Most Popular Books by Elissa Stein

Each year over 700,000 beauty pageants are held in cities and towns the world over. Here is a celebration of that glitz and that glory. From Miss Universe to Miss Potato Blossom, this colorful book showcases pageants large and small, focusing on the heyday of beauty contests from the 1930s to the 1970s. Chapters on fashion, talent, bathing-suit competitions, and congeniality are packed with insider information on exactly what it takes to win the crown, secrets to looking perennially polished and poised, and tidbits on the beauty queen wave, talent dos and donts, and pageant etiquette. With over 100 vintage photos, Beauty Queen is a sweetly nostalgic ode to pageantry perfection.

"A normally taboo topic claims attention with the surprising—and sometimes horrifying—history of cultural reactions to menstruation." — Publishers Weekly In this hip, hilarious and truly eye-opening cultural history, menstruation is talked about as never before. Flow spans its fascinating, occasionally wacky and sometimes downright scary story: from mikvahs (ritual cleansing baths) to menopause, hysteria to hysterectomies—not to mention the Pill, cramps, the history of underwear, and the movie about puberty they showed you in 5th grade. Flow answers such questions as: What''s the point of getting a period? What did women do before pads and tampons? What about new drugs that promise to end periods—a hot idea or not? Sex during your period: gross or a turn-on? And what''s normal, anyway? With color reproductions of (campy) historical ads and early (excruciating) femcare devices, it also provides a fascinating (and mind-boggling) gallery of this complex, personal and uniquely female process. As irreverent as it is informative, Flow gives an everyday occurrence its true props—and eradicates the stigma placed on it for centuries. "Its contents, I found, are plainspoken—perhaps it will start chipping away at the taboo . . . the style is important and groundbreaking." — The New Yorker "In many ways, Flow is a breakthrough." — Daily Beast " Flow isn''t just a book; it''s a movement." — January Magazine "A witty look at the history of ''the nuisance'' . . . for women of all ages. Who hasn''t wondered why we get a period, what women did before the invention of the tampon—let alone the pad. Flow explains all." — Body and Soul Magazine

Positively packed with all things cheer-related, this is a peppy tribute to the glory and pageantry of cheerleading. 100 vintage color images.

A compilation of the most outrageous, heartbreaking, embarrassing, pathetic, and true prom stories ever assembled, Tales from the Prom tackles prom history, proms in the news, prom fashions, proms in movies--in short, everything the uninitiated needs to know and everything the past-prom goer wants to reminisce about. 75 photos.

Take a walk to NYC destinations both parents and kids can enjoy—includes fifty family-friendly tours. From the Staten Island Children''s Museum to the Roosevelt Island Tram to the New York City Police Museum, New York City is full of family-friendly places to go. Don''t worry about finding a sitter—these adventures are designed especially for grownups and kids to discover the Big Apple together! Walks include: Central Park * Children''s Museum of the Arts * Coney Island * Chinatown * South Street Seaport * The Strand and the Forbidden Planet * Hudson River * New York City Fire Museum * Sony Wonder Technology Lab * and much more

The bible of barfing, the encyclopedia of egestion, the handbook of heaving--a collection of the best true-vomit stories ever compiled. No stone (or stomach) has been left unturned in this definitive depiction of the human rite of regurgitation. 30 illustrations throughout.

A hilarious, in-depth look at how the perfect day can lead to many sleepless nights, Awfully Wedded is a sharp and funny compilation of the most pathetic, heartbreaking, and embarrassing wedding stories ever. 75 illustrations.

Stewardess is a high-flying visual celebration of the era when air travel was chic and stewardesses were glamorous, gracious symbols of the international jet set. Taking off with an insightful introduction tracing the history of the air hostess, this stylish book is packed with gorgeous vintage photographs, training and in-flight materials, ads, and stewardess ephemera, plus snapshots and reminiscences from stewardesses themselves. A fun and fashionable fight for travelerswithout having to check your bagsStewardess pays fitting tribute to being able to maintain perfect poise at 30,000 feet. Welcome aboard.

Presents a brief history of proms since the 1880s, and features a collection of prom night pictures taken between the 1940s and 1980s.

Don''t Just Stand There delivers! Written by a husband and wife team, this guidebook outlines everything an expectant father needs to know to navigate the big day. Dads get clear direction on what to bring, how to calm and soothe, what to say and, more important, what to definitely not say. A chapter on the stages of labor makes it easy to track what''s happening when, while blank lists providespace for mom to fill in her personal preferences ahead of time. With witty illustrations and confidence-inspiring advice throughout, it''s an essential for the expecting.

This fun kit teaches kids the importance of saying thank you. Includes everything a child needs to create imaginative thank-you notes: cards, envelopes, colorful stickers, and an easy-to-use instruction book that doubles as an address book.