Sean Penn Books

This book really captures the spirit and essence of what is the Penn State Blue Band. I've marched in the band for 3 seasons and have, at times, tried to describe the exhiliration of the pregame show, or the dedication and pride I felt when I donned the uniform. This book does that perfectly. As years pass, and my memories fade of my experiences in The Blue Band, I will have this book to call upon, and help relive some of thos moments.

A fascinating and easy to read history of the Penn State Blue Band. There are some truly amazing photographs. I highly recommend this book!

There is no faulting this film, but the version offered here is the full-frame version. Significant percentage of the picture has been cropped to achieve an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. This is a shame, as The Thin Red Line has some of the most stunning cinematography of any film I have seen.

The last great Thompson work that I have read which I hadn't bought because it's a bit expensive, but worth it in my opinion.

Fear and Loathing, the Rum Diaries and Curse of lono... no more good Thompson to read.

excellent book. i was completely new to his writing beefore reading this gem. crazy bleep* guy! his work seems to be more of a writers' journaling than serious novel-stuff. a travel-blog; if you will.. i haven't gotten into many of his other works yet plan to, eventually. even a holy-roller could come out freshpresssed and standing tall after one of his tales. good stuff, though. very good stuff. if you were one of those, 'say no to drugs' individuals then a lot of this might come off as tumultuous and confusing and weird and odd and, basically, not ur cup of tea.. take care and rest that crazy mans' soul. cheers.

WHile I was aware that this book was illustrated, I was not aware of the fact that it is huge! I thought it would be an illustrated, regular novel-size book. Instead it's about A3 size, and very heavy.. The pictures are great and all but if I had been aware of the size of this book I probably wouldn't have purchased it.

The Curse of Lono is classic Hunter S. Thompson. Steadman's illustrations bring the twisted story to life in this beautiful coffee table book. A must have for any diehard fan of Gonzo!

This books is probably the least well-known of HST's books. But it was a very pleasant surprise upon reading it. It is classic Thompson, self-destructive, paranoid, and hilarious. If you take his word for it, you might never visit Hawaii yourself!

Searching for a book on fables / folktales and was delighted when I came across this book. Although illustrated and retold by adults with disabilities, I think this is a great book to encourage and empower students of all backgrounds, special needs or ELL. I especially like the section of "What This Story Means to Me" after each fable.

This book was recommended through a school reading program that I volunteer for and it is truly an amazing book. It is uplifting for children and adults due to the morals of the stories and the illustrators' biographies.

This is a charming and unque book. The artists' stories provide a nice counterpoint to the fables. Having not read Aesop's fables since I ws a child, I was amazed how insightful and apropos they remain. This book would make a nice inspirational gift.

Like Dylan himself, this book will not suit all tastes. It is very revealing in some ways - the recording of "Oh Mercy" for instance - but frustratingly light in other areas - what happened in his motorcycle accident? how did he injure his hand? what about his wives and children? Dylans offers impressions and snapshots on his life - this is not a conventional biography of dates and names - nevertheless it is deeply revealing and even if the door is only left slightly ajar this is a privilege for Dylan fans.

The description "a gift to his fans" is appropriate. As usual, Dylan gives us more than we bargained for because he takes as much as he gives and teaches us a lesson we didn't know we needed to learn. In short, Dylan has chosen to recount various episodes from his life that illustrate that when he said he was "just a song and dance man" and not the "spokesman for his generation" which other people laid on him, he always meant it. The chapter where he expresses the feeling of being trapped in his own reputation - and house - is a living contemporary nightmare many other great and popular artists will relate to. Not coincidentally, it's followed by one of the worst-written sections of the book where he hammers home his loss of inspiration and confused direction with a plethora of strained metaphors. Most importantly, throughout the book, Dylan sticks to what has been important him, and therefore gives his appreciators old and new a unique insight. Combined with his Radio Hour shows, Napolean in Rags couldn't have given us a better gift. He doesn't bother to deny his greatness - how could he, with a legacy of songs and performances like that? - but he drags it back to the reality of a man just doing the best he can, on his own terms. If there's ever a Chronicles 2, I'm definitely going to get me a copy. Or maybe he'll go straight to Vol. 3, Travelling Wilburys style, just to remind us that we're never going to get the full story. True artists always leave a little mystery and room for conjecture.

