Stilettos have the power to transform, instilling confidence, distinguishing status and lifting your mood the minute you put them on. They inject glamor, femininity, and sex appeal to any ensemble. From classic to tribal and luxe to vintage, there is a shoe out there to fit every foot and this invaluable guide will highlight some of the most exquisite examples of stilettos one could ever be tempted to wear. Beginning with the history of shoes, Tracy Martin explores the origins of the high heel, explaining how it has evolved to become the most desirable of all footwear. Quirky facts, famous quotes, and interesting anecdotes are interspersed throughout the pages illustrated with images of gorgeous shoes that are guaranteed to capture the heart of every shoe lover. This book is sure to seek out anyone’s inner shoe fetish as it offers something for every sole.

I'm Lily, a New York newspaper columnist, mother of two, divorcee of one and partner in crime to Michael, English professor, novelist and best friend extraordinaire. We've been friends forever -- well, since I nearly burned down our apartment building while trying to cook. Michael and I have weathered disco, bad fashion, bad perms, bad boyfriends -- for both of us -- my failed marriage, parenthood and writer's block.ÿ Laughter has helped -- and so have the martinis.ÿ But now we face our biggest challenge: the C word. And if I have my way, Michael will be giving up his freewheeling bachelor ways and settling down once and for all. Because I have some very specific wishes for who should take over parental duty when I'm gone. Of course, I refuse to take this lying down -- even when the doctors tell me to lie down and shut up. Because although I'm sick, I'm determined to wear my high heels and lipstick. I'm gonna look good or die trying, dammit.

Life in a rut? Job pays OK but only do it for the money? Hate the squalid people you have to be nice to in your working life? Sounds like publishing? Well, in fact it's the slightly more exotic world of strip joints, but the message is universal, for anyone who wishes they could stop what they hate doing and work at something they love. The heroine of this inspirational book is very lucky. She has a mentor who is cute, cool, wise and has only her best interests at heart. After she meets him, astride his Harley Davidson, her life begins to change. He cuts through the tough exterior she has learnt to project to the world and encourages her to like herself, believe in her potential and eventually to quit stripping for her real love, singing. Call him 'God', 'Higher Power', 'The Universal Life Force', whatever you will, Joan Brady shows us how to tap into our spiritual side and change our lives for the better.

They told our hero he'd be fine so long as he followed his passion. When, in the face of the Economic Downturn, his MBA ceased to be worth the parchment it had been inscribed on, he took a job in a Manhattan shoe store patronized mostly by glamorous rich women with a taste for impractical footwear ' and submissive salesmen.

Evie is a thirty something ad-exec that came up the hard way! She clawed and fought her way out of a broken home in a small town in Southern Indiana to a state university scholarship and then all the way to New York City to work for one of the most prestigious advertising firms in Manhattan. She had all the material trappings a girl could want; designer clothes, shoes and bags by the dozen; everything that is except for what she longed for most; true love and happiness. After a string of less than satisfactory relationships she eventually realizes that until she comes to terms with her past and essentially rediscovers herself she will never find a man and a life that truly makes her happy...just the right combination of style, substance and comfort; a perfect fit!

L.A. shoe designer, Maddie Springer, lives her life by three rules: Fashion. Fashion. Fashion. But when she stumbles upon the work of a brutal killer, her life takes an unexpected turn from Manolos to murder. And things only get worse when her boyfriend disappears - along with $20 million in embezzled funds - and her every move is suddenly under scrutiny by the LAPD's sexiest cop. With the help of her post-menopausal bridezilla of a mother, a 300 pound psychic and one seriously oversexed best friend, Maddie finds herself stepping out of her stilettos and onto the trail of a murderer. But can she catch a killer before the killer catches up to her.

Killer Heels explores the rich cultural history of the high heel and its relation to power, fantasy, sexuality and identity. More than 160 spectacular contemporary and historical shoe designs - from sixteenth-century Venetian platforms to twenty-first-century Christian Louboutins - are presented around six themes: Revival and Reinterpretation, Rising in the East, Glamour and Transgression, Architecture, Metamorphosis and Space Walk. Going beyond the archetypal forms of stiletto, wedge and platform, these extraordinary designs play with the cultural and artistic possibilities of the high heel, use innovative or unexpected materials and push the limits of functionality, wear ability and beauty. Complementing the shoes are stills, sketches and artist statements for six films specially commissioned for the exhibition from Ghada Amer and Reza Farkhondeh, Zach Gold, Steven Klein, Nick Knight, Marilyn Minter and Rashaad Newsome that explore a range of provocative themes and demonstrate the power of the high heel in the collective imagination. In addition, several of the designers included in the exhibition (including Brian Atwood, Zaha Hadid, Pierre Hardy and Christian Louboutin), along with Elizabeth Semmelhack, Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum, contribute thoughts on topics such as their inspiration and design process and the cultural significance of high heels. Beautiful, informative and just plain fun, this collection of killer heels is filled with stunning photos and fashion lore.