Rating: 
Summary: It Takes a Book
Review: The stars must have been aligned up just right near Christmas because I got whacked by the evil flu, stayed in bed the whole time, lost eight pounds, fell into a pathtic desuetude, slept and the only thing I could do to entertain myself was to read. Fortunately a good friend had sent American Rhapsody to me for Christmas. I don't know whether it was the hallucinations I was having or if it was raving Joe's manic descriptions of the cast of characters, but that book was one of the most wonderful pieces of literature I've seen in ages. Almost nobody survived the story telling, and if they did, then sure as hell they would be out to inflict themselves on America as soon as their wounds healed. No wonder the Gods keep themselves up on Mt Olympus all the time and deign to visit earth where the demons spook up their travel plans so often. The book is full of unbelievably funny vignettes, ideas, and statements, but the one that took the blue ribbon for me came from a weirdly tangential cameo appearance by Howard Stern in which he says that the closest he ever got to having sex with a black woman was jacking off to a picture of Aunt Jemima on the back of a pancake box. Shakespeare couldn't have said it better and if this bothers you then Al Gore's autobiography would be a good place for you to start learning pick-up lines. This book should be required reading for all starry-eyed political science majors and all future voters so they can see their hopes and dreams of a better America crash and burn before their eyes. It will just save them the suspense of figuring it out when they turn 50, and they won't have to listen to those drooling, overpaid dickwad newscasters in the meantime. If there is a party in heaven, the table I want to sit at is the one where de Tocqueville and Ezsterhas compare notes.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Was A Surprise
Review: I find it hard to believe that this book was not a best seller. It is one of the most humerous books that I have read in years. Eszterhas informs the reader of a whole load of heretofore unknown information (to me in any case) regarding the players on the stage primarily during the Clinton years plus some Johnson, Regan, Carter and Ford stuff. Most of what he claims to be fact is probably fact; otherwise he is open to a whole lot of libel and slander suits. If you can live with some vulgarity, this book is great read for a humerous and irreverent look of why we are where we are today.
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Summary: Willard Comes Clean
Review: The last chapter is actually written from the point of view of Bill Clinton's penis. What an awful book! I couldn't put it down.
Rating: 
Summary: National Enquirer Meets The Washington Post!
Review: Living in the Washington, D.C. Metro area, I venture to imagine that we are inundated with Washington's news even moreso than the rest of the country. I imagine that the rest of the country is just as tired of it as are we.And then came Eszterhas. With chapter after chapter of useless information, cynical quip and satirical prose, American Rhapsody is guaranteed to tickle the funny bone of anyone who enjoys laughing at ourselves or better yet, laughing at those who present themselves as above reproach. I will never be able to look at Farrah Fawcett again without envisioning the aging Charlie's Angel defecating on a lawn at a party. With an audience. Only in America would we have a ninety-six year old senator known as "The Sperminator". Does it delight you or does it enrage you that alone, Larry Flynt defeated if not defamed the Christian Coalition, the Moral Majority and the Republican Party? Does Eszterhas, when describing President Clinton as "jacking off all over the White House" mean literally, figuratively or metaphorically? No matter your party affiliation, sexual orientation or gender, if you enjoy tongue-in-cheek remarks, political trivia, Hollywood gossip and find humor in irony, you'll find American Rhapsody an entertaining read.
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Summary: Get ready to blow your mind...
Review: Excuse the pun. You'll see why when you read this book. Man, this book is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, no holds barred, in-your-face account with raw, intimate, superbly described and researched details of events that took place in and around Washington (and Hollywood) prior to, during and after MonicaGate. MonicaGate is the basis of this book, with snippets of the taped conversations between Tripp and Lewinsky at the beginning of each chapter. But Eszterhas has also given us his reflections on all the juicy, sordid goings-on in Hollywood & Washington as well as his "takes" on the "thoughts" of certain key figures involved in MonicaGate. Which made me wonder throughout the book: How can he get away with this? Naming everyone's name, giving such intimate and often seemy information of what these people have done and said, exposing everyone and their mamas for the hypocritical, judgemental, pious peons they are. If he gets away with it, it must mean it's true and a lot of it must be documented somewhere or else Eszterhas would be sued to death! I kept asking myself, "Is this true?!? This can't be true!" It's hard to believe the things that go on in front of and behind closed doors! Which makes me say, everyone should read this book just to find out the truth of what went on during some of the most embarrassing incidents in modern American history. In this book, Eszterhas has brilliantly connected and cross-referenced and revealed and exposed so many of the facts that it has your head reeling and keeps you wanting for more. My gluttonous (sp?) appetite for more insider's knowledge of what goes on in the upper echelon of power in Washington and Hollywood only whetted. Mr. Eszterhas, give us another one like this but with your assault rifles targeted on Hollywood. Now that would be delicious!