I am a member of a book club and someone chose this book as our inagural offering. I was unfamiliar with Bob Dylan and saw this as perhaps an opportunity to learn more about his life. After reading this book, I've come to the distinct conclusion that not only do I not know more about his life, I'm not entirely certain Mr. Dylan does either. There is no plot, no sequence of thought - just mind-numbing rambling which leads to nothing. It's almost as if his mind vomitted words and they somehow congealed into a published book. My sincerest wish is that "Volume Two" would not be foisted upon an unsuspecting world. If only it were possible to give it less than 1 star......

I suppose it shouldn't be surprising that Bob Dylan's autobiography is all over the place. Chronologically, thematically, stylistically, it jumps from places to place, scene to scene, tangent to tangent. That, and the brilliance of Dylan's writing, is its greatest strength. While other biographers could have written a more competent and traditional portrait of Bob Dylan the historic figure, this book gives us a peak into Dylan's head like no other could.

Yes, it's frustrating. At times Dylan comes across as overly self-conscious, at others defensive. And overall the book is fairly assumptive--readers who know nothing about Dylan will be at a loss in certain parts. He recalls ridiculous minutiae from seemingly unimportant days (the weather, a guy across the street in a yellow jacket, a car driving by playing a Paula Abdul song), but what we're left with is an impressionistic painting of Dylan's mind. The book is more a biography of his intellectual development and artistic inspiration than a re-telling of his life. He addresses his fame and the difficulty of maintaining his privacy. He covers his relationships with certain other musicians and producers. And, most interestingly, he gives his take on his role in the counterculture movement. He states that he never was, never claimed to be, and never wanted to be the voice of a generation, and his resentment toward those who felt betrayed by him comes through clearly.

CHRONICLES is not the story of Bob Dylan's life. If you're looking for a book about his career and the impact he had on popular music, this is not it. Rather, it is everything that a typical biography of him would not include. And for all its structural idiosyncrasies, it includes some wonderfully poetic lines. One might say it is vintage Bob Dylan.

I very much enjoyed this reading by Sean Penn of Dylan's book. It is very easy to listen to, and doesnt sound contrived or artificial, conveys the stream-of-consciousness recollections Dylan is recounting quite well. The story is interesting in its nonlinear flow and in what seemingly trivial things strike Dylan as significant. I enjoyed his reminiscences of Tiny Tim, Moondog, and Dave van Ronk. A nice recounting of that bygone era.

This is an interesting book. Anyone who is interested in an alternative to the right wing talk radio and tv news should seriously consider checking out the Thom Hartmann radio show opposite Rush Limbaugh weekdays at: thomhartmann dot com / showlisten.shtml

Whether democrat, republican, or indepedent, so many of the facts out there are completely ignored by the mainstream media and talk shows. This show is one strong example of an examination of the facts regardless of your political affiliation. I am not affiliated with the show in any way, just struck by the facts so many seem to ignore.

To put this review in context, I have read a number of books covering the lead up to the latest war in Iraq so my expectation level continues to increase in regards to the quality and completeness of any book on the topic. I thought this book was either going to offer a critique of the news media and their reporting, the propaganda, for lack of a better term, that was put out by the Bush team or even interesting facts about the current Iraq. Well, the authors tried to touch on all these topics, but did so is such a slap dash method that it left me wanting more in every regard. First off the book, like many of its kind, has a very anti war bias. That is about what you would expect from this area of literature, but it is always nice if the authors can reign in their comments to present a book that can a least have passing reference to fairness. These authors did no such thing and at times I felt they were actually egging on the anti war sentiment and playing up the whole Iraq sanctions horrors play book. Again there is nothing wrong with this, but it makes the book appeal to only the truly hard core anti war or anti Bush reader.

