Entertainment Books

I appear to be the second customer to review this book. The first reviewer gives an adequate description, but I find his praise faint.

I have four nits to pick: One, the error on page 36 in re trousers and "Swing Time": Two, the lack of appreciation for the "One for the Road" sequence in "The Sky's the Limit" (I think the finest piece of film ever); Three, the total lack of discussion of "Damsel in Distress" (I think the second best of Astaire's films); Four, Epstein has a much higher opinion of Judy Garland than I do.

I had the good fortune to work with Fred Astaire in the movie "On the Beach" where I came to know him well: if the word "charisma" did not exist, it would have to be invented to describe Fred.

I think Fred Astaire the foremost entertainer of the 20th century - and I think Joseph Epstein's book a most appropriate tribute (despite my nits).

This short book with twelve "Acts," as Joseph Epstein names his chapters, is a conversational disquisition on the American Icon Fred Astaire, ostensibly the first in a series on American Icons.

Joseph Epstein examines Fred Astaire's upbringing (a little), his clothes (a lot, not to mention his hair pieces), the women he paired with in the movies (extensively), and arrives at the conclusion that the movies Fred Astaire made with Ginger Rogers were the best of all his films, notwithstanding his pairing up with Judy Garland. (No surprise there.) Mr. Epstein also asserts that Fred Astaire's singing was just as good as his dancing. Thus, Fred Astaire was good at two things: singing and dancing. Oh yes, he was a dandy, and he was dandy.

Not a genius, Fred Astaire was, as Joseph Epstein explains, superbly talented, and possessed of such style and skill that Mr. Astaire transformed (with assistance from Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and other great lyricists) what was understood as entertainment into an art.

The book is notably absent of photographs, save the one on the cover jacket of the dancer, a large one of an older Fred Astaire as a frontispeice, and then the small but telling one at the very opening of the first "Act" of Fred and Ginger.

The writing Joseph Epstein composes for this book is certainly conversational, light, with only a few references to high-brow culture peppered throughout his book, none of which are difficult to understand or imposing and might even be construed as just a little odd or funny, given that he's writing about an entertainer on celluloid and now DVD, not about Proust's or Schopenhauer's tomes.

Because anyone over 50 has seen the Fred Astaire movies Joseph Epstein esteems and writes about, summarizing every plot to every movie Fred Astaire ever made as well-- there's a little bit of that tired old dullness or sameness to be found creeping into the writing at times -- not too deeply and not too heavily so as to bore one for long, but palpable nonetheless.

A bit more of a livelier step and one or two tricky moves added to the writing, I think, would have rated this book a full five-star rating instead of a four-star. The whole book felt a bit like Tommy Tune worshipfully narrating the mesmerizing life of the child star Shirley Temple on PBS, except Mr. Epstein can be a cat who can cut better than Mr. Tune. When briefly discussing the singer Tony Martin, Joseph Epstein writes, claws out, he is a man "whose vanity far exceeds his talent."

Reading (or more accurately, experiencing) this elegant volume of memorabilia recalls dead ideals, not just of decorous celebrity behavior, but of the quiet conviction of deeds rather than publicized pronouncements from Hollywood's movie stars. This book captures a sense of a life lived in the limelight, but never blinded by it, and conveys an archetypal and emotional journey through a minefield of tempting superficialities, all the way to self-discovery and meaning.

It's moving to see and feel how Audrey Hepburn's roles reflected her best selves at every turn -- resolutely alert, attuned, engaged, yearning, striving, feminine, human -- and be reminded of how a life can really be exemplary, after all.

This is a wonderful collector's item for Audrey Hepburn fans. I opened the box, and, after looking through the pages, had no other words but "wow". There are 34 removable items of memorabilia. These include a partial script from Breakfast at Tiffany's, many letters to and from Ms. Hepburn herself, postcards, pictures, photo albums, tickets of movies and programs of plays she's done, and many many other items.

The book is done in a scrapbook format, and beside all of the removable items, has countless photographs with many of them having never been published or from her friends and family's private collections.

This book could have easily cost over $100, and I thank the ones who have put it together for allowing the fans to be a part of such intimate moments and items.

this is a very cute and amazing book about audrey hepburn.. it is a treasure,must have item.

