty than meets the
eye? Is there, perhaps, a timeless link between the heart’s pursuit of beauty
and our soul’s yearning to know ultimate, Incarnate Beauty? Body and Soul:
The Truth About Cosmetic Surgery and Our Longing for Beauty takes a new
and balanced look at cosmetic surgery and beauty through the eyes of
respected craniofacial plastic surgeon Stephen P. Beals, M.D., F.A.C.S. Dr.
Beals explores the body-soul relationship while offering practical tools and
expert insight for women exploring the option of cosmetic surgery.
WORKING TITLE
Body and Soul:The Truth About Cosmetic Surgery and Our Longing for Beauty
AUTHORS
Stephen P. Beals, M.D.with Shelly Beach
REPRESENTED BY
David Sanford, President In cooperation with…Sanford Communications, Inc. Timothy J. Beals, President16778 SE Cohiba Ct Credo Communications, LLCDamascus, OR 97089 3148 Plainfield Ave NE, Suite [email protected] Grand Rapids, MI 49525(503) 890-0456
[email protected](616) 363-2686
ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY
This book will help readers evaluate current trends and influences in
society’s ever-increasing pursuit of beauty and assist them in making
informed, balanced decisions regarding cosmetic surgery.
BISAC CATEGORY
MEDICAL / Surgery / Plastic & Cosmetic
AUDIENCE
Primary: The 10 million women in physicians’ and plastic surgeon’s offices
each year (American Society of Plastic Surgeons 2006) seeking direction and
considering plastic surgery procedures.
Secondary: Physicians within the plastic surgery community.
Tertiary: Christian physicians within the general medical community.
PURPOSE AND NEED
Our generation is the first to face the challenge of balancing the pursuit of
beauty in a world with the technological finesse to sculpt us each into our
desired image. Body and Soul: The Truth About Cosmetic Surgery and Our
Longing for Beauty reflectively explores the topic of beauty within
contemporary culture in relationship to the choices of women seeking
cosmetic surgery.
Popular books on the topic present an array of perspectives.
Feminists, such as Naomi Wolf, reject cosmetic surgery as acquiescence to
male domination and cultural oppression. At the other end of the spectrum,
evangelicals purport a somewhat dualistic view, encouraging women to
focus on inner beauty, while denying the reality of the body-soul connection.
Body and Soul explores the reality of body-mind unity and the
longing in each of us to pursue beauty that reflects our spiritual design. The
book begins by exploring the history of American culture and the
deterioration of inner paradigms of beauty based upon character which
shaped self-image in earlier decades. The topic of yearning is then explored,
illuminating how our pursuit of beauty reflects our desire to be complete,
emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Women in the twenty-first century
are challenged to come to grips with cosmetic surgery as a growing influence
within their personal culture—a tool with the capability to be embraced or
rejected, but certainly to be considered as a potential tool of healing and
restoration.
As Dr. Beals presents in his final chapter, ultimate beauty is found in
the gaze of the eyes of Jesus Christ when we come into personal relationship
with him and find the source of all beauty in Incarnate Beauty.
UNIQUE ANGLES
Books for women on the topic of beauty tend to be stratified in their
philosophical approach: those expressing the anti-beauty views of the
feminists, those that focus on themes of inner and spiritual beauty, and those
that promote a popular, commercialized view of beauty.
No book currently on the market, however, offers the reader the tools
to explore the topic of beauty and cosmetic surgery in contemporary culture
within the context of a spiritual framework.
Body and Soul: The Truth About Cosmetic Surgery and Our Longing
for Beauty,, provides a readable narrative and tools that help readers explore
the topics of beauty, self-image, agency, personal story, and the emotionally
and potentially spiritually redemptive applications of cosmetic surgery
within contemporary culture.
CURRENT INTEREST
Statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons demonstrate a
consistent rise in the number of plastic surgery procedures over the past
fifteen years and within the past year.
1992 320,487 total cosmetic procedures
2005 1,171,795 total cosmetic procedures
2006 1,228,950 total cosmetic procedures
283% increase in procedures (total of all types combined) from
1992 to 2006
5% increase in procedures (total of all types combined) from
2005 to 2006
READER BENEFITS
If readers in the target market purchase and read Body and Soul, then they
will:
Understand more fully the unity of the soul-body connection
and its implications in our pursuit of beauty
Understand more deeply humankind’s pursuit of beauty as a
reflection of spiritual longing
Understand more deeply humankind’s yearning for
completion and wholeness
Understand the varied and complex reasons for which women
seek out cosmetic surgery, apart from the oversimplified
assumption of “vanity”
Gain perspectives and tools to help the reader evaluate their
own motivations toward cosmetic surgery and their “storied”
body parts in order to more spiritually and wholistically reflect
upon the applications of cosmetic surgery in their lives
Learn about the risks, realities, and benefits of cosmetic
surgery
Share the journeys of numerous women who elected to pursue
a variety of cosmetic surgery procedures with a variety of
outcomes, not only physical, but also emotional and spiritual
This book will:
Explore the cultural, emotional, and spiritual roots of our
longing for beauty
Explore cultural shifts within America over the past one
hundred years that have produced the present beauty culture that
defines a woman by her outward appearance and its subsequent
impact upon women in contemporary society
Present women’s personal cosmetic surgery stories and Dr.
Beal’s insightful observations through narrative presentations,
followed by reflective interaction questions
Offer overview chapters on specific cosmetic procedures
Present a balance approach to cosmetic surgery as one option
of many available in a wholistic approach to beauty that
acknowledges the reality of the body-soul connection
COMPETING WORKS
No similar book on the market currently exists that offers the expertise of a
leading plastic surgeon, coupled with the case studies of individual patients
that allows the reader to explore their rationale and motivation for cosmetic
surgery within a faith context. This book would be a singular voice in the
marketplace for an expression of faith in Jesus Christ through the potentially
life-transforming aesthetic of cosmetic surgery.
No other CBA book that deals with the subject of plastic or cosmetic surgery
could be found. Books on health, fitness, and various facets of beauty are
available.
Leslie Ludy. Authentic Beauty: The Shaping of a Set Apart Young Woman.
Multnomah, 2007. This title is directed toward young women desiring to
focus on inward beauty as preparatory to marriage. Although the subject of
beauty is addressed, the book does not deal with cosmetic surgery or the
concept of seeking balance in the practice of outward beauty.
Elizabeth George. Beautiful in God’s Eyes. Harvest House, 1998. This book
focuses on building inward beauty attributes. Even the chapter on clothing
for beauty dealt with topics of confidence, strength, and joy, taking a
spiritual approach to inward beauty while ignoring the relationship to
physical beauty.
Ginger Garrett. Beauty Secrets of the Bible. Thomas Nelson, 2007. This book
was one of the few that acknowledged an inner-outer relationship in beauty.
However, its focus was on preparation of cosmetics. It did not deal with
cosmetic surgery or present a case for humankind’s yearning for beauty.
Ben Lerner. Body by God. Thomas Nelson, 2003. This book presents a
systematized approach to fitness through diet, exercise, stress reduction, and
godly disciplines, based upon Ben Lerner’s Olympic training. Although it
presents a balanced approach to health and fitness from the perspective of a
profession, it does not touch on cosmetic surgery or beauty.
Jordan Rubin. The Great Physician’s Rx for Health and Wellness. Thomas
Nelson, 2005. This book presents comprehensive health and wellness
information from the perspective of a medical professional, but it does not
offer advice on cosmetic surgery from the perspective of a respected
professional in that field.
Complementary works include:
Loren Eskenazi, M.D., and Peg Streep. More Than Skin Deep: Exploring the
Real Reasons Why Women Go Under the Knife. HarperCollins, 2007. This
book explores the premise that women undergo cosmetic surgery at threshold
moments of life as a means of rite-of-passage. However, More Than Skin
Deep does not offer the reader the opportunity to reflect upon their own
experience through comparative case study narratives or reflective questions.
It does not present an overview of cosmetic surgery procedures.
Additionally, it does not present a personal challenge for faith in Jesus
Christ.
Regina Franklin. Who Calls Me Beautiful? Discovery House Publishers,
2004. This title almost exclusively explores the element of inner beauty, to
the exclusion of physical beauty. Its presentation is more dualistic than that
of Lee-Thorp. Franklin presents a lyrical, although limited argument for the
case for inner beauty as opposed to external beauty. The book provides
personal reflection questions. However, it does not overtly address the topic
of cosmetic surgery.
Steve Jeffes. Appearance Is Everything. Sterling House Publishers, 1998.
Jeffes presents the argument that people make judgments daily based solely
upon the appearance of others. We are judged, right or wrong, upon our
worth, our intelligence, our ability to parent, our worthiness as employees,
and our ability to contribute to society based upon appearance. Jeffes sets
forth forty-five premises regarding appearance discrimination, including:
“Attractive persons are generally provided greater opportunities to socialize
and make friends than unattractive persons of similar capabilities. This
provides the attractive greater opportunities to build networks in order to
succeed in life, business, and other endeavors.” This book contains no case
studies, opportunities for personal reflection, or spiritual content. Information
is presented factually and scientifically, with premises and documenting
arguments.
