Book Review - Lean In

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s first book Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead is not only for working women. It is not only for women as a matter of fact. It is a book for our modern society. A society that on the surface says and wants to believe it is unbiased when it comes to gender, but is actually culturally conditioned to be more comfortable with stereotypical roles based on one’s gender.

Applaudably, taking the approach of a problem solver, Sandberg primarily dedicates her focus on what women can do to change the conception of unnecessary gender bias in the workplace, and thus the quality of life they can live as they choose to work, have a family, build a strong marriage and live a fulfilling life.

With scores of research she demonstrates again and again that women are just as capable and have proven themselves to be capable in any leadership role a man has had, yet sadly, again with research to back up her claim, she reveals that society subconsciously has a hard time swallowing this fact.

While absorbing the many hard to swallow statistics, her purpose in sharing so much irrefutable data is to lift the veil of what we’d like to pretend doesn’t exist any more. The days of Mad Men and blatant sexual discrimination may be gone, but instead such stereotypes have been passively hanging on lurking under the surface, and ironically, women themselves at times are to blame as we try not stand out or be labeled negatively for speaking up for what we need and rightly deserve for the quality of work we do.

Just as the bitter truth becomes nearly too much, she offers logical evidence to remind us that by choosing to lean in at work and continuing to lean in until fifty percent of all leadership roles are filled by women, we create fairer treatment for all women no matter what choice they have decided to live when it comes to their life path.

And to return to the audience in which this book is intended. By striving for equality in the workplace, we also help lift the stereotype that men often are burdened with when they work with their spouse in an equal capacity in the home.  “The goal is to work toward a world where those social norms no longer exist . . . Expectations will not be set by gender but by personal passion, talents and interests.” And as she reminds her readers, isn’t that what equality is all about? Being able “to feel comfortable with our choices and to feel validated by those around us.”

It’s easy to point the finger somewhere else. To blame everyone else, but society is made up of people, and each one of us is part of society. If we each stop to really consider our actions – am I behaving or thinking this way because of what I’ve been taught or because of what I truly desire? Am I behaving this way so that I won’t feel guilty? And then the question has to be asked? Who is making you feel guilty? Why are you feeling guilty? All we can do is our best, but why can’t both parents be expected to shoulder the same responsibility? And why should society applaud a new father’s callous behavior of playing soccer on the day his child was born, and at the same time scorn a mother who wishes to go back to work? Sandberg raises these questions and offers a long list of specific advice for women in the areas of workplace relationships, professionalism, finding a mentor, choosing a supportive partner, and continuing to progress toward one’s goals.

Not once does she profess to being perfect or to have figured it all out, but she does demonstrate what she implores women to do – lean in and speak up.

Click here to buy: Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

Images (2) Vogue

Lessons from Madame Chic: The Giveaway!

Last spring, always looking for a bit of French inspiration, I learned about Jennifer L. Scott’s book Lessons From Madame Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris after reading a complimentary review in The New York Times. Thankfully, I quickly ordered the book, because before I knew it, Simon & Schuster had also discovered what a wonderful treasure it was as well and whisked it off the shelves to revamp it for its re-release that is now finally just a few days away – Tuesday November 6th.

Needless to say, Scott’s Lessons from Madame Chic is certainly a must-have for Francophiles, but it is also a wonderful resource for anyone who wishes to cultivate a more simply luxurious way of living. Through beautiful narrations, Madame Chic’s lessons are shared in three different parts on the subjects of Diet & Exercise, Style and Beauty, and lastly, How to Live Well.

Based on Scott’s time as a foreign exchange student in Paris as a young woman, she is now a mother of two young daughters, happily married and living in southern California, so she converses with her readers from a relatable platform.  Immediately upon reading it again, I was reminded of another author who shares her insights and tips on living well with inspiration from the French – Mireille Guiliano. Scott’s tips are weaved skillfully into her experiences and time with Madame Chic and her Parisian family, so much so that you feel you are having a conversation with a trusted, yet wiser girlfriend.