With nearly thirty films tackled and under her belt, Audrey Hepburn is no doubt a household name, but how many really understood what went on inside of the personal life of Audrey Hepburn?

This stunning compolation of extrodinary copies of documents, family photos, playbills, and ticket stubs is a credit to her name. It shows her eloquence, style, grace, poise, and even some mystique as we get to experience a sliver of her private life, without invading the caverns of her mind.

Although not written from an autobiographical standpoint, it is easy to immerse yourself in her thoughts, because of the personal letters and dictations. Erwin writes about her beautifully, and lets the reader experience her life in the best way possible.

As a fan of Audrey Hepburn's, I read the information about this book and anticipated it's arrival. However, it arrived in a shrink-wrapped package with the corners dented badly. Since it is a type of scrapbook, the corners dramatically took away the beauty and quality of the book. The content of the book includes life-long pictures and memorabilia of Audrey's life and are a good representation of her experiences and choices. And so I would recommend the book without the mishandling.

Originally I reviewed this book and didn't get past page 194 before I finally gave up, but I was contacted by Osorio to finish the book because she told me things changed on page 195. I make a continuous effort to review books that I've finished completely, so I got access to the book again. It's difficult to rate a book that I don't agree with not even one rationale for. The book is not badly written, minus a bunch of unnecessary details like her pressing the space bar to stop a screensaver; jokes about Nas' attire; one of the men who brought in the Eminem tape being vertically challenged; and why she explained to a friend who the head of Human Resources were. There could've definitely been a lot chopped out that had nothing to do with the plot.

However, by the book being about her, it's impossible to not judge her personality in my review. I don't know her personally, and she may be a great person. But from this book, I'm not convinced. I could write a Christmas list of the tacky times that Osorio used men for money (ex. she asked Kanye West to pay half of a venue and used his money to go shopping for her birthday gift). It was almost like she wanted to be wined and dined, but she didn't want to be respected (ex. she had a fit when 50 Cent opened the passenger side door for her talking about she knows how to open her own door and frustrated that he sent her flowers). Osorio was the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that she kept blaming on Dave Mays. I didn't get her logic in lying about guys she'd slept with in the music industry, especially when she really HAD slept with them and treated them like filth in public.

Every single time she had to write something that she claimed she didn't agree with, she pointed the finger at Dave Mays or Benzino, but throughout the entire book, it never occurred to her to just get up and leave. Nobody had a gun to her head. Nobody had chains to her wrists while she wrote these stories. Her rationale was consistently that she had a daughter and needed money, like there were no jobs in the rest of the world. (The economy is awful now, but not awful enough to leave a job with this much discrimination.) Osorio outed a lot of people who simply didn't deserve the treatment she gave them, and she did it with a childish smirk (ex. proudly showing Jay-Z the article she wrote about Steve Stoute). These are the instances when I finally understand why there are so many rappers who dog women. If this is the treatment that they get in the industry, then I fully understand why they're so mad. Even at the end of the book, the only reason she sought justice was because of her bosses discriminating against her and being a woman, never mind all the men and women she outed repeatedly. Why was it necessary to bring Nikki D and Yo-Yo up? This book was equal to the Superhead book. Blasting a bunch of people's business and feeling like she was justified for doing so because she had been wronged in the past. I hope one day she learns that the way she was treated at the Source was the exact same way she treated everybody she wrote about, like they were an embarrassment, incompetent, and with revenge. It's called karma.

Knowing little about hip-hop, this book was referred to me from a friend of a friend who actually knows the author. Having gone through some crazy things with the men at my own job, what I initially became interested in was finding out how Kim triumphed in her case. But there was little about the actual trial, which probably would have bored the crap out of me anyway (i have a very short attention span).

But I didn't have to read too far to understand how she was able to be victorious in her case. Throughout the course of the book, I kept wondering why the behavior of the men in this book had not been questioned by others at work (or by anyone in hip hop for that matter). It was almost always acceptable for Banzino to come on to her, or for her boss to tell her she couldn't be a part of a woman's right conference, or for them to tell her that rape was a woman's issue. All of this was okay and i even think it was okay to Kim up until a certain point, until she got a stark wake up call that made her grasp the bigger picture.