Karen Lee-Thorp and Cynthia Hicks. Why Beauty Matters. NavPress, 1997.
This book provides a comprehensive exploration of the cultural and biblical
aspects of both inner beauty and physical beauty. However, it does not deal
with the topic of cosmetic surgery as a viable option for women seeking to
correct body deformities. Although its format is similar, with use of statistics
and pullquotes, it was published ten years ago.
Allen D Rosen., M.D. and Valerie U. Ablaza, M.D. Beauty in Balance.
MDPublish, 2006. This book presents an overview of various cosmetic
surgery procedures but does not explore cultural or philosophical aspects of
cosmetic surgery. It also does not present a faith element or narrative case
studies or reflective questions.
Tonya Ruiz. Beauty Quest. Zephaniah Company, 2001. This book presents
Tonya Ruiz’s personal journey from Eileen Ford fashion model to pastor’s
wife and her struggle with the standards of the media and beauty industry. Its
primary focus is to help women to identify media messages of conformity to
cultural beauty standards. It does not present material relevant to women
pursuing cosmetic surgery as a personal choice.
SAMPLING OF AUTHORITIES AND PERSPECTIVES CITED
Joan Jacobs Brumberg. The Body Project. Random House, 1997.
Kathy Davis. Reshaping the Female Body. Routledge, 1995.
Loren Eskenazi, MD. More Than Skin Deep: Exploring the Real Reasons
Why Women Go Under the Knife. HarperCollins, 2007.
Edward Farley. Faith and Beauty. Ashgate Publishing, 2001.
Regina Franklin. Who Calls Me Beautiful. Discovery House Publishers,
2004.
Lucy Grealy. Autobiography of a Face, HarperPerennial, 1994.
Sharlene Hesse-Biber. Am I Thin Enough Yet? Oxford University Press,
1996.
Karen Lee-Thorp and Cynthia Hicks. Why Beauty Matters. NavPress, 1997.
Esther Lightcap Meek. Longing to Know: The Philosophy of Knowledge for
Ordinary People. Brazos Press, 2003.
David G Myers. The American Paradox: Spiritual Hunger in an Age of
Plenty. Yale, 2000.
John Navone. Toward a Theology of Beauty. The Liturgical Press, 1996.
Allen D Rosen., MD, and Valerie J. Ablaza, MD. Beauty in Balance.
MDPublish, 2006.
POTENTIAL ENDORSERS
Dr. Timothy Johnson, Medical Editor, Good Morning America and author of
Finding
God in the Questions (InterVarsity Press)
Dr. Ricky Clay, Cosmetic Surgeon, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Dr. John Woods, Professor Emeritus, Cosmetic Surgeon, Mayo Clinic,
Rochester, MN
Dr. John Townsend, best-selling CBA author
Robin McGraw, author of Choosing to Live a Life of Passion and Purpose
(Thomas
Nelson) and wife of Dr. Phil McGraw
Tracy Groot, Christy Award Winner, 2007
Lynn Austin, three-time Christy Award Winner
Dr. Stephen R. Spencer, Professor of Philosophy, Wheaton College Graduate
School
Esther Lightcap Meek, Professor of Philosophy, Geneva College
Julie Barnhill, best-selling CBA author
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephen P. Beals graduated from Wayne State University School of
Medicine in 1978 and completed his General Surgery Residence at William
Beaumont Hospital. He then completed the Phoenix Plastic Surgery
Residency, which included reconstructive and cosmetic techniques, and
followed with his Craniomaxillofacial Fellowship at the University of
Toronto, Hospital for Sick Children. He has been in private practice for XX
years and founded the Southwest Craniofacial Center and the Craniofacial
Foundation of Arizona. Dr. Beals is certified by the American Board of
Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery and is a fellow of the
American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Surgeons. He
is Section Chief of Plastic Surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital. In addition to his
private practice, Dr. Beals is involved in teaching, research and publication,
and holds academic positions at a Mayo Medical School and Arizona State
University. His clinic is currently establishing a residency program with
Mayo Clinic.
As the son of missionaries, Stephen Beals spent much of his
childhood in Africa and has participated in overseas medical missions in
countries such as Bangladesh, Mexico, and VietNam. He and his wife
Martha have three adult children and reside in the Phoenix area.
Stephen P. Beals, M.D. 5360 E. Rockridge Rd.Phoenix, AZ 85018602.840.0282
ABOUT THE CO-AUTHOR
Shelly Beach holds a B.A. from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan,
and an M.R.E. from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. She is a freelance
writer, public speaker, nonprofit consultant, and college writing instructor.
Shelly’s devotionals, poetry, feature articles, and fiction have been published
in a wide variety of both secular and religious markets. Her devotional for
caregivers, Precious Lord, Take My Hand (Discovery House) and her first
contemporary novel in the Stewartville series, Hallie’s Heart (Kregel
Publishers) were both released in 2007. Her second caregiving title,
Ambushed by Grace (Discovery House) will release in the summer of 2008.
The second novel in her Stewartville series Gifts from Morningsong (Kregel
Publishers), will release in the fall of 2008. Shelly is also currently
developing a women’s issue title with Moody Publishers.
Shelly is the founder of the Cedar Falls Christian Writers’ Workshop
in Cedar Falls, Iowa, as well as a co-founder of the Breathe Christian
Writer’s Workshop in Grand Haven, Michigan. She speaks at writers’
conferences, as well as women’s conferences, retreats, caregivers’ seminars,
and educational venues throughout the country.
As a mother who pursued reconstructive plastic surgery for her child
and has researched it as a personal option, Shelly has the personal experience
to both market the book and to interact with the media on the topic of beauty
and cosmetic surgery.
Shelly Beach130 Ten Mile Rd. NWSparta, MI 49345616.887.0459 home 616.460.4319 [email protected]
AUTHOR PROMOTION
Stephen Beals is experienced in media and marketing and will work closely
with the publisher to actively promote the book Body and Soul.
Past experience:
Producer of award-winning educational and professional
video and film productions:
Winner of the International Television Association Award for his
educational video, Increasing Awareness of People with Facial Differences
Winner of the Telly Award for Increasing Awareness of People with
Facial Differences
Winner of the David and Geck Award for film from the American
College of surgeons for best professional film
Interviewed on nationally-televised programs, such as the
Today Show, for accomplishments within the plastic surgery field
Frequently featured on regional and local television and radio
programming as a health expert
Far-reaching networks and collaborative relationships that
span the globe
Experienced speaker who has presented in international
venues, as well as at conferences, seminars, church, educational,
community, and missions events
Author’s marketing involvement in Body and Soul:
Dr. Beals is willing to promote the book by participating in
Television and media appearances in major markets
Television and media appearances in limited regional markets
Remote radio interviews from his home or office
Limited live radio interviews in major markets
Book signings scheduled with the release of the book and/or
signings to coincide with other scheduled travel
Limited conference or speaking engagements
writing or co-writing feature articles with Shelly Beach on
related issues of beauty and cosmetic surgery to be published in
leading women’s magazines, including Good Housekeeping,
Redbook, O, First, More, Marie Clare and other contemporary
women’s magazines, as well as Christian magazines, including
Radiant, Relevant, and Today’s Christian Woman
Producing a website with marketing and e-promotional
strategies for Body and Soul
CO-AUTHOR PROMOTION
Co-author Shelly Beach is experienced in media and marketing and will also
work closely with the publisher to actively promote the book Body and Soul.
Past experience:
Television and radio appearances, including call-in talk shows
broadcast within local, regional, national, and international markets
Conference speaker, including writers’ conferences, women’s
conferences, educational, and caregiving venues
Networks and associations within publishing, education, and
the medical and caregiving professions
Shelly is willing to promote the book by participating in
book tours
conferences and speaking engagements, especially among
women seeking thoughtful interaction on the topic of aesthetics and
beauty: members of the Renovare Movement, schools offering
degrees in spiritual formation, such as Moody Bible Institute, Talbot
University, and Spring Arbor University, and InterVarsity’s
Emergent Scholars Network
regional and national conferences, such as Women of Faith
Conventions, Emergent Women Conferences, and MOPS
Conferences
speaking tour to promote book in major cities throughout the
United States
live and taped interviews broadcast on Christian radio
stations, including National Public Radio’s Speaking of Faith and
Moody Radio’s Midday Connection
writing or co-writing feature articles with Dr. Beals on related
issues of beauty and cosmetic surgery to be published in leading
women’s magazines, including Good Housekeeping, Redbook, O,
First, More, Marie Clare and other contemporary women’s
magazines, as well as Christian magazines, including Radiant,
Relevant, and Today’s Christian Woman
Incorporating marketing and e-promotional strategies for
Body and Soul into her current website
CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER SYNOPSIS
Body and Soul presents the realities of cosmetic surgery in today’s complex and beauty-
obsessed culture. Chapter content is illustrated with case studies written in an intimate
narrative form that allow the reader easy identification with the “stories” of the patients.
