Rating: 
Summary: Five bucks says Gene's Lawyer had trump over his editor.
Review: The book goes on and on about how bad Peter and Ace are/were. Nary a bad word about Cher, Diana Ross, and Paul. Gene knows where his bread is buttered and the fact that I paid hard earned $$'s for it proves that point in fact. One reviewer said: Chaim Witz immigrates from Israel. Changes name to Gene Klein. Gets laid young. Changes name to Gene Simmons. Gets in bands. Chases skirt. (repeat 4,600 times!!) Starts KISS. Control freak. Doesn't drink/do drugs ever. Peter and Ace do. He marginalizes them. Peter fired. Ace quits. Replacements come and go. (God bless Eric Carr, though!) Reunion tour makes a large fortune for Gene and Paul. Reunion tour makes a small fortune for Peter and Ace. Peter gets fired again. Look for more KISS. THATS IT. The whole thing. Gene if full of himself, hyperbole and BS. For instance he talks about being friends with Black kids in Jr. High until Martin Luther King was killed. (Hello, YOU were in college when MLK was killed!!) Anyway... not great. If you're a big fan. Find a used copy. I'll have mine up on eBay. Mint condition. Read once.
Rating: 
Summary: What a Great Story!!!.........
Review: ..............captivating, honest, funny, and heart-warming all in one autobiography! Gene Simmons has written a must for all KISS fans and for anyone intrigued with the life of rock stars. The story begins with his modest childhood in Israel, where he was an only child being raised by his devoted mother. We are then taken through his early life in New York and we clearly see the influences that begin to shape Gene's life, the most compelling being his love and respect for his mother. The story continues and shows us how KISS is started, how they reach super-stardom and all the great times (lots of women, lots of money, Paul being like a brother) and big problems (mostly bad things to say about Peter and Ace) that they hit along the way. Throughout the story, Gene is honest about his passions, his fears, his ambitions, his frustrations, the revelations he experiences, his influences, his life philosophy and ultimately his dedication to his companion, Shannon Tweed and his utter devotion to his children. There are parts of the story that will make you cheer for him (when his hard work and business attitude pay off), then denounce him as an egomaniac (which he seems to be unabashedly aware of), cry with him (when he falls in love and when his children are born), and just laugh out loud at his honesty about how he has chosen to lead his life. Overall, a worthwhile and enjoyable read!
Rating: 
Summary: Idiot
Review: Don't you know that everyone likes Peter and Ace more than you? You schmuck, you!
Rating: 
Summary: It's all about fame - not rock 'n' roll
Review: From reading this book I get the impression that playing rock and roll never was Gene Simmons main desire! To be "somebody" seems to have been the primary drive for him - the fame, the girls, the worshipping! In his book Simmons almost never write about the music, the songs, the recordings. All he says is "then we made Love Gun... then we recorded Dynasty..." We don't get any information or feelings about the music itself, but we get to know that Simmons got laid every once in a while and that Ace Frehley always were lazy and drunk and Peter Criss could not play or sing or write songs. I have never regarded Criss as a great drummer (it's obvious) but in my opinion Peter Criss is the best singer in Kiss. Gene Simmons is and has always been most interested in money, girls and fame - not music. In the 1970's Simmons wrote some excellent songs, but from the 1980's and forward his writing is not good at all for the exception of a few songs. After making it big and reaching stardom I guess Simmons felt he didn't need to write good song anymore. The whole concept of Kiss was very smart and once they had reached the stars, the myth itself kind of made the band stay at the top for a few years. If you read David Lee Roth's auotobiography "Crazy from the heat" Simmons is described as a slick business man - not a rocker, and this reference goes as far back as 1976/1977. These days it's clear to anyone that Simmons would do anything for money and fame... In his book Simmons is describing himself in a very positive way, that he is the nice guy while Frehley and Criss are the bad once. You get the feeling this niceness has nothing to do with being nice, rather it's about keeping the Kiss empire intact, keeping Simmons in the spotlight. When it comes to Paul Stanley, Simmons call him the brother he never had and that's it, the relationship between the two is not explored in any deeper way. To me Simmons seems to be a very shallow man, or maybe he just want to earn some money from the book without giving away anything personal. I really enjoy reading this book but at the end you might wonder what information did I get? We get to know that Simmons has slept with about 4600 women, and that his main interest is getting laid and getting paid. For an auotobiography by a rock star the lack of "music talk" it's surprisingly.
