Rating: 
Summary: Women
Review: It is inspirational to see such an eclectic montage of women under one cover and makes me realize that we can be anything! Annie Leibovitz is phenomenal! She has a way of uncovering the soul. I'm buying one for all the important women in my life!
Rating: 
Summary: "WOMEN" is Challenging, Purposeful
Review: I'd give Leibovitz four stars for the sole reason that she tackled "WOMEN" as a concept.How does one portray "WOMEN" completely? It's as daunting and impossible as stating that one can portray "ETERNITY" or "LIFE" or "TRUTH" in their fullest senses. There are those that have argued that Leibovitz's book gives preferential treatment to some subjects, while demeaning or diminishing others. For example, the photos of famous women are often glossy, flattering, and classically "pretty," while the photos of non-famous women are more often stark, harsh, and jolting to the senses. I do not disagree. What comes into question, however, is our definition of beauty. Society tells us that Drew Barrymore sprawled on the ground is beautiful. A group of coal-blackened female miners is not. That's society talking, not Annie Leibovitz - and certainly not the individual reader/viewer. Instead, I choose to think that what Leibovitz was trying to do with "WOMEN" was to challenge these stereotypes and expectations. On every page, she attempts to portray the essence of the women she is photographing. For a Hollywood actress, that may very well mean a glamorous, "pretty" setting. For Helene Grimaud, it's a piano. For Wendy Suzuki, it's a scientific laboratory, and for Lenda Murray, it's a Ms. Olympia costume. Instead of labeling and sorting these images, (as society is often apt to do), Leibovitz presents them one after another in a colossal photographic accomplishment she calls "WOMEN." No, she doesn't manage to express the concept completely. I doubt if anyone could. But she does manage to challenge, enlighten, and empower her readers/viewers with her portrayal of the diverse women she selected to photograph. For me, that in itself is beautiful.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful pictures of beautiful women
Review: When I frist looked at this book, I didn't realize the photograph's were taken in black and white. The photograph's are so touching that I saw them in color! I love the way Annie Leibovitz captured the sould of the women she photographed. It is so nice to look at photo's of women that were not intended to sell them as sex objects, but are there to be recognized for their inner strength and individuality.
Rating:
Summary: Meaningful and Thoughtful
Review: I found this book meaningful for women of a certain age such as myself who have come through, and survived the struggle of self indentity. Thoughtful of the growing freemdom to know ourselves and rejoice in our uniqueness. The essay by Susan Sontag and the collaborative photographs by Annie Leibovitz celebrate the wonders and evolving nature of womanhood.A primer for women of all ages.
Rating: 
Summary: Freak Show To Sell The Book
Review: This review does not cover the text, which is Susan Sontag's contribution. I was expecting much more with this book, especially considering Annie Leibovitz's reputation as a photographer. I'm most annoyed that Annie Leibovitz chose a disproportionate number of subjects who are freaks in their appearance. To me it seems she decided that she would not be able to make a more representative sample of women visually interesting enough to sell her book, so she chose to rely upon freakish appearances as a crutch. I would have preferred she try a little harder and create the masterful images that I was expecting. Some of the many images in this book are good, and a few images are excellent, but quite a few are amateurish. For example, the photo of Barbara Bush could have been an excellent portrait had it not been for the distracting ring flash reflections in her eyes. They just ruin that photo. If you enjoy looking at freaks, you may enjoy this book, but there are better books of freaks. If you are looking for a book that has masterful photographic images, you will be disappointed for wasting so much money. If you are looking for portraits of a representative sampling of women, you will mostly be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Very unimpressed.
Review: I'm always shocked by the blatant one dimensionality of Leibovitz's work, especially given the large amount of praise heaped upon her. "Women" is no different. Rather than being solely presented with shot after shot of vacant glamour and glitzy dullness we're given a good bit of that mixed in with a good bit of truly degrading (read: vapid, empty and unchallenging) images of the "average woman". There is nothing engaging about this work. It is difficult for me to believe these (non-celebrity) women exist outside of Leibovitz's photos, and given her portrayal of them, if they do exist, Leibovitz holds them in very low regard...
Rating:
Summary: I'd love to meet you Annie Leibovitz....
Review: I told my husband he could buy me "Women" for Christmas, but I couldn't wait. I ordered "Women" AND Annie's "Photographs" book and secretly tore off the wrapping, snuggled up alone in my house and enjoyed. I found myself staring at the pages - not even willing to blink. There is however, one thing TOTALLY missing in Annie's book - and that's a picture of her. I carefully look at all of Annie's beautiful photographs and I want to see HER picture, see if I can figure out by looking in HER face the brilliance - discover some clue to the unique way she thinks. Maybe somewhere in a picture of her face I could start to figure out how she performs the miracles she does. The book is refreshing, liberating and a treasure to me. What is in that mind of yours Annie Leibovitz? You are outstanding. Your book and its photographs are a precious gift to me -
Rating:
Summary: The Glamorous Celebrity, The Stereotyped Every(wo)man
Review: The problem with Annie Liebovitz is the lack of depth in her imagery. Her work in Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair has always been about glamorizing famous people, setting them in very clever situations and posing them in a way that distills some exterior interpretation of their persona. This book mixes such celebrity images with "earnest" images of the non-celebrity--ordinary women doing various chores, working in blue collar jobs, etc. But, in this book, the latter are depicted with a patronizing gaze, as if these women, who are not given the same glamorous sheen as the fashion model or movie star, are not in themselves people but social types. The toiling garment worker is depicted as such, rather than as an individual whose personality is worthy of investigation. But then again, perhaps, if I were a subject of Ms. Liebovitz, I think I would rather be left in a state of anonymity rather than being made a human cartoon. Are we to celebrate women in this manner? As photographic 'one-liners?'
Rating:
Summary: The Glamorous Celebrity, The Stereotyped Every(wo)man
Review: The problem with Annie Liebowitz is the lack of depth in her imagery. Her work in Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair has always been about glamorizing famous people, setting them in very clever situations and posing them in a way that distills some exterior interpretation of their persona. This book mixes such celebrity images with "earnest" images of the non-celebrity--ordinary women doing various chores, working in blue collar jobs, etc. But, in this book, the latter are depicted with a patronizing gaze, as if these women, who are not given the same glamorous sheen as the fashion model or movie star, are not in themselves people but social types. The toiling garment worker is depicted as such, rather than as an individual whose personality is worthy of investigation. But then again, perhaps, if I were a subject of Ms. Liebowitz, I think I would rather be left in a state of anonymity rather than being made a human cartoon. Are we to celebrate women in this manner? As photographic 'one-liners?'
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful photographic celebration of women
Review: A hefty coffee-table book. The book is worth every cent! Quality paper, binding. Annie has put together a group of images from her vast career into a classic photo essay celebrating women.
| 
