Celebrities Books

Really nice black and white photos. i bought the book for the Mark harmon photo "Mark Harmon 7.33". I would have liked some smaller shots of other pictures that were taken during the shoots for the book on each page, maybe to see what was rejected.

The only picture really worth looking at was Vin Diesel (page 51). He's the reason I bought the book.

The photographer couldn't have done a better job capturing those sweet and innocent moments of the men we love most. Her depictions gave view to a soft and tangible feel to these famous faces. I absolutely love this book! I also loved the idea that you put the beautiful, Til Schweiger as the cover man. Til is my favourite actor; not so big in the United States, but definitely the Brad Pitt for Germany. My regards to the makers of this book.

All the men in this book are amazing in with their various looks and different ways about them. But, I'm sorry, Vin Diesel just looks sooo hot and stands out the most in this book. Of course, this is just my opinion, but it was reason enough for me to buy the book...hee.

No matter what celebrity drew you to this listing, you should know that this book is well worth having. Any star photographer can assemble a collection of famous people, but only Veronique Vial can bring you something quite like this. What you see, as you look at these images, are people so completely at ease with her -- and the camera's -- presence that they've let their guards down and revealed their most basic, human selves to her, to her camera, and to us. These are the stars before they put their public masks on, and Veronique treats them with enormous respect and kindness, while treating her audience to something we otherwise can never have: an intimate, private moment with our favorite public figures.

I love cemetery surfing and try to visit a new site as often as possible. I am also a teacher and the spelling errors in this book made me cringe. The information and pictures were outstanding but I just felt like I was reading a very unprofessional book because of the horrible spelling errors.

I recommend this book for information and pictures.

What can I say? This book is the best around and extremely addicting. I couldn't put it down. Of all the books on this genre that I've read, no book does it as well as Morbid Curiosity. The photos were great, the directions -superb, the stories -all very factual and as far as the trivia goes, Ms. McCarthy could write for the game "Trivial Pursuit!" This is the most essential book for anyone's collection, that is as long as you are interested in celebrities and what has happened to them. Very tastefully done, I might add.

Fun book in an obvious morbid kind of way. Extensive list of pop culture icons and thoroughly researched. Typos and sentence alignment problems could have been avoided with a good proof-reader. Perhaps a picture of what the person looked like in addition to the picture of their tombstone would help in recognizing some names, though most images immediately come to mind when reading their names. Author is working on a second book that I would buy also.

While this book has a definite "home brewed" flavor, it's exhaustively researched with minute details on how to visit celbrity gravesites. I'm especially taken aback by comedian John Candy's last days of self-destructive behavior ....

This book was absolutely addicting. It is filled with trivia, interesting and unusual stories about all the people we have watched on television and/or the movies, not to mention musicians, criminals, etc. Elaine McCarthy tells these celebrity stories with juicy details that keep her book riveted to your hands for hours, only to leave you asking for more when you've read the entire book. Then she adds beautiful detailed black and white photos for each and every person. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves biographies, entertainment, celebrities, television, music, etc., etc.
And before I forget, it is a great summer vacation book with detailed directions to each and every grave. I tried finding 10 California graves here in Los Angeles, in three different cemeteries and Ms. McCarthy was right on the money with "dead-on" directions!

Makes a great gift....for yourself!

The ediors were right when they said the book was superficial but that doesn't me it's not enjoyable. I couldn't put it down.

Allison is an excellent writer! I like the way she shared information on the top stars. The information was mostly positive and she kept the audience interest. We all don't have to read negative information about stars to enjoy a great book. In fact, I was more fascinated about the author's early career. Allison wrote about the sentimental side of each star.

Enjoyed this book a great deal. It was very well written, and I learned some interesting things about interesting people. Allison you did a great job! E. Gossett

some interesting tidbits here&there,nothing earth shattering but a good read to have on your book table or something to share some of the qoutes with folks here&there. it's entertaining&is a good read.this Book represents some of the biggest Names of Black Entertainment in various aspects.

