Celebrities Books

For most of us, just the name "paparazzi" brings forth thoughts of stalkers, intruders, low lifes who seek to profit from photographs of the famous, particularly in private moments. According to author Peter Howe, that's not too far off. He speaks to paparazzi as follows: You will be "despised by your subjects, your peers, and the public, the ultimate consumers of your work. You will run afoul of security guards and publicists, lawyers and the police. You will be punched, spat upon, and have any number of objects thrown at you. And you will earn a great deal of money."

Mr Howe also asks why if everyone hates their work, are paparazzi the highest paid photo journalists in the world? He posits a simple answer - because we are a celebrity obsessed society and crave every news tidbit and photo of celebrities. Further, he notes that while we condemn paparazzi we stand in line to buy copies of People Magazine or The National Enquirer (think of the magazine copies sold containing beach photos of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie).

Whether we can't wait for a glimpse of the latest intimate photo or detest paparazzi so much that we wouldn't add a penny to their wallets, Mr. Howe has created an interesting study of their work. He's a former picture editor for the New York Times Magazine and director of photography for Life. In 173 folio size pages Mr. Howe treats his subject objectively and with amazing thoroughness.

We learn of the paparazzi's early days (it was much easier in the 1950s when young Italians first discovered they could brings in some extra lira by selling photos of vacationing celebs to newspapers and magazines.) Money has always been the paparazzi's prime interest - they pursue those whose photos will fetch the highest price, and they'll do anything to accomplish this. Perhaps the most far-out example of their no-holds-barred attiude is photographer Phil Ramey who hired a submarine to get shots of Princess Diana on a Caribbean island.

Most paparazzi are male and, frankly, not a particularly likable lot as they don't seem to care what anyone thinks of them and are extremely driven. We're reminded that paparazzo Ron Galella wore a football helmet to try to catch snaps of Marlon Brando after an early encounter with the actor put Galella in the hospital minus five teeth. For the paparazzi life isn't all hiding in bushes as Ben Affleck led one on a 120 mph chase.

The other side of the coin is that A-List celebrities need to have their photos in print or they'll soon be C-Listers. Perhaps Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick have the best idea of all - they allow the paparazzi limited access which significantly diminishes intrusiveness.

Whatever the case, it seems that paparazzi are here to stay (not at all discouraged by the 15 packets of ketchup Brad Pitt frosted a cheeseburger with before tossing it at a photographer). In addition to interviews with many of the featured photographers "Paparazzi" holds over 200 photos, from Frank Sinatra to Charlize Theron.

Peter Howe has done a terrific job at explaining who the paparazzi are, what compels them (think $$$) and why we're compelled to look at their work (think celebrity driven culture). His commentary is insightful and his interviews with the paparazzi are lively and revealing. Howe, an experienced photo editor, has chosen a wonderful collection of pictures. My own favorite: a National Enquirer shot of a bleary eyed Harrison Ford during a bar binge with partying fans.

This is a useful compendium of some great shots from Vogue's past. It brings you from the early days, through the "royal" period (gag!) into the 90s. Those who are into art and fashion photography will find the portraits interesting, and the history of the magazine itself is evident in the accopmanying narrative.

Worth the few dollars you'll spend on it.

Muy buena selección fotográfica en una secuencia bien escogida de las principales figuras del siglo XX. Muy recomendable.

If you love celebrities and you want to have brief articles about their lives, you should have this book. A great book full of amazing pictures.

A beautiful 145 page volume with every page filled with full color pictures. You'll enjoy this walk down memory lane. From Woody Allen, John Belushi and David Copperfield, to Shania Twain, Robin Williams and Oprah Winfrey. Unbeatable pictures. Main topics include: "See How They've Grown," "A Star is Born," "The State of Our Unions," and "Mortal Shocks." You'll love this book !

What an outstanding piece of artwork! The text and the photographs blend beautifully to give the reader a wonderful behind the doors look at some of Washington's most captivating homes and their residents. This book is a must for a holiday gift for those who love architecture, Washington, Washington people, decorating, history, or those who just love a good book! Congratulations Jan Cigliano and Walter Smalling!

Lavishly illustrated, this coffee table sized book is nicely structured by architectural eras from Federalist to Modern. Twenty-six homes are featured, mostly of private residents with a few museum-types.

My only complaints were a lack of exterior pictures. Since the book was organized by architectural eras, it left something to be desired that some of them just had interior shots. Also the captioning was a bit bizarre--pointing out objects of interest that were not in the picture and sometimes the wrong caps with the wrong picture.

Overall though, the book is a treat. I particularly liked some of the modern interior design done in older homes. The photography is magnificent. An excellent wish book!
-sweetmolly-Amazon.com Reviewer

you have to admit, ricky's camera has captured specific moments in time when new york was for the most part, very raw and exciting. from snaps on the sneak tip on Ave A. to flicks of method man hangin in the east vil, powell has produced another instant classic for all hip hop fans and other pop culture enthusiasts to enjoy.

Ricky Powell brings New York, both old and new, to life. On every page, faces and places come together reminding you of an era. "Public Access" is exactly what it says: access to Ricky's personal New York City. Enjoy the party.

When a news maker makes themself a special spot on page six daily by their actions...They are SCHMUCKS!

Jackie Mason, humorist, Comedian and winner for his one man Broadway show "The World According to Me", takes on this challenge of pointing out the "Schmucks" of the world in this abridged CD.

In someways, this seem like an updating of some of "World". He takes on such Schmucks like Bill & Hillary Clinton, Jews for Jesus, Madonna and France with his pointed humor. His wit is razor sharp and so are some of the points he takes on.

