| Title | : | Crazy Salad: Some Things About Women |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0679640355 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780679640356 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 217 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1975 |
Crazy Salad: Some Things About Women Reviews
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Nora Ephron (1941-2012) is famous for her screenplays (Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally...) and films (Sleepless In Seattle, Julie & Julia), but I've always loved her for her prose.
She started out as a journalist, and this collection of essays about women, published in magazines like Esquire and New York in the early 1970s, contains lots of gems: some are funny, some are deadly serious, and all of them are clear-eyed, intelligent and written in her signature conversational style.
The collection begins with one of Ephron's classics, the candid and very funny "A Few Words About Breasts," in which she chronicles a lifetime of being flat-chested. The piece is chatty and full of anecdotes, but there's pain and anger simmering beneath the writing, including the final four-letter word (which would have been shocking in a general interest magazine in 1972). The tone of the piece reminds me of one of my favourite passages from her novel Heartburn:Vera said: “Why do you feel you have to turn everything into a story?” So I told her why.
Because if I tell the story, I control the version.
Because if I tell the story, I can make you laugh, and I would rather have you laugh at me than feel sorry for me.
In other essays, Ephron attends the tenth reunion of her 1962 Wellesley College graduating class; she reports on the historic National Women's Political Caucus at the Democratic Convention, full of big clashing personalities like Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem; she writes about attending the mainstream porn film Deep Throat; she is a hilarious fly on the oven wall at the Pillsbury Bake-Off; she weighs in on the infamous battle-of-the-sexes Bobby Riggs vs. Margaret Court tennis match; she deconstructs the myth of Dorothy Parker and tells us, not surprisingly, that she always wanted to be like the legendary wit.
Although many of the essay subjects might seem like obscure footnotes today, Ephron's writing is so good you'll be engrossed about everything from consciousness-raising (about which she is understandably skeptical) to minor Watergate figures.
One of my favourite articles is a profile of Bernice Gera, who was the first female umpire in professional baseball, but quit on the very first day she began. The way Ephron describes her Bronx apartment, full of baseball paraphernalia, and the horrific sexist behaviour she endured, is masterful and very moving.
And a long article about the marketing of "feminine hygiene spray" is a disturbing yet eye-opening look at Madison Ave's view of women.
Unfortunately, the book ends on a sour note, as Ephron reviews a book by Jan Morris, who was born James Morris. The world has come a long way in terms of acceptance of trans issues, and it's sad that Ephron's review is full of cheap shots and unfunny jokes.
That said, this entire book is a fascinating time capsule. How sad that Ephron's no longer alive to weigh in on some of the big issues affecting women and men – and non-binary people – today. -
My friend Hannah lent me this book a little over a month after the passing of Nora Ephron. "Skim through it," she said, "you might enjoy some of the essays. You don't have to read all of it."
But of course Nora started this book with "A few words about breasts", and as soon as I finished reading that, I knew that I would read the book in its entirety, and quickly. Nora seems to be free of self-consciousness - she says it as it is without worrying too much about who will think what. This quality is refreshing, and maybe even rare, seeing that she must have been in her early 30s when she wrote these essays in 1970s New York. What fascinated me most about her writing was that every time, no no, every.single.time, she knew exactly how to finish every.single.essay at just the.right.note.
Are all these essays relevant to women? Do her conclusions stand the test of time? Did I identify with all the essays or have insight about the people she was talking about? The answer to all of these questions may be "no", but it really does not matter so much. I didn't know half the people she was talking about, I was not even born in those times, but I'm glad she took the time to give us a glimpse of what it must have been like in the early 70s, and to raise questions about women's lib and see how they translate to our personal lives, and to see that perhaps the more things change, the more they remain the same.
*
From 'A few words about breasts': "She [the boyfriend's mom] was, as it happens, only the first of what seems to me to be a never-ending string of women who have made competitive remarks to me about breast size. "I would love to wear a dress like that," my friend Emily says to me, "but my bust is too big." Like that. Why do women say these things to me? Do I attract these remarks the way other women attract married men or alcoholics or homosexuals?" -
If you can get your hands on it, I recommend reading the original hardback/paperback issued in the seventies. You get all the essays in their completeness.
Before reading this book, I was only familiar with Nora Ephron from Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail. These essays, unlike the movies, are not schmaltzy in the least. They are sharply observant, acerbic, and very funny.
