Rating: 
Summary: Not a bad book, but not amazing! It's very one sided
Review: I read this book in one day, it's not particularly long. It was interesting, but I noted that Traci Lords was definitely trying to not take responsibility for her actions and I didn't buy some of it.
Examples: She was caught with another man by her longtime boyfriend who had come to propose. She painted it to be that she meant to break up with him sooner, that they didn't even have sex anymore... This is what a cheating person would say. It seemed pretty clear she betrayed this guy, but then said he was married and she wasn't aware.
Another thing that bothered me is she moved in with a guy that had pit bulls and right away I knew something was going to happen to her cat. When his dogs ripped her cat to pieces, she blamed the boyfriend who owned the dog when that cat's welfare was her responsibility. I felt that was her fault as well, but she didn't take any credit for this incident.
I would have had more respect if she expressed remorse for not taking precautions to ensure something like that would never happen.
If not for her porn scandal, she would not have been able to secure an agent and immediately get legit jobs. Her scandal was getting her publicity, and she used it for what it was worth. She says she kept the Traci Lords name so she wouldn't be hiding from what she did. I think she kept that name because it was a name that sells.
It was interesting to read, but when I finished it I was a bit annoyed. It seemed like a couple hundred plus pages of someone spinning a story to make themselves look more sympathetic.
If she really did turn herself in to the FBI, she was brilliant. I am not so sure she didn't. She gets busted, and does she go low profile? No, immediately starts getting acting jobs. Hmmmmm.
If this person interests you it might be worth reading. It's a quick read, and isn't boring and you do want to finish it.
Rating: 
Summary: Confessions of a sexual terrorist who turned her life around
Review: "Imagination is more important than intelligence," as Albert Einstein used to say and Traci Lords has now proved in her new autobiography "Underneath It All." Not that Ms. Lords is dumb. Far from it. Throughout her book she displays a keen mind to equal her accomplishments as the only former adult movie actress ever to achieve mainstream success. Although this does not mean much in global terms of important world news, her life story is interesting enough in its own right, and in its own way even has a moral of redemption. Born Nora Kuzma in Steubenville, Ohio, in 1968, Ms. Lords' childhood was marred by a traumatic rape that occurred when she was only 10 years old. After her mother moved the family to California, the young Miss Kuzma found herself a stranger in a strange land just when she most needed guidance. Instead, left largely neglected, with little parental supervision for long periods of time, she became a heavy drug abuser in high school. Then her mother's ex-boyfriend introduced her to nude modeling and got her started performing in XXX-rated movies when she was just 15. This is the most delicate and difficult part of "Underneath It All." On the one hand, Ms. Lords must answer legitimate questions about her role in what was the biggest porn scandal of the 1980s. On the other hand, there is a fine line between addressing those questions and describing details of her erotic exploits that appeal more to the reader's prurient interests than to advance her main story. Generally speaking, Ms. Lords does an admirable job in covering this ground with grace and honesty. For legal reasons, she does not provide the real name of the producer who hired her as an underage actress (but the pseudonym she uses identifies him for anyone remotely familiar with the case). She also makes it clear that she did not call in the authorities and set up the FBI bust that instantly made her such a notorious figure. In fact, Ms. Lords even claims that President Reagan's smut-busting Meese Commission had been investigating her for three years before finally cracking down on her illicit activities. By then, of course, the former Nora Kuzma was famous for her newly adopted screen persona. There are areas where Ms. Lords tries to have it both ways, though. She talks repeatedly and at great length about how she hates being "the poster child for a business I loathe." She movingly asks, "What do you do when your past is your present? How do you leave it behind?" And yet she also expresses some mixed feelings about her brief career as an adult movie star. It is obvious that she enjoyed the attention she received at the time, and has not been above capitalizing on the publicity that went along with her previous reputation as "a sex-crazed, drugged-out wild child." However, in spite of Ms. Lords' occasional attempts to deceive the reader (and sometimes, one suspects, herself), she still comes across as a decent person with a talent for thinking outside of the box that others built for her. And it is worth noting that she gives ample credit to her friends and supporters such