Kuczynski goes as far as to call the ultimately self-serving act of cosmetic surgery a political statement. "Looks are the new feminism" is a point she's so fond of she makes it twice over the course of the book. "Where once demanding equal rights and pay was a way for us to ask for an equal share of the power, the new way we show we have power is to be styled -- from top to bottom, from shoe sole to eye tuck -- to prove hat we have our act together. This is how we demonstrate to the world we have it all, both the yin and the yang, the masculine and the feminine."

I personally don't think you need a political movement to have plastic surgery. Now I can see a movement to stop sexual assault like what happened in Egypt on the Eid, but merely to conform to old sexist beauty standards? Bleh.

Also I found an interesting letter in the letters section:

The new feminism? Give me a break!

If top-to-toe (ouch!) cosmetic surgery is the new feminism, I quit! Maybe I'll become a Christian -- at least they have the idea that life is about more than narcissism and consumption. Seriously, anyone who thinks feminism is about producing the illusion of perfect self-control through masochistic woundings of the body hasn't been paying attention. Feminism is a social justice movement, not a beauty regime. What does plumping up your imaginary wrinkles with parka filling have to do with equality between the sexes?

Nothing. Not one thing.

-- Katha Pollitt