Each case study is accompanied by reflective questions that engage readers in evaluating
their own interests in cosmetic surgery and examining whether or not cosmetic surgery
may be an appropriate choice for their life circumstances
Chapter 1: The Faces that Shaped the Soul of a Surgeon: Stephen’s Story
This chapter traces the early years of Dr. Beals’ life and the shaping influences of family,
faith, and culture. Through a series of vignettes, he shares how his desire to use medicine
as a tool of healing and life transformation led him to plastic surgery, where his
commitment to faith, beauty, and restoration intertwine.
Nicole’s Story: Nicole shares how shame motivated her to seek a rhinoplasty.
Chapter 2: From Corsets to Chemical Peels: The Changing Face of Beauty in America
A century ago, beauty was assessed by inner character and works of virtue. Today the
focus is external, and with the shift to shape and sensuality, American women and girls
have come to view surface beauty, as opposed to inner beauty, as the primary
measurement of worth. Drawing upon the book The Body Project and using statistics and
current trends, the chapter sketches the popular landscape in which cosmetic surgery is
thriving and shows readers the vacuum in our souls that has been created in the process.
2
Ellen’s Story: Ellen relates how a desire to have a more voluptuous body led her to have
a breast augmentation.
Chapter 3: Why Beauty Seeks a Face: Yearning, Beauty, and Image-Bearing
This chapter presents the case for the unity of the body and soul and our yearning for
wholeness and beauty at the core of our being as Image-Bearers. Readers are shown the
connection between our desire to express inward beauty through outward beauty and the
journey to wholeness that physical restoration can bring.
Melinda’s Story: Melinda talks about her journey to restoration as she sought a tummy
tuck after having triplets.
Chapter 4: Entranced by a Gaze: Seeking Beauty in the Eyes of Others
This chapter explores the concept of self-image and finding the source of our significance
in the recognition and gaze of others. It explores the biblical concept that our significance
and identity are found in the Eternal and Fixed Gaze of our loving Heavenly Father.
Jillian’s Story: Jillian shares how she sought a chin implant and lid lift
to correct a “lazy eye” and poor facial profile after years of social ridicule.
Chapter 5: Longing for Wholeness: Writing the End of the Inner Story
This chapter presents the premise that cosmetic surgery is often linked to body image,
women’s stories, “threshold” life experiences, and a desire for restoration and wholeness.
While some women are drawn to cosmetic surgery seeking beauty and affirmation in the
eyes of the world, others come desiring restoration.
2
Michelle’s Story: Michelle relates how her childhood feelings of obesity led her to seek
liposuction.
Chapter 6: Faces of Our Unseen Motives: The Challenge of Choice in an Era of Envy
This chapter presents the array of cosmetic choices available to women in their quest for
beauty in the twenty-first century and their power to create an image of themselves. This
chapter explores the role of motive (our inner prompting) and goal (our desired outcome)
as we make choices to cultivate our beauty.
Rachel’s Story: Rachel shares how she sought multiple procedures at one time in order to
achieve a total body makeover.
Chapter 7: Facing the Options: Realities, Results, and Recommendations Regarding Cosmetic Procedures
This chapter presents an overview of the realities, recommendations, cautions, and
expected results for the most commonly sought-after cosmetic procedures.
Kathy’s Story: Kathy shares her journey to the choice of breast reduction surgery.
Chapter 8: When the Choices Are Hardest: Cosmetic Surgery Choices for YourChild
This chapter presents an overview of common cosmetic surgery scenarios faced by
parents on behalf of their children, along with counsel regarding how to best make
informed decisions and help your child through the cosmetic surgery process.
Bill and Janet’s Choice for Brian: A father and mother relate how they made the decision
to have their young son’s ears pinned.
2
Chapter 9: The Face I left Behind: Choices and Challenges of Cranio-Facial Surgery
This chapter offers an overview of the types of cranio-facial procedures performed and
the types of follow-up procedures often necessary for maximum correction, depending
upon the patient’s situation.
Jared’s Story: Jared’s parents shares how his cleft palate surgeries impacted his early
development as an infant and how correction affected him both physically and in his
speech and social development.
Chapter 10: Reflections on Body and Soul: Beauty and Yearning Fulfilled
Dr. Beals shares his philosophy of Incarnate Beauty and humankind’s yearning for transformation fulfilled through Jesus Christ.
Glossary
Appendices
Self-assessment tools, including:
Tips for evaluating physician credentials and plastic surgery certifications
Tips for helping determine your doctor’s credentials and “fit” for your
surgical need
Self-evaluation questions to ask yourself before pursuing surgery
Suggestions for helping to deal with family and friends
Tips for pre-operative and post-operative care
The most important questions to ask at your surgical consultation
Helpful websites
2
Special Features:
Reflective questions at the end of each chapter
Textboxes and pullquotes that highlight statistics and information from
contemporary media:
o ABC News 20/20: Beauty and the Breast and The Gift of Breast Implants?
(aired 7/20/07)
o CNN Showbiz Tonight: Reality Show Plastic Surgery (aired 8/14/07)
Voices sections interspersed throughout the book that juxtapose alternating
perspectives on cosmetic surgery and body image expressed by women
OTHER DETAILS
Format: Hardcover
Word Count: 65,000 to 70,000
Deadline: To be negotiated
LINE EXTENSION POSSIBILITIES
The Face I Left Behind: The Challenges and Choices of Cranio-Facial Surgery
When the Choices Are Hardest: A Plastic Surgeon’s Guidance on Cosmetic Surgery for
Children
SAMPLE CHAPTERS
Chapter 2 follows on pages 22 to 38.
The case study story for Chapter 7 follows on pages 39-49.
2
CHAPTER 2
From Corsets to Chemical Peels: The Changing Face of Beauty in America
Nowhere is the changing face of American beauty portrayed as vividly as on our
television screens.
“Tonight on 20/20, we’re obsessed with our looks, risking everything to satisfy
our vanity . . . Tonight, beauty and the breast. High school girls getting their diplomas,
then getting implants as graduation gifts from their parents.”1
Scenes flash as we watch a series of high school girls discuss their boosted self-
esteem since receiving enlarged breasts.
“My boyfriend says I’m not allowed to watch Dr. 90210 because it becomes a
shopping list,” states Erika Lamoreaux, a plastic surgery patient on CNN’s Showbiz
Tonight with host A. J. Hammer.2 Erika‘s fascination with acquiring the newest and best
cosmetic procedures have taken on an increasing intensity in her life since undergoing
her first procedure.
A segment on ABC’s Good Morning America featured a hot new trend in
cosmetic surgery—permanent, “extreme” eyelashes.3 Even business reports like Money
Matters are chiming in on the media frenzy, reporting cosmetic surgery’s impact on the
travel industry. On a show that aired August 29, 2006, reporter Ryan Owens highlighted
the growth in medical tourism, with Americans increasingly packing their bags and
heading overseas for a nip and a tuck in a posh resort environment at cut-rate prices.
The parade of primetime specials featuring segments on cosmetic procedures has
become television’s daily fare. Yet as a society, we seem to be strangely ambivalent in
3
our regard for cosmetic surgery. The same networks that produce alarm-inducing specials
on cosmetic procedures are often staffed by media personalities such as Greta van
Susteren and Barbara Walters who have purportedly sought out cosmetic procedures
themselves in order to maintain appearances in a beauty-driven profession. Feminists
decry beauty as a “myth” while rising statistics indicate the feminine pursuit of beauty at
escalating rates.
So how did we come to be a culture with such ambivalence toward beauty—one
minute falling at its feet in worship and the next recoiling at our own self-obsession?
3
Facing the Facts:Plastic Surgery Trends in America
Breast Augmentation 1992 2005 2006 % Increase 1992-2006 % Increase 2005-2006 32,602 279,073 315,516 868% 13%
Eyelid Surgery 1992 2005 2006 % Increase 1992-2006 % Increase 2005-2006 59,461 122,744 124,076 109% 1%
Liposuction 1992 2005 2006 % Increase 1992-2006 % Increase 2005-2006 47,212 268,899 251,602 433% -6%
Tummy Tuck 1992 2005 2006 % Increase 1992-2006 % Increase 2005-2006 16,810 129,052 140,060 733% 9%
Vaginal Rejuvenation 1992 2005 2006 % Increase 1992-2006 % Increase 2005-2006 793 1,030 30%
TOTAL COSMETIC SURGICAL PROCEDURES 1992 2005 2006 % Increase 1992-2006 % Increase 2005-2006 320,487 1,171,795 1,228,950 263% 5%
American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2006 Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Trends. www.plasticsurgery.org
Perhaps a look at who America’s women have historically been can help us discover who
they have become.
