Raquel: Beyond the Cleavage Review
The read is Excellent/Very Good. The book is a straightforward talk to women that allows you to get acquainted with Raquel the person. The advice is sincere. It is a fun read. The health and beauty advise is valuable from an expert. The talk about hormones is helpful. The pictures are interesting but what I was hoping for was more updated pictures of Raquel's children - these pictures are the same as her exercise book from 20 years ago. Also, there are far better pictures of her from her collection than she chose. The pictures were otherwise good overall. She doesn't dish much gossip out on her leading men - taking the high road, but this could have been of some interest to the reader. The tips for aging well are worthwhile. I bought the Frownies upon her recommendation to relax my face muscles. I don't even use them much, but I see the instant difference. The vitamin recommendations and diet tips are also very good. Raquel lets women know about how women used to communicate, how they communicate now and how to better do so as women should in society. She has also established her spirituality and her religion again which is refreshing. What is so upsetting is that when I watch an old movie of Raquel's, I realize how much ahead of her time she was and how Hollywood did hold her back from using her for her real potential. Some people think she is just complaining - but she was the first sex symbol to do outdoor activities, such as riding a horse but she was knocked back then as being unfeminine - not athletic and progressive. Then, she kept her heritage under wraps until she was established. Her natural beauty and her attractiveness came from being multicultural but her natural attributes were questioned instead of being accepted as real. She had a minor role in Bedazzled but well-remembered- but look today, how Elizabeth Hurley had the starring role in the remake and nobody remembers the remake movie! Raquel was considered an aging sex symbol (People Magazine) that needed to find a plan what to do at 34 in 1974- but look at Sharon Stone becoming a sex symbol at 34 in 1991. There should be some type of award Raquel Welch should receive from Hollywood and a great new movie role to end all roles. Raquel is so much more refreshing than than Marilyn Monroe. Raquel is as much as a woman's woman to be a mentor to all of us, not just a sex symbol for men to look at. So many actresses have done the Raquel Welch style today - from Elizabeth Hurley to Cindy Crawford - to Angelina Jolie- to Hillary Swank, etc. They can pose in a fur bikini, get exotic, etc. but they can't hold a candle to the Raquel Welch - the icon and the woman! Raquel starred in her own spy movies and roller derby flicks, as well as spaghetti westerns! She was great at serious television movie roles, comedy, foreign films, dancing and singing on stage shows - including Broadway, NYC. Raquel is feminine but a woman's libber before her time. She has allure, style and great insight. Read the book!
Raquel: Beyond the Cleavage Overview
Part autobiography, part personal philosophy, and full of practical advice for women of all ages, Raquel: Beyond the Cleavage is a book that skimps neither on entertainment nor on good plain advice.
She didn’t hatch out of an eagle’s nest, circa One Million Years B.C., clad in a skimpy fur bikini. She didn’t aspire to fame as a sex symbol. Yet, for many years after making her Hollywood entrance as every man’s fantasy, Raquel Welch was best known for her beauty and sex appeal. A private person, she allowed people to draw their own conclusions from her public image. Now, Raquel Welch is ready to speak her mind. And, with the luxury of hindsight and the benefit of experience, she has plenty to share about the art of being a woman--even men will find it enlightening to read about what makes her tick.
In Beyond the Cleavage, Raquel Welch talks, woman to woman, about her views on all that comes with being a member of the female sex--love, sex, style, health, body image, career, family, forgiveness, aging, and coming of age. Looking back on her life, she lets women in on her childhood, dominated by a volatile father; her first love, marriage, and divorce; her early struggles as a single working mother in Hollywood; her battles for roles and respect as an actress; and her daring decision never to lie about her age. Looking forward, she offers women a compass to guide them at every crossroad of life, from menopause through the empty nest years, to dating younger men and beyond. Along with bringing baby boomers into her confidence--she offers essential tips for staying motivated and positive past fifty, as well as divulging her secrets for fabulous hair and makeup--she even talks to today’s younger generation of women about the importance of carrying themselves with dignity and self-respect.
With warmth, humor, conviction, and honesty, Raquel reveals her approach to preventative aging, her life-changing commitment to yoga, her recipe for eating right, her skincare regimen, her flair for fashion, and much more. Deeply personal (Welch wrote every word herself--no ghostwriter), Beyond the Cleavage is Raquel Welch’s gift to every woman who longs to look and feel her best, and be at peace with herself.
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Customer Reviews
Missed opportunity! - Scandia -
This is an odd hybrid of health/beauty book and memoir. I really wanted to like it but must second the problems that others have mentioned, like too few photos and too few personal details. (Certainly a fashion-tips section with no photos or even drawings is pretty much useless!) She's obviously had some very good cosmetic surgery and looks terrific, but she doesn't own up to it. What really disappointed and puzzled me was how little she tells us about her films, her co-stars or her ex-husbands. I couldn't tell if she was being discreet, lazy or just doesn't remember. Imagine the stories she could tell if she wanted! She's obviously proud of her "Woman of the Year" turn on Broadway, but she only includes one photo and doesn't discuss the experience at all! One of the most interesting parts was when she talked about film directors and producers constantly trying to make her do nude scenes that were not in the original script or contract, and that she'd made clear she would not do in ANY film. She also discusses horrifyingly exploitative and sexist film projects that she turned down. For this, Hollywood apparently labels you "difficult". I wish there had been more of this kind of "insider dirt."
Wonderful Womanly Wisdom - Khezla Durr - St. Louis MO
I feel like I know more about Raquel, the real person now, and am impressed by the fact that she did not use a ghost writer, she wrote every word of this book herself. It's like sitting down and having a personal conversation with her. Her insights are interesting, at times thought provoking, and her beauty advice is excellent. In that regard, she thankfully for the rest of us mortals, holds nothing back and gives the lowdown on brand names and makeup techniques. I couldn't survive on no more than what she eats, but it sure was interesting to see what her eating plan consisted of. I have always liked Raquel and admired her, but now I like and respect her even more. I just wish she'd give Andre Weinfeld permission to re-release the yoga tape in dvd format!
Raquel: Beyond the Cleavage - llana lloyd -
i was expecting racquel welch's autobiography but was very disappointed that it is merely a beauty guide book for women and how to deal with the ageing process. would have preferred her real life line experiences.
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"I’ve loved comic strips as long as I can remember. As a kid, I knew I wanted to be either a cartoonist or an astronaut. The latter was never much of a possibility, as I don’t even like riding in elevators. I kept my options open until seventh grade, but when I stopped understanding math and science, my choice was made. There is great personal satisfaction in attending to detail and quality, and I remain very proud of the standards the strip met day after day. I also liked the responsibility of knowing that, succeed or fail, it was all my own doing. This approach kept the strip very honest and personal--everything having to do with Calvin and Hobbes expressed my own ideas, my own values, my own way. I wrote every word, drew every line, and painted every color. It’s a rare gift to find such fulfilling work and I tried to show my appreciation by giving the strip everything I had to offer." 
