Fat, Stupid, Ugly : One WomanÂ’s Courage to Survive

Rating:
Summary: I really enjoyed reading this book.
Review: A great book. I feel that many people can relate to the topics in this book and learn something from it. I really enjoyed reading it and could not put it down.

Rating:
Summary: The Light Shines Brightly
Review: As a psychologist, I am always astonished at what people can transcend. Debrah Constance's telling of her life story in her own words is witness to this fact. I found "Fat, Stupid, Ugly" extremely inspiring. It gave me pause. It gave me the opening for further introspection into my own life. The questions are always the same: Who am I? Where am I going? What am I doing? It seems to me to be truly awake, these questions must be posed time and time again. In my 61 years I have found this to be so.

"Fat, Stupid, Ugly" is a disturbing book that provokes us to think beyond the surface of our day-to-day lives. I thank Debrah for this book; it is a gift to all of us. She is remarkable. Our lives can be so difficult and some of us have dramatic and cataclysmic events befalling us. Debrah tells us about the major obstacles in her life and that the battle is worth it in the end. It brings us to our ultimate truths. Debrah's story reminds us that the work is never done, the job never quite complete. We are all on our way back home is how I see it. And on the way back we meet each other and hopefully shed a little light on the task at hand. Thank you, Debrah. The light shines brightly.

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: Deborah Constance 's book is a must read for anyone who feels they are trapped as a victim of circumstances. She has risen above her life of abusive realtionships and addiction by changing the lives of thousands of at risk children.


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Summary: This book made me feel like I could accomplish anything
Review: For most of us, good self-esteem and good self image drives us to do great things ... make more money, create a home for our family, be the best kind of person we can be, and do right in the world. But for Debrah Constance, not having any self-esteem and being labeled "Fat Stupid Ugly" pushed her to help a displaced community deal with life's hardest issues -- drug addictions, gang violence, single parenting, school drop outs, and death. Debrah is the founder of "A Place Called Home," a South Central Los Angeles youth center that provides at risk children, ages nine to twenty, with a secure, positive family environment where they an regain hope and belief, earn trust and self-respect and learn skills to lead to a productive life. Debrah's memoir chronicles her life as an abused child who thought so little of herself she endured deep psychological and emotional problems, drug and drinking addictions and abusive relationships throughout her life. After a life long struggle with her poor self image, she found a way to change her pattens, get help for her drug/alcohol problems and give back to children who have lost hope. This is an amazing person. I found hope and direction for my own life after reading it. I hope I get an opportunity to meet her one day so I can thank her. Her story belongs on the Oprah show so that other people can learn that even when the most unfortunate situation occurs ... there is hope. Thank you Debrah!



Rating:
Summary: A compelling story of courage and hope.
Review: I couldn't put this book down once I stared reading. This book is a must for anyone who has ever experienced any abuse or changledge with addiction.

It's an amazing true story of a woman who grew up with sexual abuse and not only survived years of abuse and addiction but while healing her own wounds, helped to change the lives of thousands of at risk children and their families in South Central Los Angeles.

This story shows the resislence of the human spirit and what one person can do to affect change in a community through dedicated service.

I hope this book gets the attention it deserves and I hope to see the author on the Oprah Show one day very soon.




Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ
Review: I loved this book from beginning to end. It is an amazing story and impossible to put down once you start. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an inspiring story.

Rating:
Summary: Great story, not-so-great writing
Review: There is no doubt that this woman's story needs to be told. Unfortunately, the way it is told doesn't match what is being said. The first half of the book reads like a college entrance essay, with the themes reiterated over and over and over. Finally, halfway through, when Debrah creates A Place Called Home, the book picks up the pace and moves forward with incredible stories and anecdotes. Ultimately the story is triumphant, encouraging and inspiring.

Rating:
Summary: Stupid I Must Agree With
Review: This is the story of a woman who was sexually abused by her father, and called fat, ugly and stupid by her mother and father. There isn't much detail. Her mother divorces her father and she is no longer sexually abused, but she "acts out" and marries a bad, jealous guy. He kills her dog by throwing him out a third floor window, her cat disappears, but she doesn't leave him. She does have an abortion because she apparently has figured out by this time that she doesn't want a child with him. She leaves him, marries someone else, has a multitude of jobs, has a child, and many, many more pets. What happens to all of these animals is mysterious, but I don't think that they live to a ripe old age, because they are usually mentioned once, then never again. Debbie is on to the next round of pets. She divorces her husband because he doesn't want to hold hands, and she knows that there is so much more out there. Has drug dealers for friends (what exactly are they getting from her?), neglects her son, gets involved with more losers who beat her up and rape her, gets more animals, more jobs, gets drunk and causes a ruckus at her sister's wedding, but no big deal, joins AA, then begins a program to take care of street youth. Meanwhile, she still doesn't have it together in her personal life.

This is a short book with large print. The writing is vague and superficial. Nothing in this book made me like this lady, although I am sure that there are many people who probably do. She just came across in the content of her writing as immature and self-centered. She only recently figured out (after 50 years or so) that she wasn't "fat" or huge - she is 5'4" and was always within 10 lbs of 113.

At some point, you have to take responsibility for the choices you make in life, even if your parents did call you "fat, stupid, and ugly". Be an alcoholic, drug-abusing bad decision-maker if you must, but don't bring innocent animals and children into your dangerous, chaotic environment.

I strongly recommend you avoid this book, even if, or especially if, you were abused. If you want to read uplifting books about someone who has overcome abuse, read anything by Louise Hay.

Rating:
Summary: Important and Accessible
Review: What an incredible story of turning one's life around and making a difference in the world. Deborah Constance's stamina and creativity are remarkable, as is her survival in the face of extraordinary life challenges. While it would have been good to learn more about Ms. Constance's underlying psychology, the straightforward writing style may be a reflection of her need to do rather than to analyze. This book is accessible to all readership levels (except, of course, children).