The press on this book has mostly been around 50 Cent and Nas who she was involved in brief relationships with. I've heard of them, but in twenty years will they really matter? Probably not. This book will be on the shelves and can easily be used as a reference of how women were treated in hip-hop. I'm glad she told her story by using these artists to exemplify just how much of a double standard there is in hip hop. I think the press reaction has only mirrored the issues that are presented in this book.

The other thing about this book that I really enjoyed was the tone. There was a lot of sarcastic, witty humor that made me laugh out loud. Not that the issues weren't serious, but I think to show her personality and how over dramatized things are in hip hop. It was great to read about hip-hop and how the characters all played a role in her story. It was actually quite interesting to know what these artists act like behind the scenes. I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to others, especially women with chauvinistic bosses.

As a fan of the era, I was excited at the prospect of getting an insider's perspective. This book, strictly as an informational resource, delivers time and time again with interesting tidbits about almost everyone who mattered. In telling the story of her life, Kim doesn't seem to dwell much on self-reflection. In describing some of the questionable activities she engaged in, she rationalizes that she just needed the money. As a highly educated woman with clear writing talent, it seems unlikely that she couldn't have made other choices. By claiming some sense of ownership of her questionable actions, Kim as person would have been completely crystallized for me, thereby making the book even more compelling. Lastly, and this is the problem that bothered me most, I didn't sense any growth. I walked away thinking if the same opportunity presented itself (working for a masochistic chauvinistic madman for not that much money) Kim would jump at the opportunity. It's this lack of self-reflection that prevents the book from being great.

This book was a great read! I have been waiting for it to come out and as soon as the book arrived I picked it up and couldn't put it down.
The "real" hip-hop world is not something I know a lot about beyond what I read in magazines or on blogs. I love the music, but have always known there is more to hip-hop than the music. Ms. Osorio let me in to "her" hip-hop world to see it from the inside.
I don't need to read about video girls and their drama or about woman sleeping to get to the top. I am a professional woman and I want to read about other real professional women. In this book, I read of the struggles and conflicts that Ms. Osorio had and how she dealt with them. The same things may not have happened to me, but I can really relate.
It took a lot of courage to fight The Source, but she did and she WON! I am happy Ms. Osorio shared her story and I hope that she will share more in the future.

Considering myself an "outsider" to rap/hip hop post 1990, I never gave The Source more than a cursory flip through and didn't know that Kim Osorio was the EIC until after I heard about her lawsuit. In fact, the only thing I HAD heard about the magazine regarded "Benzino's" ego-driven vendettas against certain artists so I was pretty eager to read this book to get the real story.

The flow of the book is excellent, she doesn't waste time detailing her personal relationships but admits to them without the sometimes tasteless sensationalization that others have used in recent tell-alls. As a woman who also grew up on rap & hip/hop, I truly felt her pain and the pain of other women who initially loved the artists, music & lifestyle of hip hop but then gradually got worn down due to the mysogyny & abuse perpetuated by so many males who've also grown up on this genre.

Kim's attempts to remain professional in the face of the kind of madness she worked in was admirable - I probably would've quit long before she did but on the other hand, why should she have to quit such a lucrative position and more importantly, one that she loved because of a crazy boss?!

This is a very entertaining & addictive read told in a matter-of-fact style that will have you laughing out loud at some of her observations and is a book that I'd highly recommend to those immersed in hip hop news as well as the curious (like me) who just wanted to get some insight into how such a popular & influential magazine imploded.

Shirley MacLaine is ever the entertainer in recalling her trek across Spain on the Camino. The physical descriptions about her voyage are inspiring, and her determination to succeed in completing the journey is admirable.

The most interesting part of the book for me was the journey itself. It succeeds in making you want to try it yourself if you have a month to spare.

The spiritual aspect of the book is thought provoking, if nothing else. Shirley doesn't withhold and for some, I'm sure it's a little bit hard to digest, but you have to admire her honesty.

I thought the ending would have been more glorious. I would like to have seen a moment when she paused and reflected at the end of her journey, but instead she rushed through it like it was something to get over. All in all, it was a good read.