Back to the substance of the book and as stated earlier it was just that the authors either did not have the time or the patience to truly develop any of the themes they were talking about. They presented chapters with the broad overview, but left the reader wanting more. Given the very obvious bias to the book, I would have thought they would have at lest spent the time to fully develop or at least bog the critic down with page after page of facts. They did not. To cap it off they tossed n a speech of President Bush with rolling commentary. A great idea, but the execution was paltry at best. They relied on inflammatory statements instead of detailed factual rebuttals. In the end their comments on the speech were no better then the speech itself.

Overall I came away from the book thinking it was nothing more then a quickly put out money grab. There were some interesting details on what life is like in Iraq and a review of UN Security Counsel resolutions, but not enough. I would suggest you continue searching if you are looking for a well researched and formulated anti war book. On the other had if you have your mind made up and just want to read a book that will agree with your position then this book is a nice time killer.

a book you can read in one sitting, and get all that sickness out of your system. solomon is a fantastic writer and what he has to tell you should be told to everyone. read and re-read this book, then read War Made Easy and help turn our country around!

I initially read this informative, hard-hitting book shortly before America and its "coalition of the willing" invaded Iraq. I have since re-read it, a good exercise to test the validity of the warnings and conditional predictions raised by authors Norman Solomon and Reese Erlich.

As an integrity test this book rings even truer with the passage of time and onrush of events than when it was first published shortly prior to the invasion of Iraq. The authors adroitly cite the rush to war and the falsehoods asserted by Bush and minions, focusing on the "weapons of mass destruction" charge. The authors hit very hard the American contention that the inspections carried out by UN forces were not working, taking the same position as former UN inspector Scott Ritter.

The chapter dealing with Depleted Uranium alone is worth the price of the book. The authors cite the dangers of an eventual epidemic breaking out among invading forces and the general populace, classifying Depleted Uranium as "America's Dirty Secret." As the authors state, "Depleted uranium is the material left over from the processing of nuclear fuel. The U.S. military uses DU as a substitute for lead to fill the core of special ammunition. Depleted Uranium is 1.7 times denser than lead ... "

In addition to stressing the potential risk to Iraqi civilians resulting from Depleted Uranium, along with citing the deferential treatment from the media concerning invasion plans, as well as showcasing American unilateralism, the authors also cover the important oil issue.

All you had to do was read this book before the war and you would not be one scintilla surprised over the kind and beneficent manner with which Bush and cronies dealt with Dick Cheney's former company, Halliburton, which received such a glorious windfall in post-war Iraq, all without having to go through the bother of competitive bidding.

Well, Solomon may have finally written a book that isn't obviously a steamer. Compared to his book deconstructing Dilbert and weightily concluding that Dilbert represents a betrayal of the interests of the working classes, or any of his other pomposity-laden blather, this book has a cognizable argument. Of course, maybe a hundred or more other authors make the argument far more cogently. But give Solomon his due, he correctly observes that not all of the reporting on Iraq or White House explanations of the rationales for invading Iraq are entirely factually correct. But then again, it's pointing out the obvious, everyone pretty much acknowledges it, and Solomon's heavy-handed heavy-breathing style of writing and analysis pretty much consigned this book to the remainder bin as of the date of publication.

Great Book with women as they should be seen. But you've got to be mature enogh to appreciate it and for the guys looking for cheap porn and not art recommend you just skip this! But if you want to see women without makeup or any fancy hair style this is a definite recommendation to add your collection.

I LOVE THE BOOK... IT IS A COMBINATION OF GREAT ART AND ENTERTAINMENT!

I like this book alot, I love b&w pics, I feel that the ladies are not being completely natural for as soon as they open their eyes they see someone with a camera. Great pics though.