Rating: 
Summary: American Rhapsody
Review: Dear Reader's: This is the worst book I have ever read! It is pure trash and dosen't even rate a star. I read 8 chapters, hoping it would get better. I was not able to find any value or entertainment in the book. It is now in the trash can. I won't even give it away because of its poor content and substance.
Rating: 
Summary: Consider The Source & Keep An Open Mind
Review: Let me first state that I am not a fan of Joe Eszterhas by anymeans. I never really liked his movies... That being said, AmericanRhapsody was a very, very interesting book. As many of the otherreviews have stated, this is not a story told with compassion orunderstanding, even though the author would have you believe that hegenuinely feels for Bill Clinton and his anger comes more fromdisappointment at his behavior than a disagreement with his policies.I think the same can be said for most people. I think it is a verydeliberate move in this book that Eszterhas goes way too far beyondthe realm of decency... A lot of it is aimed at making the readeruncomfortable with its frankness and open sexuality. Even those whoconsider themselves pretty open minded will squirm at some of thepassages. It's just something that can't be verbalized or printedwithout seeming both ridiculous and insensitive. What saves thisbook is that it's hysterical. Eszterhas goes after EVERYONE,regardless of position, office, or level of fame. There are severaldozen passages where I was laughing so hard I had to pause to composemyself. The chapter about Warren Beatty alone is worth the cost ofthe book. I am not going to comment about what it means that suchtruly dishonorable material can be made so humorous. I'm sure a lotof it has to do with our inability to decide if we should laugh or getangry, but at the very least you have to admire the author's sheergall. It's what's kept his film career alive. The big disclaimerwith this book is that it is a fictional account. What's scary isthat you could very easily forget that it is and accept it as thetruth. With all the predisposed notions about Eszterhas, whatprompted me to read the book in the end was one comment I heard himmake in an interview regarding politics and the entertainment industrywhich, I almost hate to say, I agreed with completely. In the end, itis the general public who have the ultimate right to determine if apiece of entertainment is good or bad, not the politicians.
Rating: 
Summary: Through the looking glass
Review: Eszterhas doesn't have a nice word to say about anybody. But the reason people read this book is to get the dirt. However Mr. Eszterhas deliberately misleads people and twists the facts so adroitly that he makes the President of the United States seem like a mere dilletante. A point in fact: The Willie Horton ad was devised by the Al Gore campaign in an attempt to discredit Michael Dukakis. The Bush Campaign merely promoted an ad that was originated by the Gore campaign. Yet there is no mention of Al Gore's campaign involvement in the Willie Horton Ad in Eszterhas' book. This was not an oversight, this was deliberate concealment. By eliminating crucial factual information Eszterhas deliberately sought to mislead his readers. If Eszterhas can lie about the Willie Horton ad, he can lie about anything. About the only thing that seems credible is his version of the story about the famous shot of Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct. It takes a lot of time to get the lighting right and it generally takes several shots to get a take. Apparently Eszterhas was telling the truth about this and Sharon Stone was lying. There was no way she could have been tricked.
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Summary: I can't read this trash....where did I leave that book?
Review: This is the kind of 'trash' that those pretending to have an intellect wouldn't be caught dead reading on an airplane. I know its trash, how could a book about the Clinton Administration not be trash, but it's almost impossible to put it down. The author has written a stylistic nightmare that's more fun than peanutbutter. MS
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Summary: In pursuit of the real truth on Clinton and our time
Review: In 100 years this is the book students who want to understand not only Bill Clinton but the complex political psychologies of our time will turn to. This is because Eszterhas put into it all of his gifted energies, imagination, and penchant for getting the whole story. Most of all, he shares a most personal story: the development and use of social conscience by Vietnam protestors. I am struck most by Eszterhas's insights on the difficulties men of his political ilk (he puts himself in almost the same boat as Clinton) face in putting their powerful social consciences to use for their own personal as opposed to professional growth.
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