Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A very quick read, and I loved this! The author examines how beauty standards and identity politics in relation to the butt (especially the female butt) have evolved over the last couple hundred years. I learned a lot about how the butt has been thought about in (mostly American) culture and how Black and Latino cultural and beauty standards have influenced these changes in recent years, especially regarding celebrities.

When you see the title and cover you'd expect some type of nonsense or at least a whole lot of comedy. But this book is actually a re-education or education on butts.

A wide-ranging exploration of butts – or bottoms or bums or derrières or whatever you prefer to call them. Heather Radke is American and thus chooses butts, as that is the most common term in the US. But whatever word you want to use, her book is completely fascinating. I could never have imagined there was so much to say about butts, and I could never have imagined just from the title and cover that this was going to be such a well-researched work of cultural history. Who knew there was so much to learn? So much to discover? Evolution, history, culture, sexuality, sexism, racism, language, music, personal anecdotes. It’s all here, melded into an accessible and eminently readable book that expanded my horizons and really got me thinking. A great read.

There was a lot more to this than I expected! I have't picked up a nonfiction book in a while but this one had me staying up late to keep reading. Would recommend.

This book was a little too nonfiction for me while led me to DNF it. The beginning was so factual and historical and it really made it hard for me to hang on. I tried to stay focused but was dreaming of what book I would read next instead of focusing on the story. I made it 20% of the way in and maybe I’ll pick it up again one day but for now it was not for me!

Mostly a pop culture take on Butts. Entertaining. Easy Read. I would recommend it.

I received an ARC from Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster & NetGalley in return for a review.

Exactly the kind of premise that I can get into - weirdly niche and somewhat taboo.
The blend of science, history, and anthropology was a very good choice, as it really captured a wide variety of lenses through which to examine Western views on women's butts.

I felt the author did a great job at giving us an overview of butts throughout history and the societal pressures on having the ideal butt at a certain point in history.

There were many things that I already knew but I see this as someone who both reads about pop culture in her spare time and minored in African American history. Unsurprisingly, you can't talk about butts without acknowledging Black history.

Given the space that Heather Radke has this book isn't a comprehensive history by any means and can serve as a starting point for those who might be interested in learning about each era in depth by doing more research. This is definitely a pop-science book and very accessible, especially for those who don't typically reach non-fiction.

This is a very well written non-fiction of humanity's obsession with butts for the past two centuries. This book focuses on the butt but the conversation is about race and gender.

For some reason this book took me forever to read but it was great. I would read a chapter, think about it for a couple of weeks, then go back for another one.

I highly recommend this read to those looking for further education in black feminism.

A fascinating microhistory take on the butt as a barometer of social and sexual expectations of the female body. Radke has a warm, inviting style and she structures the progression of her ideas in a way that grabs you immediately and carries you briskly through the narrative—I found myself so invested I read it in a marathon 2-day binge. She infuses her research with her personal experience, grounding the story with a personal touch without devolving into navel-gazing or overwhelming the bigger story with her own body issues.

As a boy mom, I cannot pass up the opportunity to giggle at any great butt reference. This was a solid combination of informative and fun. It was sometimes a little challenging to follow from one chapter to the next but not so much as to stop me from finishing. Would make a good palette cleanser from more intense and heavy nonfiction reads

educational and smart and silly. really well reported and thorough. great mix of analysis and anecdote.

This is one of those fantastic micro-histories where you just learn So. Much. New. Stuff. And the fact that there's one (1) model who a lot of jeans are sized to fit? Mind-blowing. And reading about how sizing works (or doesn't work) definitely helped me in pants shopping today, when I had to go up a size.
Thank you very much to Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I decided to listen to this on audio- I knew I just wasn't going to get into it after reading the first chapter, as audio is my preferred format for non-fiction. This was pretty dry at times, but I did enjoy it. I especially liked the chapters that dealt with more recent material/information, specificially the Kardashians and JLo- although the history of our obsession with "butts" was interesting too. While this didn't stand out as a top non-fiction for me, I definitely learned a lot and will remember this for a long time.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc. I finally got around to this one and glad I did. I don't usually read that much non-fiction but requested it for the cover alone. This was such an interesting premise and promised a blend of historical, academic research, personal anecdotes, feminist theory, and cultural observation. Its a tall order for a 350 page book and I don't feel it lives up to it unfortunately. The larger conversation regarding race and cultural appropriation was awkward and a bit insensitive. In the end this wasn't for me but I still love the cover.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Butts is a fascinating look at the cultural obsession with behinds. Sometimes they are hidden, sometimes they are flaunted, sometimes they are fake. Radke does a deep dive into the historical and pre-historical takes on butts and brings it all the way to some famous butts of today. This was a fun, interesting read.

I initially requested this for the fun of the cover. However the information inside is engaging and kept my attention. There are some things you don't think about until someone presents you with a a wealth of information that opens your eyes. Here we get a rich history that really makes you think,

Butts was funny, eloquent, and fascinating, all in one. A subject not often touched upon, Radke was able to balance out the actual science/history of butts without making it either too dry or too jokey. Already recommended to a few coworkers!

Butts: A Backstory by Heather Radke is a look at the human fascination with butts, starting from 19th century up to modern times. It's a mix of history and research, personal anecdotes and pop culture, looking at these issues through racial and feminist viewpoints

We start with Sarah Baartman, a Khoe woman from South Africa who became better known as the “Venus Hottentot", who was brought to London and later France and displayed to Victorian audiences, who came in droves to look at her large butt. Much of the way she was treated still resonates with some more modern stereotypes, such as how Black women with big butts are seen as hypersexualised and often dehumanised

The book tracks changes in what is seen as more fashionable or in acceptable when it comes to the size of your butt. Victorians wearing bustles to enhance figures to flappers have leaner figures. Aerobics craze in the 80s, into 90s heroin chic and back to twerking in 2000s onwards. Some parts I found more interesting than the others, I enjoyed learning about Buns of Steel background and Sir Mix-a-lot's Baby Got Back history (like how MTV originally banned but had previously allowed way more sexually suggestive videos to be aired).

Overly I did enjoy it but I've read other books that have focus on a particular subject matter that have held my attention better (like books by Mary Roach). This book does get a bit repetitive towards the end and I felt like one or two points were almost completely there but just not finished or tied together in a neater way. That said it is an enjoyable book and I also partially listened to the audiobook which I enjoyed. If you liked Wordslut by Amanda Montell or are interested in fashion history, this book may appeal to you!

When you came for the cover and thought it would be an unhinged novel about butts.... Only to discover its a whole memoir-of-sorts of Butts, and surprisingly... I don't hate it.

Personal Ratings : 3.5🌟

Butts by Heather Radke is a part-memoir that goes from the creation of a Butt, its metaphors revolving around it up till the pop culture surrounding the obsession with butts in general. The sexualization that females associate with butts and how at the end, it can be somewhat a pain.

I feel that the book was interesting and somewhat, fresh. Its definitely different from what I expected and I enjoyed how it had taken me by surprise to me somewhat loving the stories that the author had related in the book. The book is not that long, and I honestly liked how its panned out in a way that seemed natural and non-preachy.

The second half of the book went a bit flat for me eventho the first half had caught me by a good surprise. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed this read in a way that is a bit informative but also showed how the obsession with the human female body had led to various cosmetic surgeries that either works or did not work at all.

Interesting take definitely. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-Arc!