I especially enjoyed her writings on the sixties/seventies women's movement. Although Ephron was a feminist and a supporter of the movement, she was also clear-eyed about its many shortcomings (for example, she questions the efficacy of "consciousness raising" rap groups. Too often the "personal is political" devolves into useless navel-gazing.) -
Megan Daum recommended Crazy Salad when I saw her speak at Butler as part of their Visiting Writers Series last month. Ephron's influence on Daum's writing is evident. A good thing! Love their ears and eyes for social irony, and their habit of wrapping up essays with a tough question or a jewel of wisdom.
Learning about Ephron's work as a feminist activist and thinker give me a new appreciation for Sleepness in Seattle and You've Got Mail. Her passing is such a loss. We could really use her wit and sense of humor to make sense of these interesting times... -
This was going four-stars great (so many interesting anecdotes! pretty fascinating to see a woman's point of view on the women's lib movement as it was happening) until I got to the very last essay, which is filled to the brim with ignorant, unapologetic transphobia (from the author) and misogyny (from the transperson the article is about), which... well, really put a dampener on my feelings about the book. I'd have taken the rating all the way down to one or two stars save for the fact that this was written in the 70s, which isn't really much of an excuse at all.
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¿Cómo debería ser leída una colección de artículos escritos a lo largo de los setenta por una periodista que pasaría a la posteridad por revolucionar, una década más tarde, la comedia romántica? Seguramente no como una biblia del feminismo, como una obra perfecta y completa, sino como un trabajo en marcha, una fotografía de su tiempo. Y así creo que funciona este volumen, como un retrato de algunos de los debates, los logros y los fracasos del movimiento de liberación de la mujer estadounidense, en el momento en que se producían, trazados por una buena observadora. Así, algunos textos parecen hoy de otro mundo, o eso me gustaría pensar (la misoginia interiorizada de la autora, los puntitos homófobos, la ligereza con la que se trata la violencia machista), y otros parecen de ayer mismo (las críticas a la cooptación capitalista del feminismo, las dudas sobre la articulación parlamentaria del movimiento, los cuestionamientos sobre el deseo o sobre el propio desacuerdo dentro del feminismo). Sobre todo esto Nora Ephron escribe con acidez, humor, distancia y honestidad. Claro que una lectora feminista de hoy no le daría la razón en todo, pero quizás no sea esto lo importante.
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It seems terrible form to give this book a bad review, but here I am doing it.
First things first: Nora Ephron was an amazing talent and hilarious voice. But if you're looking for a sampler of that wit that feels lively and relevant to today, I suggest you look elsewhere. "Crazy Salad" is not a collection that, for anyone born in the last 40 years, has aged terribly well.
Though a few excellent essays transcend time, many of the rest feel so dated and trapped in their own historical era that you half expect shag carpet to begin growing underneath your feet as you read it. (Want to read about the interpersonal dynamics between Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan at the 1972 Democratic Convention? Don't worry - there are TWO essays in this collection that address this topic.)
There is no question that Ephron was an incisive writer and razor wit and I don't doubt this particular collection read great when it was published in the 70s but I think this book begs some editorial deletions (and combination with other collections) to be interesting to a casual reader today. -
Hilarious!
But I think its only for women. Not necessarily though. Men can read this book too but its too girl-y for me! And I could relate so much with Nora. Funny thing is that...I am always on with such sense of humor & do all these kind of stuffs everyday but somehow read & like Angst/Tragedy genre only! After reading this, I think I should start reading humor now!
And there were few parts which did not even affect me in anyway, may be because it was time period issue! I am 90s kid & 2k teenager so I might not get few points from an American in 60s to 80s era! Maybe...not sure though! My personal favourite chapter - Divorce, Maryland Style! I really found it funny but somewhere it was mix of emotions such as anger, sadness & hurt and that too ego hurt! #FunnyYetEmotional
All in all, a good book! -
I'm worried Wellesley might rescind my degree for this rating, but transphobia means an automatic 1.
A few of these essays are fantastic: the one about Wellesley "Reunion", was the first time a "legendary" alum made me feel seen; the one about the Pillsbury cookoff; FDS; Porter goes to the convention.
But, even in the first few essays I found myself asking, "Did Nora Ephron actually hate women?" By that point she'd rejected the idea that women can contain contradictions, said she thinks menstrual cramps are fake, and doesn't feel right dismissing the opinions of belittling men. Internalized misogyny is so real, esp. in the 70's.