The concept of this book was to shoot candid photographs of women doing their normal activities in the morning, following on the successful book done with men in the morning. The purpose was to get the real person behind the polished facade of the famous. Ms. Vial wanted to see "raw, real, natural . . . no makeup, no posing, I wanted their souls." Each photograph was done without additional lighting and was based on a few candid rolls. The book notes the time when the photograph was taken in most cases. Most are from 7 to 10 a.m. The images catch the subjects in bed (alone, and with pets, a mom, children, and men), bathing, showering, with kids, wearing robes, wearing no robes, dressing, exercising, smoking (too many of these), brushing their teeth, drying their hair, putting on make up, having coffee, meditating, making breakfast, eating breakfast, and even working. The concept works best for those who are still half conked-out while they are being photographed, and those who are not professional models. The bright-eyed professional models look just as great as they would on any fashion shoot. It's testimony to their talent for posing without direction. The book contains lots of notes about the subjects, both written in calligraphy and in printed captions at the end of the book. The book would have been a lot better with much more editing. Many of the images add little, other than to make the people look bad. Some of these women looked like they were coming off an all-night drunk or a drug-based party.

The images here would often earn the book an R rating if it were a motion picture. There is total nudity in some cases, but of the modest sort.

A major drawback to doing candid shots in available light is that many of the images end up looking like semi mug shots, because the light was so poor. I feel that more of these should have been eliminated.

The brief foreword by Sean Penn didn't do anything for me. I suggest you skip it.

One of the touching photographs in the collection is of Demi Moore in bed with her dying mother.

Other touching images include mothers playing with their children, pregnant woman struggling with their temporary girth, and women with their pets.

Despite the limitations of the book, I liked many of the photographs either because they did give a window on the soul or because the woman was just so beautiful or interesting that she overcame the circumstances of the photography.

Here are my favorites: Reese Witherspoon; Helena Christensen; Uschi Obermaier; Julia Stiles; Laetitia Casta (7:17 a.m. and under water); Ingrid Seynhaere; Emily Watson; Mia Kirshner (2); Sophis and Tess Medina; Charlotte Flossant; Amanda De Cadenet; Emma Thompson (2nd one); Dyan Cannon; Frederique van der Wal (2); Diane Warren; Eileen Ryan Penn; Debbie Morgan; Sofia Coppola; Sigourney Weaver (2); Joely Fisher; Lisa Marie; Lumi Cavazos; Angie Everhart; Cheryl Tiegs (2); Gina Gershon; Lois Chiles; Jennifer Beals; and Emmanuelle Sallet.

After you finish enjoying this book, I suggest that you do your own version of this photography with the people in your family. Get them at various times in the day when they are at their most open. It will make a wonderful scrapbook!

Find the natural person behind the prepared mask and response, . . . and cherish them!

I normally don't like to write these reviews, I feel art and music are such subjective experiences, you really need to check it out for yourself. But I had to say that this was a very beautiful book. Its an intimate view into a world, most of us men rarely get to be a part of, especially living in such a fast paced world. Veronique Vial captures these passing moments, tip toeing her way through the homes of some well known and before-they-were-famous woman. All the more reason to appreciate this book. Being a photographer, I can also appreciate the clean straight forward layout, that really shows off her great work. Her previous Men Before Ten am, I found too dark and over designed. Its hard to compare the two, because of the subject, but the printing on Women is superior and it has brighter and livelier feel. Her photographs really capture the moment, which is what great photography is all about.

I would compare her to the likes of the great Magnum photographers like, Bresson, Bruce Davidson, Elliot Erwitt. Her ability to capture the "life" in her subjects and "the moment" shows through in these photographs and her other work (see O Cirque du Soleil).

I gave five of these as gifts to woman friends and they loved and enjoyed this book, seeing themselves captured in these beautiful moments.

I just don't see Sean Penn as important, as brilliant or as accomplished, as he, the author and his 'colleagues' would want us to believe. But then again, he and his also well known history rewriting friends and I don't travel in the same conspiracy-theorist circles. I find his later decisions to 'not act' at certain points in his half-life-carrer as some of his most notable performances since such a big biography warranting deal is made of these profound Zen-like decisions. Had he waited until the other half of his life had played there just might be something to hold my interest and possibly allow for a twist with a surprise ending. There have been several notable performances during his 'brilliant' career but, overall, just because your lib club friends gush all over you doesn't a 'brilliant', 'accomplished' (non)actor make. I'm glad the book was formated chronologically offering me the oft-preferred (though sadly not taken) option to skip the chaff. Maybe, when Mr. Penn is in his 70's or 80's, a Part II covering the second half of his life will offer up some reason for the printing of both parts 1 and 2, but only then...maybe.