The Hidden Relationship Between Corsets and Character
A glance through our family photo albums can give us our first glimpses of how
our attitudes toward beauty have changed. Photos of an average grandmother taken at the
turn of the century shows a woman staring solemnly into the lens of the camera, her
hands folded sedately on her lap, her matronly shape erect and corseted. The expression
on her face is somber and reserved, as befitting a wife and mother of her generation.
Grandma’s steady gaze, her facial expression, posture, and deportment before the camera
show that she is a woman who takes responsibility seriously, who is committed to the
social norms of the day, who desires to portray dignity and grace.
In her book The Body Project (Random House, 1997), Cornell University
professor Joan Jacobs Brumberg presents an overview of a century of American history
through the eyes of American girls and their attitudes toward their bodies. Brumberg’s
conclusions reveal a great deal about the shifting patterns of thought that have shaped our
current attitudes toward beauty. According to Brumberg, during the 19th century, society
placed greater emphasis upon spiritual values and internal character rather than physical
matters and outward beauty. Girls were discouraged from becoming overly concerned
with outward appearance and, instead, were encouraged to direct their attention toward
cultivation of moral character and the good of others. Young women were encouraged to
engage in endeavors of self-sacrifice, family commitment, and community, while keeping
the focus on their self-interest in check. These attitudes are reflected in the novel Little
3
Women, where the sisters Meg, Jo, and Beth March give up their Christmas presents and
buy a gift for their mother because it’s war time. They then provide breakfast for their
needy neighbors. In a conversation between the sisters, a disdain for focusing too much
on superficial appearances in a conversation summarizes the attitude of the day: “. . .
[You] waste time on frivolous things, you are contented to be petted and admired by silly
people, instead of being love and respected by wise ones.”4
As Brumberg further
observes, over the course of the
twentieth century, the roles
typically fulfilled by female
relatives and mentors began to
fade. The family began to fan out
from the homestead, and aunts
and cousins who had
traditionally played an
intergenerational mentoring role
in young girls’ lives began to
drift away. The projects and
responsibilities of daily
subsistence began to diminish as
technology rose. Single-sex clubs
came on the scene for a time—Four H, YMCA, Girls’ and Boys’ Scouts, as well as
religious youth groups. These organizations provided mentoring roles and placed an
3
“Beauty imperatives for girls in the nineteenth century were kept in check by consideration of moral character and by culturally mandated patterns of emotional denial and repression. Nineteenth-century girls often noted in their diaries when they acquired an exciting personal embellishment, such as a hair ribbon or a new dress, but these were not linked to self-worth or personhood in quite the ways they are today. In fact, girls who were preoccupied with their looks were likely to be accused of vanity or self-indulgence. Many parents tried to limit their daughters’ interest in superficial things, such as hairdos, dresses, or the size of their waists, because character was considered more important than beauty by both parents and the community. And character was built on attention to self-control, service to others, and belief in God—not on attention to one’s own, highly individualistic body project.”Joan Jacobs Brumberg, The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls. (New York: Random House, 1997), xx.
emphasis on internal character and values. But over the past quarter of a century, the role
of these organizations diminished. As a whole, the family and cultural institutions that
once instilled character and ethics in the lives of young women began to disappear.
Physicians and schools took on the role of dispensers of sexual knowledge. Marketers
began to play an increasing role in advising young women in areas of feminine hygiene
and beauty. Slowly but surely, women began to measure their value and worth not by
standards of internal character, but by visual, external standards that conformed to a
cultural message.
Compacts, Cosmetics, and Learning to Put on a Face
In the early twentieth century, American women began to explore new aspects of
beauty. They bobbed their hair, shortened their skirts, and embraced a focus on the
external in a new way. For the first time, ladies began to experiment with styles of make-
up and carry compact mirrors that became an icon of their new fascination with outer
beauty. Marketing shifted into high gear, as manufacturers recognized almost limitless
possibilities for creating hair, skin, bath, and cosmetic products, all packaged with the
promise to enhance a woman’s appearance and life. The emphasis on internal character
had disappeared from our cultural portrait. Grandma’s gaze was no longer dignified and
fixed. The reserve and conformity of past generations had given way to a fascination with
the promise of new technology. Corsets had disappeared, and women found new
freedom. Or had they? Had an abandonment of whalebone stays given way to a new kind
of conformity? As Brumberg observes, “. . . women exchanged external controls for
internal controls—or the ways in which the body became a central paradigm for the self
3
in the twentieth century, thereby altering the experience of coming of age in some
fundamental ways.”5
More and more, women were coming to live in a world that focused on the
external while denying its relationship to the internal. And without internal controls—an
internal moral compass—women’s search for beauty would become an unending search
to hit a continually moving target.
Slim, Slender, and Starved into Sameness
In the Roaring Twenties, the shape of the American woman took a dramatic turn.
Thinness was no longer viewed as a sign of poor health. The image of the “flapper” was
waif-like and flat-chested, with a pencil-straight profile. “Slimming” products became
popular, and dieting was introduced to the standard beauty culture, with the marketing
dollars to insinuate weight loss products into all avenues of American advertising. The
modern science of the turn of the century had discovered the calorie, and with that
discovery came the ability to calculate and measure a woman’s ability to gain and lose
weight, based upon her calorie consumption. Calorie counting was born, and with it, a
national obsession.
Sharlene Hesse-Biber, professor of sociology at Boston College and founder and
director of the National Association for Women in Catholic Higher Education, looks at
America’s obsession with thinness in her book Am I Thin Enough Yet? (Oxford
University Press, 1996). Hesse-Biber quotes social historian Roberta Seid, author of
Never Too Thin: “While . . . slenderness had been associated with sickness and fragility,
now many health authorities cautioned against overeating and excess weight.”6 With our
3
nation’s new-found focus on dieting, American women became even more consumed
with body image and focusing on external aspects of beauty.
Technology brought its own mixed blessings in regard to our relationship with
beauty. As we grew into the twentieth century, manufactured clothing became available
for the first time in history, and with manufactured clothing came the movement to
standardize sizes. Women now had a new basis for comparing their bodies against the
bodies of other women. Clothing purchased “off the rack” didn’t necessarily fit every
woman’s individualized shape. And clothing purchased in stores began to take on a more
stylized, standardized appearance. Fashion styles and “trends” began to appear, and
women were faced with the double-edged choice of convenience with conformity to the
fashion standards of the day or the option of making their own clothing and pursuing
individuality through their own fashion creations. Increasingly, they chose the path of
convenience and popular fashion. As the fashion industry grew, so did its power of
influence.
The Bodies We Love to Hate
But as emphasis on thin bodies escalated in the twentieth century, so did the
pressure for women to conform to society’s definitions of beauty. Increasingly, fat came
to represent lack of self-control and to be associated with slovenliness and social failure.
“Our culture considers obesity ‘bad’ and ugly. Fat represents moral failure, the inability
to delay gratification, poor impulse control, greed, and self-indulgence.”7
Over time, women’s focus on thinness grew to obsessive proportions. Anorexia
and bulimia became part of the American vocabulary. Other obsessions with external
3
appearance surfaced in popular culture, and self-mutilating behaviors such as cutting,
burning, carving, stabbing, hair-plucking, and head banging were added to the list of
escalating struggles of the young and body-conscious. According to Richard Lieberman,
a school psychologist who leads the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Suicide
Prevention Unit and serves as co-chair of the National Emergency Assistance Team of
the National Association of School Psychologists, “Self-mutilation is one of the least
understood behaviors of adolescence and appears to be increasing at a staggering rate.
Today, for every 100,000 adolescents, it is estimated that between 750 and 1,800 will
exhibit self-injurious behaviors (SIB). This translates to 150,000 to 360,000 students
nationwide, more than 70% of whom are female.”8 And the impact on body
3
Facing the Facts:
Statistics on Eating Disorders
Findings from 2003 show Findings from a 2003 study indicate a 40% increase in newly identified cases of anorexia in
girls 15-19 years old. This same study traced a rise in the incidence of anorexia in young women between the ages
of 15-19 in each decade since 1930. The incidence of bulimia in 10-39 year-old women tripled between 1988 and 1993. Over one-half of teenage girls use unhealthy weight control behavior such as skipping meals,
fasting, smoking, vomiting, and taking laxatives. 42% of 1st through 3rd grade girls want to be thinner. 46% of 9-11 year-olds are “sometimes” or “very often” on diets. 82% of their families are “sometimes” or “very often” on diets. 35% of “normal dieters” progress to pathological dieting; of these, 20-25% progress to partial
or full-syndrome eating disorders. 45% of American women are dieting on any given day. Americans spend over $40 billion on dieting and diet-related products each year.
The National Easting Disorder Website, National Eating Disorders Association. www.NationalEatingDisorders.org. Retrieved August 25, 2007 from http://www.edap.org/p.asp?WebPage-ID=286&Profile_ID=41138
consciousness seems to be spilling over into the world of males, as numbers of eating
disorders and self- mutilation behaviors among young men begin to rise.