As someone else wrote, maybe a good editor should re-release a revised version of this, maybe with the most harmful essays in the back with a warning kinda like Disney+ has on some of their movies. -
I am really not in the mood to be preached to about how I should think and act. I've had enough of that this past year, thank you very much.
Audiobook
12 hours 54 minutes
Bailed after 1 hour 24 minutes -
Crazy Salad - Nora Ephron Ephron amuses me, even if I don't always agree with her.
***
It’s been a long time since I read this, which I’ve wanted to do ever since the recent Ephron buddy binge with Veronica. But I couldn’t find our copy. And then I did! It was a housekeeping miracle.
These essays originally appeared in the early seventies for Esquire. So in turn, that ties back into the women’s college tour, and the Steinem emphasis of this spring.
I say “our copy”, but it isn’t: it’s the Spouse’s copy that he brought to the marriage. That makes this one of the reasons why I married him. The books and the feminist cred. Personal copy -
I feel so appreciative for all of the women who came before me that paved the way for women to have all of the options that we have today. I really enjoyed learning more about this period in history where so much change was taking place. Some of the essays seemed really irrelevant and didn't stand the test of time, but many of them were still very interesting to read. I learned aspects of the women's movement that I had never heard anything about before. A lot of the essays just happened to be written in the months just before and just after I was born, and it was really cool to read what was going on at that time.
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Just curious -- but it's not really my thing.
In fact, in the 1983 Introduction to the 1975 Preface both by Ephron herself, she says, "Some of them seem dated--which is inevitable with magazine pieces; some of them that seem dated nonetheless have a kind of quaint historical value." Maybe the latter will come true with time.
Steve Martin's Introduction to the Modern Library Humor and Wit Series is very funny however. -
No nací en esa época, no nací en ese país y no conozco a nadie de las personas relevantes que menciona en esta colección de artículos de actualidad feminista y política. Pero es que, con wittiness y snappiness, me llega tanto al corazón su estilo. Casi me da la sensación de que voy aprendiendo a escribir según la leo.
Algunos artículos los pasé de largo, otros soy muy buenos. Como el primero sobre tetas y sus tetas. Uno de un bake off en Philadelphia también me gustó. El de la primera árbitro, que te sobrecoge. Ese de la mujer engañada de un gobernador que se negaba a ser abandonada tras haber construido single-handedly la carrera de él. O el de la devoción por estar media-trained de la hija de Nixon. Y más, y más. -
Qué lista, qué aguda y qué graciosa es Nora Ephron. Creo que no me voy a cansar nunca de consumir cualquier tipo d producto cultural q lleve su firma. Este libro es un compendio de algunas de sus columnas (creo). Hay algunas que me ha costado más entender porque son antiguas, hablan de situaciones políticas muy concretas de EEUU de los años 60. Aún así, son graciosas. Habla de la violencia obstétrica, de la píldora (y las barbaridades que se hicieron mientras se formulaba), de los desodorantes vaginales (WTF), de los grupos de concienciación...
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At its best, a great, engagingly written time capsule of how things were changing for American women in the first half of the 70s.
(And then also, especially later in the book, some not so interesting pieces about Nixon’s daughter, Nixon’s secretary, Nixon’s attorney general’s wife, ...) -
Me gustó tantísimo Se acabó el pastel y me gusta tanto el humor ácido e inteligente de Nora que estaba deseando leer más. Este volumen recoge artículos publicados en distintas revistas y periódicos. Algunos han envejecido mal, sin que esto sea un demérito para esos textos: no se escribieron pensando en que duraran, en que fueran relevantes pasados seis meses. Muchas de las noticias que Nora analiza y a las que otorga muchísima importancia pasadas por el filtro del tiempo carecen de la más mínima trascendencia, algunas resultan incomprensibles desde el futuro. A pesar de todo esto, Nora es Nora y siempre encuentro algo con lo que reirme, admirarme, asombrarme o asentir con fuerza.