Written by Allison Samuels, Newsweek magazine's longtime entertainment reporter, OFF THE RECORD is a compilation of personality profiles of African-American celebrities, including musicians, athletes, actors and other icons. Recommended to anyone interested in pop culture, this book reads like a magazine. Most chapters are relatively short articles that focus on two or three similar personalities, though some chapters are much longer and are dedicated to the exploration of one major cultural icon.

A fearless writer, unafraid to take a jab or two at the mighty and the dangerously sensitive, Samuels uses her 13 years of experience covering the entertainment industry to reveal the surprisingly contradictory personality traits of her subjects. Here you will read about

How the late rapper Tupac Shakur was transformed from an ambitious, sweet, well-read, former ballet dancer to frightening thug, once he was recruited by record executive, Marion "Suge" Knight;

How NBA all-star Kobe Bryant immaturely alienated himself from his Lakers teammates and in the process destroyed his own reputation and his relationship with Shaquille O'Neal by foolishly believing he did not need the guidance and advice of NBA veterans;

How actress Halle Berry offended Whoopi Goldberg when she tearfully accepted her Oscar win for best actress without acknowledging the African-American women who had won before her, including Hattie McDaniel and Goldberg; and

How Mike Tyson is extraordinarily generous, perhaps because as the author notes it is his way of coping "in a world that had not given him very much in the way of kindness or sympathy."

Plus there are other fascinating profiles of Angela Bassett, Denzel Washington, Dr. Dre, Snopp Dogg, Eddie Murphy, Bill Cosby, Ray Lewis, Allen Iverson, Tyra Banks, Lil' Kim, Suge Knight, Coretta Scott King and Malcolm Shabazz.

- Regina McMenamin

Wonderful book. Since I'm an animal lover and a celebrity junkie, this was the best of both worlds. It makes a great coffee table book.

I purchased this book for use in a veterinary hospital waiting area. Overall it is a beautiful celebration of the human-animal bond. Unfortunately the pictorial of Robbie Williams with a leashed, lingerie-clad woman at his feet is an inappropriate addition and is degrading to women. It's hard to understand why the author chose to include it.

This book really is really filled with warmth. The mixer of celebrities is a real pleasure from the old to the current. The photographer has a real talent for capturing the love between these people and their pets. I have seen this book featured in many well respected magazines such as People, In Style, New York Times, Page Six (New York Post) as well as many Television shows. From reading the intro to this book by the Photographer/Author he really worked this project hard and stood for what he believed in. For a first time Author/Photographer he really nailed the subject as well as the photos. This is a must for people who enjoy animals as well as celebrities. I bought two for gifts and my friends are thrilled to own this book. I also read a great review about Christopher Ameruoso from the very well respected (Popular Photography magazine web site) not bad work Christopher good luck...

This book donates a part of their proceeds for Last Chance for Animals, which is a great reason to get it and help out at the same time. The pictures are black and white but are very well done. The photographer really shows the bond between owner and pet. There are some celebrities posing with 'borrowed' pets but the animals look to be enjoying it just the same. In looking through the book there were celebrities like Paul Stanley, Ozzy Ossbourne and Ice-T.

As a dog lover I just couldn't pass this book up. One of our kids is a rescued shelter dog so I know the joy these animals give back for being given a second chance. They are forever grateful for the new life they've been given, believe me (ours is STILL thanking us :-) ).

I have an autographed copy of this book - Chris turns out to live in my building, so I took advantage of his good nature :)

I met Stella too - a real cutie and full of character. She could make a movie or two in her own right...

If you love animals it's always interesting to see the types of animal that other people bond with, and Chris has compiled an interesting collection of photos of personalities and their pets (and in some cases, personalities with borrowed pets), along with idiosyncratic cartoons, poems and other literary gems peppered throughout the book.