Beauty and the Boss
Today the pressure for women (and men) has taken on a higher standard; not only
does a woman have to be thin, but she needs to be buff, with lean abs, sculpted thighs,
and a tight derriere. If she’s image-conscious, the media tells us she needs to show signs
of physical conditioning, spa treatments, and an appropriate beauty regimen. And if she
works in an industry where she’s formally or informally assessed on those qualities, she
may be placing her career on the line by not measuring up. According to author Steve
Jeffes and his book Appearance is Everything, “Attractive persons are assumed to
possess greater ability in a job than unattractive persons . . . The more a manager is
consumed by their own appearance, the more likely they will be to be concerned with,
and discriminate against, yours.”9 Robert J. Barro, a professor of economics at Harvard
University and a senior fellow of the Hoover Institute in an article in Business Week,
entitled, So You Want to Hire the Beautiful, Well, Why Not?, states: “Research studies,
such as those by Daniel S. Hamermesh and Jeff E. Biddle in the 1994 American
Economic Review, indicate that the wage differential between attractive and ugly people
is about 10% for both sexes.” The reality of today’s beauty culture has a direct impact on
the workplace—especially in markets where communication, marketing, and public
image play key roles.
3
Annette McConnell, a successful, award-winning employee at an Arizona
company, experienced this reality firsthand. She didn’t fit the company’s profile for
beauty and body image, so she was told she could find work elsewhere.
“I was told by my manager that they were going to lay me off because people
don’t like buying from fat people.”10
Beauty and image discrimination have sparked such controversy in the nation that
anti-discrimination laws based upon weight and appearance have been enacted or are
under consideration across the country. Currently Michigan is the only state with weight
discrimination laws on the books, but the cities of San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and
Santa Cruz, California have passed laws to legislate weight discrimination.
Whether or not legislative action is seen as the answer, one thing is certain. We
have grown into a nation where appearance has become the standard of worth, while
ethical, moral, and spiritual values have vanished into a fog of postmodern thinking.
The Search for Beauty in a Post-Modern World
So what relationship do ethical, moral, and spiritual values have to our pursuit of
beauty? Is “truth beauty” and “beauty truth,” as John Keats stated in “Ode on a Grecian
Urn”? Is there a relationship to inner beauty and outer beauty, and if so, what is it?
In their book Beauty in Balance, cosmetic surgeons Allen D. Rosen and Valerie
Ablaza state that the concept of “balance” is important to cosmetic surgery because “. . .
psychological research strongly suggests that happiness, or ‘well-being,’ is very much
tied to achieving a balance between our spiritual [emphasis added], emotional, and
3
physical needs. That’s why a book like Beauty in Balance: A Common Sense Approach to
Plastic Surgery—When Less is More is so needed.”11 Interestingly enough, like many
other contemporary books on the topic, Beauty in Balance continues on to discuss
cosmetic surgery procedures without discussing the balance between our physical and
spiritual beings.
To be fair, however, we must acknowledge that Drs. Rosen and Ablaza are
reflecting both the times in which we live—when asserting one’s own spiritual truth is
considered intolerant of someone else’s truth. Most plastic surgeons don’t place
themselves in the role of spiritual advisor. Yet we see the deep and undeniable spiritual
connections between the body and the soul.
Over the past quarter century, our thinking about what constitutes truth and what
can be known has radically shifted. Four centuries before Christ was born, Plato and
Aristotle gave birth to Western concepts about what could be known as truth. Plato taught
that the key to truth was the object itself in a permanent, fixed form. He taught that we
can know the essence of the original, but our truth is permanently anchored in the fixed
original. Aristotle taught that the essence that we know is a part of the original itself.
During the period of classical thought, the world had the assurance of fixed, unchanging
truth that rested in the mind of a fixed, unchanging God, in whose mind the incarnation of
the fixed form rested.12
Modern thinking began with the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. It was
during this period of history that mankind placed himself in the center of the universe and
sought to discover and master the secrets of the world around him. The modern thinker
believed that knowledge was good, certain, and objective because it freed us from social
4
bondage and the whims of nature. During the era of modernity, mankind pursued
knowledge in a quest to apply rational knowledge and find answers in order to improve
the world.13 The modern thinker believed that objective reality existed and could be
known through experience. But there was a catch. Since everyone’s experience is
different and everyone internalizes their experiences through highly personalized mind-
sense frames of reference, the search for objective truth became clouded.
Then in the nineteen seventies, modern thinking came under attack in the form of
postmodern thought, which was first given shape under the theories of Friedrich
Nietzsche (1844-1900). Postmodernism, in a simplified way, claims that objective truth
cannot be known because we all experience truth through differing realities that we
construct through thought and language. “Knowing” exists in the perspective of the
individual, and our knowing is influenced by ambition, culture, and our experiences.
Rather than seeking to discover truth that exists outside ourselves, we as individuals
should engage in discovering the various truths that exist among ourselves as we engage
in meaningful dialogue together. As Stanley J. Grenz states, “In the end, the postmodern
world is merely an arena of ‘dueling texts.’”14
Truth has evaporated, and our culture has been left with arenas of discussion and
exploration. And while this might sound tolerant and democratic, it can be isolating. The
connectivity of shared truth has been lost. The certainty of knowing has become an
illusion. The belief in something beyond ourselves—fixed and constant—has become a
myth.
Although we’re reluctant to admit it, we’re a society uncomfortable living with
the reality we’ve created. A friend of mine recently took a philosophy class at a secular
4
university. The professor, who was lecturing on the virtues of postmodern thought in his
home, was dismayed when my friend exited his home after the first class carrying the
professor’s expensive boom box.
“You can’t take that with you,” the professor protested. “It’s mine.”
“That’s your reality,” my friend reminded him. “I like it, and I want it. That’s
mine.”
The world becomes an uncertain place when fixed standards of truth, justice,
virtue, character, integrity, and even beauty are up for grabs.
Postmodern thought is shaping a culture of individualism, skepticism, and
isolation, as we drift away from shared truth and values. And in a world that is reluctant
to address the body-soul connection of cosmetic surgery, those realities could have
profound implications.
Deeper Questions, Deeper Truth
On the surface, it may look as though postmodern thought has little to do with an
eyebrow lift or a tummy tuck. But the opposite is true. The external now defines us. In a
world where we believe that we all experience truth through differing realities, beauty
can be pursued at any cost, to any degree, in any form, and according to any definition.
Cosmetic surgery has become a tool of reshaping our external self according to our
individualized internal truth. For many patients, it has become a new fashion accessory in
a world of limitless beauty choices.
For others, cosmetic surgery has become a way to pursue an ending to a life story.4
Some are driven by a deep inner need for healing—physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Some simply desire to look “normal.” Other patients who come through my door will
never be beautiful enough, no matter what the mirror in their hand or the mirror of culture
says. These patients reflect the culture of our age, for whom the body-soul connection in
beauty remains an enigma.
Our longing for beauty is woven through the core of our being. Our nature cries
out to know an essence of beauty beyond us. As humans, we share a universal passion for
beauty that points to the truth that beauty is not a subjective element of our individual
imaginings but a part of our created being. We were intended to live in relationship with
beauty, as with other virtues. We were intended to know it and experience as an objective
and experiential reality in our lives and to use it, as all things, to reflect glory to God.
We were designed to be knowers, not skeptics. And in our design, we were built
for beauty, in body and in soul. Our longing for beauty is ultimately an intuitive thirst for
ultimate and complete beauty that can only be found in the Author of beauty, Jesus
Christ.
Cosmetic surgery is a tool for shaping our external bodies into more restored or
more beautiful physical forms, and it can serve beneficial and healing functions that can
transform lives in powerful ways. Jesus Christ was a restorer of both body and soul, and
healing was always a means by which he demonstrated his love and power to gain access
to people’s hearts. The physical was a conduit to the spiritual.
But even the most skilled cosmetic surgeon is limited to addressing surface
aspects of beauty. The truly wise patient will understand the relationship between inner
and outer beauty and explore their motives, goals, the source of their self-image, and the
4
inner voices urging them toward their exploration of cosmetic surgery. This book was
written to help you understand that God has molded a central truth about who he is deep
within each of us. Beauty is his thumbprint, pressed into our hearts.
Is more than skin deep—it is soul deep.
4
Voices
“I decided to get a breast enhancement because I thought my boyfriend would like it. I’ve always liked to have men admire me, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I’ve got to compete with other women out there or run the risk of losing my man. A few of my friends talked about it, and we decided to go to Mexico together and do it on vacation.”
--Callie
“I cannot remember the exact day the mirror became my prison, but I knew I was being held against my will when I realized I was seeking affirmation from an object that could only reflect what I chose to see. Certainly there were some days when I walked away from my morning mirror routine thinking ‘Not too bad.’ But more often there were the ‘if only’ days. ‘If only my hair were longer’ If only my hair were shorter.’ ‘If only I were taller.’ ‘If only my eyes were brown.’ And the ever present ‘If only I were thinner.’ At other times, the mirror is my courtroom where a jury of one, biased by whimsy and moody, delivers a verdict of my worth.”
