Book Description

Presented in a handsome slipcase, Lennon Legend is both an illustrated and an interactive biography of the creative genius - songwriter, artist, social activist - who changed his times. Created with the cooperation of Yoko Ono Lennon, who has opened her archives for this project, the book offers insightful details about every era of John's life, from his early days at art school to the height of Beatlemania to "Imagine." A live recording of that song is included, along with several interviews of John talking about his life and art, on the audio CD contained in this package. Throughout, the book features archival photographs and reproductions of John's handwritten song lyrics, drawings, memorabilia, and personal papers. In all, 40 removable facsimiles can be enjoyed by the reader, several previously unpublished, including an intimate self-portrait in pen and ink and a plea for world peace. It's been said that John Lennon's was the voice of a generation. Lennon Legend celebrates that voice's power to resonate across the generations. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

"Breathe" - Experience John Lennon
Imagine - you are visiting an exhibition about an important artist. An exhibition guide is describing anecdote-rich in short chapters all creative periods of this artist.

Imagine - you are buying the catalog, covering all the things you saw and heard before. Again ...

Imagine - you are taking with you some of the so admired exhibits (ok, only as reproductions, but ... anyway).

James Henke let with his book "Lennon Legend: An illustrated Life of John Lennon" this dream become true. Because provided with large expenditure, a worthy book is published, which resembles rather a fan collection in form of a photo album as a classical biography. The "Clou" - the book contains high-quality reproductions: handwritten letters and Songtexte, historical documents and further 40 removable memorabilia as well as an interview CD, on which also a rare live recording of "Imagine" is to be heard from the year 1972.

Henke avoides dry academical essay and "letter deserts" to the reader. As a curator he knows obviously, how history can be lastingly and affectionately address. Facts become literally "illustrative" and "handable". Therefore you should pull the art cart with Yokos handwritten request "breathe" from page 26 and in thoughts experience , how it could have been, when John met for the first time Yoko.

The author succeeds with this approach to show, almost the entire work of Lennon as a musician, author, painter, performance artist and as an actor. But the book is not a detailed exposition with the John's contradictions. Rather Henke concentrates to point the view of the reader of the strengths and talents of this outstanding artist.

Nevertheless in my opinion this book let the answer to question open, which let John Lennon become a legend. This to mediate clearly, succeeds only in few places in this book: "in somewhat more than three years... they (the Beatles) had revolutionized the music and the fashion, and at the cultural and social changes... they were considerably involved."

Also John never understood itself as legend. In its last interview (contained in cutouts also on that CD) he says: "my role in society is trying to express, what we all feel and not to tell the people how to feel - not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all, and it's like that the job of the artists in society."

All in all, this book is remarkable, than many biographies about John Lennon before - Henke lets the "legend become touchable":

Imagine - you are opening the book and the Lennon exhibition come to you home.

Already because of this conception that book earned at least four of five stars.

Absolutely fab!
Everything Henke publishes is always a high quality, well-researched effort and this is no exception. It's not hyperbole to say that this book contains virtually everything you ever wanted to know about Lennon memorabilia; the details are prodigious. It's an almost encyclopedic chronicle of Lennon's life from 1940 until his tragic death in 1980. Casual fans might suffocate under the weight of all this info, but for Lennon fanatics, like me, this is nirvana.

The book is divided between personal material about John, his relationships, marriages, divorce, and two sons, and his professional career. His partnership with Paul is explored in fascinating detail and no discernible bias can be seen. The index is easy to follow and cross-referenced so you can easily find what you're looking for. The highlights are the color photos of John memorabilia: report cards, Quarrymen stuff, lyric sheets... it'll blow your mind.

If you are a serious fan of John Lennon, this is an indispensible guide to his songwriting, personality and his life. If only he had been allowed more than 40 years on earth, how many more classic songs would he have written? Sadly, we will never know, but this celebration of his life is as good as it gets.

IN JOHN'S LIFE
This is an outstanding biography of John Lennon.

This is a high caliber, comprehensive work that follows John Lennon's early years in Liverpool and the formation of the rock bands he founded until its final evolution as the Beatles. There are a plethora of good photographs and material that will captivate readers from Beatle experts to lay persons. This author has clearly done an excellent job of researching his material.

Yoko's input is invaluable and helps to make a good work all the more effective. Imagine owning this masterpiece - you will be so glad that you do. As for the Beatles, in my life, I love them more. This book will certainly spark an even keener interest in the Beatles and the man known as the Chief Beatle, John Lennon.

All I'm Saying is give this book a chance
John - my second favorite Beatle, and my favorite solo ex-Beatle (come on, is there really any competition between 'Imagine' and 'Silly Love Songs'?) So you can IMAGINE my giddy excitement when I saw this one on the shelves. A must read. I loved it. For any obsessive Beatle fan (like me) or anyone just looking for a way to pass the days away.

"If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace."
John Lennon

If everyone read this book, there'd be peace. Or at least a very satisfied reader.

Entertaining
If you love John Lennon then you will love this book. I don't own it, but i saw it in a book store and sat on the floor for about 20 minutes just going through all the little pull-outs it has. Great book to have...i highly recommend it! ... Read more

Book Description

Sharing the Wealth is the incredible true story of how a $40 a week baker became a multi-millionaire owner of a Super Bowl NFL team and an unprecedented philanthropist. The road Alex Spanos took to riches was not a common one. Without the advantages of money, background, education, or connections, Spanos relied on his own heart and determination to achieve success.

Spanos recounts how his first gamble was his hardest and most important. As a husband and father of one child, with a second on the way, Spanos was barely making ends meet working in his father's bakery. When his father refused to give him a raise to equal the going rate for bakers, he walked out, vowing never to return to his father's employ. His first venture, selling bologna sandwiches to migrant workers, was earning $700,000 annually just five years after he left the bakery. He ultimately made his fortune in the construction business, becoming the #1 builder of apartments in America.

Sharing the Wealth also shares the personal side of Alex Spanos. He struck lasting friendships with such celebrities as Bob Hope and Telly Savalas. He was given the key to the city of San Francisco, he provided relief funds after floods ravaged Northern California, and assisted with humanitarian aid when an earthquake struck Greece. Whenever a need arose, Alex Spanos was there to help. Finally, Spanos shares his odyssey of first buying an NFL team, and then ultimately reaching the Super Bowl. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Sharing the Wealth: My Story
In my opinion, Sharing The Wealth: My Story by Alex Spanos is a must read, a gift to people across-the-board, no matter their station in life. I feel this book can be an inspiration to those just starting out in life, as well as a wake-up call to those millions of us who need to re-evaluate our lives, our values and our goals. A real Horatio Alger character, Alex possessed a spirit that could not be shot down by the lack of money, connections, education, or background to realize success beyond his wildest dreams. His father and mother had the same kind of spirit when they chose to leave their native Greece and to raise their family in America. His love of family, his devotion to his beautiful and soul-sustaining wife, Faye, his heritage, and his business adventures never wavered in the face of adversity. Very early on, Alex mustered up the courage to step outside the box by walking out the basement door of his father's bakery, with no job, no money and a wife with child. What Alex did have was faith, and an unshakable confidence in self, and right or wrong, he trusted his own decisions. Alex took full responsibility for his actions, taking risks and creating his own opportunities and never looked back.