And the beauty of discovering her book was that it didn’t have to end once I finished reading it. As the founder of the blog The Daily Connoisseur, readers are able to enjoy a regular dose of inspiration and YouTube video instructions on how to continually integrate the fine art of French living into their every day lives. 

The re-released edition of Lessons from Madame Chic (279 pages) contains the same content I initially raved about in my review in April (click here to view), but is now adequately accessorized with illustrations found throughout the entire book from the talented artist and designer Virginia Johnson (view the back cover’s illustration below – j’adore the long, waving scarf and Breton top).

 

~The lovely author herself – Jennifer L. Scott, the cover you will find in Australia and New Zealand that is available on November 6th as well! and the back of the cover of the copy being given away to one lucky reader.~

Now if you’re like me, when you see something you know you are going to love, you may not want to wait to see if you win the giveaway. Trust me, you will love this book. My copy has endless margin notes, underlines and asterisks so that I can quickly review my favorite tips and suggestions (read my favorite here).

Even though it isn’t released until November 6th, you can preorder today from Amazon, and what I’ve found is that you will be certain to receive it on that exact release date and sometimes even earlier. (Click here to order for only $14.18 from Amazon.) 

Important Information to Know About the Giveaway:

~1. Enter to win a copy of Jennifer L. Scott’s Lessons from Madame Chic by leaving a comment on this blog post which must contain an email address to reach you at should you be the lucky winner.

~2. Due to regulations by the book’s publisher, this giveaway is unfortunately only open to residents of the United States and Canada (however, those of you who live in Australia and New Zealand, look for your own chic cover to be available for purchase on November 6th – see cover above)

~3. Be sure to enter by Monday, November 5th at midnight.

~4. The winner will be announced Tuesday morning November 6th on the blog!

It’s that simple! Good luck!

Paleoista – Book Review

Are you someone who enjoys food, preferably quality food, and at the same time, takes pride in dressing stylishly, all the while adhering to your signature style?

If you, like me, are both someone who respects food, but enjoys it and at the same time is passionate about looking and feeling great in the clothes you wear every day, Nell Stephenson’s debut book Paleoista: Gain Energy, Get Lean and Feel Fabulous with the Diet You Were Born to Eat might just be something you want to read.

Combining both the worlds of food and fashion, Nell has claimed the title of Paleoista, and in her new book, she teaches her readers how they too can become Paleoistas. With the motto, “Eat this, to wear that”, Nell’s introduction to following a paleo eating regimen is not nearly as daunting as many have made it out to be as she simplifies and clearly explains what to eat, how to shop, how to travel, and even offers quite a few sample menus.

Read more »

Roots of Style Book Review

“Style is your most sincere form of expression.” – Isabel Toledo

As a way to share her views on life, love and fashion design, the woman labeled as the “designer’s designer”, Isabel Toledo shares in her recently released memoir Roots of Style (March 6, 2012) her artistic inspirations, the personal experiences that have shaped her work, her personal philosophies on design and life and how she has skillfully managed to blend art and commerce.

Read more »

New York: The Novel – Book Review

A saga set in former New Amsterdam, or what we know as New York City, begins in the mid seventeenth century and ends in 2009. Edward Rutherfurd’s novel New York is a combination of intriguing historically accuracy such as the rising of the Sons of Liberty prior to the coming of the Revolutionary War, the tragic draft riots during the Civil war and the tragedy of 9/11 and engaging fictitious characters that are both intriguing and seemingly real.

As the reader begins following the lineage of the Master family, other families from all facets of society – merchants, immigrants, politicians and native born – their trials, successes, failures and romances are shared in enough detail as to stir up your compassion, but not so much depth as it isn’t solely their story to tell.

The quest for freedom is the underlying theme that weaves itself through all of the characters as they strive, stress and sometimes stumble on their quest.