Rating: 
Summary: Straight from the Demon's mouth
Review: First of all, this book tells the story of Gene Simmons and not so much the story of Kiss, though at times it may seem that they are both the same thing. Many Kiss fans will find that Gene barely mentions huge chunks of the band's history such as the 80's and 90's. Non-original members of Kiss such as Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr barely get a passing mention. Even Paul Stanley, who has stood by Kiss when Gene was trying to be an actor is not mentioned nearly enough. What Gene does speak of are of his childhood and teenage years and how comic books and TV shaped his personality and planted the seeds that would become Kiss.
Most Kiss fans will know many of the stories here but there is still plenty of juicy stuff, especially about fellow Kiss mates Ace Frehley and Peter Criss of whom Gene has nary a kind word. The fans' illusions of a tight knit band were all four members are friends and share some sort of magic bond will be completely dispersed here since it appears they never got along since the very beggining!
Rating:
Summary: RYANS REVIEW
Review: This book is called KISS and make up a bkiogrophy on Gene Simmons life or should I say Chaim Witz later changed to Gene Klein then to his rockstar name Gene Simmons a legendary bassist for the band KISS. KISS was not his only thing. Gene was born in Haifa, Israel on August, 1949. He lived there for a good couple years then came to America where he changed his name, he loved hammers as a child. Some of his first influences were Elvis Presley. This book is really good it has so many facts you would never find out if you are a KISS fan this book is way up your alley. It talks about Gene Simmons life and how he formed KISS and fame and his later years with KISS, and the members that break away from KISS. If you wanna know who stays in the band, and who leaves. Read this book, also recomended Sex and Money by Gene Simmons
Rating:
Summary: A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING.....
Review: As a lifelong KISS fan, I've always followed their every move, in good times and bad. So it was with great anticipation that I awaited Gene Simmons' book. Obviously, he is intelligent and well spoken, but also brash and full of himself (as he will readily admit!). While the book is good and entertaining in many places, I just expected more. We know the whole story about the women, the money, etc. He takes every opportunity to attack bandmates Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, and it comes across as pretty one sided. I'm not sure what I expected exactly...maybe more info or thoughts from him that I haven't seen or heard in countless interviews over the years. A good book but just a little disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Worth a Buy for the Fan
Review: No Ghost ? Really....
The KISSfaq.com states that this book was "Ghost-written by Ben Greenman, editor of "The New Yorker"..." the Kissfaq.com has rarely been wrong, not ever as far as I know. And Yes, I did Purchase the HardBack, as well as the Paperbacks.
Rating:
Summary: ENTERTAINING BUT NOTHING NEW
Review: If you're a Kiss fan like me, you've probably heard many of the stories that appear in this book. It's a good read but all it did was confirm what I already knew; Simmons is intelligent, an egomaniac, has slept with thousands of women, he loves money, will do anything to make a $ off the KISS name, Ace and Peter are both dead weight...you get the picture. I'm waiting for Paul Stanley's biography.
Rating:
Summary: Shockingly Boring!
Review: I will readily admit that I am by no means a fan of KISS. I am, however, a fan of rock star autobiographies. Motley Crue's The Dirt and Marilyn Manson's bio book are two of the most entertaining books I've ever read. Both were loaded with enough sex, drugs, and debauchery to keep anyone's interest, Both also happened to be co-authored by able collaborator Neil Strauss, who apparently helped the stars focus their narratives on the most significant, most interesting aspects of their lives. I think Ol' Gene could've used a little help from Mr. Strauss on this one. Kiss and Make-up is sloppy and unfocused, sure to disappoint all but the most ardent KISS fans. Simmons certainly has lived an extraordinary life, having gone from being a penniless immigrant to an international superstar by playing songs with beautiful, subtle metaphors like "Love Gun." By his own admission, Gene has enjoyed plenty of debauchery along the way (though he has remained curiously sober), and he does recount some of his backstage experiences, but he somehow manages to make all of it seem incredibly boring! I read this book hoping to gain some insight into KISS' unlikely rise to fame, but I'm still scratching my head. Perhaps it's just that the arrogant star just doesn't care about amusing anyone other than himself. If that is the case, one wonders why he bothered to write a book! Oh yeah... It was probably the money. The biggest revelation in this book is that Gene Simmons really really likes cake. I mean, he likes it more than caviar, man. If that information seems scintillating to you, order this book. Otherwise, you're probably better off with Hammer of the Gods.
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