Sean Penn: His Life And Times - The Authorized Biography by journalist Richard T. Kelly is a fascinating biographical survey and "window" into the career and personal life of the accomplished actor and director Sean Penn. Exclusively documented and informatively written, Sean Penn: His Life And Times explores many interesting intricacies of the friendships, career moves, family and landmarks of Sean Penn's life, including interviews from his colleagues and friends Jack Nicholson, Dennis Hopper, Woody Allen, Susan Sarandon, Bono, Christopher Walken, Angelica Huston, and many more recognized and praised individuals. Very highly recommended reading for all Sean Penn fans, as well as Hollywood film buffs interested in behind-the-scenes realities of the Hollywood film industry. Sean Penn.

Reminiscent of the classic HEAR ME TALKIN' TO YOU by Nat Hentoff in which musicians themselves talk about their music, this is more about a single subject - SEAN PENN - and less about the craft of acting. To that extent it tends towards the hagiography but interspersed is much interesting insights into acting, the film making process, and 20th century history in the USA from the perspective of some very interesting characters not least of whom include the subject's father LEO PENN and mother EILEEN RYAN PENN both vital, fascinating, and vivid individuals. Quite a good read especially if you are a fan of PENN's films eg, THE FALCON AND THE SNOWMAN, MYSTIC RIVER and 21GRAMS

Having seen Sean Penn up close in Sam Shepard's The LATE HENRY MOSS, having flown up from San Diego, first-row, watching him and Nolte battle one another, was for me a once-in-a-lifetime experience that started, like the book, in the beginning: Taps, 'Fast Times,' 'Bad Boys'...this book is one long rambling conversation about the art of acting, the art of Penn, and all the details of his life. Integrity is a word that reappears and could be applied to choices this great actor has made, even by going to Iraq to see what was going on over there! We should all be curious enough to question. This is a book about stories, about what movies could have been made, should have been made, about paths crossing, told straight and sober. This is an actor who is getting better and better, more honest, organic, raw even. Just wait 'til 'Richard Nixon' comes your way, let alone the masterful last year's 'Mystic.' If you love this actor, love his performances (my brother's favorite is Kleinfeld in 'Carlito's,' mine: ALL, ok, I thought 'Hurlyburly' is as good as it gets to becoming scarily real). Get this book. If you love acting, and the stories of projects put together, riding on that integrity, staying close to what you believe in, this book on Penn is definitive, told by those real close, told by those who talk now by the great actor whose lineage is from the great ones (the great one who recently passed: Brando). I love this book.

