A modern look at the life of a legendary fashion icon—with practical life lessons for women of all ages Delving into the long, extraordinary life of renowned French fashion designer Coco Chanel, Karen Karbo has written a new kind of self-help book, exploring Chanel's philosophy on a range of universal themes—from style to passion, from money and success to femininity and living life on your own terms. Born in 1883 in a poorhouse in southern France, Chanel grew up to be the woman who not only gave us the little black dress and boxy jackets, but also bestowed upon women a chic freedom that helped usher them into the modern era. Elegant, opinionated, and passionate, she was the only fashion icon among "TIME" magazine's 100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century. "The Gospel According to Coco Chanel" is a captivating, offbeat look at style, celebrity, and self-invention—all held together with droll Chanel-style commentary and culled from an examination of Chanel's difficult childhood and triumphant adulthood, passionate love affairs, and eccentricities. Warner Brothers set to release a major motion picture on this subject, "Coco"" Before Chanel," in Fall 2009.

Karen Karbo is the author of three novels, two works of nonfiction, and a memoir, all of which were named "New York Times" Notable Books. "The Stuff of Life "was a "People "Critic's Choice, a selection of the Satellite Sisters Radio Book Club, and winner of the Oregon Book Award for Creative Nonfiction. A past winner of the General Electric Young Writer Award, Karen is in addition the recipient of an NEA grant. Her essays, reviews, and articles have appeared in the" New York Times,"" Redbook,"" Elle," "Vogue," "Esquire," the "New Republic," and "Self," She lives in Portland, Oregon.