As a longtime reader of Shirley's book's, this was the next one for me. I learned alot and at this time, learning is very important to me.

I've read this book twice. I don't know if I believe everything that Ms. MacLaine claims but it was a fun read and I enjoyed every bit of her journey.

Since marrying a Spaniard, most of our vacations have been to Spain. As a result, I tend to key in on books dealing with Spain. When I picked up "The Camino", I anticipated a quirky tale on hiking the Camino (i.e. an entertaining quick read). The book initially met my expectations. She explained her Camino decision and within a few pages was starting her pilgrimage on the trail. As expected, she meets some "unique characters" along the way and provides insight into the trail conditions (or lack thereof). However, the book slowly turns into a "vision quest". As you progress through the book, descriptions of the trail and modern day pilgrims are replaced by detailed descriptions of dreams and visions as well as her run-ins with the Press. The ending is anti-climatic and rushed. If I had paid full price for the book, I would be kicking myself for the purchase. Fortunately, I found the book in the bargain bin. Ignoring the purchase price, was the book worth reading? I did gain insight into the Camino trail conditions. However, I paid a high price for that insight. Only my determination to not leave a book half read got me through this relatively short book. All in all, I cannot recommend this book.

Interesting read until she got into her dream visions about the beginning of time and adam and eve and paradise, etc... I mean, yes, possible but it sounded too cookie cutter to me. Like she made it up and tried to make it fit into a mold we already know and threw some sparkles in there for good measure. I like Shirley and have believed what she's been through in the past but now I have my doubts. I think the experience of the camino and her dealings with her environment there is a much more interesting read. She should have stuck to that.

I have always been a fan of Marilyn Monroe. I finally decided to read a little more indepthly about her and thought there would be no better place to start than with her own words.

The book is just fascinating. Although parts were miserable (mostly about her childhood), it was such a brief glimpse that her light spirit remains intact. Since I find her absolutely fascinating, so this book was a real treat.

The eerie entries that almost seem to foreshadow her gradual demise are so coincidental, I wonder if that was not her friend Ben Hecht embellishing after the fact. And even though some people say she could not have written this, I see her voice in the phrasing and choice of words. My only complaint that the book, like her life, was too short.

Highly recommend.

This book is amazing!! Marilyn vividly descirbes her good/bad expierences and her dreams of becoming a famous actress. When reading the book it feels like your going back in time and watching Marilyn grow into one of the most memorable, sensitive, and discredited actress of all time. During some parts I have to admit, I felt chills up my spine and was a little spooked. I have never been able to complete this book because I know that it will not have a happy ending and will forever be incomplete and that Marilyn will never have a chance to try some of the things that she longed for. I would highly recomend that you would read other books on Marilyn before reading her autobiography. You should know some of the people and events in her life because there are no explainations and a reader my get confused.

I've read that this book was not actually written by Marilyn. Despite this, I do like the way the story was put together/told. Even though it leans toward depressing, it's still a very interesting read. This book would be better as a much smaller paperback with fewer photos. We know what she looks like. The space fillers can distract. They are great photos, but perhaps limiting them, making them smaller and fitting them onto smaller sheets of paper, or placing them at the end might be better. Smaller paperbacks are easier to take everywhere with you.

I was so impressed with this book I brought a copy for my friend, this book is really easy reading (great for bedtime) and quite an insight to Marilyn Monroe's own personal biography, the pictures are fantastic and this is a must for any Marilyn Monroe fan an absolute must for any fan's collection. Most enjoyable, if I hadn't broughtit already I'd buy it again.

Lately I have been on a Marilyn Monroe reading Jag (I do recommend "Misfits Country") that was brought on by watching most of her films. This book offers unique insights as it is Marilyn in her own words. She covers everything from her early childhood, to her rise to stardom, and her rocky marriage to Joltin Joe DiMaggio. There are nuggets here that explain much about how she went from Norma Jean to Marilyn Monroe, and some interesting foresight as to her demise. The books only weakness is that it is way to short, there is so much more I wanted to hear Marilyn talk about....