Sean Penn seems frightfully young to have his biography in print, however, in terms of career, he is an old Hollywood hand, the proof -- is rather well documented by his contemporaries..Penn has been schlepping in showbiz for decades, with an eclectic/eccentric body of work, he started early and with certain purpose..And acting is overwhelmingly in his genes, his mother Eileen Ryan Penn was once a noteworthy stage queen, is in fact regarded in select theatrical circles as the quintessential Blanche Dubois, over and above even Vivien Leigh..Penn's father Leo was a tireless, trouble-shooting Hollywood television series director, known for the 60's hospital episodics like "Ben Casey," and "Doctor Kildare"..And Leo was the victim of an unfounded HUAC blacklist, that froze his career like a nuclear winter, having once been peripherally named as a Pinko sympathizer by a "friend"..In actuality, Leo was a decorated veteran, a tailgunner, having flown three dozen successful bomber missions during WWII..Ironic?..Most people don't know Eileen was both Irish, and Italian, and Leo was a non-practicing Russian Jew..You began to appreciate why Sean is naturally versatile..And Sean grew up in a Hollywood/Malibu household that supported the brothers in all their endeavors and passions, but don't wrongfully assume Sean was the benefactor of orchestrated nepotism, as Leo's kid..Sean studied his craft for years behind his parent's back, toiling in LA workshops, and relocated to a cockroach infested flat in New York to more seriously refine his skills..When strapped for cash, Penn camped out with other starving actors, slept on their couches for months on end, on both coasts, and in time made positive noise accepting showy parts in off-Broadway plays, relentlessly on the prowl for agency representation, that inched along like a North Sea iceberg..No joke, Sean was spurned by every major talent agency in the country at one juncture or another..In fact, when Penn's parents first saw him act, they asked themselves, does Sean realize he is so awful, yet, no doubt unafraid?..Obviously, Sean evolved into a dedicated method actor..And his coharts generously toss the words loyalty and integrity around to define his character..This biography is a series of interviews, an oral history by both Sean Penn and the many actors he's worked with over the years (ala Christopher Walken, Elizabeth McGovern)..You won't want to put this book down for an instant..It's a marvelous recap how Sean Penn made the grade from obscure "bad boy" actor to A-list bankable star, despite a disruptive detour with Madonna and Johnny Law..And a penetrating insight into how the "Hurly Burly" Hollywood system operates..Read it!

I enjoyed this movie very much a guy name Jamie Kennedy that is known as B-Rad as Brad been acting like he is a gangsta... not a bad movie... most of the parts I laughed but it worth my time enjoy watching comedy movies like this one... also I know an actor who played small part in this movie his name was Terry Crews known as 8 Ball he played in White Chicks

When young B-Rad's dad, a local politician is trying to boost his career the last thing he wants is his son, wannabe rapper B-Rad showing up and ruining his pep rally with his rap lyrics and funky friends. When B-Rad's antics nearly cost him the election, a close advisor suggests staging a fake kidnap to scare him into embracing his own culture. He hires two black actors (humorously portrayed by Anthony Anderson and Taye Diggs)who pose as thugs and kidnap B-Rad with unexpected consequences.

This was a really funny film. I thought Jamie Kennedy did an excellent job with his portrayal of young Brad, and I thought the scenes with the Psychiatrist and the Korean store clerks were funny. 4 stars!

This comity is just as funny on the small screen as on the movie screen. I would recommend it to a friend.

This is a great movie to, watch, lots of hilarious scenes as well. Dont forget the directors commentary as well.

The movie is on double sided DVD so u have to be extra careful when handling.

Ok, I must admit, this definitely isn't a brain teaser and it's not even anything you remotely have to think about to get.

I bought this DVD for my son along with a few others that he wanted for his birthday and I couldn't believe I was actually cracking up laughing at this movie. It's very funny! It's one of those movies you roll your eyes at and only watch because your child wants you to watch with them and then you find yourself starting to enjoy it yourself and you look at each other and laugh.

This movie is a lot of fun and has great comedic value. You might even catch yourself sayin' Wazzzup...after it's over. lol I'm glad it was a movie my family could share and one we all could enjoy.

Very funny--yet warm--film, despite some negative critic reviews (perhaps because it centers around Catholicism???). And great on-location scenery! If you like more subtle humor, and don't need pies in the face and crass jokes, give it a go. RD's facial expressions alone will crack you up! And, there are redeeming resolutions to all the comedy in the end--w/o any particular religion being force-fed to you. I just have to keep watching this one again and again.

I ordered the movie "we're no angels". When I could find no way to continue to buy it, I cancelled the transaction.....I thought. Your system saved my first order. I ended up with two copies. It made a nice Christmas present ,but I wish your system was better.

This is simply another film that I had seen years ago, a film that I wanted to add to my DVD collection that began not all that long ago.

This movie makes me think of how great things can be achieved out of lack of choice and desperation and how people imate things without understanding the reasons underneath those things.

This is a very funny movie that seems to get better the more you watch it. DeNero and Penn are great as two escaped convicts posing as priest to get accross the border into Canada. Try it you'll like it! Very funny with an excellent cast.