Regina Franklin, Who Calls Me Beautiful? (Grand Rapids: Discovery House Publishers, 2004), 49.
Notes
1. John Stossel and Elizabeth Vargas. 20/20. American Broadcasting Company, July 20, 2007.
2. Sibila Vargas. Showbiz Tonight. Reality Plastic Surgery. CNN, August 14, 2007.
3. Kate Snow. Good Morning America. American Broadcasting Company, January 21, 2006.
4. Louisa May Alcott, Little Women. “BookRags Book Notes on Little Women.” BookRags. http://www.bookrags.com.notes.lw/.
5. Joan Jacobs Brumberg, The Body Project. (New York: Random House, 1997), 197.
6. Roberta Pollack Seid, Never Too Thin: Why Women Are at War with Their Bodies (New York: Prentice Hall, 1989), 85. As quoted in Brumberg, The Body Project, 25.
7. Sharlene Hesse-Biber, Am I Thin Enough Yet? (New York: Oxford University Press, 1996), 4.
8. Richard Lieberman, “Understanding and Responding to Students Who Self-Mutilate,” Principal Leadership Magazine, 4, no. 7, Counseling 101 Column (2004). http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/nassp-cutting.aspx. Column, March 2004. NASP Resources. Retrieved 8/25/07 from http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/nassp_cutting.aspx
9. Steve Jeffes, Appearance is Everything. (Pittsburgh, PA: Sterling House, 1998), xii.
10. Lisa Wiehl, The Skinny on Job Discrimination. Fox News.Com, August 28, 2007. http://www.foxnews.com/story/o,2933,284112,00.html
11. Allen D. Rosen, M.D., and Valerie J. Ablaza, M.D., Beauty in Balance: A Common Sense Approach to Cosmetic Surgery and Treatments. (MDPublishing.com, 2006), 12.
12. Esther Lightcap Meek, Longing to Know: The Philosophy of Knowledge for Ordinary People. (Brazos Press, 2003), 28.
13. Stanley J. Grenz, A Primer on Postmodernism. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdman’s Publishing, 1996), 4.
14. Grenz, A Primer on Postmodernism, 7.
CHAPTER 7
Anna’s Story
The day Anna found her husband dead beside the tractor near their barn, her first
thought was to cup her body next to his and die, too. But that would have been the easy
choice, and God didn’t seem to be offering it that summer afternoon.
Anna was fifty years old the day Ed died. He’d been her childhood sweetheart in
their small rural high school in the heart of Michigan. They’d married before they’d
finished college—Ed receiving his agricultural degree from a state school and Anna
attending a small private college and receiving her teaching certificate. They’d moved
back to the family farm and put down their roots as their parents had hoped. Before long,
kids came long—three beautiful children. Two boys and one girl, who eventually grew
into adulthood and moved out of state with new careers and new spouses.
Anna loved her work as a teacher in the small Christian school in their hometown.
Everyone knew everyone, and many of her students were her friends’ children. She had a
passion for history and politics, and she was constantly searching for and creating ways
to involve her students in cross-cultural studies, community improvement, and the
political process. She worked in local campaign efforts and was an active member of her
political party, slowly widening her sphere of influence at both the county and state levels
over the years.
Ed, on the other hand, was happiest when he was tilling the field on the tractor.
His work on the family farm and in leadership in their growing church occupied most of
his time. He and Anna were just stepping into their empty-nest years the afternoon she
found him crumpled near the front tires of their red and white International Harvester.
The days after Ed’s death were grueling for Anna. She and her husband had been
inseparable from the time she was thirteen. She faced not only life without her mate and
lover, but the challenge of earning a living on a Christian teacher’s salary. The small
farming community where they’d lived offered no options at the public school. Jobs in
education were scarce, and the town offered no other employment that could sustain a
single widow. As the year following Ed’s death unfolded, Anna made the difficult
decision to leave family and move to Grand Rapids, where memories wouldn’t surround
her at every turn. But her greatest reason for leaving was to find employment that could
support her as a single widow.
Through friends and her own connections, Anna sought employment with a
political policy think tank. She remembers slight discomfort at the job interview—
knowing that if she was fortunate enough to be hired, she would easily be the oldest
person in the entire agency. There were a number of questions regarding her name and
her associations with her cousin, who was an aide to a highly placed government official.
The job provided the level of income and benefits that Anna needed in order to be self-
sufficient at the age of fifty-two. It wouldn’t be a lucrative position, but it would provide
what she needed to live independently of her adult children and without needing to
deplete her limited savings and investments.
Anna first began to consider cosmetic surgery when she made the decision to
move to the city. Before the age of thirty, she’d begun to notice deep furrowing of her
forehead and cheeks, facial characteristics she’d inherited from her mother and
grandmother. At the age of fifty-two, Anna appeared to be at least fifteen years older than
her actual age. Prominent crow’s feet radiated from her eyes, and deep lines etched her
face, giving her a harsh appearance. People often commented that she looked angry.
But one other element of Anna’s appearance had concerned her from the time
she’d been a child. She’d been born with a weak chin profile.
“I always felt I was ugly and didn’t know why Ed ever wanted to marry me. I
really had no chin at all. I’d always considered myself disfigured and wanted to have a
normal chin like everyone else. Then as I’d aged, my appearance worsened, and Ed’s
death took an even greater toll.”
Anna was hired for the job at the think tank. But it didn’t take long for her to
realize that personnel revolved in and out of the organization on a short-term basis.
“My boss appeared to hire people for a particular agenda. When they’d fulfilled that
agenda and he didn’t find a useful purpose for them, they were out the door. I realized
I would have to produce, and I realized I would also have to be prepared to be marketable
at a moment’s notice. I believed that marketability in my field was at least in part
related to age and appearance.”
Anna began to shop for a cosmetic surgeon, beginning her search with the phone
directory. She found three surgeons who had the credentialing she was looking for and
made appointments with each of them for consultations.
“I need to do this for economic reasons,” Anna shared. “It’s wasn’t about vanity. I
was a widow who had to support myself in a job market where everyone else is at least
ten to fifteen years my junior. I was working in an industry where communication,
persuasion, and appearance are part of the package. From the moment I enter the room, I
know I’ll be assessed on my appearance. In that environment, people rate my credibility
as a professional, in part, on my appearance, whether I like it or not. A face lift was
simply one thing I could do to put my best foot forward.”
Anna spoke about the realities of paying for the surgery. “I considered this an
investment in my new career. People invest thousands in going to seminars or in
wardrobe upgrades. This was an investment in me that I thought would pay off in my
being hired and in the way I’d be regarded on the job. In almost every environment I
worked in over the years I was employed with that organization, I was the oldest
individual in the room. I never regretted my decision. I believe it was not only a good
investment, but wise stewardship of the insurance money that was intended to take care
of me and protect my future.”
After an initial consultation and follow-up calls to check references, Anna chose
her surgeon. She then returned for two additional visits for photographs and counseling.
“I appreciated the combination of directness and professionalism of my surgeon.
She informed me that my partial face lift and chin implant were not going to make me a
beauty queen or alter my life. We discussed realistic expectations and outcomes. I was
surprised to discover that my procedures would be done at a medical center and not at a
hospital, but I was reassured that many cosmetic procedures are done outside a hospital
setting.”
For the actual surgical procedure, Anna chose to have a sister-in-law present for
moral support. As in most medical situations throughout her life, Anna found that her
healing process progressed more slowly than other people’s.
“I was recovering for most of the summer, although I went back to work after two
weeks. I was pleased with the outcome, although the surgeon chose to use a larger chin
implant than we’d initially discussed. She felt my overall profile and bone structure
required the balance of the larger implant.”
And how did others respond to Anna’s decision?
“I was afraid that people wouldn’t understand my motivation for my surgery, so I
told very few people. I’m sure there’s always a propensity for people to think about a
widow trying to perk herself up to get a new husband. But I couldn’t be concerned with
other people’s judgment. I didn’t pragmatically abandon my Christian standards. It was a
heartfelt decision that I felt could be made in a God-honoring way. Yet I felt that certain
people within my small Christian community at home perceive all cosmetic surgery as an
expression of vanity.
“I believe that I’m to do all to the glory of God and that I’m to embrace my
womanhood in that same way. This was not an abandonment of who God created me to
be but an act of striving for excellence on my part. That’s always the way I’ve lived my
life.”
Did Anna feel pressured to conform to outside images of beauty?
“I don’t feel that wanting an imperfection corrected is conforming to an outside
image of beauty. I’m not compelled by Hollywood standards or fashion magazines. I was
born without what I perceived to be a normal chin structure, and it was reasonably within
my means to have a doctor assist me in correcting this. It was also possible for me to
have a face lift in order to renew my appearance after my loss. It was a tool that I used.
The time was right after Ed died. I couldn’t have justified the expense if I hadn’t been
making the job transition.
“Right now I’m sixty-four and I’m looking at the need for a little-touch-up work.