A truly inspiring story...
If you ever feel that you life or career are not where you want them to be, then pick up a copy of "Sharing the Wealth" by Alex Spanos for inspiration! As the charismatic billionaire owner of the San Diego Chargers, Alex's life story reads like a how-to book for calculated risk and the pursuing of one's dreams.

Alex's real story starts when he's 27-years-old. He's working as a baker for his father, making $40 a week, working 15 hours a day, and his wife is about to deliver their second child. He doesn't have the money to pay the hospital bills, so he asks his father for a raise. The answer is no. Without looking back, Alex Spanos quits his job with no prospects and no idea of how he's going to support his family.

Within a week, he's got a great idea for a business - selling sandwiches to immigrant workers in the community's surrounding fields. He soon finds that overcoming his fear and making that initial step to quit his dead-end job was the hardest part of his journey. Six months later, his business is making $500,000 a year, and Alex is well on his way to financial freedom. In the coming decades, he would become the preeminent builder of apartments in America, the owner of a NFL franchise, and live a life most people only dare to dream.

Along the way, Alex reveals many of his secrets to success: a wife that wholeheartedly supports him, the principle that cash is king, and the self-confidence that whatever has to be done, he'll do. Through every page, the infectious enthusiasm of Alex Spanos springs to life, uplifting those around him and those who celebrate his success and happiness. With this book, he passes on his life lessons for the benefit of posterity and creates a personal bond with his reader - leaving us wishing and hoping that someday soon the Chargers will win the Super Bowl...!

Britt Gillette
...

A Wealth of Knowledge and Inspiration
This is not a "get rich quick" or "how to make a million in 5 minutes" book. This book takes the reader on a journey during which (s)he experiences the life of Alex Spanos. The book is well written and perfectly paced. After reading the book you will believe that you could achieve your goals if only you dare try. The book contains so many acecdotes and stories of inspiration that when you have finished reading it you will feel as though you have actually met Alex. The only negative is the amaturish, self-indulgent forward written by Rush Limbaugh. Once you've gotten past the forward, the excellence in reading begins. Read and prepare to be inspired.

Taking a chance can make a difference!
I never knew who Alex Spanos was until I read the jacket cover of his book and then I knew I had to read it.

Mr.Spanos's writing style is very easy going, unfortunately the breadth of his subject, his life, could actually be dissected and written into multiple books.

The primary lesson that I took away from this book was "Take a chance." It is just that simple. From that lesson I became more confident in my own business.

Mr.Spanos broke away from his domineering father and then started his first business on gut instinct, dumb luck, and by taking a chance.

When you are down and out all you have is time and nothing to lose. That is the situation for many entrepreneurs, but many of them let imagined fears get in the way of them taking a chance, myself included.

If you do nothing else, buy this book simply to see where taking a chance can possibly take you. At the end of the day you might own a sports team and perform with your favorite star on stage as well.

You never know. Just take a chance.

Loved It!
What an incredible example of whether I think I can, or
whether I think I can't, either way I'll be right. Spanos is
a living model of how easy we have it in the good old USA.
A wonderful person and business man we can all learn something from. Thank you Mr. Spanos! ... Read more

Book Description

The life of Janice Dickinson is a story of extremes: uncontrolled energy, mad self-confidence and crushing insecurity, a boundless appetite for life and a ceaseless drive to self-destruct. During the 1970s she was the first lush-lipped, long-stemmed, dark-eyed brunette to break through and become not just a model but a supermodel -- a term she coined for herself.

She graced major magazine covers from Vogue to Elle to Cosmopolitan, in photographs by Avedon and Irving Penn and fashions by Versace and Calvin Klein. She was voracious in everything: affairs both passionate and casual, endless partying, and a drug habit that dogged her through twenty years and three husbands. She spent her glory days with Gia Carangi and Christie Brinkley and her nights with Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, and Sylvester Stallone. And wherever she went, Janice captured the imagination of everyone who encountered her.

Yet the tale Janice Dickinson has lived to tell is no mere diva cartoon. For the haunting undercurrent in her life is a violent dance of cruelty and abuse with her own father -- a story she tells here for the first time. And as she careens from runway to rehab to rock bottom to recovery, readers will be captivated by her tale of survival . . . and by its cautionary power for anyone who still believes that fashion -- or life -- is an easy business. ... Read more

Reviews (51)

Honest memoir by an early super model
Janice Dickinson was one of the first models who not only broke the mold of the blonde, pale and WASP-y supermodel but turned it on upside down, in the tradition of Gia Carangi, Cindy Crawford and Beverly Johnson. Born with looks that turned heads and drove men to their knees, Dickinson was not as blessed when it came to her personal life and self-image. She seemed destined to self-destruct but somehow managed to recreate herself until time, drugs and her past caught up with her.
Does this sound like just another dreary tale of a beautiful woman who let fame go to her head. drugs muddle her brain and life pass her by? Think again. Pick this one up and I doubt you'll put it down again till you've read every sentence. FOr one thing, Dickinson has the courage to spill almost all about the ups and downs of her life (although I'd LOVE to read what she doesn't reveal) and that, in itself, is compelling. She's honest about many of her flaws and revealing about the lives of celebrities who cross her path, including Sylvester Stallone, Christie Brinkley, Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty and others. This makes for a juicy read. I'll leave it to you to decide what is true and what isn't. What I CAN say is that this book definitely isn't boring or dry. CAUTION: There are some nude photos in the photo spread so, depending on your values, you may not want to leave this one lying around the house.

Not your average memoir !! Couldn't put it down!!!
This book was an experience to read! It was BRUTALLY honest in its language and its content. It was both a confessional and an insider view to the world of modeling. This book isn't boring for an instant! She writes not just with honesty, but with HEART! There is no b.s. about Janice! She also has a wickedly wry sense of humor. She can be acerbic and outrageous, yet very sweet and sentimental, especially when she's talking about her two children. I highly recommended this book, though I DON"T recommended it for the faint of heart or the easily offended. There are nude photos throughout and very graphic language. But she uses it to make her points, not gratuitously.
If you are looking for a refreshingly different memoir, this one is in a class by itself!

Into the world of catwalks
Janice Dickinson is the bitchy judge on America's Top Model. After reading her autobiography, you understand why and come to respect this woman. She is up-front and in your face, tell it as she likes it. The numerous allusions she makes to the people she knows who later become famous are amazing and tremendously fascinating. This book definitely plunges you right into her world. Janice expects to sympathies just that you know the truth.

Politically Incorrect...
You either love her or hate her. This book is perfect for people who are akin to risk, but want to be a voyeur.
Her bad language is nothing a bar of soap wouldn't fix.....

