Low-Fat Love: Expanded Anniversary Edition (Social Fictions Series) - Softcover

PRAISE FOR LOW-FAT LOVE:
"Sometimes, when I read an especially wonderful book I say to myself, "I wish I had written that!" And that is how I feel about Low-Fat Love. To write a page-turner of a book that teaches about contemporary gender relationships is a major feat. Patricia Leavy has done that with Low-Fat Love. Truth be told, I love Low-Fat Love because it creates a fictional world that mirrors the gendered one we live in. I can identify with all the different characters and their issues. I would love to be in any college class or book group that was fortunate enough to be reading and discussing it. Brilliant!"--Laurel Richardson, Ph.D., The Ohio State University
"Patricia Leavy writes with passion, verve and skill. I loved the first edition of LFL, but this expanded edition exceeded my expectations. I would run, not stroll, to get a copy for yourself and all of the important people in your life. I will use this in my relational communication and women's studies classes because it is beautiful, relatable, and offers smart critique of how pop-culture's expectations for intimate relationships often lets us down. Leavy offers readers a way to think through their close relationships and demand better of themselves and others."--Sandra L. Faulkner, Ph.D., Bowling Green State University
"I couldn't put it down! Low-Fat Love is a remarkable novel that every women's studies class and interpersonal class would do well to read. The title is indicative of the search for meaningful, deep, enriching relationships beyond the artificial, low-fat love that is all too pervasive in society today. I wholeheartedly recommend this book."--Robin Patric Clair, Ph.D., Purdue University
"My students LOVE the book. One keeps saying, 'I feel as if I am inside this story ... so colorful, so contemporary!'"--Jeasik Cho, Ph.D., University of Wyoming
"Low-Fat Love is absolutely brilliant. This new edition is a must-read for anyone who has lived, loved, dreamed, and at times, settled for less than what we deserve--in other words, this is a book for everyone. Get it now, set it on your course reading lists, and give it away for birthday and holiday gifts. It will change the way you think about identity, the media and popular culture, gender, communication, feminism, education, emotion, relationships, and the sociology of human being-ism."--Anne Harris, Ph.D., Monash University and Australian Research Fellow in Creativity and Arts in Education
"More than anything, Low-Fat Love proves the astonishing talent that Leavy possesses as both a writer and social commentator. This novel manages to synthesize years of research without ever feeling researched, and teaches so much without the reader feeling as if they were being educated. It's a novel that appeals to multiple audiences, and I know that many of my students, both male and female, recommended this novel to their friends and siblings for the fun enlightenment they gained. In short, read it now. You definitely won't be disappointed. It manages to be a short, 'can't put it down' book to read on the beach or on a plane, while still inspiring the sort of reflection usually reserved for self-help novels and sociology tomes. A wonderful and inspiring read that I will be using for years to come. Every student should read this book."--U. Melissa Anyiwo, Ph.D., Curry College
"This book is a great read. Leavy writes characters that you care about. I read this book over a weekend, barely able to put it down. The story is well-developed, fun, and has great pacing. What makes this book particularly interesting is the way that Leavy, a sociologist with expertise in gender studies, weaves the findings of her social research into the story. She makes sociology accessible to a wide audience. A pioneer in arts-based research, Leavy transcends traditional academic writing to engage a variety of audiences. As a sociology professor myself, I am using this book in my Introductory Sociology course, not only to springboard discussions about gender identity and women's roles, but also to demonstrate the power of sociology beyond the classroom."--Jessica Smartt Gullion, Ph.D., Texas Woman's University
"Based on my students' responses and my own enjoyment of the novel, I highly recommend it!"--Barbara Gurr, Ph.D., University of Connecticut
"The characters are deep and complex, the storyline intertwined, and I couldn't put it down."--Linnea Rademaker, Ph.D., Northcentral University
"I use Low-Fat Love in my Sociology of Gender and Sociological Theory courses. My students and I enjoy reading the text. The students repeatedly tell me in their reviews that reading this book is one of their favorite parts of the class; they find the material relevant and helpful for understanding sociological concepts in an accessible way. If you are looking for a fun read and/or a supplement to your gender courses, I suggest Low-Fat Love!"--Cheryl Llewellyn, Stony Brook University

Low-Fat Love unfolds over three seasons as Prilly Greene and Janice Goldwyn, adversarial editors at a New York press, experience personal change relating to the men, and absence of women, in their lives. Ultimately, each woman is pushed to confront her own image of herself, exploring her insecurities, the stagnation in her life, and her reasons for having settled for low-fat love. Along with Prilly and Janice, the cast of characters' stories are interwoven throughout the book. Low-Fat Love is underscored with a commentary about female identity-building and self-acceptance and how, too often, women become trapped in limited visions of themselves. Women's media is used as a signpost throughout the book in order to make visible the context in which women come to think of themselves as well as the men and women in their lives. In this respect, Low-Fat Love offers a critical commentary about popular culture and the social construction of femininity. Grounded in a decade of interview research with young women and written in a fun, chick-lit voice, the novel can be read for pleasure or used as supplemental reading in a variety of courses in women's/gender studies, sociology, psychology, popular culture, media studies, communication, qualitative research, and arts-based research. "Sometimes, when I read an especially wonderful book I say to myself, "I wish I had written that!" And that is how I feel about Low-Fat Love. To write a page-turner of a book that teaches about contemporary gender relationships is a major feat. Patricia Leavy has done that with Low-Fat Love. Brilliant!" Laurel Richardson, Ph.D., The Ohio State University "Patricia Leavy writes with passion, verve and skill. I will use this in my relational communication and women's studies classes because it is beautiful, relatable, and offers smart critique of how pop-culture's expectations for intimate relationships often lets us down. Leavy offers readers a way to think through their close relationships and demand better of themselves and others." Sandra L. Faulkner, Ph.D., Bowling Green State University "I couldn't put it down! Low-Fat Love is a remarkable novel that every women's studies class and interpersonal class would do well to read. The title is indicative of the search for meaningful, deep, enriching relationships beyond the artificial, low-fat love that is all too pervasive in society today. I wholeheartedly recommend this book." Robin Patric Clair, Ph.D., Purdue University "Low-Fat Love is absolutely brilliant. This new edition is a must-read for anyone who has lived, loved, dreamed, and at times, settled for less than what we deserve - in other words, this is a book for everyone." Anne Harris, Ph.D., Monash University and Australian Research Fellow in Creativity and Arts in Education