The list of people featured reads like a Who's Who of showbiz, music and media excellence: Pamela Anderson, Julianna Moore, William H. Macy, Geri Haliwell, Kate Hudson, Brendan Fraser, Afton Fraser, Rosanna Arquette, Janeane Garofalo, Lisa Rinna, Rachel Hunter, Dean Cain, Bo Derek, James Caan, Angelica Bridges, Slash, Tipi Hedren, Tatjana Patitz, Natasha Henstridge, Christine Taylor, Natalie Raitano, Dustin Nguyen, Ice-T, Elizabeth Barondes, Illeana Douglas, Paulie Shore, Diane Warren, David Alan Grier, Kristen Johnston, Vincent Schiavelli, Lisa Marie, Deborah Mazar, Garcelle Beauvais, Amy Smart, Scott Baio, Gina Gershon, Sheryl Lee, Michael Des Barres, Joel West, Mariska Hargitay, Ashley Hamilton, Sara Foster, Wild Orchid, Alison Eastwood, Paul Stanley, Paula Abdul, Harv Presnell, Nicolette Sheridan, Brian Green, Joely Fisher, Connie Stevens, Jason Wiles, John Taylor, Christina Applegate, Bernie Taupin, Faith Ford, Ozzy Osbourne, Kidada Jones, Felicity Huffman, Kari Wuhrer, William Atherton, Jillian Barberie, Sally Kellerman, Harold Becker, Phil Collen, Maureen O'Boyle, Jeffrey Tambor, Sally Struthers, John Taylor, Angie Everhart, Tim Burton, DeDee Pfeiffer, Ben Stiller, Robbie Williams, Shannen Doherty, Rob Lowe, Cheri Oteri, Anthony Kiedes, Rose McGowan, Courtney Cox Arquette, David Arquette and Fred Durst.

Many of the animals featured in this book owe their existence to being rescued by their celebrity owners (and my wife and I have two rescued cats so we know something of the difficulties that such owners can face - rescued animals often have traumatic histories to contend with).

It's nice to see celebs getting involved in caring for their fellow creatures; while it may be true that actors shouldn't *work* with children or animals it doesn't mean that they can't *live* in harmony and love with them.

A portion of the author's proceeds from the sales of this book will go to Last Chance for Animals, which is also nice - buying this book is therefore a constructive way of helping out animals who might have no other chance for life.

I love the magazine itself, so I loved just being nosey and checking out what everyone was wearing.

I love the pictures of celebrities in different styles (classic, creative, all-american sexy, ultra-glam) of clothes. It gives you lots of ideas/pictures and suggestions on what to do/not do. I also really like the sections in the back that cover topics such as: small bust, big bust, if you are short, full figure, pear shaped, pregnancy (10 pages), and suggestions for your age range (only goes up to 40's).

I would also highly recommend "InStyle, Secrets of Style: the complete guide to dressing your best every day" as this is a little more thorough on how each item of clothing should fit, and what kind of styles to try for your body-type (curvy, short, boyish, narrow shoulders, broad shoulders, full bust, small bust, tummy issues, short-waisted/long legs, long-waisted/short legs, bottom heavy).

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1932994661/qid=1125011203/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/103-8163604-6407015?v=glance&s=books

Both of these books have helped me so much when I go shopping, so I know before I get to the store what would work best for me. I have read "Secrets of Celebrity Style" and "Instyle Secrets of Style" cover-to-cover several times, referring to them often. As a result, I have gotten comments on how much better dressed I look.

I am only disappointed that these books weren't published 5-10 years ago, when I really needed it!

From US Weekly magazine comes "US Secrets of Celebrity Style: A Crash Course in Dressing Like the Stars". This is a nifty oversized, softcover that focuses on how the stars dress to look good and grab attention and how you can too.

US Secrets reveals the classic elements that the stars have worn for years that are timeless in appeal and make people wonder - "Who is she?" The book starts with the white shirt. You see Ingrid Bergman wearing the classic in 1951 and Mary J. Bilge updating the white shirt look today. Other basics are covered like scarfs, sunglasses, the little black dress etc.
Then the book delves into occasions like what to wear to a summer wedding or how to ultra-glam up an evening. Celebrities of today are used with looks you can copy and get ideas from.
Vintage looks are shown with modern updates.

