About book No Lifeguard On Duty: The Accidental Life Of The World's First Supermodel (2002)
I bought this book because I can’t stop watching Janice Dickinson’s show, “The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency,” on the Oxygen Channel. Also, I love stories about beautiful women. I read this book in less than 24-hours.From her deeply troubled her relationship with her parents (her father beat her and her pill-popping Mother and sexually abused her older sister), to her many problematic romantic relationships (she’s been married three times, and, it seems, slept with half the heterosexual men in the fashion and entertainment industries) to her early struggle to succeed as a model and her battles with drugs and alcohol, Dickinson’s life has been packed with drama.No Lifeguard on Duty charts her journey to the top (during a time when doors were slammed in her face, b/c she was “too exotic” as a brunette when models were blond and blue-eyed), and the problems she encountered both along the way and after she attained success. It’s fairly typical celeb-bio stuff. The thing that makes it interesting is Dickinson’s complete candor. It’s no wonder so many of the people she encounters seem so enchanted with her. She ignored Calvin Klein's comment, "models aren't supposed to think." She has no fear of speaking her mind. Her reflections on the past are littered with profanity, pointed observations about herself and others and even humor.Her ability to look back on her mistakes with fairly clear eyes lends her memoir a certain depth. While it’s not too deep, it still has many of the features of a typical Hollywood autobiography – name-dropping, detailed depictions of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. But at least you can tell that Dickinson really is trying to examine her life and change it for the better. And that is truly refreshing.
I already had a pretty substantial 'thing' for Janice Dickinson before picking this up (ANTM has never been the same without her); I love her take-no-prisoners attitude and wicked sense of humour, and think she'd be the ultimate best friend, and this book definitely did not disappoint.Starting with her appalling home life, through her getting the door slammed in her face early modelling days, right through to life at the top and the inevitable crash that comes with the party lifestyle, Janice is extremely candid about everything that has happened to her, the choices she's made and the people she's known. Packed with more than enough gossip to keep the most voracious smut-hound satisfied, Janice writes the way she speaks, raucously funny and loud (it seems odd to say that about someone's writing, but I could almost imagine her cackling next to me at some points of the book). Additionally, she is as brutally honest about herself as she is about the people around her which only left me admiring her even more.I see now that she's since written some other books, and I'll definitely be checking those out.
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I couldn't finish this book. After reading about the struggles she faced before becoming an "the worlds first supermodel" I felt for her. As soon as Janice finds fame however, the tone of the book changes drastically. I just couldn't like her. She pretends to be part Japanese so she can get a modelling job with a company, she drops the agency who brought her fame and saw her potential on a whim so she can gt more money on a job, and she name drops like mad ("Everyone was there. Biana, Warhol, Liza Minnelli. Richard Gere. Janice Dickinson..."). By the time she takes credit for Calvin Klein underwear ("Why don't you do a line of underwear? Just put your name on it. I bet it'll sell" and his eyes lit up, but he didn't say anything) I was done. I tried, I honestly did, but I just couldn't. Janice went from being a likable person who had overcome all of the people who put her down, only to become...well a bit of a bitch.
—Laila Nowell
So I happened upon this book at my local Dollar Tree store, and I am so happy I did. I love page turning gossipy name dropping books, filled with juicy details! This book definitely was that. I started it and finished in one full awake time period it was that good. Great short read. Starts out in the late 60's and the party starts wild and crazy and fast. I don't dare indulge more, I am not one for giving spoilers. If you like tabloid type gossipiness, with a bit more truth (I like to delude myself into thinking at least) and have ever felt a tenderness for Janice, or the late 60's-80's check this out!
—Sarah Martin
i don't know why, but i expected more from this book. i mean, i guess that i shouldn't have expected that much, but i wanted more! that said, there is a lot here. it's a kind of no-holds-barred look at janice's life. she doesn't hide things, though i have liked more of the decisions she's made to do things like plastic surgery, etc. than her sexual encounters with sylvester stallone. and more pictures! i wanted more pictures. it was a fun easy read. i realize now why she's so angry all the time. why she has a reason to be a bitch. i mean, she definitely has had a hard life. it was kind of refreshing to read about her history with drugs, alcohol and sex in such a frank and open manner.
—stephanie
