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Thursday, November 11, 2010

Book Review - Unstoppable in Stilettos - A Girl's Guide to Living Tall in a Small World

About the Book
Standing 4 feet, 2 inches tall in flats (which she would never be caught dead in anyway), Lauren Ruotolo’s preferred method of transportation is her stiletto heels, and she utilizes them to do everything from hailing cabs in mid-town Manhattan to traipsing along the streets of exotic, ancient places like Greece and Turkey. But how does a girl with a rare genetic disease, McCune-Albright Syndrome, who was originally predicted to live a wheelchair-bound existence become so adventurous, self-assured, successful, and . . . unflappable?
Instead of being hovered over by enabling parents, Lauren tells us in her new book, Unstoppable in Stilettos: A Girl's Guide to Living Tall in a Small World (HCI Books -- $14.95 – October 2010), she was treated the same as her fully-able siblings and subsequently became the role model big sister to them (and landed a hot boyfriend, to boot!) Truly unstoppable, she rose to become Director of Entertainment Promotions for Hearst Magazines.
Lauren Ruotolo avoided the label of "disabled" through uniquely discovering who she really is and thus avoiding playing the label game. The little girl, with the big voice, Ruotolo is a combination of roaring personality, great mind, and humble soul, with a heart bigger than any shoe closet of Carrie Bradshaw. Part of that heart fills this book, as Ruotolo offers the entertaining evolution of a little girl in a big world to living tall in a small one, with advice and encouragement for any woman of any age who is still finding her way.
About the Author:
Lauren Ruotolo is the Director of Entertainment Promotions at Hearst Magazines in New York City, where she is responsible for developing strategic key partnerships with TV & cable networks, music labels, and movie studios. She recently helped produce E!'s Style Network show about the inner workings at Marie Claire fashion magazine and is working on two one-hour specials with Scripps Networks for Esquire and The Food Network magazine. Lauren joined Hearst Magazines from TV Guide Magazine, where she was the Director of Consumer Marketing & Promotions and created the first ever U.S. newsstand promotion with CD on the cover.
Ruotolo's first-person essay "Get Shorty," which shared her philosophies on living with the rare genetic disorder, McCune-Albright syndrome, was published in Marie Claire magazine in 2009, and was one of the most responded to articles in Marie Claire. Ruotolo is on the advisory board of Glamour Gals, Love Our Children USA, and is an active member in the NY chapter of Women in Communications & Step Up for Women. Visit Lauren on Facebook, follow her on Twitter (laurenjaenyc), or log onto  www.laurenruotolo.com.

My Take on the Book
As a man who is shorter and who has a mother who is under five feet tall, I could relate to this story. What I loved was that this story came form the heart and was one that you could simply not put down. The author stands out and makes her voice heard. You can tell in just the first pages that the author is inspiring and motivational, and that the book itself will continue with this same thread throughout. As you read through the book, what you become amazed at is the tenacity of the author and at the sure will and fortitude that she possesses to accomplish everything that she sets before herself.

The book was an easy read and one that truly draws you in through the author's sincerity and compelling journey. As a father of two girls, I can only hope that my girls will have half of the self-esteem and motivation that this author has!

If you would like this book as a part of your own collection you can find it on Amazon!
All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
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