My Body

My Body is a collection of essays by model and actress Emily Ratajkowski, which all center on her body. Her essays encompass her experiences within the modeling industry and how she is treated as a desirable object and little more, although they also consider her internal perception of her body. Beginning in childhood, Emily realized that her physical appearance had the potential to take her places and she could use it to achieve her financial goals. Conversely, her beauty also exposed her to misogyny, sexual exploitation, and overall bad behavior by the men who control the modeling industry.

My Body is well written, introspective, and deep. It offers an interesting lens through which to view a toxic industry, although Ratajkowski does not hesitate to admit her role in accepting the bad behavior. She excels in pushing the reader to open their eyes to a complicated balance between recognizing sexist treatment and using it to one’s advantage. I found Ratajkowski’s unpacking of her complex relationship with her body really interesting, and she brought up points I never would have considered if not for this book.