Beauty Bites Beast: Awakening the Warrior Within Women and Girls

by Ellen Snortland and Ellen Shortland

Book Overview

This text is a clarion call to "sleeping beauties" to wake up and take charge of their own self-defense--both verbal and physical--and it celebrates women and kids who fight back. Funny and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0971144702
• ISBN13: 9780971144705
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: B3 Books
• Length: 198 Pages
• Weight: 2.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A How-Come Book for Women--and Men

Ellen Snortland says she has not written a how-to book for women. She calls it a "how-come" book, but by virtue of the fact that humankind has a tendency to handle itself better when it understands a process, it becomes a how-to book. The quintessential how-to book. This is a book that teaches self-defense and assertiveness and...well, you get the idea. It is mostly a book that helps women understand why we are "beauties" that must "bite" the beast and how that can be changed to benefit us all.The author is well equipped to give advice. She received her J.D. degree at a time when women attending her Loyola Law School were in a small minority. She is a self-defense advocate and instructor. She is an actress, a producer, and a director. She rails-humorously-against injustices each week as a columnist for the "Pasadena Weekly" and she is a professor of Communication Studies at California State University at Los Angeles. Communication is, in fact, the crown that "Beauty" wears that covers all of these pursuits. "Beauty Bites Beast" is the culmination of Snortland's abilities and need to communicate in an area that-even after several decades of progress-still has room for a whole lot of improvement.Oh! You should also know: It is absolutely entertaining-from beginning to end. Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place"

THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ...

"Beauty Bites Beast" by Ellen Snortland is a book that pulls off a tremendous feat: it both informs while educating. Miss Snortland has written a book that should be mandatory reading for every young woman in America. Men, as well, have a lot to learn from Miss Snortland's work -- with a fascinating insight into the thought processes of women, Snortland relates real life events into her work. As a man, I had no idea that women walk to their cars in fear, but they do. The reason is that men attack women from behind, though men usually attack each other face to face. Yet this is one of many interesting facts straight from Miss Snortland's book.This book is easy to read, informative, and necessary. During these uncertain times, Miss Snortland's point that women should not be afraid to defend themselves is vitally important. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.Finally, a book that tells it like it is, with a common sense approach that I think one day should be made part of the curriculum for every high school student.

If I could give this book twelve stars I would

"Beauty Bites Beast" is an incredible, funny, tough and smart guide to women's self-defense. According to author Ellen Snortland, women have been conditioned by society to believe that they are helpless in the face of attack. In chapter after chapter, Ms. Snortland systematically unravels and deconstructs myths, stereotypes and misguided beliefs which contribute to violence against women. With her biting humor and irreverent style, Ms. Snortland is able to make her points, share success stories, and urge women to reclaim our power. As a practicing martial artist, all I can say is RIGHT ON to Ms. Snortland and all others like her who strive to make this world a safer place for women, children and men alike. All girls, women, men, boys and everyone else who care about women's safety, or who just want to understand the origins of violence in our culture should have a copy of this book. Or several copies. This is an excellent, funny, well-written book about a deadly important issue. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

A cure for violence? Read on...

When it comes to self-defense, women have been sold the victims' bill of goods. So says Ellen Snortland in her book Beauty Bites Beast: Awakening the Warrior Within Women and Girls. The myth of physical inferiority in the face of unending gender violence is shattered by Snortland, who claims to have the antidote for rape, abuse and boyfriends who shove their dates a little too hard after 10 beers. It's fighting back, something any properly trained woman can do effectively. And that includes EVERY woman -- from 10 year old daughters to 85 year old grande dames. But this antidote is a tough pill for society to swallow and Snortland knows why. She discusses gender expectations, history, fairy tales, religion and mythology -- all stories and structures designed to keep women mute, docile and respectful. Snortland throws a bomb on the whole guy-party, deconstructing our gender consciousness bit by bit, until a shining kernal remains. Through strength and mutual respect, women and men CAN attain true equality. Beauty, it seems, must learn to bite that damn beast when he acts up. Some readers will want to argue with Snortland's in-your-face analysis of society. Not me. For me, this book was a huge relief. "Finally," I thought, "I can take charge, rather than worry or shrink from strangers while hurrying my children away." I came away from this book pumped, ready to take two things: a self-defense course and complete charge of my life. Few books leave a person so inspired and -- no kidding, folks -- grateful.

Everyone who cares at all about women should read this book!

Though it deals with self-defense, BEAUTY BITES BEAST definitely is not a "how-to" book; rather, it's a "go-for-it" book. Too many times woman have heeded the hackneyed advice that it's far more dangerous to fight back than simply to relax and allow rapes or assaults to occur. "El toro caca," says Snortland--not in those words, of course, but strongly and with lots of specific stories and statistics to back up her advocacy of women's self-defense.If you are a man, as I am, and care about the women in your life, you'll buy them this book! It should be in the hands of everyone--male or female--old enough to grasp its meaning. Why? Because it literally can save lives.Not only is Snortland right on with her advice, but the book is funny. And the humor has the same sort of knockout punch Snorland advocates in matters of self-defense. A self-defense instructor (and a born author, as well), Snortland knows whereof she writes.Buy t! his book for yourself, for your loved ones, for your friends, for your neighbors. And then make sure they read it. Believe me, you won't regret it.Does this book deserve a five-star rating? Naw, if I could, I'd give it at least a six.