I read this for hours straight
To be honest I wasn't even that interested in the author in the first place, I was more interested in her lifetime adventures and connections such as Mick Jagger, Sly Stallone, Francesco Scavullo, Warren Beatty, Patti Hansen, Bruce Willis and so on. However, I did get to like her more throughout the book despite of her big (and at times very small) ego. She made me laugh a few times that's for sure. And she is very straightforward and honest, she even puts herself down many a time, I felt I could relate to her sincerity. She's a great story teller. Two things that were overused were, the constant blame she puts on her abusive father for all her mistakes and insecurities. Many happy, successful, stable people out there could use her same excuses and go and screw up their lives, but they don't, they just get on with it, it usually takes a long time, but you just do it. I understand how hard and disgusting a lot of it was for her, but how many times can she repeat the same thing. Didn't she get tired of not taking responsibility for her actions after a while? There was overuse of strong profanity too, lots of us swear here and there, but come on, I have to keep this book out of reach (and not only of children!), it could've still been interesting without all the heavy duty swearing. ... Read more

Book Description

A rich, colorful history of California centering on the untold story of America 's biggest farmer, J.G. Boswell, who controls more than $1 billion worth of water rights and real estate in the heart of the state.

J.G. Boswell is the biggest farmer in America. Over the past fifty years he has built a secret empire while thumbing his nose at nature, politicians, labor unions and every journalist who ever tried to lift the veil on the ultimate "factory in the fields." Now eighty years old, with an almost pathological bent toward privacy, Boswell has spent the past few years confiding one of the great stories of the American West to Mark Arax and Rick Wartzman. The King of California is the previously untold account of how a Georgia slave-owning family migrated to California in the early 1920s, drained one of America 's biggest lakes in an act of incredible hubris and carved out the richest cotton empire in the world. Indeed, the sophistication of Boswell 's agricultural operation--from lab to field to gin--is unrivaled anywhere.

Much more than a business story, this is a sweeping social history that details the saga of cotton growers who were chased from the South by the boll weevil and brought their black farmhands to California. It is a gripping read with cameos by a cast of famous characters, from Cecil B. DeMille to Cesar Chavez. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The King of California: J. G. Boswell and the Making of a Se
A reporter and an editor from the chronicle the little-known story of the rise of a cotton baron in 1920s California. Labor and water rights are among the issues explored. Photos include the Boswell mansion, where several movies were filmed.

Boswell rises above the author's bias
I read this book to learn more about the history of water brokerage in California. Though I am a conservationist with a strongly liberal bent, the blatantly liberal bias of these authors tainted the credibility of an otherwise incredible book. Despite the obvious efforts to cast the Boswells in a negative light, the strengths and achievements of the family rise above the bias to make a stronger case for themselves than would be if the book were penned on neutral ground.

The Boswell story is worthy of an Ayn Rand novel. The environmental, agricultural, political, and social impacts of this family boggle the imagination. The hubris is 100% American born and bred. To say this book is about cotton farming is to say Moby Dick is a book about whaling. It is a read of tremendous scope.

Parts of the book are undeniably ponderous and written in a stop and start fashion. Details are thick and mundane in some places while sketchy and needing in others. Regardless, it is a fascinating and well-researched work. The King of California is a book worth reading and worthy of being studied by every student of California history and culture. Highly recommended.

LARGEST LAKE IN THE US DRAINED FOR AGRICULTURE
Mark Arax and Rick Wartzman have compiled and written a wonderfully comprehensive book on the struggle between man and nature as well as on man and the political machine. The story of J.G. Boswell and the taking of Tulare Lake is nothing short of an incredible tale of how a family of humble beginnings could become the largest farming operation in the United States. Arax and Wartzman are to be congratulated for their survival through years of research and writing of a book that will remain a classic of California history for years to come. Seen by many who are connected with the Boswell empire as a threat, the book lays out the details of how the company systematically gained thousands of acre feet of water rights in a drought-threatened San Joaquin Valley. It is a well rounded book telling a fantastic true story. The Boswell company should be proud of their success as should Mark and Rick in theirs. Booksellers in the San Joaquin Valley can't keep it in stock and have sold thousands of copies to local residents. It is a story that people want to know about.

Boswell's story embraces the growth & history of California
King Of California is the true story of J.G. Boswell and a strong history of early California politics. King Of California tells the elusive story of a farmer who thumbed his nose at nature, politicians and reporters alike - one who owned more agricultural acreage and river water than any other land baron in the West. Boswell's story embraces the growth and history of California and is packed from cover to cover with historical drama and insights.

Excellent for anyone interested in large scale farming
Excellent history of the Boswell family. Very interesting reading. The authors described many technical aspects of production agriculture in suprising detail considering that they are reporters and not agriculture specialists.
Anyone involved in farm management, agriculture economics, environmental management or agricultural water management will enjoy reading this book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Trashy celebrity bios are usually diminished by the fact that we've alreadyheard the stories about Lonnie and Burt, or Madonna and Sean, or whoever the currenttarget is. Author Stephen Fried manages to get all the sleaze value plus a lot of surprisesby choosing supermodel Gia Carangi as his topic. Although her face is widelyrecognized, Gia finished her modeling career in a blaze of heroin and disease just beforethe time when models became celebrities with name recognition. Her life is the perfectfodder for the exploitation market, but Fried goes beyond that with fluid prose and areporter's nose for tracking down sources. His stories about her teenage years, with theirmix of late nights in Philadelphia's gay clubs, manic worship, and glam-style imitation ofDavid Bowie, as well as tales of Gia's ability to seduce her friends, male and female, arethe product of a lot of work and make for very interesting reading. Gia's unabashedhomosexuality and early death from AIDS make her story a palimpsest of life on the edgein the America of the 1980s. ... Read more

Reviews (53)

A Clinical Look At A Colorful Life
Though filled with details that do not convey much about the life and death of Gia, a compelling character from the late seventies and early eighties who rose to supermodel fame and died of AIDS more or less an unknown. Well researched and understandably written, the narrative reads too much like a newspaper story at times and much of the book is devoted to a history and analysis of the advertising and fashion industires.

Though biographical and laced with trenchant images of the late model, the angle of the book is far too academic and sympathetic to the excesses of its subject. Not that a judgement call is asked for or needed, there is no question Gia destroyed herself, what is missing is the essence of this sad story. Much of the information for this book was provided by an estranged mother who came to the dying model's side toward the end of her life. Thus the sometimes acute lack of objectivity found in the rest of the book.

Though a very good effort, this book disappoints on many levels. There is too much writing devoted to the throes of Gia's death and the joys of her rise to fortune and fame. A bit too much devoted to an explanation of her industry and too little devoted to her complicated personality. She comes across as a party girl with some talent and a look and she was considerably more than that.

As a biography this book succeeds in detailing the major events of Gia's life and untimely demise. It does with accuracy and fairness categorize her field of work, her sexuality and her lifestyle but it does not put a human face on the person who lived this life. We learn much about the people in her lief and come to know them, but you leave this book not knowing its subject at all and that is its failure.

Gia was an intricate and sophisticated person. A woman of great beauty and promise beset by pain we never come to realize from this work. Sadly she is lost forever because of self-destructive behavior and a total lack of support from those around her. The human side of that story along with the empirical information we are given would have made this a thumbs up winner.