Does he make sense? More than you will know. This is more than comedy, it is a lesson in why people do stupid things. His viewpoints make for good listening

Jackie, all I hope is I am not on next year's list!

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

Jackie Mason and Raoul Felder combine comedy and common sense and mix it with a whole lotta chutzpeh to stick it to shmuck after filfthy schmuck. You can practically hear Mason's voice speaking from the pages, laying insult upon insult in joyous irreverance for the self-appointed schmucks in the world. Doesn't matter if you're dead or alive, if you're a shmuck, you can't even hide in the dirt. Rich schmucks, dead schmucks, globo-schmucks and even dumb shmucks from Yasser Arafat to Katie Couric get lambasted. From now on, whenever Al Sharpton's face pops up on your TV screen, you'll be shouting "praise the lard". At the end you'll wonder, "If these guys are all schmucks, what in the world does it take to become a putz?"

Susanna has always been obsessed with celebrities and all the gossip that goes along with them. She knows everything there is to know about all the A-List stars that roam the earth. Susanna's previous jobs have never been very glamorous, or anything even close to dealing with celebs. But it all changes when summer comes around and Susanna lands a spot at the hottest publication ever, Scene magazine.

The perfect job for the perfect person... right?

Sure, Susanna knows all there is to celebrities, but interacting with them and actually talking to them is a whole different ballpark. Besides, meeting someone famous can be pretty intimidating most of the time. Susanna's amateurism is shown when she gets the chance to ask Brad Pitt some questions, and doesn't even make it to the meeting on time. After that, Susanna's celebrity interactions takes on a snowball effect, becoming horrible one after the other.

Aside from getting coffee for her bossy boss, to making sure her outfits are cute enough, Susanna has to try her best to find the biggest scoop of the summer to show everyone that she can do anything they can do. Let's just hope she finds some good gossip quickly before she gets fired (even if she can't really get fired in an internship).

A novel that revolves around a girl who is determined, SUSANNA SEES STARS is one book that we can all appreciate. Both genuine and entertaining, Susanna takes her job one step at a time, making her the perfect heroine for those who aspire to have the same job as her. The perfect read for anyone -- and with a sequel coming soon.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

Susanna Barringer has landed that ultimate summer job: an internship at Scene, one of the hottest celeb gossip magazines. Her new employer is impressed with her intelligence, but that doesn't mean Susanna is in for anything more exciting than finding the exact shade of pollen yellow eye shadow for her boss, or perfecting the Starbucks run. Or will her sharp wits and fierce determination propel her to unimaginable heights?

Susanna Sees Stars is a whirl of excitement, name-dropping, and pure fun that will whisk readers away. Hogan keeps it real by giving Susanna distinct and personable qualities that ensure her character is a grounded one, and her smarts and crazy antics will ensnare readers while at the same time giving the plotline flair. This enjoyable, unpretentious, and substantial novel is a The Devil Wears Prada for the teenage set.

The book I have is published by Pavilion Books Limited, 1996.
The size is optimal for a photographic book, being some 250x350mm and giving ample area for the photos. Most photos use all of the page and some are spread over both faces of the opening.

There is a one page foreword by Mr. Geldof and the rest of the unnumbered pages are categorized; fashion, nudes, landscape, portraits the latter being almost half of the book and the three remaining categories dividing the other half in equal thirds.

Of the 22 nude work several are Swannell classics, and all of the work in this book are printed excellently. All the landscape photos are tinted brown.
This book certainly complements an older book by the same author; "Fine Lines", 1982 which like this one will stay in my reference library of fine photographic art.

Spectacular pictures, black and white or lightly tinted..wonderful loving understanding of the human form and truly magical landscapes as well. Juxtaposition of landscapes and humans enoble both and enrich the viewers. And the portraits capture so much more than the physical....pieces of soul linger on these pages.

I have not read the book, but I saw a lot of poems on a website.Lynn Nofziger includes a poem with virtually every column. They are much better than the Dreele poems that were in the National Review.

I more or less agree with his views (except I don't agree woith his analysis of George Bush's vice-presidential choices)

Nofziger is extremely well-informed, although others notsowellinformedmight think him leaning toward the "no-no"of conspiracy theories. (I think he does not lean enough. I also think he is not focused enough there on Clinton.) And of course, like everyone else, he has limitations and limited knowledge.

This can be compared toabook of political cartoons. It reminds you of all the controversies in the news.

That sort of thing is a really good book to have.

Unbridled Joy: The Verse of Joy Skilmer showcases veteran political strategist and commentator Lyn Nofziger's witty, soulful, humorous, candid, irreverent, biting, sardonic, verse that draws from his many years of first-hand observation as a political insider. Two Choices: Mayhap the press will wait in vain/For Bush to say, "I used cocaine."/But then again he may admit/"I used it just a little bit."/He finds it hard to hold his stand/When heckled by the media band./He says, "I will not play your game,"/But plays it with them just the same./He finds it hard as time goest by/To duck the truth but still not lie./He has two choices: One - to stall/And learn from Clinton to stonewall./Or, two, at last the truth to bare/And find that people just don't care./What e'er his choice he must decide/Before his hide's completely fried.

Once again, author Rutledge, spews his twisted views in rewriting history. Although a world-class liar himself, Rutledge should redirect his talent to where it is most suitable--the kitty litter box! Just kidding. The book was delightful as expected and should be on everyone's short list of what to buy now.

Prefabrications previously heard on "You Bet Your Life" Author going to B&N in Cambodia first; compares to Lie Down in Darkness", lite side