The book also includes best bets for body styles,age style, accessories and more. What to do and what NOT to do are covered. Celebrities range from classic icons like Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O to the newly minted Paris Hilton and Tara Reid. Tons of celebs..Uma Thurman, Kirsten Dunst, Cameron Diaz, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Hudson, Selma Blair and more..(One caveat, though they have a special section on what to wear for your age, most of the celebs featured throughout the book are under 35.)

The book is a good source for inspiration. My daughter loves fashion. Looking through the book we find different ways to wear the pieces she has in her wardrobe without spending a bundle.

Jennifer Aniston is not a favorite of mine so I am not fond of the books cover. However, I read a comment in a magazine that said that though Ms. Aniston is not super attractive her total packaging ie grooming and clothes gives her a lot of star appeal. So that makes the cover understandable. Still I think a book on clothing and style could have had a better cover than a blow up of her face.

Overall the book is a good read and packed with good tips and ideas.

This book is full of pictures of celebs dos and don'ts, a girl's dream of a fashion book; lots of dos pictures to admire, some don'ts pictures to give you a giggle & learn a lesson or two, and a side serving of witty comments. Perfect for people who loves fashion and the editor sure gets it.

Unlike the "Instyle - secret of style" book which I think is a shame of the money, too much text & sketch, and not enough photographs to make their points. Save your money and stick to their magazines (which are great).

Future editors, take note, if you're collaborating a book on fashion for people who loves fashion (= visual people), we want to SEE it, not Read it.

Just like the magazine, the book is a guilty pleasure with the bonus of many sound fashion and beauty tips. I will be referring to it often.

Sometimes, no matter how good we try to be in our daily lives, we can't resist the urge to indulge in a little naughtiness.

And along comes Wicked: Sexy Tales of Legendary Lovers. Editor Mitzi Szereto has pulled together an eclectic mix of stories inspired by the not-so-true lives of some of history's sexiest symbols.

While not everyone will be inclined to read erotica, for those who are willing there's something for every taste in this anthology. Stories run the gamut from humour ("Elvis, Axl, and Me") to graphic ("The Ballad of Scott and Zelda").

Writing styles--and talents--also vary, but that tends to be true of most multi-author anthologies. Overall, however, I found several literary quality stories within these pages. "Eva Braun's Last Tragic Abortion" stands out as one of the most compelling pieces.

Szereto understands that there's more to erotica than sex. Without a cohesive plot and compelling characters, you're left with base [...]. If you don't already know the difference, you need to read this book.

Wicked: Sexy Tales of Legendary Lovers is an engaging and entertaining mix of sexy stories that offers so much more than the typical erotica collections you tend to see around. This is the first anthology of its kind and the content is wholly original, with standard of writing well above excellent. Editor Mitzi Szereto has pulled together a skilled group of writers from around the globe and they have taken to the task like gangbusters, speculating on the lives of the famous and infamous, giving readers a generous glimpse into the bedrooms of those we're often wondered about, and even those we have not, with a cast ranging from Elvis to Marilyn to Valentino, and, if you can believe it, Eva Braun and Adolph Hitler! Through these classy tales we get a real sense of the characters, both in bed and out. Wicked works both a collection of erotica and as a collection of short stories. Suitable for erotica lovers and readers who simply appreciate good fiction. Buy it! You'll love it!!

I've never come across anything quite like this book. Editor Mitzi Szereto is already well-known for her innovative concepts, and she's REALLY outdone herself with this one. She's gathered together a pool of talented writers from across America and Europe who definitely know their stuff. There's no hackneyed porn writing going on here -- just top of the line erotic fiction. Excellent. Truly excellent.

