Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty Book

I read this immediately after reading The Beauty Myth because it was billed as a rebuttal. The idea is that "beauty" is not a social construct after all, but an evolutionary fact.

Since it was billed as a rebuttal, I feel compelled to rate them against each other. Survival is definitely easier to get through. It is better written. It is full of fun facts and studies. I read both books on vacation and Survival definitely seemed more appropriate for the beach!

But I couldn't help but feel that it didn't have a cohesive argument; it didn't have something important to say like The Beauty Myth did. I think the main mistake was inviting the comparison by referencing The Beauty Myth. As a stand-alone book about why we find certain characteristics attractive, it was very interesting and I'm glad I read it.

But I wasn't convinced that evolution is all that is going on.

And strangely, even though it was a lighter read, it was actually more depressing. If it's evolution, we're working against "billions" of years of conditioning- conditioning that makes sense! We like thick blond hair and small waists because they indicate youth, health, and strong reproductive capability. The logical conclusion is that you are not only ugly... you are unhealthy and infertile. And getting old. Yikes. That comes dangerously close to reaffirming the old idea that beauty indicates goodness. I don't think we want to go back down that path, do we?