Strouse is one of the most underrated composers of the American musical theatre. This is mostly due to the large number of failures he has been associated with. After reading his revealing memoir, it is easy to see why that happened. Strouse is singularly lacking in self esteem, and has been far too easily led, nor has he stood up for himself properly. This is a shame, because he wrote some of the best scores of the late twentieth century, including his masterpiece "Rags," a show that seems certain to be rediscovered one day and take it's place among the great ones.

Strouse promised a lot of "dirt" in this book, but I can't say it really delivers in that regard. Other than revealing that Arthur Laurents is an egomaniacal bastard (hardly a news flash) and that Strouse and Adams made a contribution to the development of "Hello, Dolly!," there isn't anything much along those lines.

One thing that emerges that is sort of surprising is how many close friends of Strouse's are gay; to the extent that it comes as a shock that he isn't gay himself! It is a testament to his open, accepting spirit.

It becomes very clear by book's end that Strouse suffers from chronic depression. One wonders why he isn't on medication for it. His creative output, despite that, is astounding.

I would have enjoyed more about Strouse's creative process, his aesthetic tastes, his opinions of the work of his contemporaries, and so on. The personal details are interesting, but after all, it is their work that fascinates us about these geniuses.

A fascinating autobiography of a genuinely 'nice' gentleman. Too often Strouse is left out in the panoply of great Broadway composers. As a (former) HS musical director, I conducted Annie, with with my staff on Birdie and the quality of the scores is beyond reproach. I remember the original Applause on Broadway; it's still one of my favorite scores. I enjoyed the 'backstage' chit-chat between producers, directors, and choreographers. It would have been wonderful to be a fly on the wall. My only disappointment is that I wanted to know how Lee Adams felt when Charles began collaborating with other lyricists. Highly recommended and a fast read!

What sets this autobiography of the great Broadway composer Charles Strouse apart from other "and then I wrote" memoirs, is that although Mr. Strouse gives plenty of fascinating info on the what, who and where of his career, his main focus is on how it felt to create those shows, work with those people, and live that life. So the reader is drawn in and effortlessly identifies with him, coming away with the experience of a life lived in musical theatre. The only curious element is that, although his portraits of famous collaborators like Arthur Laurents, Alan Jay Lerner and Sammy Davis, Jr. are quite vivid, we are left with only a shadowy outline of Lee Adams, who wrote the lyrics to many of his most famous shows, such as "Bye Bye Birdie" and "Applause."

A truly enjoyable and quick read. Many insights are offered into the world of Broadway musicals. Strouse reveals several things about himself that are very interesting. Some Broadway writers,producers, etc. really come off as horse's a---s. Like the bit where he ways he has made more money than he can spend. Was sorry that it wasn't longer!

A must-read for all fans of musical theatre, this heart-warming candid and funny autobiography provides a fascinating look into the world of showbusiness. Charles Strouse writes candidly about his ups-and-downs in showbusiness, the nagging insecurities that have followed him throughout his career and of course provides juicy tidbits about Teresa Stratas, Arthur Laurents, Leondard Bernstein and more.

This is an amazing game design book. Trust me, I should know. I've been
playing vids since I was in junior high and my brother-in-law works for a major game publisher, and he brings home every new title there is, so I've played them all but never quite grasped the process of making a game of my own. Game Design Workshop takes you step-by-step through the process. After reading just the first few chapters, I actually could grasp the mechanics necessary for constructing a video game.

Unlike other books that focus on genres of games, this book gives you the
building blocks and its lessons teach you how to use them. It also has some really valuable interviews with top designers, and from those alone you can learn a lot. I cannot recommend this enough. 5 stars, at least!

This book is honestly an answer to my prayers! I'm using the first half of this superb book to remodel my introductory game design class & after school game design club. The included exercises are definitely geared toward capturing the attention of the type of kids I want to attract to my program. I think I'm going to have to buy a 2nd book as my son is using the last half of the book to develop and market his senior game project and plan for his Indie game company :)

I am an in-house attorney for a film production company. This book is a great resource to point you in the right direction in many respects: reminders of what terms various contracts/agreements should contain, the different types of agreements common to the film industry, copyright information ... just to name a few items. Money well spent for a very focused look at legal aspects to the film industry.