Like Szereto's other books, she's once again hit the jackpot with Wicked. The concept here is speculative erotic fiction, with famous people through history as the focal point. It's easy to see that the contributors have done their work, incorporating a sufficient amount of fact with a healthy helping of sexy speculation. The subjects range from Rudolph Valentino and Marilyn Monroe to Salvador Dali, Elvis Presley and the man who assassinated President McKinley. This is erotic fiction that is intelligent, original, polished and arousing. Unlike most anthologies in the erotica line, there is nothing cliched or redundant here. It's quality all the way!

I've read previous anthologies by this editor and I always return to her work because I know it will deliver the goods. The stories she selects are compelling, superbly written, and aimed at an intelligent audience. The erotic content ranges from the seductive to the powerful. And, unlike many other anthologies, the stories here will stay with you for months after you've read them.
Wicked: Sexy Tales of Legendary Lovers covers a broad time-scale and a wide range of historical legends. Imagining each of these personalities as a sexual creature provides an insight into their lives that is seldom considered. This title takes pride of place on my bookshelf and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting, entertaining and erotic read.

Allen has done a great job of seeking out quotes from celebrities showing their alignment with rationalism, and it's a refreshing visit with people we may not have thought of as free-thinkers. If you are a religious abstainer, you'll be encouraged by the number of others who share your views. And if you're a fundamentalist, you'll be pleased to identify a group you know will, for all eternity, be cast into a lake of fire for their base apostasy, heresy, blashemy, and infidelity.

A satisfying read either way.

This paperback book is sort of a condensed version of Warren Smith's huge tome, Who's Who in Hell. with a focus on celebrities such as Woody Allen, Katherine Hepburn, Andy Rooney, George Clooney and many, many others. The style is quite witty and there is lots of dish on the "damned" famous people. You can open to any page and have a good time, especially if you are a freethinker! Religious fundamentalists will probably want to avoid this book, unless they want to learn about famous people who they believe are destined for the infernal regions.

Like they say, heaven for the climate, hell for the company!

I naively assumed every important person was into religion. When they die, they're always seen in funerals held in churches.

This book, however, lists dozens of inspiring leaders in show business (Bjork, Brando, Clooney, Dietrich, Garofalo, Crichston, Alan Cumming, even Michael Musto!) who are Ethical Culturists, freethinkers, secular humanists, Unitarians, who are not into organized religion. The title, in short, means the good guys are in Hell except Hell is a theological invention.

Culled from Warren Smith's huge 'Who's Who In Hell', this focuses on celebrities and others in show business and in the arts who are non-believers, Freethinkers, Humanists, etc.
A fascinating and entertaining reference work, full of interesting facts and details.

I found this book to be interesting even though I disagree with every worldview expressed in the book. I checked it out because I was curious to see more about how some famous celebrities see themselves, their purpose, and their place in this world. Its very reflective of our post-modernist culture, and the quotes from the book are a very diverse cross-section of atheistic, humanistic, and universalist views.

...for everybody who loves great jewellery.

The books provides both, interesting information about jewellery and gorgeous pictures. It shows the treasure chests of collectors from the aristocracy, society as well as from stars of the stage (both movie and opera). Although I'm particularly interested in noble jewels, it's the mix of collections in this book I really appreciate.

It's always a pleasure to read and look. My book hasn't found yet the way to the bookshelf - it's still right to my hand on the table...

An entertaining book with memorable personalities and their world famous baubles. The section on socialities and the nobility is fun to read; especially countess Mona von Bismarck. The incredible story of Poor Little Rich Girl, Barbara Hutton and socialite Daisy Fellowes (she must have been an incredible woman, reading her self-improvement on her nose!). Some of the gems are world famous, like the bejewelled menagerie of the Duchess of Windsor, her cats, her flamingo, her tiger lorgnette etc. All in all, a fun book to read, but not only for lovers of jewellery, but also for people who are interested in royalty, fashion and high society. In short, a nice coffeetable book!

This is a well written book with wonderful photography. The selection of jewellery owners for each of the categories specified was thoughtful with some less well know, but nevertheless interesting collectors, included. The only shortfall was the absence of collectors from the Orient and the East - this would have been unique and given the book an extra star.