Being someone who thoroughly enjoys history, I found this book to be fascinating, and as I listened to it as an audio tape on my recent travels, I found myself not able to wait until the next ride in my vehicle to finish it and had to listen to the last few chapters at home while sitting in my living room.  It is engrossing, endearing and at the same time inspiring as one of the last few lines states, "Dream it and do it. But first you must dream it."

Rutherfurd’s previous New York Times Best-Selling novel London: The Novel is next on my list to read.

New York: The Novel
by Edward Rutherfurd

Purchase from Amazon here
Price: $11.44
Copyright: September 2010
Pages: 880
Publisher: Ballantine

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The House in France – Book Review

With exquisitely beautiful and frank detail, author Gully Wells shares in her memoir The House of France the memories she has of her mother Dee Wells and her step-father Sir Alfred Jules "Freddie" Ayer as she grew up in London, Paris and in their summer home situated between Toulon and Marseille all amongst the royal, social and political elite.

Wells consistently paints images of a young girl coming to understand her mother through her writing, the eccentricities she observed and why it was her mother became the fierce independent woman who spoke her mind with such resolute conviction being the glamorous and often rebellious American journalist who wrote for The Guardian, The New York Times as well as authored a successful book titled Jane released in 1973. Explaining how her mother’s wisdom clearly molded her into the woman she became, Wells giftedly tells a seemingly objective description that isn’t always flattering, but always intriguing; however, throughout the entire piece there is an undercurrent of utter love and adoration that can’t be contained in the last few pages as she writes about her return to her mother’s house in France and how after six years following her mother’s death she is finally able to return as she has never been without her mother present until at that very moment.

Beginning in Paris where her mother and father met and married, readers will be delighted, shocked, impressed and charmed by this wonderfully scripted memoir that is a traveler’s dream and a daughter’s reality.

“’Take a chance’ – this was the precept she had always lived by, the impulse that had propelled her forward, the belief she clung to as fervently as any of the pilgrims who worshipped at the shrine of Notre-Dame du Beausset-Vieux, in that tiny chapel on top of the hill, behind our house.”

Click here to order The House in France: A Memoir by Gully Wells from Amazon for $17.07
Pages: 320
Publisher: Knopf
Available beginning: June 21, 2011

{Receive additional simply luxurious ideas and inspiration by subscribing to the weekly newsletter. Click here to view a past issue and simply sign up by entering your first name and email address in the middle column to the right on the homepage of The Simply Luxurious Life blog. Each issue arrives promptly in your inbox early Friday morning or late Thursday evening depending on where you live.}

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Paris, Baby! – Book Review

Sharing the metamorphic journey of a woman experiencing the adventure of having her first-born, author Kirsten Lobe’s memoir Paris, Baby! is an entertaining, honest ride for her readers as her frank, hilarious and cut through the small-talk descriptions are a refreshing change of prose.

The author of novels Paris Hangover and French Trysts, Lobe begins her tale in Paris where she has been living as an expat by way of Wisconsin-Tokyo-Manhattan for the past eight years. With her appreciation and vast knowledge for fashion, the arts and Frenchmen, she doesn’t wait for any initiation and promptly places her readers at the scene of the famed French pastry shop Ladurée where her description of une grande meringue au chocolat and macaroons covered with creamy ganache are enough to cause an impulse airfare purchase to Paris tout de suite.

The fact alone that she is in a pastry shop seemingly wanting to devour more than just a petite nibble is enough to set the stage for her introduction to her life of a soon-to-be single mother living in Paris.

The narration that won readers over in Paris Hangover returns as she infuses a constant comparison of her American upbringing with her adopted and beloved new home, as well as omni-present appreciation for the opposite sex and a the Frenchmen’s love of feminine beauty in all of its stages. But as her reality begins to welcomingly change, she focuses her love and adoration towards her son Oscar. And it is this complex struggle that all mothers have in some capacity or another that Lobe shares first-hand with her readers – the loss of your former life, however, fully and utterly devoted and in love with your child; an instantaneous lioness-like protectiveness of your child and frustration with those who don’t understand it, at the same time realizing that prior to being a mother, ignorance was a very valid excuse admittedly made by the same said mother.