as John Waters, Christina Applegate, and Roseanne Barr. No one will ever confuse Traci Lords with Katherine Hepburn, but Ms. Lords has become a good actress and an excellent singer. That transformation did not occur overnight and it is a tribute to Ms. Lords' hard work that she was able to make it happen, even at the cost of her first marriage. When she first sought legitimate jobs in the entertainment industry, she could not have known how difficult it would be. Cynicism aside, learning about how Ms. Lords struggled to overcome her personal and professional demons is almost inspirational in its impact. Maybe the best way to read "Underneath It All" is with an equal mix of healthy skepticism and sympathy for the author. Certainly no one has done more to earn a small measure of respect. As absurd as it may seem, it is not too much to say there is a kind of nobility of spirit about Ms. Lords. A lesser person could never have survived such a trial in the court of public opinion, and her resilience has been remarkable. Like Bob Dylan before her, Traci Lords literally reinvented herself under another name and then had to live with the consequences. What could be more American than that? At a mere 286 pages, "Underneath It All" is a bit too slender for its own good. In addition, the book would benefit from fewer fashion-model pictures of Ms. Lords and the addition of an index, but these are relatively minor flaws in a biography that otherwise has much to recommend it. In the end, Ms. Lords seems not so much against porn as she is opposed to what it has become in today's depraved and sexually violent culture. And while others talk about profound "national security" and "homeland defense" issues, Ms. Lords makes a convincing case that the real security (or lack thereof) depends more on what is happening to our children in our families and on the streets. For those who still hope for a brighter future, "Underneath It All" is a book that shows change is possible.
Rating: 
Summary: Self revealing
Review: "Underneath it all", was a book Traci wrote to tell people of the "BADNESS" of pornography. This book talks about her struggle from child abuse, her major escape from the porn industry and finding love and happiness as a legetimate actress.
She explains in a chapter, about a movie scene she had to film with Ginger Lynn and Ron "Harry and Fleshy" Jeremy. She was pissed off and digusted by a lesbian scene she had to do with Ginger. Traci tells how the Queen of Porn, Ginger Lynne was jealous of her youthful look, and felt threatened but her presence.
This entire chapter shows just how degenerate porn actors/actresses are. As well as how directors have to find places to shoot their movies. Traci explains that some people in adult films, are actually models who CAN'T find work.
Personally, doing these type of movies will NOT help them. But instead, decreases their chances of making a decent living in modeling. It shows they have NO integrity.
Traci Lords is not a Porn Actress. This book shows that she wants some integrity in her life, and is trying to better her life. She is still sexual, but not in a porn sense. This book only shows the beginning of her dramatic CHANGE, as a decent person.
Rating:
Summary: lots of guts
Review: 'Underneath it all' tells a pretty incomplete story about Traci Lords' career in 1980's porn. To be fair, however, I estimate this largely due to the threat of legal action by miss Lords' many foes. In her book she slightly mentions so herself. For those who do not know: revealing in 1986 that Traci had been a minor while shooting her movies, coïncided with a legal witch-hunt on porn by the Reagan-government. As a result huge stocks of TL-material had to be destroyed, causing bankruptcies and prison-terms for their owners, the actors/actresses and other people involved. Even more shocking and bizarre: later on it turned out that Traci's official US-passport had been issued on her false name -- thus forcing authorities to back off on their legal action. It is said this passport probably saved the US porn industry from complete financial collapse. The ommission of the story above does not qualify 'Underneath it all' as bad. In a human way this book is highly informative about Traci Lords and her backgrounds. It also reveals miss Lords' iron courage and perseverance, trying to repair the bad image porn gave her. I think she shows a desperate need to be acknowledged as a normal American actress. Remember Traci Elizabeth Lords could have chosen for a quieter life. Avoiding publicity, hoping that the passing of time bleaches out her porn-image. Driven by her ambition, she chose the hard way by having this book published. Apart from the money it brings in, her guts are impressive.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly gripping read
