I’ve never been a huge fan of style books that claim they’ll tell you the best places to shop and how to dress perfectly. Reading about how to buy shoes may be amusing while browsing at the book store, but it’s hard to imagine actually spending the twenty plus dollars to buy the book. Nevertheless, given the limitations of the genre, The Goddess Guide by Gisèle Scanlon, offers some useful information and surprising insight.

On an aesthetic level, the book is beautiful. Scanlon includes photographs of real fabric, store receipts, and other found objects to give her guide a scrapbook-like, vintage feel. Interviews with industry legends (she talks to everyone from Christian Louboutin to Miss Piggy) include little known details about the lives and tastes of the subjects.

A more cohesive text, however, might have given the guide some much needed unity. Scanlon writes about everything from how to remove stains on shoes to her favorite vacation spots. Parts of the book resemble a memoir (Scanlon’s experience training with David Kirsch), while other sections read more like a travel guide. With more timely information available on the web and elsewhere, Scanlon perhaps should have concentrated more on describing her fascinating beauty adventures across the globe.

Still, the guide’s exquisite illustrations and design make an appealing read for anyone who likes to look at charming pictures of vintage handbags and London shops. Pick this one up if you’d like to finally learn why the soles of Christian Louboutin shoes are red.