Ultimately, the conflict that must be resolved is whether to raise young Oscar in the City of Lights or in her hometown suburb Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  And with a hard-fought argument for both sides and many lists in which she shares with her readers, holding nothing back (some may take offense, but I found very refreshing and true to Lobe’s style), the readers will be left uncertain until the last chapter.

While I won’t give away her decision, her goal on how she hopes to raise her child is based on her now Alzheimer's stricken mother who Lobe deservedly praises throughout the book – to be a mother who nurtures her child’s innate choices and gives him the belief that what he feel is of value, unique and meaningful.

Lastly, mothers will find one, if not many, scenarios to commiserate with, and while Lobe’s depictions are something to absorb for women without children, she blatantly points out that such a life is impossible to imagine until you’re living it.

But for now, Paris, Baby! is a grand way to experience motherhood as it is full of laugh out loud worthy anecdotes, sincere insights and impressive flashbacks on a few of her single life experiences. In the end, however, you will still be able to savor your sleep-filled nights.

To purchase or learn more, click here.
Pages: 352
Price: $10.08
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Secrets of Stylists – Book Review

With experience in the field of fashion from being a part of the staff at Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Mirabella, Vanity Fair, Elle, Allure and currently the fashion director at Us Weekly, Sasha Charnin Morrison reveals the behind the scenes secrets to what it takes to be a successful celebrity stylist in her recently released book Secrets of Stylists: An Insider’s Guide to Styling the Stars.

Being introduced to the seductive world of fashion at an early age (observing a Vogue photo shoot in Union Square photographed by Chris von Waigenheim), she immediately became smitten and was even so lucky as to be invited to visit the one and only Vogue fashion closet while she was still in school. How is that for after school one-of-a-kind memories?

With her vast knowledge of the behind the scenes culture and tough clientele demands, Morrison tells it like it is, removes the rose-colored glasses many are wearing as they watch The Rachel Zoe Project, and allows the stylists in the business currently share their own individual stories of what a stylist’s life is really like.

With Q & A’s with Robert Verdi, Monica Rose, Lee Harris, Deborah Wahnin, Penny Lovell (stylist of Ginnifer Goodwin), Lori Goldstein, just to name a few, she allows the experts to shed some light on where they find inspiration, lessons they’ve learned and tips for being successful.

Full of images of well-dressed stars and the transformation a knowledgeable stylist can create, this book is completely hands-on for those up and coming stylists as it includes an entire chapter to what every stylist should pack to handle any emergency that might arise, how to organize all of the incoming merchandise, how to create an inspiration board and most importantly where to find the clothes you covet to clothe your clients.

While so many of us enjoy gazing at the gorgeous gowns and ensembles as they make their way down the runway, not all of us want to be a stylist, but we must keep in mind that we are the stylist for ourselves every day. Thankfully, Morrison keeps that in mind as she includes an article written by Adam Glassman (the Creative Director of O Magazine) on page 125 that will speak to each one of us.

Overall, an in-depth book that is certain to be a resource for anyone pondering their future in the fashion industry or simply wanting to look stunning and confident in the clothes she wears.

Secrets of Stylists: An Insider’s Guide to Styling the Stars
Author: Sasha Charnin Morrison
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Pages: 176
Price: $16.47 (Amazon)
Click here to order or learn more

How To Dress for Success – Book Review

When famed and revered costume designer Edith Head’s book How to Dress for Success was originally released in 1967 it became a classic resource for women of all ages as they navigated the professional world whose doors were beginning to open ever wider for females who wished to partake in creating their own independence.