Exhaustively Researched....
This is the book that launched my interest in Gia. Stephen Fried compiles an unbelievable amout of research and creates a necessary book, particularly for young people.

However, "Tragedy" portrays just the surface of Gia. I finished reading the book not really able to imagine how the real person must have been. The book chronicles the fashion world of that time period, and at times creates much more vivid portraits of supporting figures in Gia's life than of Gia herself.

"Why" is the unanswered question here: why was Gia the way she was? I don't understand how life's everyday traumas (which most of us can experience and handle normally) could propel Gia to destroy her life. She made it to a place that millions dream of, and squandered it so swiftly and horrifically. I think it's a cop-out to blame most of Gia's behavior on the mother, though "Mom" seemed to have a particular preoccupation with herself and her own material gain. This was a disadvantage to the kids, who could have been more, shall we say, properly guided during their younger years.

I found the workings and anecdotes of the fashion industry completely fascinating thanks to Fried's exhaustive research. However, I am critical of the author's numerous shots at The Reagans, which came across as transparent, patronizing propaganda.

All criticism aside, this is must-read material.

An Excellent Read
This story is completely absorbing. Gia's life was so interesting, out of the ordinary & so sad. This is the story of one of the most beautiful, daring, experimental, unafraid & unpredictable models of all time. It is also the story of a sad, emotionally injured girl who's life could have been wonderful but instead became a short trip to the grave.

Wonderful
This book was truly a dedication to the late great & wonderful Gia. Stephen captured the passion and carefree attitude that was Gia. If you are interested in her life and the lives of models in the late seventies, this is a great read. After you read this you'll be fascinated with her life & your next stop will be blockbuster, to rent the dvd.

Remarkable
This book really went into depth about the life of Gia. The author did a great job painting a beautiful picture of a gorgeous woman who rose to fame overnight and vanished in a blink of an eye.

Gia didn't really have a strong woman figure in her life, until she met Wilhemina. Once Wilhemina die, Gia lost her soul.

This novel is inspiring, heart-breaking, dark and touching. It really shows how you can have all the success and money in the world but it doesn't buy happiness. ... Read more

Book Description

Whiskey and porn stars, hot reds and car crashes, black leather and high heels, overdoses and death. This is the life of Mötley Crüe, the heaviest drinking, hardest fighting, most oversexed and arrogant band in the world. Their unbelievable exploits are the stuff of rock 'n' roll legend. They nailed the hottest chicks, started the bloodiest fights, partied with the biggest drug dealers, and got to know the inside of every jail cell from California to Japan. They have dedicated an entire career to living life to its extreme, from the greatest fantasies to the darkest tragedies. Tommy married two international sex symbols; Vince killed a man and lost a daughter to cancer;Nikki overdosed, rose from the dead, and then OD'd again the next day; and Wick shot a woman and tried to hang his own brother. But that's just the beginning. Fueled by every drug they could get their hands on and obscene amounts of alcohol, driven by fury and headed straight for hell, Mötley Crüe raged through two decades, leaving behind a trail of debauched women, trashed hotel rooms, crashed cars, psychotic managers, and broken bones that has left the music industry cringing to this day. All these unspeakable acts, not to mention their dire consequences, are laid bare in The Dirt.

Here -- directly from Nikki, Vince, Tommy, and Mick -- is the unexpurgated version of the whole glorious, gut-wrenching story. In these pages, published for the first time anywhere, are Tommy Lee's letters to Pamela Anderson from prison: Mick's confession to having an incurable disease that is slowly killing him; Vince's experience burying his own daughter -- and the train wreck that his life became afterward; and Nikki's anguished struggle to deal with an entire life fueled by anger over his childhood abandonment, his discovery of the family he never knew he had -- and his subsequent loss of them. And all of it accompanied by scores of rare, never-before-published photographs, mug shots, and handwritten lyrics. No one is spared. Not David Lee Roth, Ozzy Osbourne, Vanity, Aerosmith, Heather Locklear, AC/DC, Lita Ford, Iron Maiden, Pamela Anderson, Guns N' Roses, Donna D'Errico, RATT, or those two girls from Dallas, Texas.

Make no mistake about it: these guys are geniuses. They invented glam metal and then left it in the dust; sold more than forty million albums from Shout at the Devil to Dr. Feelgood; toured the world dozen times and have the scars to prove it it; and maintained a rabid following in an era of throwaway pop stars. Mötley Crüe has done nothing less than tattoo the psyche of the entire MTV generation. They are the ultimate rock 'n' roll band. And if you don't believe it, read The Dirt. You don't know what decadence is...

Reviews (211)

Rock's Bad Boys Tell All...
I've followed the Crue since 1982 and have read so much about the band, listened to interviews, and watched them on TV. Knowing all I know about them, I could not put this book down once I started reading it. It's amazing to actually hear how the band was consumed by drugs and alcohol.

The book follows each member from childhood. It gives you a sense of each member's personality and shows you a different side of them not seen by the public. While each member's tales of their upbringing were interesting, Nikki's childhood stories are the most interesting and moving. Moving past childhood and adolescence, the member's chronicle their way into music and Motley Crue.

From their wild nights and endless days of partying while making a name for themselves in L.A., see how the band promoted themselves, and snagged a record deal with Elektra Records. It amazing that they got signed after reading just how wild they were before they hit the big time. At that point, the party had only begun.

The Dirt allows you to see the real people behind the Bad Boy Rock Star Images of the Motley members. While they are one of the wildest bands to walk the face of this earth, they are in fact human and have faced more problems and turmoil than most of us combined will ever know. Some of their problems may have been self inflicted but none the less, real problems. With all the good and bad they went through, they made it out alive and left their mark in rock and roll.

This book covers everything Motley. The wild tours, fights, arrests, deaths, recording sessions, parties, groupies and more. Motley Crue lived the Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll life style like no other band. VH1's "Behind The Music" only scratched the surface of the bad boys story. If you want it all, pick up "The Dirt" and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

THEATRE OF PAIN...INDEED!
I'm not a fan of Motley Crue (the people or their music) but this book came to my attention through all of the stories I have heard over the years. As far as rock biographies go, it's a fast paced read. Motley Crue epitomizes the message of "Sex, Drugs, and Rock N' Roll!" So since there are so many other reviews I think I'll just share what I have learned about the band members through their 430 page opus.

Vince Neil has the most penultimate tear-jerker in the chapter that deals with the death of his daughter. In a book made to shock and astonish, this was as touching a moment as anything I have read. Beyond his love and loss, he comes off like a stand-up guy who enjoys the life style and isn't making excuses.

Nikki Sixx had a rough childhood and has so many father-son issues it's not even funny. While I respect the fact that he's been through more turmoil than I'll ever know...get over it. There's nothing more pathetic than listening to rock star millionaires pining away about how sad they are. I guess money can't buy happiness.

Mick Mars has the least to say in this book and this left me the most intrigued. He has battled rough times from personal illness to divorce to just plain being the victim of emotional abuse. I'm amazed he stayed with the band as long as he has. His is the true sad story in The Dirt.

