Tall Book: A Celebration of Life on High

Bought as a gift

I confess, I haven't read this; I only read sections. I bought it as a gift as the reviews I read said it was funny. The few sections I read didn't seem very funny at all to me; they actually seemed crude. For a more fair review, check out someone who read the whole book

even if your'e short...don't miss it

I am not a tall person, but was intrigued by the title, and certainly was not disappointed. Ms Cohen skillfully puts the reader into her and other tall people's experience and thoughts. The book was a lot of fun to read; plenty of examples from science and anecdotes sad and funny, with plenty of wryly delivered opinions, and even a little naughtiness. No dry social history, this!

Terrific - informative and entertaining book

Anyone who is tall, male or female, should read this book. And anyone who loves a tall should read this book, too. If you're a parent of a tall child, you should DEFINITELY read The Tall Book. It's well-researched, and the writing is engaging. One of the best non-fiction books I've read!

Great read for people of all heights!

The book is a collection of facts and interesting stats about tall people combined with humorous (or sad, depending on where you stand) stories about the author and other tall people. Arianne Cohen does a superb job at finding out many unknown or under reported facts about tall people and combine it with her own experience of growing up and being tall.

The author's writing style makes the book a fun reading experience and it makes the "digestion" of statistics easier. I am sure that some chapters of this book will affect people more than others, and the chapter on Tall Psychology is one that I feel can impact parents of tall kids in a very positive way. Understanding what it means growing up tall can be hard for anyone, and Ms. Cohen does a great job at explaining some strategies that can help parents and kids alike.

This was one of the best books I have ever read mainly because this is the first book that hits close to home in the height department. I am 6'9" and have long dealt with the issues that come with being tall. Seeing that there are many more people like me out there was great, and Ms. Cohen smart and funny writing style helped making this reading a great experience.

Above and Beyond!

The Tall Book is a wonderfully entertaining and incredibly insightful look into tall culture. Cohen digs deep into worldwide research to bring out the truth behind tall salaries, tall history, and tall love. Spirited by her own experiences as a vertical dynamo, Cohen's words describe the not-so-secret life of sizeable society. From awkward adolescence to literal long-gevity, The Tall Book draws on the personal experience of professional athletes, endocrinologists, and economists to explain all that is tall. A must-have for all those of amazing altitudes, Cohen's whimsical wit offers a fascinating read for all.

A book for parents to tall kids

This book has done for my 18 year old, 6'2'' daughter, what I was not able to give her as a mother. Make her proud and comfortable with her height. And to give her an identity as one of a group and not a single outstanding "taller than the rest" girl. As a parent this is an extraordinary experience. To observe that she suddenly wears high heels when going out because "my legs look better that way, Mom - can't you see that?". And she is not partying with the tall people, she is out with her old friends. But with a new attitude. I wish that this book had been available for me to read when she was younger. Skip all the other books about how to raise children, and read this one. This is all you need to give your own kid, what it takes to be a proud and self confident woman that stands tall. She is beautiful with her new found identity. She is glowing. Thank you Arianne.

Just Great!

The Tall Book is such a great collection of anecdotes, facts, and spot-on references to the sometimes awkward but always glorious life of tall people. I don't think Arianne was trying to place tall people in a "holier-than-thou" position but rather allow people a glimpse into the life of the seldom-studied existence of a tall individual. I have found that height is one of the few physical characteristics that complete strangers feel justified in commenting on and that is just part of the quirky existence that tall people live that Arianne accurately portrays. This is such a refreshing read and the research is fascinating and has been the source for many of my dinner table conversations over the last few weeks. It would be an amazing gift for any tall person in your life, especially young girls who find that they're growing faster than the boys around them. It's a great read and I highly recommend it!

Weird. Reads like an Arian Race take on Tallness

Almost every ad and summary for this begins with the words "Smarter" "Richer" "Better" "More Successful" "Makes More Money" "CEOs!" "Oscar Winners!" There is so much "We are the superior race" stuff put forth that it's a little creepy. I am sure that being unusually tall comes with a fair amount of awkwardness and discomfort and ridicule in childhood, HOWEVER, the STATISTICS (and statistics are what Cohen is clearly obsessed with here) point to the fact that it is unusally SHORT of SMALL people who suffer more in a society. Try being a "little person" or, if you want to use the rougher word, "midget" for a week, Miss Cohen, and then come back with a new work. The emotional distress suffered by markedly small people is much greater. So, get used to being scrunched into an airport seat. I'm sure that most of those brilliant CEOs and athletes and people "who make more money" can BUY their own plane to solve this terrible, terrible problem. Think about how it feels when you can't reach a doorknob. And beyond extremely small people, societies in general put more emotional strain on the label of "small" and "short." Even the word "short" is seen as a nasty word, while "tall" is seen as affirming. I don't know what the book is trying to do. Is Cohen trying to convince us that "tall people are better than you"? Don't worry. Advertising has already been doing that for years. If tall women weren't already given a priority in society's eyes, you would have 5 foot tall models. This book was a really sick book in a lot of ways, and I'm surprised that the publisher was idiotic enough to push the "tall people are smarter and make more money than you" weird propoganda. And as to the writing-- like a child's book.

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Great read for talls and non-talls alike!

I picked up this book after hearing about it on Arianne's blog, and I am so glad I did. Being a tall myself, the book really made me feel more empowered than I had before. I never thought about some of the things she discussed, and when it was pointed out to me it really made me hold my head even higher. I highly suggest it!

A well researched book about well..a tall subject

Arianne Cohen (6'3") does a wonderful job of communicating the hazzards and joys of being tall. If you are tall, you should read this book! If you know someone who is tall, you should buy it for them.

I really liked this book.

The author did a nice job of working personal experiences with statistical/medical facts. Her writing style is refreshing and made reading the book a pleasure.

The book was full of new information for me. Height is always on people's mind when they meet. This book shows and tells the tall story and it's fun. You will like this book too.

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