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Acknowledgments
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Acknowledgments an d a personal note : social historian s wh o dea l with wha t th e Frenc h cal l th e intimat e sid e o f th e pas t fac e no t only th e challeng e o f demonstrating significanc e bu t als o the ne cessity o f acknowledgin g persona l participation . Th e studen t o f diplomatic alliance s or crucial pas t elections may need t o offer n o disclaimers o f involvement, bu t topic s such a s gender o r emotio n or body ideal inevitabl y include th e researcher a s participant. Several o f th e fe w historie s an d cultura l studie s o f dietin g alread y available emanat e fro m individual s admittedl y hostile to the mod ern weight regime, seeking liberation from it s standards and greater tolerance fo r individual s (ofte n includin g themselves) of more varied body type. I have no such specific stake , but I am involved with the topi c a s a recurrent , sometime s partl y successfu l bu t neve r triumphant dieter , awar e since boyhood tha t my form fel l shor t of the contemporar y idea l (which I unquestionably shared) . I com e to this topic neither with the superiority of slenderness achieved or the confidence o f fatness defiant . Whether this involvement colors my treatment I cannot presume to say, but it unquestionably makes my travails part of my own history. While m y appreciation fo r th e topic stemmed from m y wider interest in the constraints of modern life, it has surely been enhance d b y my participation i n some of its ambiguities. I have benefited fro m lot s of advice and assistance, and no small amount o f solid researc h help . My thanks to my colleagues i n the Center fo r Cultura l Analysi s a t Carnegi e Mello n Universit y fo r various suggestions ; I' m particularl y indebte d t o Andre w Barnes , xxv xxvi | Acknowledgments Michael West , Barbar a Freed , Stev e Schlossman , Judit h Modell , and Keny a Dworki n y Mendez. Mar y Lou Robert s was exceptionally generous in guiding me to French materials. Susan B. Whitney added valuabl e suggestion s o n France . Norale e Franke l helpe d with material s a s well, and Jil l Field s an d Joh n Komlo s offere d a number o f usefu l suggestions . Librarian s a t th e Carnegi e Mello n University Library , Allianc e Frangais e o f Pittsburgh , th e Muse e Social, the Bibliotheque Marguerit e Durand , an d othe r centers in Paris were uniforml y helpful . Specia l thank s t o Mme . Geneviev e Morley o f th e Bibliothequ e historiqu e d e l a Vill e d e Paris . Re search assistants , providin g idea s a s wel l a s data , include d Lies l Miller, To m Buchanan , Jaso n Andracki , Dere k Davison , Kerr i Ullacci, an d Sun g H o Lee . Nik o Pfun d an d Christin e Won g a t NYU Pres s supplie d a variet y o f goo d idea s an d assistance . A s always F m gratefu l t o m y famil y fo r interes t an d support , Caro l Stearns was a model i n many ways and Debora h Stearn s offered a number o f good ideas . Thanks als o to Kare n Calla s fo r assistanc e with this manuscript. Bon appetit to all. ...