Tommy Lee...moron. Here is the epitome of a millionaire jerk who just never learns. How a guy like this managed to bag babes like Heather Locklear, Pamela Anderson, and Carmen Electra...is beyond me. Don't expect to learn anything from his chapters except to see a spoiled baby who is used to getting anything he wants, and if he doesn't then the tantrums start...then and now.

It's a testament to this book that I enjoyed reading it. The chapters flow quickly telling each band member's story and author Neil Strauss never slows down. And unlike biographies by other rock groups, these characters actually have some bizarre stories to tell...and how they survived is beyond me. While I may not be racing out to buy any Crue music, I'm very happy that I read this biography.

Great book for hard core Motley Crue fans!
This was a great book......great pictures and the stories of these guys is just amazing. The fact that it is so in detail about each band member and how they told each of thier stories is amazing. The fact that they are all clean and sober is just as great. This band is amazing and I do feel that the music will live on forever. Don't ever judge a book by its cover. Highly recommended.

a wild ride
"The Dirt" is impossible to describe. The stories Motley Crue tell are hard to believe, yet you know it's all true. Struggling in Hollywood living together in a roach infested apartment, the wild parties, the girls, girls, girls. Of course, they become a huge famous band and their drugs and girls get huge too.

The chapters Nikki Sixx wrote were my favorites. He comes across as very intellligent and is a great storyteller. Mick Mars' chapters are very insightful, as he always seemed to shy away from media attention and I never knew all that much about him. Tommy Lee's chapters make him sound like a spoiled child. He was always my favorite member of the Crue, but his chapters got harder and harder to read (ending with letters he wrote to Pamela from prison that were so juvenille it hurt to read them).

All in all, this is a fantastic book that I've read three times since purchasing. It's hard to put down, hard to believe and a totally wild ride.

Unadulterated Realism
In my opinion, this is the most gut renching, unadulterated truth that I have ever read. From laughing out loud, to being completely disgusted, the boys of Motley Crue cover all basis and pulled no stop when it came to this autobiography of their lives as they lived it.

They had drugs on tap, sex on tap, and a boat load of trouble that followed them everywhere they went. The fact that some people dislike this book because of their "Hedonistic actions", they must realize that this IS life as it was and still is today. I highly recommend that people read this book just so they can know what is out there and what really happened/happens in the world of rock as we know it. ... Read more

Book Description

SWIMMING ACROSS is a personal and cultural memoir tracing Andrew Grove's most formative years. Beginning on the eve of Nazi Germany's invasion of his native Hungary and ending with his flight from communism to America 16 years later, it combines a child's sense of wonder with an engineer's passion for order and detail. Grove's uplifting autobiography depicts his family's struggle to survive in the face of a host of staggering obstacles. Nearly killed by scarlet fever at the age of four, forced into hiding by the Nazisin 1944, and dogged by anti-Semitism, Andrew Grove's survival was nothing short of miraculous. In SWIMMING ACROSS, a true American hero reveals his origins and what it takes to survive...and to triumph. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

The Antidote for CEO Excess
Consider this book your antidote for all the recent tales of CEO excess and duplicity. Andy Grove's story of his first 20 years in Hungary and New York City tells us how the events of World War II and the Hungarian Revolution shaped the integrity and inner drive of one man.

The story is compelling in its own right. But to read the story of Andras Grof and realize that this boy and his distant childhood turned into Andrew S. Grove...well, it's a journey of unfathomable proportions.

To his credit, Grove never oversells the story. He is quite forthright about his role in the Revolution - he was simply a bystander. Fellow Hungarians have read his story and lauded him for his accuracy and honesty.

Grove's writing style is sparse and direct. He recalls events with clarity and without extensive interpretation. He gives credit to a couple of editors who helped shape the story, most notably Norman Pearlstine of Time. But this is no ghost-written CEO treatise. These are obviously his words.

Some will read "Swimming Across" and conclude that it is a statement about the triumph of the American system. Grove notes near the end of the book "I've continued to be amazed by the fact that as I progressed through school and my career, no one has ever resented my success on account of my being an immigrant."

While there's an element of that, I think you'll see it more as a simple but brilliant testament to the Power of One Man.

Long live Andy Grove.

Life under communism as preparation for corporate success
Andrew Grove was a founder of Intel Corporation and is the company's CEO today. His memoir tells the story of his childhood and early college years in Hungary. Grove survived World War II and emigrated to the United States following the Revolution.
Andrew's parents seem remarkably strong. His family enjoyed a comfortable life as owners of a dairy business. His father survived, improbably, a stint in a prison camp during World War II and later saw the business dissolve into state ownership. His mother's spirit kept him alive during the War.

Both parents worked hard but gave Andrew what we would call "quality time." Even when money was tight, he had English and music lessons.

After reading so many stories of growing-up-in-wartime-Europe, I was surprised to find myself drawn into the story. I wanted to keep reading and actually wish the book had continued into Andrew's early years.

What works is Grove's straightforward, matter-of-fact style. He conveys a sense of, "I did what had to be done," with no time wasted on emotional fallout. As a result, his story can seem cold.

For instance, when escaping from the Austrian countryside to Vienna, Grove and his boyhood friend decide to leave early to avoid "procedures" of the local gendarmes. They do not awaken the two girls who traveled with them from Hungary, and these girls are never mentioned again. Indeed, the only women Grove mentions are his mother, his occasional dates and -- in two sentences -- his wife and daughters.

Apart from the compelling narrative, Grove's book shows how qualities of a future CEO emerge in childhood. Grove continually sought to learn and grow. At one point he even signed up for singing lessons. He had a clear sense of what he wanted and seemed to take for granted his success in school, particularly his talent for chemistry. Ironically, surviving in a Communist society turned out to be excellent preparation for capitalist corporate life. Both, for example, punish those who speak too freely.

Grove's teachers predicted his success. The book's title comes from a teacher's prediction that Grove would "swim across" the river out of Hungary to success. Grove did swim across, and eventually he was able to fly.

Read this book or the content, not for literary strength
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Grove some time back. He's an intelligent man, with a powerful persona and strong sense of character.

I was surprised then, when I picked up the text. Swimming Across did not meet my expectations from a literary perspective. The presentation is very simply written and seems to be directed at an individual with a 6th or 7th grade reading level. I nearly put the book down and opted for another as a result.

The story however, is compelling. Mr. Grof and his family found a way to survive, compete, and eventually excel despite very long odds in Nazi and Communist dominated Hungary.

Read this story for its content (it is stirring). Read this to understand the character development of a leader. It is likely that your respect for the individual (like mine) will have grown.

This Book is Humbling
I gave the book four stars because I thought that is what it deserves as a piece of literature. But of course his "story" is five stars. That goes without saying. He is the second best known computer guy after Bill Gates and a modern Horatio Alger.

Here is a person that leads by example. He has shown to have as superior intelligence and combined that with hard work, and outstanding communication and leadership skills. Obviously there are elements of luck in his success in computers and being at the right place - Intel - at the right time, but it is possible that if he had entered another field he still might be just as well known.

