"Cleavage is very 1960s: it shows off the new permissiveness. (Look! we can reveal most of Elizabeth Taylor's breasts!) Cleavage is not nudity. Cleavage is a promise: not sight, but on the verge of sight." [p. 138] In this brilliantly shrewd, hilarious collection of essays, cultural critic and acclaimed writer Wayne Koestenbaum exposes all that provokes, intimidates, heartens, and arouses us in matters of style, celebrity, obscenity, and art. Armed with a bold curiosity, a stinging wit, and a subversive sense of wordplay, Koestenbaum reflects on a dazzling array of subjects. Here are the outsized emotions inflamed by Sophia Loren, Robert Mapplethorpe, and locker-room nudity . . . vivid dreams of flirting with Bill Clinton and resurrecting Bette Davis from the dead . . . the intangible joys of thrifting . . . the true meaning of masculinity . . . and the indelible sensation that two scoops of vanilla flesh, heaving incongruously in a 70-millimeter musical, made on a young boy of impressionable age. From the rigors of a day spent with Melanie Griffith ("Melanie Time") to the healing powers of a gray Prada suit ("Diary of a Suit") to moving meditations on the importance of reading ("Why I Read"), this volume is an irresistible exploration of culture and identity in America. If celebrity is--as Koestenbaum suggests--an earthquake, then Cleavage is the aftershock.

Collar to Cleavage is a compelling read, a book that invites the reader to share a series of interweaving ‘life’ journeys. From a childhood in Wales to an adulthood of international proportions; from one country to another – visiting, putting down roots, some in exotic, far-flung places, some in places where you would not want to live by choice. Then to a personal journey which explores the motives and struggles of the human heart. It deals with life transitions both spiritual and emotional; it challenges readers to examine how we process not only the joys but the difficulties and surprises that life has in store. This humorous and autobiographical account will resonate with everyone in some way. Readers are invited to reflect on their own issues in a wonderfully charming and light-hearted way and are introduced to larger-than-life characters from Swansea to Sumatra, from enigmatic Japan to a chicken factory in New Zealand. The book gives an intimate insight into the cultures of the Middle and Far East, especially the role of women. The author’s zest for life in all its fullness is infectious. She deals with the past – the aching loneliness of a marriage, her life as a corporate wife, the shock of a cross-cultural adoption and exploring a life as a priest; we find that in her honesty we are able to understand ourselves better. Change is inevitable, life changes happen. The book is a tale of her life, but it may also be used as the basis for deeper thoughts and discussions on the appropriate sections. Collar to Cleavage will appeal mainly to female readers of autobiographies.

Sparkling, original stories about challenging mainstream notions of beauty and femininity.

Cool is cool and geek is geek, and at Eldridge the two definitely do not mix. Sari and Jess are best friends and total opposites. They've liked each other ever since they discovered that they are the only two normal people at Eldridge Alternative. As they prepare to face the trials of ninth grade, Sari is psyched. Jess is not. How can she face the Prada Mafia, the most evil clique in school? Or Mr. McGuiness's unnervingly long nose hair? What if something really interesting happens to Sari and nothing whatsoever happens to Jess? But not even Jess can predict the mayhem that erupts when Sari falls madly in love with David Cole. David is a senior. He's been dating Thea Melendez for forever. So he couldn't possibly be interested in Sari. Or could he? And if he is, where does that leave Jess?

It's the ultimate challenge: breaking into the Ivy League. The hack: To get one deadbeat, fully unqualified slacker into the most prestigious school in the country. The crew: Eric Roth -- the good guy, the voice of reason. Max Kim -- the player who made the bet in the first place. Schwartz -- the kid genius already on the inside...of Harvard, that is. Lexi -- the beauty-queen valedictorian who insists on getting in the game. The plan: Use only the most undetectable schemes and techno-brilliant skills. Don't break the Hacker's Code. Don't get distracted. Don't get caught. Take down someone who deserves it. The stakes: A lot higher than they think. They've got the players, the plot, and soon -- the prize. It's go time.

Leo, Max, Jane, and Daisy don't have much in common. But when they all blow off their SAT prep in favor of forming their own study group, they actually begin to bond -- over why there's so much competition over a stupid test. And what it really measures, anyway. Then it's revealed that someone has cheated on the SATs, and all eyes point to the study group. Everyone knows that Leo can't stand to lose. That Max is convinced he's a loser. That Jane couldn't care less about the whole thing. And that if Daisy doesn't clinch the right score, forget it -- she can't afford to go to college. The pressure is on for the cheater to come forward. Who will fess up?