But since my face lift, I’ve moved back to my small hometown, and I’m no longer in a
competitive job market. People here love me for who I am, and if I droop and sag, my
livelihood doesn’t depend on it. I’m back working at our small Christian school. Is there
more cosmetic surgery in my future? I don’t think so.”
Dr. Beals’ Observations
Although Anna’s life-changing story was unique to her, her circumstances were
similar to many patients who seek plastic surgery. My observations as a surgeon involve
a number of areas in regard to Anna’s case.
Choosing a plastic surgeon. Anna did her research to find a qualified plastic
surgeon. This is one of the most critical steps in the process when considering surgery.
It’s important that the patient look not only for a qualified surgeon, but for a surgeon with
the appropriate chemistry match for them. This means that the two can exchange ideas,
communicate freely, and hear the other. The surgeon must be able to understand and
visualize what the patient wants to accomplish so that he or she can determine whether or
not the patient’s goals are achievable. Similarly, the patient needs to be able to
understand what the surgeon describes and what can or cannot be surgically
accomplished in order to avoid unrealistic expectations. Patient should always seek a
plastic surgeon who is Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery as
a starting point for their medical qualifications.
The surgical process. Anna had a more prolonged recovery than most patients.
Fortunately, this didn’t compromise her results. All patients must understand that the
recovery process takes a matter of time. Depending on the procedure, recovery could be
one to three weeks for the acute phase and up to a year before all soft tissues and scars
are fully healed and faded into natural skin tones again. Surgery must be undertaken at a
time in life when the patient can be dedicated to the recovery process. Complications are
more likely to occur if someone does not strictly adhere to postsurgical restrictions.
Genetics of aging. Whether we like it or not, we all tend of age much like our
parents. A frequent patient comment is that “I looked in the mirror and I realized I looked
like my mother (or my father).” Family patterns of aging do occur in the face and neck
region. Some families age more around the eyes first, while the youthfulness of the face
and neck remain relatively preserved. For some patients, this genetic predisposition is an
impetus for a consultation regarding cosmetic options.
Looking older than your age. Anna felt that she looked ten to fifteen years older
than her true age. Premature aging can be emotionally difficult for those who experience
it. My patients often tell me that “Everybody keeps telling me I look tired even when I’ve
just had a good night’s sleep and feel perfectly rested.” Other people’s aging lines and
patterns make them look angry, depressed, or unhappy. Lines, especially in the forehead,
around the mouth, and around the eyes can make people look tired or as though they’re in
a bad mood. These concerns are often enough for someone to consider plastic surgery,
but they’re strictly subjective interpretations on the part of each patient regarding the
appearance they’re comfortable living with.
Attractiveness versus aging. In addition to Anna’s concerns about premature
aging, she was also concerned about the “unattractiveness” of her weak chin. Changing
facial features in order to bring greater harmony and attractiveness is another type of
motivation for visiting a plastic surgeon, apart from motivations regarding signs of aging.
It’s common for people to have familial features that are out of balance with the rest of
their face and to become self-conscious about them. Many times these features can be
easily altered and can make a significant impact on appearance and self-confidence.
Anna, like many people, had always felt unattractive, and she wondered why Ed had ever
been attracted to her. But following surgery there is often a significant change in
confident and countenance, and patients act as if a burden has been lifted from their lives.
Often well-meaning friends and relatives tell patients, either directly or indirectly,
to accept out-of balance features, but those features can often be easily corrected, and the
patient’s life positively and sometimes dramatically impacted with the change.
The plight of the widow. I often see widows and widowers who, after a period of
grieving, begin to look at themselves again outside the context of their prior, accepting
marital relationship. After losing a spouse, they often choose to deal with features they
are bothered by, after asking the questions, “What do others think about how I look? Am
I attractive? Do I look old? How will my appearance affect my future relationships and
career opportunities?”
Appearance in the workplace. Anna had great concerns about how her
appearance would impact her ability to compete in the marketplace as she sought a job.
This is a common concern for individuals who feel they look older than competitors in
their field or perhaps not as attractive. How much direct pressure is real regarding
appearance in the workplace and how much is perceived can be difficult to measure.
Certainly some job markets place a greater emphasis upon appearance than others, such
as media and advertising. In Anna’s situation, it’s difficult to determine whether or not
her analysis regarding appearance in her particular job market was realistic or not. But
what was true in Anna’s case was that her procedures gave her a greater appearance of
youth and a greater sense of confidence to take into her new job setting.
Realistic expectations. As a physician, it’s important for me to determine that a
patient is seeking procedures for healthy reasons and that the patient understands that
surgery is not going to alter the course of their life. Anna needed to know that a chin
implant and a face lift were not going to make her a beauty queen, insure job security, or
eradicate problems in her life. Because she had recently become a widow, it was also
important to be sure that she was emotionally healthy and had come to a point of stability
and healing. Healthy patients understand that true value is not connected to external
appearance but is rooted in moral character.
Appearance insecurities. Anna was sensitive and insecure about her appearance.
She felt the need to seek out help for her aging features and her weak chin based upon her
self-evaluation. One question to be asked during patient assessment is whether others
observe the same things about that patient, or are they overly sensitive about their need
for improvement? But if Anna’s confidence is rooted in her opinion about her
appearance, her feelings will drive her search for wholeness or change. In the end, it’s the
patient who must live with the choices they make regarding their appearance. Only the
patient will go through the process and the pain to come to a better place.
Cosmetic surgery as a private matter. As difficult as it may be for some
patients to come to carry out, it’s not necessary for them to justify their rationale for the
cosmetic changes they elect to have. Only the patient knows what it is like to live with his
or her perceived deformities, and only they will experience how the procedure and
healing that will affect them. The deformity and need for improvement is in the eye and
heart of the beheld, not the beholder.
The best possible surgical situation is when a patient shares his or her desires with
someone who believes in them, accepts them the way they are, accepts their need for
change, and provides emotional support to help them go through it. One of the best
scenarios I experience occurs when a couple comes in because the wife desires to correct
changes that occurred with pregnancy. The husband loves and accepts his wife the way
she is but is willing to support what she wants to change. I find this to be the most
supportive and healthy situation for proceeding with plastic surgery. The husband both
accepts his wife the way she is, and he also blesses and her supports the restorative
change that she desires.
A final note. Regardless of the many reasons that Anna cited for choosing her
cosmetic procedures, it was reasonable for her to desire to have a “mid-life tune-up.”
Apart from reasons of job security, her desire to improve her appearance was appropriate.
Anna’s thinking and rationale were balanced, and she exhibited courage to move forward
with her decision. As a result, she experienced healing in her loss, and her need to move
forward without Ed led to greater confidence in her job because of her increased
attractiveness and youthfulness. In the process, Anna resolved a self-consciousness issue
that she’d struggled with since childhood. All of this enriched her life. Unfortunately, she
had to take these steps secretively in order to avoid criticism from those who could have
provided loving support and with whom she felt unable to share her journey toward
healing.
Questions for Reflection
1. Anna’s concern for her financial resources weaves its way through her story. Do you agree that using her finances for a face lift was a good investment? How do you weigh investing in your physical appearance with other financial commitments, obligations, and choices in your life?
2. Anna felt that her acceptance and reputation on the job were compelling factors in her cosmetic surgery choice. Do you feel these are justifiable reasons for seeking cosmetic surgery? Why or why not?
3. Anna doesn’t feel that she will seek cosmetic surgery again, although she admits that she could use some “touch-up” work. How do your environment and peer groups influence your attitudes and desires toward cosmetic surgery?
4. Anna chose to tell just a few close friends about her cosmetic surgery decision. If or when you were to make a decision to have cosmetic surgery, would you choose to tell others about it? What would be your reasons for telling or not telling friends and/or family? Do you hear “voices” of guilt or condemnation for the choice you might make? Do you feel this guilt is true guilt for a wrong decision or false guilt for not measuring up to someone else’s standards?
5. What roles do you believe courage and fear play in a decision like Anna’s? What roles have courage and fear or would courage and fear play in your decisions regarding cosmetic surgery?
Part 3:
By
Claudia Mitchell and Kim Goad
REPRESENTED BY
Tim Beals, Agent of Record for Mitchell and GoadCredo Communications3148 Plainfield Ave NE, Suite 111Grand Rapids, MI [email protected](616) 363-2686
CAN ONE GIRL CHANGE THE WORLD?Becoming the Leader You Were Born to Be
Contents
Genre 2
About the Book 2
Audience 2
Distribution Channels 3
Length of Manuscript 4
Market Analysis 4
Delivery of Manuscript 4
About the Authors 5
Chapter Summary 8
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Genre:
Christian/Non-Fiction/Young Adult
About the Book
Can One Girl Change the World? encourages young women to know that they do, in fact, have a
specific role in impacting the world, and it will inspire them to discover their passion, their leadership style,
and how to effectively carry out their role.
Using biblical, historical, and modern day examples, the book will reflect on real-life illustrations to
help girls understand how God created them to take their personal place in history by influencing their world
with their unique gifts and desires.