Re-released just recently on April 1, 2011, in its iconic lavender clothbound cover, readers will discover her advice to be timeless:

*Ignore “faddy” here-today-gone-tomorrow styles for things that reflect quality and taste

*Building a proper wardrobe is somewhat like building a home

*Wear accessories to “spice up” your wardrobe, but don’t overdo it

*Wear colors that are complementary to your skin tone and flatter your figure

*Choose clothes that serve you

With specific and detailed guidance for all body types and lifestyle activities, Head expertly takes the reader through each chapter with details, specific direction and examples and concludes each chapter with a check-off list of principles to follow.

One of the greatest take-aways that is practical and effective for building a successful wardrobe is her suggestion to create a “blueprint plan”. Beginning with a list that charts the activities you are involved in on any given day or special occasion (doing business, grocery shopping, formal affairs, sporting events, dinner at restaurants, trips, etc), she asks each woman to write the degree (everyday, frequently, quite often, rarely, hardly ever) in which each activity takes place.

By going through this process, the correct types of outfits are blatantly clear and the unnecessary shopping of items that tend to only see daylight when the closet door is open is eliminated.

While there are noticeable references that are outdated (viewing middle age at 35), I found it a history lesson in how far women have come.  In fact, as it was just released in the 2010 US Census that 37% to 33% of women to men have a higher education degree, this is but one example of how far women have come in taking a step forward toward living their best life and discovering success – the success Edith Head initially hoped to assist us all in achieving when she sat down more than 40 years ago and shared her sage advice garnered from years of of helping the stars (Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophie Loren, Audrey Hepburn) look their best.  Head states repeatedly, that she has never worked with a woman who didn’t have something that needed camouflaging which is evidence to the fact that we all have potential if we know how to play up our strengths and reduce the appearance of our not-so-beloved areas.

From the first line, Edith Head states very candidly, “This book is addressed to women who want Success. And that means all the women . . . who are both old enough to know what they want and energetic enough to go after it.”

Direct and confident, Edith Head’s passion for the world of design is electric, yet grounded in femininity and determined to help us all acquire success starting with one of the things we have complete control over – our wardrobes.

Click here to purchase.

Pages: 192

Publisher: Abrams; Reprint edition

Images: (1) Source

Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange

Parisian style radiates an air of self-assuredness, that indefinable je ne sais quoi that initially seems so elusive, and yet at the same time almost appears simple, uncontrived, perhaps effortless.

Inès de la Fressange, the premiere model for Chanel in the 80s and currently the brand ambassador for Roger Vivier, has graciously decided to share these coveted Parisian secrets of style in her new book Parisian Style: A Style Guide which is officially available Tuesday, April 5th.

I must confess, I was eagerly awaiting the opportunity to take in her tips, ideas and expertise for more than just a few months, and upon the delivery of my copy, it barely left my side until I was finished.

First of all, while the cover alone is captivating and impossible to miss with it’s scarlet red jacket and gilded font, the contents are just as creatively and vivaciously presented. With the feel of a large Moleskine journal, ribbon bookmark and all, additionally all of the photography of shops, products and destinations are by Inès, as are the drawings and hand-written lists. The the layout as well is playful, easy to read and unpretentious unlike what one might expect due to the topic at hand. 


Inès has clearly taken special care to create guide for all of us who are short on time and thus sometimes imagination, being sure to help us create a style that appears effortless, yet is full of great thought.

The Magnificent Seven are what is defined as the brilliant basics that are key to creating Parisian style in any scenario.  Modeled by Inès’ daughter Nine, each of these items are demonstrated as part of a complete outfit in order to better exhibit how to incorporate exactly what she is suggesting must be in our closet:

The Magnificent Seven:

1. A Man’s Blazer
2. The Trench
3. The Navy (cashmere) Sweater
4. The Tank
5. The Little Black Dress
6. The Perfect Jeans
7. The Leather Jacket

While this may be where many style books cease in their guidance, Inès has only just begun.  For each of the Magnificent Seven she shares more ideas on how to meld it into anyone’s wardrobe, a list of fashion faux pas, a lux celebrity style idea and a hall of fame reference which in the case of the navy sweater was Eric Bompard’s cashmere company. She is spilling the beans so to speak, sharing the secrets and letting us all in on where one can acquire the look of Parisian style.