An awe inspiring and humbling story of an immigrant to America.

Jack in Toronto.

Stays with you
I loved this clear, accessible memoir about a boy (and later young man) who grows up in Hungary during the WWII and Revolution years, escapes to the West and comes to the United States to start a new life. I'm biased because my father is from Hungary and is of the exact same generation; he even had experiences similar to Mr. Grove's, going to preparatory high school, university, getting caught up in the Hungarian Revolution and escaping in the middle of the night to Austria. How wonderful to have some of the history and experiences of the times described in such an accessible way. The story is clear and straightforward and yet extremely moving, almost haunting. I loved how the title becomes clear when you read the book (an allusion to swimming across the lake of life and how not everyone makes it to the other side). How glad I am that Mr. Grove made it (across the Atlantic, at any rate) and wrote such a lovely book. It means a lot to at least one daughter of a Hungarian immigrant. ... Read more

Book Description

Down on your luck? Don't despair. You might still be headed for a life of riches and renown. After all, consider the experiences of:

* Marilyn Monroe, who in 1947, after one year under contract, was dropped by 20th Century-Fox because Darryl Zanuck thought she was unattractive
* John Grisham, whose first novel, A Time to Kill, was rejected by sixteen agents and a dozen publishing houses
* Walt Disney, whose first cartoon production company went bankrupt
* Barbra Streisand, who made her stage debut at age 19 in a show that opened and closed in a single night
* Edgar Allan Poe, who was expelled from West Point
* Adlai Stevenson, who at age 12 accidentally killed a visitor to his parents' home on Christmas day

This inspired compendium of pop culture and historical trivia will amuse and delight readers of all ages. It's a perfect gift for graduates, for moms and dads, and for anyone whose cheese has recently been moved. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Funny and inspiring!
I love this book! It's filled with hundreds of failures of famous people--from politicians to literary figures, movie stars to sports legends, rock stars to classic artists. Page after page, you discover how all these people failed before they hit the big time, and this books makes you feel like you can accomplish anything! It's the perfect gift book for anyone who needs encouragement. Whenever I'm feeling down, I page through this book for inspiration. It's amazing.

Look to this for inspiration galore...
When people look at someone who is successful (even if the definition of "success" varies from person to person) they usually have a tendency to think that someone went from point A to Point B with nothing in between. It's the old story of the "overnight success" that may have taken someone a lifetime or may have been achieved with great heartache, pain, and stress. One way of being inspired is to read biographies constantly. I'm an entertainer (ventriloquist, believe it or not) and I love reading show biz biographies. And I've found that when I read them there is a LOT of drama that took place between Point A (starting out) and Point B (succeeding). In The Road to Success Is Paved with Failure Joey Green has boiled down these life stories into a small book that completes its mission so thoroughly you will not only want to read, keep and refer to this book again and again -- but you'll want to gift this book to some loved ones. The concept is simple enough: each page, in large type, refers to a less-than-successful, unflattering or downright failure item involving a now famous successful person. At the bottom of the page, in smaller type, he tells you who this person is and why they are now famous for succeeding. This is "no frills" inspiration. And it works. Here's one example: (Big type) "Barbara Walters was told in 1957 by Don Hewitt, who became executive producer of 60 minutes, to "stay out of television."" Bottom of page (small type): "Barbara Walters became a host on the television talk show Today, an anchorwoman on The ABC Evening News, and a host of 20/20. She has won six Emmy Awards for her work on television and was elected in 1990 to the Television Hall of Fame." There are many others. But this is the kind of book that you can quickly re-read, or just grab a few pages and read if you're feeling "down" or discouraged. It gives you the mental vitamins to resist the naysayers and ignore discouragement and focus on the possibilities. Great concept. Great execution. Great biographical examples. Great value...given what it can do to uplift your life.

Great Book, Great Gift--even for yourself!
This is a GREAT book. When I read about the humble beginnings of high achievers, I get motivated to be great too! For example Walt Disney's first cartoon film failed miserably and he even went bankrupt! The point of this book is keep trying, don't stop. 'Cause the road to success IS paved with failure!

Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works: How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated

Do not buy this rip-off
How can the average rating of 21 people be near 5?

This book is a silly collection of trashy one-liners; each one-liner takes up an entire page. Dumb rumors nobody cares about like "Marilyn Monroe worked in a take-out restaurant before becoming famous".

I was expecting a series of STORIES or REPORTS that would actually teach me something.

Save your money and do not buy this disappointing collection of tabloid cut-and-paste.

You Will Flip Through It Again And Again/Well Worth Price$
Awesome book.

It is a collection of summaries of people before and after they became successful. No filler..., just raw beautiful inspiring facts.

One person per page. Approximately 280 pages

Flip through it and read it in any order, a page at a time, or all through.

Even after you have read the entire book, you will certainly read various pages again and again, flipping through it when you need some inspiration. ... Read more

Book Description

In what will be the most talked-about memoir of the year, a founding editor of McSweeney's gives us his wise, electric, and painfully funny true story.

Unabridged CD - 17 CDs, 21 hours ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Probably not worth it.
I read a review of this book and ran out to buy it. It started off somewhat funny but, about halfway through, I found myself struggling with it. The characters here are just too far-fetched. No mother is as crazy as the author's. No stepmother is as wicked as his either. They are not believable. Th ebook drags as he goes from one reform school to another and I found myself caring less and less for the author. I read in the NYTimes that he is some rich kid with a fancy apartment in Soho and a trust fund. As I thouught about it, this is a story about a rich kid who has parents who divorced and a stepmother he doesn't like. Big deal. In the hundreds of pages, there is no sense that he takes ownership for his mistakes, grows, etc. It just keeps going... He needs a good shrink and a better editor.

Addictive, honest & thrilling to read
I started reading the excerpt in The New Yorker and am instantly buying this book.I cannot stop reading it-- The portrait of the author and his parents is un-putdownable...
This is a big story; the themes aremythological -- the detailsdiverting and devastating.Wilsey is on a wild ride with his mother that takes him to the Vatican, the Kremlin and beyond...to a place in world class literature.

YES, THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT THAN YOU AND ME !

Are the rich really different than you and me?You're darn right they are according to Sean Wilsey in the juiciest totally tell-all in many a moon.According to the author, his stepmother, Dade Wilsey, currently a doyenne of San Francisco society, needed no coat hangers to outdo Joan Crawford as the mother-in-law from you know where. Further, while his stepmother provides plenty of fuel for flame, his mother, Pat,is almost certifiable.

In the beginning it was good, we hear, "We were happy.And we were always excessive.So in the beginning we were happy to excess."For them, excess might be defined as his Dad supplying a jet helicopter to drop Wilsey of at the video arcade or his mother tossing lavish bashes in their luxurious home.

Then, when he was 9 his father divorced his mother to marry her friend, Dade, who was 15 years Pat's junior. Pat didn't take this at all well, once suggesting to Wilsey that they commit suicide together. .When that didn't happen she formed an international group of children to bring about world peace and hopped around the globe with Wilsey in tow to do meetings with Sadat and the Pope.After all, as a former Neiman-Marcus model and society columnist, she does have a flare.