The book is a good complement to John Traina's hard to get "Extraordinary Jewels".

I really enjoyed this book, the images are crisp and the text is fascinating. The people in this book live for their jewels and many of them, particularly the Duchess of Windsor, had impeccable taste. Some of the pieces are just stunning, and the background on the collectors is most interesting. I highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in beautiful jewelry.

This book is wonderfull, the jewelry is wonderfull. It renews my faith that at one time people with money DID have some taste. This book is well worth the money spent.

I highly recommend NetworkNewBooks. My purchase arrived in three business days and in mint condition...thanks a lot!

After having bought David Lachapelle's "Heaven to Hell" in the Taschen bookshop in Berlin last november, I was flabbergasted by its content. Coming home I immediately surf to Amazon.com to order the other two books of this trilogy: "Lachapelle Land" and "Hotel Lachapelle". To me his work is the utmost synergism of fantasy, photography and art! For me, without doubt the most impressive and striking artbooks I bought in 2006!!

Wubbe Koning, Heiligerlee, The Netherlands

How about photographing what your mind sees? That's the journey Lachapelle takes us in every picture. Lachapelle, along with a couple of other great photographers, is what I would call an acquired taste and a bi-polar one it is. Either you love it or you hate it...

Anyone interested in serious photography should have, at least as a reference, any of Lachapelle's books.

As for this one, all I have to say is that I enjoyed the journey. And what a journey it was...

I bought this book after being a fan of Lachapelle for a few years- and i've already got Hotel LaChapelle.This book doesn't really compare that well to Hotel Lachapelle, but its a good book to have if u want to document his work pre 1996, and although it has some stunning photographs, i was more impressed by the (presumably bigger budget) photos in Hotel Lachapelle, so. in a nutshell; if you trying to decide between this and His second book, get the second one, but this isnt a bad book to have.

I purchased this book after viewing David Lachapelle's website, and while it is certainly a decent collection of photographs, the photos lack some of the style that Lachapelle's more recent work has. If you are a fan of the work found on his website, then I would suggest Hotel Lachapelle instead of this book.

An entertaining and interesting read but the "famous" people chosen for inclusion in this book seem kind of arbitrary. There are many glaring omissions although, to be fair, how one could cover the deaths of all famous people throughout history in one volume is beyond me. Moreover, this isn't a very good book if you're keen to read some sensationalist accounts of lurid celebrity demises. In all honesty, most entries in this book are of people who died pretty typical deaths. However, this is full of enough biographical information and interesting facts to make it an enjoyable and irreverently morbid read.

I heard of this book on a radio talk show. Couldn't wait to get home to order it. As usual, Amazon came right through by having it available.
A fun book and the same author has written several others which I intend to purchase as well.

The "Portable Orbituary" is well written and easy to read. The book feeds our insatiable appetite for information on the famous, rich and powerful. Just as "Final Exits", Largo's previous book, is difficult to put down, his latest effort, "The Portable Obituary" will keep you page turning from start to finish.
Largo's latest book would make a great Christmas present for the celebrity junkies on your list.

Plenty of books obsessed with scandal and buzz words in the vein of Weekly World News have been written on the subject of celebrity death. The idea of a book that approaches this suggest with respect, intelligence, and a little book of good old-fashioned dark humor is a rare thing indeed. Which makes The Portable Obituary all the better. This is an enormously entertaining, insightful, and fascinating read. Essential for anyone who wants a book that actually knows what it's talking about.

This book has an interesting and varied collection of obituaries that read more like mini-biographies, but always include the answer to the most important question--to me anyway--how did they die. The odd and the common ways numerous rich and famous people, from movie stars to inventors, to historic legends met their end were fascinating, and even though I planned to read one, I kept flipping to the next. I appreciated how nothing was sensationalized, and rather serious though entertaining with a sometimes ironic touch of absurdity to many entries. I read a lot of books like this--but this one is refreshingly original.