Book Review: Ugly As Sin by Toni Raiten-D’Antonio

Title: Ugly as Sin: The Truth About How We Look and Finding Freedom From Self-Hatred
Author: Toni Raiten-D’Antonio
Publisher: HCI; 1 edition
Publication Date: September 1, 2010
Hardcover: 268 pages
ISBN: 978-0757314650
Genre: Non-Fiction, Self-Improvement

From the Publisher:

‘I’m Ugly. You’re Ugly. So What?’

In Ugly as Sin Toni Raiten-D’Antonio, MSW, breaks the ultimate social taboo by insisting that she is ugly in the eyes of the world. More shocking still, she calls on the rest of us to own our ugliness too. But don’t be insulted. There’s a liberating purpose to her message, one that could finally set you free from the obsessing, self-doubt, and self-criticism that all of us participate in when we think about how we look.

In this unprecedented examination of ugliness, its pervasiveness in our society, and the havoc it wreaks on our psyches, spirits, and bodies, Raiten-D’Antonio bravely confronts the problem of ugliness (including her own) and opens a dialogue that is provocative and inspiring. She reveals the roots of our perceptions of ugliness and beauty, tracing them through biology, art, religion, and culture and shows how we have been led to fear being defined as ugly (‘ugliphobia’), and how this dread has become a universal problem. Comparing ourselves to impossible and ever-changing ideals of beauty, we endlessly cycle between efforts at self improvement and hopelessness.

What you will learn from Ugly as Sin is that overcoming ugliphobia begins with understanding the origins of the problem and learning that what we call ugly is not frightening or alien but part of being human. With searing honesty and empathy, Raiten-D’Antonio gives us the courage to redefine ugliness according to our own standards, while providing tools for finding self-acceptance and living in a world in which ugliness seems to be the ultimate sin.

My Review:

If anyone has ever thought “if only I was taller, shorter, thinner, bustier, curvier, less curvy, had a different nose, hair, smile”, and yes, the list could go on endlessly, then Ugly As Sin by Toni Raiten-D’Antonio is a book for you.  D’Antonio takes a deep look at the terms ugly and beautiful, and how these terms have evolved throughout time and how women’s perceptions and self-esteems have changed with these perceptions.   D’Antonio begins the book by informing the reader that everyone is ugly in the hopes of shattering the myth of pretty verses not pretty to help liberate women who torture themselves because they do not look like one person or another, and that we are all ugly insofar as we cannot possibly live up to the ideal set up by today’s media.  D’Antonio shares her earliest memories and awareness of beauty and how it affected her thoughts throughout her childhood.  She proceeds to write three subsections: Origins; Ugliness and Culture; The Ugly Effects; Overcoming Ugliphobia and sums up with how we can help spread the word and help our children to grow up strong and confident.   D’Antonio follows up her book with a detailed appendix showcasing how women of all ages have felt about themselves, a wonderful list of sources, and a detailed index.  Ugly As Sin is a book to empower women and help women of all ages to realize that their potential does not lie in their appearance or body size.    I would, without a doubt, recommend Ugly As Sin to every girl, teen, and woman.

About the Author:

Toni Raiten-D’Antonio, LCSW, is a well-known psychotherapist with a thriving private practice in Suffolk County, Long Island. She is a professor of psychology and social work at Empire State College. Prior to becoming a therapist she worked in television and theater as both a performer and producer. She has two daughters and lives in New York with her husband, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Michael D’Antonio.

Visit Toni Raiten-D’Antonio’s website.

For more reviews of the book, please follow the book tour.

I received a complimentary copy of Ugly As Sin by Toni Raiten-D’Antonio from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.