Beyond the Cleavage by Raquel Welch

Yes, I am a dude and I read Raquel Welch's book, Beyond The Cleavage.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I expected a showbiz biography, but it's mainly a lifestyle guide for women. And if you are looking for a guide on what to wear, how to keep fit, and look young, this is pretty comprehensive. She goes into every area with quite a bit of detail: healthy menopause, yoga, eating right, skin care, hair, make-up, etc. I skipped over a lot of it but must say, she had some good advice from what I can tell. Her view is post-menopause, and besides Jane Fonda, I haven't seen many celebrities with books about the values of aging—not just upkeep but remaining vital and engaged all your life. Have you seen the cover? She was 72 and she looks amazing.

The show business portion was most interesting to me, about her start in films, and she did go into the "Cannery Row" incident, which is what I wanted to hear about.

In 1980, she was hired to star with Nick Nolte in the film of Cannery Row, and shortly into filming, was fired for being too old. She was 40! She sued them for wrongful dismissal and to be paid for her work, and she won. It turns out there was already a plan to replace her with Debra Winger once they got the financing with Raquel's name attached. Her next job was starring on Broadway in Woman Of The Year, which won her a Tony Award.

She is very candid, and her advice seems grounded. And I did get some tips on how to reduce the bags under my eyes.

2010 / Hardcover / 336 pages