As for stepmother, Dade, who brought two sons into the fold, Wilsey remembers a Christmas when she happily undid little boxes under the tree which held $200,000 brooches.She showed her appreciating by giving her husband a kiss and pinning them to her bathrobe.One could go on and on about her luxe lifestyle, but Wilsey puts it best: "If you want a sense of her values, rent the movies "Gaslight" and "Sweet Smell of Success."The scheming lead in "Gaslight" who sweet-talks a wealthy heiress into marrying him and then drives her mad with drink and double-talk, is her."

How is Dade taking all of this?We read that she's threatening to sue.Regardingthe overdoses of jewelry, well, she's quoted as sayingeveryone gave her jewelry - her husband, her exhusband, and her father.

As for Pat?You can't keep a gal from Oklahoma down.When last heard from she was planning a party to celebrate the publication of her son's book.

"Lives of the Rich and Famous" couldn't hold a candle to these folks, and Scott Brick reads their story with grace, gusto, and wry humor.Bet he had a blast doing it.

- Gail Cooke

Fun, good humored tale of a world that doesn't seem real
I know some folks in SF might take offense to the supposed skewering they recieve in this book, but I had a hell of a time reading it.The world described doesn't seem real, and the humor and harsh light falls fairly equally among the "characters" including Wilsey himself.It's one of those stories that is so strange it would never work as "fiction." Totally over the top. ... Read more

Book Description

The life that inspired the major motion picture The Aviator, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Martin Scorsese.

Howard Hughes has always fascinated the public with his mixture of secrecy, dashing lifestyle, and reclusiveness. This is the book that breaks through the image to get at the man. 80 photographs. Originally published under the title Empire: The Life, Legend, and Madness of Howard Hughes. ... Read more

Book Description

Revealing the infinite variety of the "World's Hottest Woman" (Rolling Stone)

She's the hottest French export since Brigitte Bardot. She's graced the runways of Galliano and Gaultier and appeared on hundreds of magazine covers worldwide. And in a world of gaunt, underfed, pale models, she's a bodacious, curvy, voluptuous breath of fresh air. She's Laetitia Casta. Called "the sexiest model" by Details and "the most beautiful woman in the world" by Paris Match, Laetitia Casta is on her way to becoming the supreme supermodel of the decade.

Featuring the stunning, revealing, and erotic photography of Ritts and Isserman, Laetitia is filled with the most sensuous photographs ever taken of this modern-day Aphrodite. Complete with accompanying essays on Laetitia's world and her outlook on life, and including previously unpublished photographs and a full-color poster, Laetitia is the sexiest book in bookstores this year.

Already a frequent cover girl, Laetitia is the new face of L'Oreal and a featured model for the Victoria's Secret catalog. She has starred in ads for Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Isaac Mizrahi, and several Guess campaigns. She made her screen debut in this year's film Asterix and Obelix, with Gerard Depardieu, and she has appeared in three Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

"Laetitia" is like a great beauty with spinach on her teeth.
Laetitia Casta is, of course, a spectacularly beautiful and shapely model, and the photographers represented in the eponymous book are among the best and most fashionable in the world. Alas, the photos are vandalized by the worst reproduction and printing quality in a photo book in recent years. Previews of the book in "Photo" and other magazines carry greatly superior reproductions of the images which here are out of focus and muddy. "Forms", by Patrick Demarchelier, carries several of the same images and a comparison of the two books is utterly humiliating for the dreadful Laetitia. As for the color images -- well, only the mini poster glued to the back cover offers anything worth viewing. Don't buy the book without seeing it first, so you can be sure of what you are -- and are not -- getting.

Must have for people who appreciate beauty
This book shows the career path of arguably the most beautiful woman on the planet. When Calvin Klein was talking about 'Supermodel is dead', there came Laetitia, fresh at 16 years old. And then when all the other models are looking doped and skinny, there came Laetitia, full-bodied and absolutely voluptuous with almost no straight line visible all over her 'look'. Then she took the whole fashion world by storm. Now she is one of the most featured model on magazine covers, Victoria's Secret Catalogue and countless fashion shows around the world. If you caught her on the Late Show with Dave Berriman, you know how wonderful this young girl is. I call her 'bubbly', very cheerful, lovely smile with a positive personality.

This book, with the most gorgeous photography displays the utmost in human beauty, well, the utmost in HEALTHY human beauty.

beautiful
This book let all my dreams come true. The best Laetitia pictures, her views on life/career, and what the designers think of her. This is the best book I have of art and she is indeed the best model ever. Everyone should be able to adleast see this book once in their lives to see what perfection is.

the most gorgeous of God's creation
A beautiful woman is God's ultimate creation and gift to mankind. Laetitia Casta stands above as the most gorgeous female of her generation. Only Raquel Welch of the last generation or Sofia Loren of the generation before that can challenge Laetitia as the most gorgeous woman since the invention of the photograph. I am not interested in Laetitia's inner beauty or her mind. I admire her for the work of art that she is. With the help of make-up artists and photographers, this book presents to us the ultimate beauty. Laetitia's physical beauty surpasses the art of a Rembrant, the music of Wagner, the poetry of Dante, or the sculpture of Michael Angelo.

intelligence
Laetitia has such a beautiful heart, I am so pleased to see that she hasnt changed such a positive oulook on life. Brilliant book, I almost love her body as much as she does. ... Read more

Book Description

Howard Hughes was one of the most amazing, intriguing, and controversial figures of the twentieth century. He was the billionaire head of a giant corporation, a genius inventor, an ace pilot, a matinee-idol-handsome playboy, a major movie maker who bedded a long list of Hollywood glamour queens, a sexual sultan with a harem of teenage consorts, a political insider with intimate ties to Watergate, a Las Vegas kingpin, and ultimately a bizarre recluse whose final years and shocking death were cloaked in macabre mystery. Now he is the subject of Martin Scorsese's biopic The Aviator. Few people have been able to penetrate the wall of secrecy that enshrouded this complex man. In this fascinating, revelation-packed biography, the full story of one of the most daring, enigmatic, and reclusive power brokers America has ever known is finally told. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Person Behind The Name
Hughes was a man who accomplished most of what he did before my time, so I've only remembered him as a billionaire, eccentric, and recluse, before reading this book. During his time he was a go-getter who tried many adventurous things professionally and both personally and privately.

This book brings to light the details of of the younger Hughes' extraordinary personal life, which I found more interesting than the business side of it. He spent notable time in Southern California and Los Angeles. Many tales bring Old Hollywood and Los Angeles to light. His involvement in the movie business producing films, influenced in part, as an avenue to get to the ladies of the screen. Details of his relationships with the stars of the day are illuminated. Taking dates to the mounted cross atop one of the Hollywood Hills, overlooking the flatlands and lights of LA. He even crashed a plane into 3 houses in Beverly Hills.

His 3rd plane crash, occurred while performing a flying stunt during the shooting of a movie (the stunt pilots refused to do the stunt because they considered it too dangerous). As a result of that crash he was in the hospital with critical life-threatening injuries. This was when HH was introduced to Codeine for the severe pain, something he would become addicted to for most of the rest of his life.

