Rating: 
Summary: Great beginning, but loses steam
Review: I know the book is about finding one's self, but the convoluted, twisted story structure gets old. I rarely stop reading books until the end, but this one I just had to put down. The beginning of the book started out great. Then about mid-way I got sick of reading about the author's sexual conquests. I certainly hope that this book is not a true reflection of the lifestyle of a young photojournalist.If you want to read it, save your money and go to the library or buy it used.
Rating: 
Summary: An inspiration for a female amateur photographer
Review: The minute I got through the first page, I could not put Shutterbabe down. It is raw, it is truthful, it is an inspiration. She uses her life to show that women always have and probably always will struggle with the double standard. Can you ask for anything more from this first time novel? I don't think so.
Rating: 
Summary: Sex sells
Review: This is purportedly a book about photojournalism, but it is really more about the the author's sex life and how wonderful she thinks she is. She mentions at every opportunity that she went to Harvard, mentions every single prize or award she has won, mentions every glance any man makes at her. I wanted to read about photojournalism and when Kogan does talk about cameras, photo agencies, being a woman amid mainly men, etc., I was intrigued and wanted to know more. I didn't want to hear about her sleeping with almost every guy she meets. It's clear that Kogan is sharp and is writing for purely commercial purposes-- writing a book with lots of sex in it will be a much bigger seller than one strictly about photojournalism. For those who want a book on photojournalism, read something else. For those who want to read about a young woman's narcissism, this is a good primer.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, Self-Indulgent and Frustrating
Review: This book is an easy, entertaining read. I noted in the other reviews that the book is either loved or hated, and many of the negative reviews mention her sexual promiscuity as a point of criticism. Too bad--I found it refreshing that she was both honest and unapologetic, and she actually doesn't go into detail in describing any of the encounters. What frustrated me is Kogan's complete lack of explanation (or perspective?) in the cultural ethnocentrism with which almost all of her foreign interactions take place. Presenting herself as a role model, I felt that she should explain or even just mention how inappropriate her expectations within cultures other than her own really were. A prime example of this is the section in which she becomes tired of wearing a burka in Afghanistan and demands to be dressed as a man (taking protective clothing from the people on whom she is completely dependent), although she assumes none of the cultural responsibilities associated with the male gender role and, in fact, a man loses his leg performing his very male duty of checking for landmines, so that she can urinate. What a beautiful example of American, cultural grace overseas. My other complaint is the unending vanity and self-promotion, the inclusion of every single award and honorable mention to her credit, every unsolicited glance or comment related to her appearance, the pretentious name-dropping and endless mention of her Harvard education. Conversely, there was very little recognition of the people who supported and loved her, such as her family and little detail relating to the people with whom she interacted, except in how their comments affected her directly. Lastly, I found it somewhat ironic that, as such a self-pronounced revolutionary, she ends up quitting work to be with her children. I would find this honorable, if she didn't actually quit in order to pay some, poor immigrant to raise them, while she hangs out in Starbucks writing. Perhaps this is what you call an ivy league revolution. I think that this book could have been so much better with a bit more self-deprecation, grace and humor. Who knows? If she continues to write, maybe she'll gain persepctive.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, frustrating first book
Review: It's very interesting that there seems to be a real dichotomy in the way in which this book is received and perceived, and I wonder if that difference can be attributed to gender roles (and a discomfort with the author's sexuality). This book is undoubtably entertaining and honest, and it's refreshing to hear a woman's perspective in dealing with institutionalized sexism in her world and profession, while not dimishing her sexuality. She absolutely describes adventures that many people would never have the ability to pursue and details of relationships that are quite candid. I, in no way, fault her for this. One of my primary problems with the book was that her cultural ethnocentrism was completely unaddressed, which is understandable as a sheltered young American, but which I feel like should be explained if she is trying to present herself as a role model. Additionally, she refers constantly to her own appearance, both as being slender and petite and as being the object of objectifying comments by men (and even in the title as "babe"), which is quite egocentric, completely unfeminist and just plain vain. I think that with a little more distance from her subject matter, a bit more of a sense of humor and some self-deprecation (how can any of us not cringe to think of how we handled things at 22?), this book could be very good.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, a woman on paper
Review: I seem to remember reading somewhere that when Alfred Steiglitz first saw one of Georgia O'Keefe's paintings, he said, "Finally, a woman on paper." I say the same about this wonderful book. Perhaps it resonates with me in particular because I am also a woman photographer, although I have not had nearly the courage that Deborah Kogan has. She is a deft storyteller and indeed has some incredible tales to tell. It has been a long time since I have been so gripped by a book that I found myself rationing pages to keep from finishing. Thanks to this book I have challenged myself (albeit in small ways) to not give in to my fears. In fact, I recently went to Cuba to take photographs and when I wavered about going for a brief time, I asked myself, "What would Deborah do?" She would have gone -- and so I did, and it was the best experience of my life. I recently heard the author read at a college bookstore and smiled to myself when afterward the two twenty-somethings behind me said, "I want to go to a homeless shelter and write a story about it." The other answered in horror, "You can't go by yourself!" To which the first replied, referring to Deborah Kogan, "She would." May you read this book and find strength in yourself you didn't know you had.
Rating:
Summary: Behind the Photo
Review: After reading Kogan's book I now look at pictures in the newspapers differently - with appreciation for the photographer's realities, risks and tenacity. I wonder what the photographer had to do to get the picture. For this expanded perspective, I thank Ms. Kogan.
The book was a good read, especially starting off with her adventures in Afghanistan. The similarities to today are depressing.
Rating: 
Summary: From swan to duck
Review: The first paragraph is dynamite and made me buy the book. And it's all the more remarkable because this paragraph ends on a topic that usually makes me drop a book for good. Through most chapters after that, the narrator is a bigger than life adventuress, whose tribulations sound just slightly embellished by Jewish humor and yarn spinning. Towards the end, unfortunately, she falls in love, gets married and becomes a neighborhood mother who shows you pictures of her kids. I missed the shutterbabe from the beginning, got bored, and wished the author would make her a fictional character for a series of novels. ...
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book for your teen-age daughter.
Review: Mine is still too young. But having just finished 'Shutterbabe', I'm very inspired by Kogan's bravery and curiousity about the world in her youth. She tells great stories, but without attempt to spin the naivete (like landing in an African jungle airstrip, having to make her way to a poacher war without a guide or directions.) I'd like to think that Kogans' adventures might inspire my daughter to take on the world with the same confidence and love of adventure. Fantastic book!
Rating:
Summary: Riveting, but needs more photos
Review: While I was immediately drawn to Copaken Kogan's adventures, I was kind of disappointed that in a book about a photographer, there were only a few small snapshots of the work she was doing. I'd have to agree with the reader who commented that we never get a full view of the people she was photographing, which is a disappointment in an otherwise fascinating tale.
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