Pretty Modern: Beauty, Sex, and Plastic Surgery in Brazil

(Duke University Press) This book examines Brazil’s emergence as a global leader in plastic surgery. Edmonds’s research is based on a diverse set of observations and interviews with a variety of people. He travels from Ipanema socialite circles to telenovela studios and public hospitals offering free cosmetic surgery, and he conducts interviews with maids, celebrities, and elites. Ultimately, the book offers a new perspective on the significance of female beauty in consumer capitalism. Edmonds is an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Amsterdam.