''Skinny Bitch'' is a diet book written by former modelling agent Rory Freedman and former model Kim Barnouin. The book sold better than expected despite not having high initial sales. ''Skinny Bitch'' became a best-seller in the United Kingdom by May 2007 and in the United States by July, more than eighteen months after its initial 2005 press run of 10,000 copies. The book also sold well in Canada.

Content

The book advocates a purely

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...

diet and includes sections on factory farming and

animal cruelty Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty, is the infliction of suffering or Injury, harm by humans upon animals, either by omission (neglect) or by commission. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm ...

. In addition to advocating a vegan diet, the authors also say that one should avoid

smoking Smoking is a practice in which a substance is combusted, and the resulting smoke is typically inhaled to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream of a person. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, whi ...

alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...

caffeine Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine chemical classification, class and is the most commonly consumed Psychoactive drug, psychoactive substance globally. It is mainly used for its eugeroic (wakefulness pr ...

, chemical additives (such as

aspartame Aspartame is an artificial non-saccharide sweetener commonly used as a sugar substitute in foods and beverages. 200 times sweeter than sucrose, it is a methyl ester of the aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide with brand names NutraSwe ...

) and refined sugar. Sources are frequently cited throughout the book, a large number of which point to vegan websites.

Reaction

Reactions to the book have been mixed. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' reported the lead buyer at retailer Shakespeare & Company saying: "It's definitely the most entertaining diet book I've ever read", and that it "had sold 'extremely well' in the stores." They also quote the co-owner of a bookshop as saying:

It definitely has that sharp, chick-lit look and feel ..You look at the photo of the authors on the back, and they are both drop-dead gorgeous. If you look at the photos of authors on the crunchy granola books — maybe not so much.

''Sistah Vegan'' author A. Breeze Harper criticized the book, saying that it disregarded race and class issues that make veganism difficult for some women. She also disputed the authors' characterization of women's inability to change their diets as laziness.

Sequels

Several followups have been written, including the cookbooks ''Skinny Bitch in the Kitch'' (2007) and ''Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook'' (2010).

References

External links

{{Portal bar, Books, Food Books about animal rights Dieting books Books about veganism Running Press books Veganism in the United States