The book later progresses in the latter years of Hughes. Today, it is apparent to contemporary psychologists that Hughes was likely suffering from a form of the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Nowadays, OCD is more understood and highly treatable with medication. In HH's time, it was not thought of in biological and physiological terms.

Hughes' first break came when he entered a screening room and stayed in it for 5 full months. He didn't bathe, watched the same movies 30 times over, and survived on a diet of candy bars. Hughes consciously and voluntarily turned over his business affairs to competent managers. These were employees, and were people who made prudent decisions and looked out for HH's best interests. During this time, other sharks started to gather. Such is the case when large amounts of money is involved. Bill Gay, one of Howard's chauffeur, made crafty and cunning political moves to ascend over the years. He got Howard's ear, and became more influential on him. Gay eventually took the reigns of control over Huges' wealth. He then deftly purged the other business managers who served Hughes with dedication and integrity. The former chauffeur and his fellow Mormon henchman took over Hughes and his affairs, isolated him, and squeezed out those who cared for Hughes and wanted the best for him.

It's sad, for during the latter decades of Hughes life it seemed that no one was really there for him, if he had wanted anyone to to be there.

In death, over one thousand--yes, 1000--people came out of the woodwork to lay claim to Howard Hughes wealth after his passing.

To this day, We're still not sure if his death was natural, self-induced, or the intentional doings of others....

Very informative.
Howard Hughes died when I was only 12 so I knew next to nothing about him prior to the "recluse" years and I found this book extremely interesting. History has dealt somewhat harshly with HH but this book managed to shed some sympathetic light on the mysteries surrounding him. His strange relationship with his mother, his drive to control and collect, his grand scale successes and equally grand failures touched a chord with me. How sad to have so much but ultimately be so unfulfilled and lonely. Whether you find him an eccentric genius or a man tortured by mental illness, you must agree he left behind a significant legacy.

The only minor complaint I have with this book is chronologically it was occasionally hard to follow since a chapter regarding business deals would then be followed by a chapter on personal affairs that were conducted during the same period of time. It was easy to get confused regarding timeframes.

Howard Hughes, The Untold Story
We can call him a womanizer, low life, skirt chaser or many other names. The fact remains the person was a genius and has opened many doors for the traveler of today. Hughes was a very self centered individual and had feeling only for his self gratification. I found this book difficult to put down, even though I could not like the main character.

terrible terrible terrible
I love to read.I read almost everything that I can get my hands on.I am currently reading this book for my book club.This man(Howard) is the biggest jerk of the 20th century! I guess it's true money talks and talks and talks. I'm having a very difficult time trying to finish this book. How anyone could be a fan of this man is totally beyond me. I believe that it's the money that they all so fond of. Don't waste your time. Don't waste your money. Howard wasted enough money for everyone.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Howard Hughes
If your a HRH fan this is the book for you. Precise detailed account of the life of the most interesting and mysterious man of this century. Lots of new information never before published. Well writen hard to put down. ... Read more

Book Description

This is a no-holds-barred look at the hotel heiress, reality TV star, and rampant party girl. Known to tabloids as "Paris the Heiress," The twenty-three-year-old became famous at a young age for being a rich, spoiled socialite who never met a party-or a man-she didn't like. She developed a small career as a model and actress, but her real claim to fame is the racy sex tape she made with a former boyfriend, which was recently released and has made her career-and her notoriety-skyrocket. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A nice look at a not so nice girl
What is going on in our society? This girl gets more press than the President and for what? For being what 20 years ago would have been an embarrassment to her family, 200 years ago would have gotten a "A" emblazoned on her designer frocks.
She is a slut, a tramp, a woman of cheap trashy morals. That is one thing, and really a personal matter for her and her maker, but what really gets me is how cruel and demeaning she is to real, hard working normal Americans. In her show the Simple Life, she shows how truly pathetic she is.
And, to cap it all off, her mother is getting a reality show on how to be poised, elegant and be a socialite. It should be called, "you too can be a tramp".
I am NOT impressed.
I hope the rest of the world does NOT think this young woman is a typical American. ... Read more

Book Description

What are they like and how do they live? (Not like us). Are the rich and famous ordinary parents? (Of course not). Is Sally Field really that sweet? (She’s sweeter). Are Kurt and Goldie truly nuts for each other? (You bet!). Does the Eisner family really use Mickey Mouse toilet paper on the Disney jet? (Give me an M, give me an I, give me a C!!). What is it like to be a nanny in Hollywood? (Mostly you have to love being treated like a piece of lint found in the folds of the couch, but other than that it can be hilarious). Join Suzanne on her implausible escapades as she shares:

• Why some Moms think they can’t survive a day without a nanny—she discovers there are parents who don’t know their children’s routine well enough to put them to bed, let alone have dinner without the nanny there to help.
• The secret camaraderie she forms with other nannies—listen in on their phone conversations as they compare stories of employers spending $6,000 for a purse and then requiring the nanny to reimburse them 50 cents for a phone call.
• Her painful struggle as she leaves the children she has grown to love—find out the elaborate schemes the household staff orchestrate to sneak children out to see their previous nannies without the parents’ knowledge.
• Encounters with the stars—falling for Braveheart, life with the Urban Cowgirl, Jack Nicholson’s words of wisdom, life with Louie & Carla, pacifying the Sundance Kid and a hug from Bill Murray. ... Read more

  Reviews (36)

  Fun and very real
  This is a wonderful book. Professional nannies and the people that employ them should read this. Suzanne manages to entertain as well as educate people at the same time, which is true gift. I know that the average person that employs a nanny may not feel that they are in the same league as the rich Hollywood elite but they often behave as poorly. This is one small step to educating the general public about nannies and what they do. I was very lucky to meet Suzanne at the International Nanny Association Conference this past April. She no longer is a nanny but still has a passion for children and the nannying profession which shines through when you hear her speak! If you haven't all ready guessed, I am a nanny and found that the situations in the book are all too common in our profession. I have recommended this book to alot of people and they have all enjoyed it. It's a great summer read!

  A delightfully dishy coming-of-age story
  Suzanne Hansen's tale of a small-town girl who came to Los Angeles to look after the children of the immensely wealthy families in the entertainment industry is touching, fun, and dishy. She gives the names of employers who were fair and admirable (Debra Winger, Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman), and assigns pseudonyms to the rich-yet-clueless (most notably, the "Swartz" family, reportedly Mike Ovitz's brood), people who think nothing of spending $20,000 for a Mediterranean cruise, yet when Dad makes a pricey phone call home, he asks first, "Is my art all right?"

  Hansen's most disturbing portrait is of six-year-old "Joshua Swartz," who has already seen several nannies come and go, and who has hardened his heart to newcomers as well as to discipline.

  If you like to read about La-La Land, but want to get behind the greasepaint and tinsel of the entertainment industry, this book is for you.

  VERY hard to put down - SAD to finish it
  I loved this book. Possibly since I am from Eugene I overly enjoyed the constrast wri