Hay también muchas ideas con las que disiento y una de ellas es el tema de los pechos. Cuando leía esas páginas iba diciendo: «No, Nora, no tienes razón». A pesar de escuchar las quejas de sus amigas con mucho pecho «explicando que sus vidas habían sido muchísimo más tristes que la mía. Les tiraba la cinta del sostén en clase, no podían dormir boca abajo» y muchas cosas más, Nora defiende que tener poco pecho es algo más traumático que tener mucho. Nora, NO TIENES RAZÓN. Tener mucho pecho es terrible, no encuentras bikini, no encuentras sujetador y cuando lo encuentras es cuatro o cinco veces más caro que el que las mujeres de poco pecho pueden comprar en cualquier tienda. Además, el pecho más grande pesa más y se cae más. ¿Trauma por poco pecho? Sí. ¿Más que por tener mucho? Ni de coña. Y de esta burra no me bajo, venga Nora o quien sea.
Leyendo el ensayo Sobre lo de no haber sido nunca la reina del baile, en el que habla de la belleza de las mujeres, no paré de asentir todo el tiempo. «Una de las pocas ventajas de no ser guapa es que una embellece con los años: sin ir más lejos, yo misma no paro de mejorar de aspecto». Correctísimo, Nora. Nadie te ve y no te importa, pero tú te ves estupenda. «No existe en Norteamérica una chica fea que no cambiase sus problemas por los de ser guapa; no creo que haya una chica guapa que honradamente prefiera no serlo». Esto es así, los problemas de las guapas son imaginarios y es imposible empatizar con ellos. Y no pasa nada.
Nora dedica bastantes páginas al movimiento feminista, al que apoya con fervor crítico, como yo creo que hay que apoyarlo. «Me temo que el problema consiste en que como escritora estoy comprometida con la verdad y como feminista estoy comprometida con el movimiento; y dado que libremente me comprometí con él, considero una de las ironías constantes de este movimiento que no haya forma de decir la verdad sobre él sin que en cierto modo parezca que se le ataca».
Leed a Nora, pero empezad por Se acabó el pastel. -
I take my mentorship where I can find it. Like in the pages of Nora Ephron’s formative essays
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I just finished “Nixonland” and needed a softer view of the early 1970s, though I don’t think that’s what I got. I believe that Ephron places herself in the tradition of Dorothy Parker, and I am so far convinced that this is deserved. However, where Parker’s era compelled her to write in a prose that is artful but removed, Ephron is able to write directly of her experiences. Perhaps this annoys her detractors, who wish that she were more like Parker. She does get in some good zingers, though. In reviewing a non-fiction exposé, “The Girls in the Office” she states that perhaps the only way to faithfully portray the lives of young working women in New York is as a B-novel, slightly sensational and vaguely condescending. She writes extensively about her ambivalence about certain aspects of the feminist movement. She states that Moses kept the Hebrews wandering for 40 years knowing that no one raised in slavery would be able to found a nation, and she relates this to the women of her generation. Her self-loathing about Wellesley 10-year reunion is quite moving as she concludes that searching and independent thought was bred out of her classmates at this most prestigious school. She provides terrific coverage of the 1972 Democratic National Convention in Miami, and observes the attempts of Betty Friedan to remain relevant and Gloria Steinem’s quest to be taken seriously as a leader. Ephron sees “Deep Throat” one night because it was the only film that no one in her party had seen, and she feeling upset by certain acts and implications in the film, but even more disturbed that all of the men in her group told her not to take it so seriously, that it was only a movie. She describes a consciousness raising group in which women were to look into a vagina, the better to know this part of the body which, Ephron notes in several essays, has been demonized throughout history. She writes of her belief in the idea of consciousness raising groups, and that she has heard about groups elsewhere accomplished their stated goals, but because of the self-disclosure encouraged by such groups, her own group descended into a soap opera of its members talking about their problems with their men. The book ends circa 1973, and is preoccupied with the women surrounding Nixon’s fall due to Watergate: dutiful daughter Julie Nixon Eisenhouer, loyal secretary Rose Mary Woods, and Martha Mitchell, the unstable but truth-telling wife of Nixon’s 1972 campaign director. These profiles examine the supportive (or not) roles of women near powerful men, and how they may feel compelled (or not) to present themselves unflatteringly to protect said men. I also enjoyed a review of the autobiography of Barbara Howar, a 1960s D.C. socialite who may have lived before her time, as her rebellious nature lacked direction or intent.