This book helps anyone who wants to do or is doing anything in entertainment be on top of their game. I carry this book with me, along with my bible (that says a lot about the book right there!) I read it every chance I get and learn so much more as a Writer/Producer, about the legalities and expectations of each member of a production team. This book is necessary for a business minded person. Crowell educates the readers in the basics of entertainment law, however he does not use language that only an attorney or judge can comprehend. He breaks concepts down in bite size pieces. I have gained a better understanding of what needs to happen in pre, pro. and post production of a film and will make sure that the many areas in film making get the attention and documentation that it needs because of this book.

This book is so useful, I don't know where to begin. It's well-structured, well-researched, and I don't know where I'd be without it. The author has so much useful information, and puts it in a way a filmmaker, who doesn't speak legalese, can understand. This book gets a very high recommendation from me for sure.

Having the hindsight of producing several movies, I wish I had read this book much earlier. ANY filmmaker would benefit from reading this book as early in their career as possible and then keeping it on their shelf as an invaluable reference tool to return to again and again.

This review is specifically directed to aspiring professional screenwriters: GET THIS BOOK.

(Note I did not say "buy" this book, since, if you truly are an aspiring professional screenwriter, you're probably sucking your own body lint for food and live under a bush overlooking the Santa Monica pier.)

Yes, do whatever you have to do. Beg, borrow, steal...pawn...get this book. You've already read your Sun Tzu:

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt."

Hollywood was built on exploiting talent, and specifically exploiting writers. It's time we (YOU!) writers start preparing for the business side of things because gosh knows the other guys are plenty prepared already. Reading this book will make you realize three things.

1. Actually getting your great little/big screenplay made will be incredibly complicated, even if you're just selling it to someone who already knows what they're doing.

2. There are ways to make your script more attractive for producers/distributers and more lucrative for you.

3. Thom Crowell is an informative and entertaining scribe.

I had a friend of mine in negotiations with a major studio executive. True story. Wrote a little script called "Balls, No Balls II." Guy tried to get my buddy to sign a contract without an NDA. My buddy stood up, whipped out his Pocket Lawyer and KA-BLAW! Smacked that suit right in the mouth! "You want my high concept? I WILL be signing that NDA!"

Hmmm, actually this never happened. But at least I know what an NDA is now. Do you? Oh, you don't? GET THIS BOOK!

And yes, AMAZON, you do offer a very reasonable price. I suppose buying it isn't out of the question.

I have been a longtime fan of the talk show personality of Rosie O'Donnell, even tho' I do not agree with her personal views (let's just say I am more Elisabeth Hasselbeck than Rosie O'Donnell). As a talk show host Rosie was the perfect host because she made it okay for every day people to be intrigued with the celebrities she interviewed. After all, Rosie was into her guests as much as the audience. She was and is authentic and real, even with her extremely rough edges and all. Thus I enjoyed her autobiography CELEBRITY DETOX.

This book is more a therapy session and a detox for Rosie once more coming out of celebrity and trying to find happiness and normalcy in her life. It is all over the board and abruptly goes from one thing to the other but not in an irritating way, rather in the way I bet she lives her life. Celebrity Detox makes it clear Rosie is a damaged, hurting victim of abuse still desperately seeking salvation from her wounds but searching in places salvation can not be found--in two celebrity heros/icons Barbra Streisand and Barbara Walters both of whom were also heros of her mothers. Tho' only alluded to, it is apparent that Rosie was not only abandoned by her mother when her mother died when Rosie was 10. She was also betrayed and unprotected by her mother--3 issues that have haunted her and continue to haunt her--abandonement, betrayal and unprotection. Rosie told her mom of the abuse in the only way she could...her mom humored her to the extent of literally cutting down the tree "bad man" climbed up, but when Rosie told her it didn't work, the bad man still comes in her room at night, her mom betrayed her by calling her a liar and implying Rosie would lose her love if she didn't drop this lie. So Rosie lived on with the abuse, defending herself by breaking her own bones to obtain not only attention but "nightime weapons" with the casts. Heartbreaking for any little girl to live through.

