Books
Zara Stone is a journalist and author writing about beauty, power, and the systems that shape how we’re seen. Her books explore the cultural and political history of appearance—from prisons to the public eye.
Her reporting has been supported by the Rockefeller Archive Center fellowship, The Jacob Rader Marcus Center American Jewish Archives, and Killer Looks was part of San Francisco Public Library’s One City One Book: San Francisco Reads programming, 2022.
Stone’s books have received international coverage, including in Mother Jones, ABC Radio, Elle., Columbia University’s Book Talk programming, KALW, and the Amanda Knox podcast. She has twice presented on her book as a guest speaker at Stanford University.
Killer Looks: The Forgotten History of Plastic Surgery in Prisons
Killer Looks traces the little-known history of cosmetic surgery behind bars, where it was used as a rehabilitative tool within prisons in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom throughout much of the 20th century. Drawing on archival research, interviews, and court records, the book examines how beauty, punishment, and rehabilitation became entangled—and what that legacy reveals about power, class, and who is allowed to “improve” themselves.
“A fascinating, often shocking look inside the American prison system. I won’t soon forget this book.“–Mary Roach, New York Times author of Grunt, Stiff, Packing For Mars.
→ Learn more about Killer Looks
The Future of Science is Female: The Brillant Minds Shaping the 21st century
This book profiles women scientists reshaping fields from medicine to technology, pushing back against exclusionary systems and outdated assumptions about who belongs in science. Part reporting, part cultural critique, it looks at how visibility, funding, and institutional bias shape innovation—and what changes when women are no longer treated as exceptions.
“Sure to inspire a new generation of girls in STEM.”–Felicia Day, New York Times author and Hollywood actress
→ Learn more about The Future of Science is Female
For book inquiries please contact my literary agent, Eliza Rothstein at Inkwell Management. eliza@inkwellmanagement.com. You can also reach me at zara@zarastone(dot)net