Review: (...) I heard it was controversial and I knew a bit about Traci Lords - I knew she was a musician and had a background in porn. But nothing about the person. So I thought I'd read the book. My goodness, what a fantastic read. Traci's story is traumatising, gripping, sad, funny. And it's true. Written by Traci (without a co-author), it is her chance to set the record straight. It is an amazing story of one person's triumph over adversity, her fears and how she battled them to achieve her dreams and rise above the negative publicity and trauma of her childhood, the porn industry and the stigma attached to her past. The writing style is simple, yet elegant, easy to read and pulls you in. You are drawn to the humanity of the story and the flow of the text hooks you so easily. I emphathised strongly with her story, which is as strong a testament as I can credit her. I strongly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read
Review: .I have just finished reading it and was truly suprised.Traci is a remarkable person.Few people could have weatherd all he storms she did and rebound into the career path shes chosen.She battled her deamons and one by one conqured them and moved forward with her life.I'm also suprised that she wrote the book without a ghost write choosing to do it herself.It is an extremely well written book.I found it very hard to put down
Rating:
Summary: A for effort
Review: A twelve year-old could have written better than this, however I admire Ms. Lord's devil-may-care attitude and perseverance. While the story is dry, and written with the speed of an attention-deficit child, throughout she proves herself to be a determined, unapologetic woman, and one whose childhood is unfortunately all-too common. While a victim of circumstance, she does not let in to self-pity.
A motivational feel-good book? No. A surprising, ground-breaking tell-all? No. More like a typical case study of what happens to many victims of sexual abuse, poverty and neglect, wrapped up as a quick beach read.
Rating:
Summary: A pretty good read
Review: After all that happened to her just between the ages of 10 and 14 it would be no wonder that anyone wouldn't be at least a little messed up. I personally thought it was cool that more pages were dedicated to how she cleaned up her life and what she did with it after her porn days. Everyone already knows that story and those who don't get a background to it. I thought it was interesting to see the different actors/actresses and singers that she interacted with and affected her life, espiecally Tori Amos who is a favorite singer of mine. Her words in her songs are so powerful it's great to hear about other people she has touched. True if it wasn't because of Traci Lords past no one would probably even read this book but all and all it still proves to keep your attention throughout.
Rating:
Summary: Whitewashed Hollywood Autobiography
Review: Being a Hollywood star autobiography, you knew this was going to be extremely whitewashed and truths twisted around. Being a resident of Ohio in the town Traci originally came from I can say she has not lied about the conditions here. They have only became more horrid! I find her "acting" on the recent string of TV shows she has been appearing on. After all, she is an actress. She is playing the "victim role." It is sad what happened to a teenage girl, but even at 15, 16, and 17 years of age she knew exactly what she was doing. The book is not a bad read, but you are only receiving half the info...even if that half is true. I believe Nina and South. Sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Against All Odds
Review: First I'd like to say what this book is not; and that is a sexually explicit, graphically detailed recital of Traci Lords' life nor is it a documentary of the porn industry. It is however a very well written, concise autobiography of a person who has over come being sexually, financially, and emotionally exploited by men. This is a story about how a little girl who grew up in a physically abuse house hold, was raped at the age of ten and then emotionally manipulated for sex or money only to be thrown away during her teens. Traci Lords was sucked down into a life of drugs, sex, and pornography as child. While this part of her life is well documented in this book the real story is how she climbed her way out, cleaned herself up and pursued a career in acting, modeling, and singing. She eventually married a good man who loved her for who she is despite of what her life had been. This is truely a heart breaking story of a little girl who's childhood dreams were stolen from her and how she reclaimed those dreams as an adult. As I read this book I just wanted to reach in and grab her away from this terrible life she had to endure of perverts, pediphiles and rapists and provide her with a safe home to grow up in. Like the saying goes the best revenge is success and it seems Traci Lords has turned out to be very successful. The porn industry seems to have no love for her, her porn fans only have lust for her, but I think anyone else who reads this autobiography will have a respect for how far she has come in life. Good job Traci and the best to you always. I hope this book may be an inspiration and possibly a salvation for anyone who may be going down the road you have gone.
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