Overview

The true story of a cross-generational, beyond-the-grave -- and beyond-the-scale -- friendship that led to the first breakthrough Marisa Meltzer ever had in her quest for self-improvement. Marisa Meltzer began her first diet at the age of five. Growing up an indoors-loving child in Northern California, she learned from an early age that weight was the one part of her life she could neither change nor even really understand. Fast forward nearly four decades. Marisa, a contributor to the New Yorker and the New York Times, comes across an obituary for Jean Nidetch, the Queens, New York housewife who founded Weight Watchers in 1963. Weaving Jean's incredible story as weight loss maven and pathbreaking entrepreneur with her own journey through Weight Watchers, Marisa chronicles the deep parallels, and enduring frustrations, in each woman's decades-long efforts to lose weight and keep it off. The result is funny, unexpected, and unforgettable: a testament to how transformation goes far beyond a number on the scale.

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9781549105197

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Reviews

This book is an incredible hybrid: both a detailed study of an extraordinary American life, and a candid and revealing memoir. Meltzer is the biographer Jean Nidetech deserves, crafting a portrait of the woman and the world in which she lived. She's also a bracing memoirist, a warm and honest voice unafraid to offer readers the stuff of her own life to help us better understand the culture we now share. It's a remarkable feat. -- Rumaan Alam, author of That Kind of Mother Marisa Meltzer is an ingenious writer. This Is Big expertly weaves together two engaging tales: the charming, funny, and often heartbreaking account of Meltzer's lifelong attempts at bodily transformation, and the little-known story of a largely forgotten American icon Jean Nidetch, the irrepressible, pathbreaking entrepreneur who founded the now billion-dollar company Weight Watchers in her modest living room in 1963. -- Nancy Jo Sales, author of American Girls A witty and meaningful look at our obsession with weight and dieting; blending the story of the founder of Weight Watchers with her own saga, Marisa Meltzer crafts an amusing story with universal insights.'' -- Sheila Weller, author of Girls Like Us Marisa has written a book that perfectly captures our country's obsession with THIN and the struggle with obesity at this moment in history. -- Busy Philipps, author of This Will Only Hurt A Little Her story will resonate with readers who have struggled with weight and body image issues. A straightforward memoir of struggling with obesity and finding inspiration from the founder of Weight Watchers. -- Kirkus Reviews A thoughtful exploration of how to make diet choices on one's own terms, rather than in 'fear of the final weigh in.' -- Publishers Weekly This is Big is a brave, bold, funny, honest, riveting book that made me have every kind of feeling in the world. -- Jami Attenberg, New York Times bestselling author

"""This is Big is a brave, bold, funny, honest, riveting book that made me have every kind of feeling in the world."" -- ""Jami Attenberg, New York Times bestselling author"" ""A thoughtful exploration of how to make diet choices on one's own terms, rather than in 'fear of the final weigh in.' -- ""Publishers Weekly"" ""Her story will resonate with readers who have struggled with weight and body image issues. A straightforward memoir of struggling with obesity and finding inspiration from the founder of Weight Watchers."" -- ""Kirkus Reviews"" ""Marisa has written a book that perfectly captures our country's obsession with THIN and the struggle with obesity at this moment in history."" -- ""Busy Philipps, author of This Will Only Hurt A Little"" ""A witty and meaningful look at our obsession with weight and dieting; blending the story of the founder of Weight Watchers with her own saga, Marisa Meltzer crafts an amusing story with universal insights.'' -- ""Sheila Weller, author of Girls Like Us"" ""Marisa Meltzer is an ingenious writer. This Is Big expertly weaves together two engaging tales: the charming, funny, and often heartbreaking account of Meltzer's lifelong attempts at bodily transformation, and the little-known story of a largely forgotten American icon Jean Nidetch, the irrepressible, pathbreaking entrepreneur who founded the now billion-dollar company Weight Watchers in her modest living room in 1963."" -- ""Nancy Jo Sales, author of American Girls"" ""This book is an incredible hybrid: both a detailed study of an extraordinary American life, and a candid and revealing memoir. Meltzer is the biographer Jean Nidetech deserves, crafting a portrait of the woman and the world in which she lived. She's also a bracing memoirist, a warm and honest voice unafraid to offer readers the stuff of her own life to help us better understand the culture we now share. It's a remarkable feat."" -- ""Rumaan Alam, author of That Kind of Mother"""

This book is an incredible hybrid: both a detailed study of an extraordinary American life, and a candid and revealing memoir. Meltzer is the biographer Jean Nidetech deserves, crafting a portrait of the woman and the world in which she lived. She's also a bracing memoirist, a warm and honest voice unafraid to offer readers the stuff of her own life to help us better understand the culture we now share. It's a remarkable feat. -- Rumaan Alam, author of That Kind of Mother Marisa Meltzer is an ingenious writer. This Is Big expertly weaves together two engaging tales: the charming, funny, and often heartbreaking account of Meltzer's lifelong attempts at bodily transformation, and the little-known story of a largely forgotten American icon Jean Nidetch, the irrepressible, pathbreaking entrepreneur who founded the now billion-dollar company Weight Watchers in her modest living room in 1963. -- Nancy Jo Sales, author of American Girls For anyone who has ever felt defeated by food, betrayed by their own body, embarrassed for not only lacking the willpower to change their habits but also embarrassed by the desire to change their own body, Marisa Meltzer sees you, has written this book for you because she is you. While simultaneously delving into the history of the woman who started Weight Watchers and bravely and honestly examining her own complicated relationship with food and weight, Marisa has written a book that perfectly captures our country's obsession with THIN and the struggle with obesity at this moment in history. -- Busy Philipps, author of This Will Only Hurt A Little A witty and meaningful look at our obsession with weight and dieting; blending the story of the founder of Weight Watchers with her own saga, Marisa Meltzer crafts an amusing story with universal insights.'' -- Sheila Weller, author of Girls Like Us This is Big is a brave, bold, funny, honest, riveting book that made me have every kind of feeling in the world. -- Jami Attenberg, author of All Grown Up

Author Information

Marisa Meltzer is a journalist based in New York who writes the Me Time column for the New York Times Style section and has contributed to the New Yorker, New York Magazine, the Guardian, Vanity Fair, and Vogue, among numerous other major national publications. The author of two previous books, How Sassy Changed My Life and Girl Power, she lives in Brooklyn, NY and was born in Northern California.

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