And be sure, after sharing her tips on fashion, she continues on to accessories, the five essential bags, shoes, beauty, entertaining, and home decor.

Having lived in Paris for most of her life (although not born there, further proof that one does not need to be a born and bred Parisian to possess such style), she also takes her readers through her recommended shops, boutiques, hotels, restaurants, spas, and hot spots that would take more than a few travel guides to figure out when attempting to plan their next trip to the City of Light.




It is without reservation that I highly recommend Parisian Chic: A Style Guide as an informative, delightful and forever resourceful book that I am sure to pack for my next trip to Paris and have already begun to tweak my wardrobe accordingly – navy cashmere sweater, white jeans and ballet flats – my new go-to chic outfit. Thank you Inès!

And to view more of Inès Parisian chic style, click here.

Published by Flammarion
Pages: 240
Available for pre-order at Amazon $16.10

A Savvy Decision

It is with three thumbs up, if only I had that many to raise, that I would give Living the Savvy Life: The Savvy Woman’s Guide to Smart Spending and Rich Living written by Melissa Tosetti and Kevin Gibbons.

I came to learn about this book through one of my favorite bloggers and blogs How To Be Chic and in doing so contacted Melissa Tosetti almost immediately.  Simply based on reading the description I had a very good inkling that this book would be something not only The Simply Luxurious Life readers would enjoy, but would also find to be a valuable resource in creating a more balanced and fulfilling life. I was not disappointed.

Beginning with the premise that a savvy life is one which includes balance, it continues to go in depth with individual chapters focused on money, home organization, entertainment, wardrobe, beauty and food. After all, Tosetti and Gibbons remind the reader continually, that in order to create the life we want, we must prioritize – saving money by not purchasing and spending money on things that are of little or no importance to us, so that we may be able to spend our hard earned money on things that are of great priority.

While this concept may sound simple, living a savvy life is one that involves discipline, and whether we want to admit it or not, money is at the bottom of the foundation of the life we want to build.

Financially speaking, the authors speak to the readers, as though you are having a conversation. Examples from their own experiences are given which makes it much more personable and honest. I particularly appreciated their approach in how they talk about money. The concept of planning to be successful will ultimately help lead to a more confident person who steps forward in pursuit of the life they want. Most importantly, we must all know where our money is going and exactly how much we make and thus spend, but instead of purchasing an expensive Microsoft Money or Quicken program, why not just use Excel?

Now if talking about money for an entire book seems a bit much, don’t worry.  There are wonderful chapters on how to be a savvy shopper for your kitchen and your closet, as well as simple ways to make sure you are able to enjoy the entertainment you wish to spend your money on.

One of the tests I have in determining whether a book will be passed on to my friends and family, and now my readers, is if I am annotating madly as I read. And, in this case, it began on the first page, while at the same time I was jotting down notes in my notebook. Here are just a few of the many specific ideas suggested on how to create a more savvy way of life that immediately caught my attention:

*Create a weekly cleaning list

*Create a spa-like atmosphere in your master bath (add an orchid, bamboo, etc)

*Drink 1 glass of water with each meal

*Enter expenditures daily into Excel program

*Sign-up for Ebates

*Call cable, telephone and credit card companies quarterly to look into lowering bills or taking advantages of special offers

*Only purchase things you love

*Create a family cookbook, complete with plastic covers to protect each recipe

*Visit one of your favorite boutiques each pay period

*Set up your closet like a boutique

*Do not use a credit card a second time until you have paid off the balance in full

*Come up with five different dishes you can serve when you have guests over that allow you to enjoy your company and give you the peace of mind that dinner will be delicious and very much enjoyed by your company

*Create your own style book

The list could go on and on.  The specifics that are given endlessly is one of the reasons I know this book will be a resource for me.  Not only do the authors share their own ideas, but they share interviews with respected professionals in their fields – for example, with Michael Chiarello (of Food Network fame), excerpts from Debra Ollivier’s A Woman’s Guide To Finding Her Inner French Girl, five pages full of titles of books suggested as references on all of the topics discussed in the book and at the end of each themed chapter, a list of 10 Tips for that particular topic.