I am not surprised that she was more devastated by Barbara Walters' betrayal than she was of Donald Trump's public annialation of her. She already thought of Donald Trump as a pathetic human being. He can only hurt her in the pocket book. She was devasted by Barbara Walters because she made Barbara her surrogate mother so much so she hoped Barbara would do everything RIGHT her mother did WRONG--i.e. protect her and definitely NOT abandon her nor betray her. By not defending her to Donald Trump and the public Ms. Walters did everything Rosie's mother did to her--left her once more alone, unprotected and open to abuse.

All said and done, CELEBRITY DETOX is a fascinating read into the life of a damaged little girl grown up and turned famous ... twice. You'll feel compassion for Rosie, disdain for Donald Trump and sympathy for Barbra Streisand and Barbara Walters who love and admire Rosie but in their own humaness can not be everything Rosie hopes they will be.

I was so excited about getting this book for my vacation. I wanted something light, interesting and I was curious about the inside scoop around Rosie's time at The View. When I read all these reviews, I wasn't sure if I should bother. I went ahead and bought it anyway--I'm a daredevil! :)
I got what I wanted. There were some kibbles of information I didn't know about her co-hosts and some other celebrities. That was fun. Rosie sure tells it as she sees it. I don't accept that as the whole truth but I like hearing people's sides of the same coin. I did have some trouble relating to her love of Babs...it came off as a little sad too me how much she idolizes some people even as she's telling her readers all the reasons why celebrity is an illusion.
This was no "War and Peace" if that's what your looking for. This is no objective, weighing both sides, kind of memoir. This is Rosie talking about her life as she felt it. That to me, is interesting and I read this book in two sittings. I really enjoyed it and recommend it as long as you have properly aligned expectations!

Tiffany Christensen, author of "Sick Girl Speaks!"

I think this book had a certain kind of honesty we would all appreciate in respect to celebrities... Rosie shows a "behind the camera" glimpse into fame, fortune and life as the Rosie O'Donnell. As a Rosie fan myself, I was not at all disappointed. She is Real, honest, and true to herself! I loved the book! I recommend it to all!

I read and enjoyed Rosie's last book: "Find Me". After watching her on the View and vaguely following the blow-up between she and her co-host, Elisabeth, I was curious about how that built up. When Rosie claimed she was writing this book to "answer those questions" about what happened that day and immediately after, I looked forward to her explanation. That's why I was disappointed by "Celebrity Detox". It didn't go there. In fact, there's hardly a word about the incident prior to the last chapter (about five pages). Instead, she focuses on ear transmitters far more than anyone cares to read (or know). She talks about the Trump scuffle but doesn't even do her position justice in her own book. I came away from those chapters wondering if her beef was with Donald Trump and his poor behavior or her hurt over a quote that Trump assigned to Barbara Walters. Shortly after that, she goes off on the ear transmitters and how she saw the other hosts (who wore them even after Rosie's refusal and wishes) slowly came to agree with her and speak their mind (implying that, prior to that point, they'd been getting prompting and feedback in the devices). In the last chapter, she only mentions Elisabeth by sharing that she'd sent her and e-mail of support only a week or two before that Elisabeth may have been put-off by (Rosie tells Elisabeth she loves her and is proud of her asking John Stamos to stay and do crafts). But, that's where it ends. She never goes into the background regarding how Elisabeth disrespected her by not defending her in another interview. She says nothing really tangible about the feud at all.

However, if you're not looking for more insight on the squabble, then the book is okay. It's often repetitive. But, based on Rosie's art and poetry, it makes sense that she would have certain themes throughout the book. If you're looking for a perspective on how celebrity makes you different, then this may be the book you want to read. And, if you'd like to have a better understanding of why she left her own show, then I'd recommend this. Her reflections of 9/11 between she and her brother are interesting (and I've had my daughter read them as an example of how perspective is, at times, everything).

There is one word to describe this book and that is Wonderful. I was amazed. She put her life out there for all to read. She shared her personal feelings, almost like therapy. I loved this book. I love Rosie. I do suggest you read Find Me first. Fame is an addiction and I can understand that without ever being famous. I think Rosie truly is a kind soul and this book will reflect that.