I have read reviews of "Crazy Salad" that claim many of these topics are no longer relevant, or that they are primarily useful as a window into the early 1970s. I do concede that they are a great view into that era, but if you think that any of the issues discussed here have been resolved, you have not been paying attention. -
Nora Ephron's contemporaneous review of the second-wave feminist movement is interesting in some ways and dated in others. Punctuated by occasional flashes of brilliance that appear much more consistently in her later work, I found this a compelling read mainly insofar as it provides a milestone in Ephron's writing career, and Nora Ephron is a writer I have come to care increasingly about since I read her other works ('I Hate My Neck' and 'Heartburn' especially).
First, the datedness: I will confess to not care very much about feuds in the second-wave feminist movement. I have maybe a faint idea of who Betty Friedan was, and who the other one was, so why they fought and who was to blame is just not that interesting to me, though I have no doubt it was compelling at the time. The same goes to her (at the time) controversial evisceration of her alma mater Wellesley, which she described as having "turned out a generation of docile and unadventurous women". I'm sure the subject must have been very fascinating to some people deeper into the millieu. But: I didn't care.
More seriously, there is an entire essay that is transphobic and gross so... this is a very strong reason to not read the collection. I'm putting this under 'datedness', because do I think second-wave feminism was deeply troubling for a whole host of reasons, including the trans-exclusionary ideology that was very common amongst its proponents? Yes. Do I think transphobia and claims about 'real womanhood' (adjacent to, eyeroll, 'universal womanhood') exist in contemporary social discourse and are people hurt by it now? Definitely!!! Either way, it's a cruel, cutting little essay and in this instance Ephron is certainly punching down rather than up for her beloved copy.
The strengths: I thought that Ephron is at her joyous best when she digs into human follity. You saw it a little in her essays about Friedan and whoever else (I can't decide if it's my bad memory, or the forgettableness of the whole thing, that makes me not be able to remember), but again those did tend to lapse into 'and then X said' and 'Y did that'. Capitalising on those strengths, I liked: the essays about consciousness-raising, being a journalist versus a feminist, the piece about The Palm Beach Social, and Upstairs, Downstairs. And of course, because I've always said Ephron is at her best when she lets the pain wink through, the piece about her mother's mink. -
I enjoyed this lively (though at times quite serious) collection of Ephron's columns from the 1970s.
Ephron begins with several uninhibited pieces. In "A Few Words About Breasts," she reveals that insecurity about the size of her breasts is her self-defining characteristic. In "On Never Having Been a Prom Queen," she revisits the theme: "Once I had a date with someone who thought I was beautiful. He talked all night, while I--who spent years developing my conversational ability to compensate for my looks (my life has been spent in compensation)--said nothing. At the end of the evening, he made a pass at me, and I was insulted."
Mostly this book focuses on the Women's Movement. Ephron identifies herself as a feminist and writes from inside the storm of early Women's Lib. At her Wellesley reunion, Ephron feels embarrassment on behalf of her fellow alums who are staying home to raise children ("housewives," in the parlance of 1972). She sympathizes with Gloria Steinem, found crying and feeling betrayed by George McGovern at the 1972 Democratic Convention. Eprhon issues a lengthy, detailed, and altogether wonderful condemnation of female deodorant spray. And, with open jaw, she observes women competing in the annual Pillsbury Bake-Off. Yet Ephron is unable to support all feminist efforts: she wonders what to say when reviewing a pro-woman book that isn't actually very good in one essay, and in another she recounts how joining a consciousness-raising group ruined her marriage.
The later essays collected here, from the mid-to-late 70s, are more frivolous and less gripping than her earlier efforts. I mostly skipped the pieces where she summarizes the plot of "Upstairs, Downstairs" and the content of Gourmet magazine, adding her own opinions here and there.
One thing that disturbed me about this book is Ephron's habit of criticizing real people by name. In one instance, she identifies her high-school boyfriend, Buster Klepper, as a pimpled, not "terribly bright" boy. I wonder what hapless Klepper and his mother (who also makes an appearance) did to deserve Eprhon's derision. Similarly, Eprhon ridicules Christine Turpin, newsletter editor for Eprhon's co-op building, for her journalistic efforts. -
This is marketed as a humor book, and it's not (although that's not to say that Ephron doesn't write with a sharp, wry sense of humor, because she does). What it is, is a book of essays, articles, and columns, from the 1970s, on feminism, women, culture, and personal experiences.