The beauty of this book is that it reminds us that we truly are “the designers of our lives".  Because as they see it, and I couldn’t agree more, “You are the artist and a savvy life is yours to create.”

I highly recommend this book for anyone who desires to perpetually grow, live their best life and create their very own success story. 

Are You A Jackie Or A Marilyn?

Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, intelligent, savvy, Gone With The Wind, creators of their own image, mysterious, and of course JFK.

Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Marilyn Monroe at first glance appear to be at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to how they lived their lives, but the irony is they had quite a great deal in common. Both women dated Sinatra and Brando, both enjoyed and had in their library On The Road, each listed Gone With the Wind as one of their favorite movies, clearly both women had an air of mystery that made them all the more attractive to the public, and ultimately, this mystery is what they consciously created to cast out the image they wanted to public to see.

In Pamela Keogh’s recently released book (October 28, 2010) Are You a Jackie or A Marilyn?: Timeless Lessons On Love, Power and Style, the blending of history, style advice and tips on creating the life you yearn for is all superbly intertwined as to keep you turning each page until you’ve sadly come to the end.

Keogh (author of What Would Audrey Do?, Audrey Style, Jackie Style and Elvis Presley: The Man, The Life, The Style) has done an abundance of research that ultimately creates an intriguing biography/advice book that will inspire you to tap your inner talents. Did you know that Marilyn could have just as easily been the princess of Monaco as Grace Kelly, or that Jackie became a book editor at the age of 46 and remained in this profession for over twenty years in New York City working with such celebrities as Carly Simon and Michael Jackson as they wrote their autobiographies?

Such fascinating details are sprinkled through the 244 pages. Here’s a few more, just to whet your appetite: Jackie was a friend of Gloria Steinem’s and donated money in 1972 to help found the Ms. Magazine, while Marilyn in 1951 continued to enroll in evening courses at UCLA in “art appreciation and literature”.

But how can two women who appear to have lived such different lives, still be considered to be cut from the same cloth?

Answered in great detail, Keogh explains that while they may have on the surface presented themselves differently – Jackie the debutante and Marilyn the sex symbol, ultimately they were women who knew how to get what they wanted. 

And if nothing else, whether you admire them both or neither, it should serve as a reminder that no matter what upbringing one has, their future is theirs to create.  Jackie may have turned the other cheek regarding JFK, but was creating the life she desired – one of privilege and one of a devoted mother. Marilyn, knew she had no one to fall back on but herself, therefore, she played the role that would allow her to live the life that gave her the freedom and comfort she craved.

The lessons to be learned on style, carriage, manners, and an effective approach for creating the life you right now may only dream of,  is what continues to resonate long after putting it down.

Taking our modern world of Twitter, Blackberries and Mad Men, Keogh weaves in between the entertaining stories and histories of two iconic women, ways in which each one of us can be the star of our own lives. And no matter which woman captures your attention, or maybe a little bit of both, keep these three things in mind: find within yourself “a sense of confidence, have a sense of history and always have a library card”.

To answer the question, Are You A Jackie Or A Marilyn? take the quiz that appeared in Vanity Fair’s September 2010 issue by clicking here.  If you’re like most women (myself included), you’ll discover you have a little of both hidden within.

Pamela Clarke Keogh

Images: (1) Amazon (2) Source (3) Vanity Fair (4) Source (5) Pamela Keogh