Previous month:
December 2010
Next month:
February 2011

18 posts from January 2011

Plastic Surgery: The Subprime Mortgage Crisis of the Body

So what does a tummy tuck have in common with an underwater mortgage? Laurie Essig, author of American Plastic: Boob Jobs, Credit Cards, and Our Quest for Perfection explains how and why millions of Americans choose to finance expensive cosmetic procedures that they can little afford. Read more →


Americans not only pioneered plastic money, but we have also increasingly turned to using it to finance costly "improvements" to our bodies. A new book by Laurie Essig looks at how credit, medical advances, and cultural pressure combined to fuel a huge growth in plastic surgery. Read more →