Stories will be constructed to inspire and inform the central message that when you really “get” who
you and are and how much God loves you, you will be infused with the desire and capability to love others
with the tools with which you have been equipped. Practical advice will be given on how to prepare oneself
for leadership opportunities, how to develop the character of a leader, how to work in teams to achieve goals,
how to assess progress, and how to overcome obstacles on the path to leadership.
Audience
Can One Girl Change the World? targets girls aged twelve to eighteen who fit any of the following categories:
1. Young women who don’t yet believe that they were created for a purpose and need to be convinced;
2. Young women who already suspect that life is meant to be an adventure, but need help in determining their path;
3. Young women who already have a good understanding of their unique talents with a desire to put them to use, but who need practical advice on getting started.
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Can One Girl Change the World? will definitely appeal to young Christian women, but it is the authors’
hope that this book will also reach a general audience seeking to develop leadership skills and will, in turn,
cause them to search the God who desires to see them be all he created them to be.
The applications from Can One Girl Change the World? have already been well received in youth
retreats, camps, and Bible studies, as well as teacher training for public schools, self-esteem classes at
Indiana University, training Christian school educators, sermons and conventions (Children’s Pastor
Convention, Nashville, Tenn., a parenting convention in Danville, Ill., and the North American Christian
Convention, Columbus, Ohio).
Distribution Channels
Can One Girl Change the World? could be marketed in CBA as well as ABA retail stores. It could
also be featured at conventions such as youth pastor conferences or the American Association of Christian
Counselors World Conference. The book would also be available at retreats and training sessions at which
the authors share their stories and applications.
Length of Manuscript
About 50,000 words or 200 manuscript pages. Ten chapters, plus introduction and endnotes.
Complementary Titles
A search for other books in this genre revealed that there is a real market gap for Can One Girl Change the World? There are very few popular Christian titles, with some similarities and important differences:
1. A Girl's Guide to Life: The Real Dish on Growing Up, Being True, and Making Your Teen Years Fabulous! (by Katie Meier, W Publishing Group, 2004). Addresses general issues facing teens—self-esteem, dating, peer pressure, family relationships, etc.
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2. The Dream Giver for Teens (by Jessica and Bruce Wilkinson, Multnomah, 2004). Addresses the issue of discovering one’s dream, in general, for teens.
3. God Called a Girl (by Shannon Kubiak, Bethany House, 2005). Draws on the life of Mary, mother of Jesus, to relay specific spiritual lessons for today’s teen.
4. It’s Not About Me Teen Edition (by Max Lucado, Integrity, 2005). General Christian book for teens on putting God in the center of one’s life and living life on purpose.
While there are many Christian devotionals for teen girls, as well as a few books on finding one’s calling
or developing godly characteristics in general, Can One Girl Change the World? is a uniquely practical,
Christian-based guide on leadership geared solely to young women.
Delivery of Manuscript
Within six months of contract date, or at a date agreed upon by agent and publisher.
About the Authors
Claudia Mitchell
Claudia’s current position as Director of Women’s Ministries at Sherwood Oaks Christian Church in
Bloomington, Indiana (a growing congregation of approximately 3,000), coupled with her ten years of
experience teaching elementary school students and ten years of experience as a Children’s Minister, have
given her an abundant understanding of the needs of young women and an ample portfolio of illustrations.
Under her ten years as Dean of the Hilltop Christian Camp Girls Week (devoted to the spiritual
development of hundreds of third- through sixth-grade girls led by junior high and high school student
leaders), Claudia has had the privilege of seeing numerous young women develop into extraordinary leaders
(including many who have assumed roles in ministry and overseas missions).
She has shared her experiences by speaking at public education conferences, the North American
Christian Convention (an annual gathering of 6,500 Christian churches with 1.6 million members), the
International Network of Children’s Ministry (a training event that attracts more than 8,000 ministers), the
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Youth Workers Conference, various women’s conferences and youth camps, and in classrooms at Indiana
University and Ivy Tech College in Bloomington, Indiana.
She has written Sunday school lessons for Standard Publishing Company for children and adults, as
well as articles in Hoosier Gadabout and Hoosier Outdoors.
Claudia attended Lincoln Christian College and graduated from Indiana University (where she was a
recipient of the Clyde Culbertson creative writing award). During her teaching career, she received The
Golden Apple Teaching Award and Special Education Award. While in children’s ministry, she received the
All Star VBS Award from Standard Publishing.
Kim Goad
Kim’s sixteen years of experience in the corporate world (serving such notable clients as Bristol-
Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Fortune Brands, Owens Corning, Ameritech, US West, Sprint, and NYNEX) have
given her first-hand and practical familiarity with what it takes to be an effective leader.
Kim has a desire to see young women come to know God and their role in the world through in-depth
study of the Bible. As such, she has had the pleasure of working with young women by leading Bible studies
and retreats, taking them on mission trips, and serving as the liaison for approximately twenty student leaders
each year at the Hilltop Christian Camp Girls Week.
Kim has written a high school student how-to guide for an electronic career mentoring system for the
Learn More Resource Center, a group under the direction of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education in
partnership with the Indiana Department of Education dedicated to improving student achievement and
increasing the educational attainment of all Hoosiers.
She has also written articles for Business Network (a publication of the Chamber of Commerce of
Bloomington, Indiana), the IU Alumni Magazine, and M.D. News (a business and lifestyle magazine for
physicians). She is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Business.
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Chapter Summary
Introduction: Describes how we became convinced of a need for this book through a particular experience
at a youth camp, and for whom it is written:
Young women who need to be convinced that they were created for a specific purpose;
Young women who already have an inkling that there must be more to life, but don’t know quite how to determine their role in the world;
Young women who already have a dream and understand a bit about their unique giftedness, but need a practical how-to for getting started.
Part One: Do I Know Who I Am?
Chapter 1: A Princess With a Purpose
The idea of all young women as princess is very popular today, but who does God say you are? Chapter 1 uses Scripture to establish our identity, and describes that being a princess is having privilege with responsibility. God has appointed the exact time and place for each individual to exist, and he is calling leaders to come forth in every generation. We describe biblical and historical examples of women who have impacted God’s timeline throughout history, and encourage girls that “This is your time!”
Chapter 2: What’s My Passion?
Chapter 2 will establish that God has given you your unique passions and guides you to determine yours—with practical, step-by-step instructions on journaling what God is saying to you, thinking through your purpose, and talking it over with others. By the end of the chapter, readers will have written their own life mission statement.
Chapter 3: What Kind of Leader Am I?
The third describes characteristics of girls who change the world, touching on the similarities and differences of leaders. It will describe the character that is important for all who desire to be the type of leader who is worth following. It will help the reader determine the particular kind of leader she is and establish that, no matter our particular style, we are all called to servant leadership, using Jesus and others as models.
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Part Two: Do I Know Where I’m Going?
Chapter 4: What’s God Saying to Me?
Chapter 4 will address whether and how God still speaks today, using biblical and contemporary examples. It will help young women learn how to hear his voice for themselves and how to discern his voice from their own, others, and the world.
Chapter 5: What’s The Plan?
This chapter will establish the importance of having a plan, and will address the need to first consecrate oneself in order to be prepared for positions of leadership. It will describe spiritual disciplines (such as meditation, solitude, journaling, prayer, service, and Bible study) in order to “remain in the vine.” By the end of Chapter 5, the reader will write specific objectives and strategies to achieve her mission.
Chapter 6: Honing Your Leadership Skills
Chapter 6 will guide the reader in an honest assessment of her unique skills and resources and determine any gaps she has in achieving her objectives. It will further discuss character development, submission to authority, leading by example, and getting started with small, short-term leadership experiences.
Chapter 7: Aligning with Others to Achieve the Goal
This chapter will deal with the importance of relationship in achieving one’s objectives, using the scriptural definition of the body of Christ and other illustrations. It will address the importance of with whom one chooses to align herself, how to get people on your team, and what to do with them once you’ve got them on your side.
Part Three: Is Anyone Going with Me?
Chapter 8: How Am I Doing?
Chapter 8 will talk about the importance of periodically assessing how we’re doing in our leadership roles—how to solicit feedback from others, how to determine what success will look like, and how to make adjustments to the plan if necessary.
Chapter 9: Overcoming the Obstacles Along the Way
Chapter 9 will establish that we will face obstacles in achieving our goals. It will address types of obstacles (people, our own shortcomings, fear, perfectionism, distractions, the comfort zone, etc.) and how to overcome them—by teaching them how to prepare for obstacles, using biblical examples, reminding them of the goal, realizing that obstacles are gifts, and discussing the importance of forgiveness, perseverance, and staying positive.
Chapter 10: Blowing It Big Time
The final chapter will explore how we all blow it at times—sometimes big time. We’ll use illustrations to discuss ways that we blow it (by giving up, sinning, getting lazy, etc.) and what to do when we do blow it (grace, repentance, redemption, perseverance).
Conclusion:
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The conclusion will provide a summary of the book and will encourage the reader
to go change her world!
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