The writing style is deeply engaging (I had a lot of trouble putting this book down), and I was deeply impressed with Ephron's sharp, unfailing honesty -- particularly as the topic she spends the most time being honest about is herself. But this book was also an eye-opener for me. I've always been aware of the fact that feminism has not been a long-running movement (which is why I find comments about "not needing feminism" anymore to be so silly, because: are you kidding me? You really think all the prejudices have been eradicated?? Please). But I had no idea things were quite ... quite the way they were for women as recently as the 70s. The 70s were yesterday, and getting a window into what it was like for women in the 70s was more than an eye-opener: it was something of a complete shift in my perspective.
I consider myself a feminist in that I simply think men and women should be equal. (Craziness, right?) If you think the same -- and you find very-recent history to be as interesting as I do (I've been interested in the 50s-70s for years) -- give this one a try. It's funny, it's depressing, it's thought-provoking, it's infuriating ... and it's got a few moments of surprising poignancy. Great stuff. -
The events may not be current and the times may seem radically different from today, but Nora Ephron has the ability to relate to you even after 40-plus years of separation.
In Crazy Salad, a collection of essays written by Ephron in the 70's, she takes the time to find the hilarious nooks and unseemly crannies in every topic she tackles. The first essay, which starts the book, is titled "A Few Words About Breasts," and elucidates her feelings on womanhood and feminism as well as her own insecurities. The following essays highlight this ability to relate her own experience to the overarching politics of the seventies with the wit and conversational voice one would expect from a legendary writer.
In addition to all of this, Ephron's essays function as a window into the feminist movement of the time. Through her eyes, we are able to understand how yesterday's struggles inform today's progress. It's history one would enjoy reading. -
Nora Ephron recently passed away. I enjoyed her writing and movies so much that as a tribute I’d read her other books.
This one shed a lot of light on the times 1972 thru 1974. She was a strong voice for women’s liberation and wrote and represented the cause. These essays appeared in Esquire, New York, The Rolling Stone, and The New Yorker.
I was very much impressed with her thoughts and insight. The look back fascinated me (as usual). I was in high school and didn’t really realize how women were kept “oppressed” to put it mildly.
Books she mentioned I need to read-
The Best of Everything-Rona Jaffe To Nora “it caught perfectly the awful essence of being single in a big city”
Laughing All The Way-Barbara Howar A socialite who did ridiculous things
An Unfinished Woman-Lillian Hellman (memoir) also a bit of Dorothy Parker -
These are a collection of articles written for Esquire magazine in 1972 - 74. She is a good writer; she sees themes in current event stories. But what I like most was the flash, no the jolt, of recognition of names I had once thought would never be forgotten and that I had not thought of in 40 years: Phillippe Halsman, the photographer of the jumping subjects, Alix Kates Shulman, Ti-Grace Atkinson, Gloria Steinem, Bella Apzug, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm -- ok, maybe I have thought of some of them in 40 years. The Loud family, Jan Morris, the articles go on and on, a true picture of the early 70s. She also writes about consciouness-raising groups, and looking at one's own uterus with a plastic speculum. FDS. Bobby Riggs. Great book for women of a certain age.
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So at first thought, all I could think was "holy white feminism". So many of these essays are missing key points in intersectionality. People of color are inherently missing from the dialogue and the essay about a particular trans woman left me reeling ... but as the book progresses, there is more of us, we are visible. I do think however that so many of these essays are important to the landscape of America's history. The one about Rose Mary Woods is way more truthful than a lot of the country would feel comfortable admitting. This world really has it out for women. We are chewed up and spit out and blamed for the fall of empires. Definitely a must read.
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Nora Ephron presensts a set of essays here dealing mostly with women's issues. They're sharp and funny, although some are a bit dated because they were written in the early 70's. However, they hold up well to a second reading and, sadly enough, some are still all too accurate for today. My favorite is the essay on women's personal hygiene sprays, which details the creation of a completely unnecessary product and then the creation of a very large market for said product. The methods are obviously all too sickeningly current even as I write. Worth reading--again.
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I was inspired to read this by Ariel Levy's recent New Yorker profile on Ephron. This has much more substance than her movies, or even her most recent book. Most of these essays were written just after I was born, so it's a useful historical perspective. A lot actually has improved. My copy is full of little post-it flags for things I will have to look up, or ask my mother about. On the other hand, probably none of the book's original readers knew why a Pillsbury Bake-Off contestant's speedy Hawaiian bread was called Wiki Coffee Cake....
