As a professionale crap reviewer (google jackie jones and no, I am not the jazz singer in Chicago but isn't she great!!!), I have this to say...

Christopher Ciccone is a brat. A talented brat. But say, if EYE wrote a bio on my step sisters, Bette, Joan, and Lana, I would be ashamed! Ashamed! But thank GOD my painting's sold.

Probably the best dirt since Mommy Dearest and Cheryl Crane. Totally worth it.

jj

This book is "can't put down" is you are a total Madonna fan, many small details behind the big superstar, nothing that you wouldn't imagine but lots of confirmations about the cold blooded diva. Madonna devotes herself to becoming her own brand and makes it at whatever price, over family or friends... yet to know if there is another way of becoming an icon, i personally don't think so. A big price for big stardom. And yes it is so lonely at the top!

THANKFULLY I PICKED THIS BOOK UP AT THE LIBRARY, OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED IT A WASTE OF MONEY.
THERE WAS NO INFORMATION IN THIS BOOK THAT SURPRISED ME ABOUT MADONNA.SHE IS A SELF-PROCLAIMED CONTROL FREAK AND MISER. AFTER FINISHING THE BOOK I COULDN'T FEEL SORRY FOR CHRISTOPHER AT ALL. HE ALLOWED MADONNA TO WALK ALL OVER HIM DURING THIER ENTIRE RELATIONSHIP. I'M STILL NOT SURE WHY HE NEVER STOOD HIS GROUND. WAS IT HIS LOVE FOR MADONNA, FEAR OF MADONNA, OR HIS LOVE OF THE GLAMOROUS LIFE MADONNA AFFORDED HIM TO LIVE?
CHRISTOPHER SOUNDS MORE LIKE A DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEE, WHO TOOTS HIS HORN ENTIRELY TOO MUCH.THE NAME DROPPING GETS A LITTLE ANNOYING ALSO.
MAYBE SHE GOT TIRED OF HIS EXPECTATIONS OF HER AND JUST THREW IN THE TOWEL.

This book gets 3 stars simply because he's writing from the point of view of somoene who knows Madonna intimately & you get a better perspective of who she is, unlikle most bios written about Madonna but overall the attemp was lackluster & didnt quite live up to the hype.

His attempt at making Madonna look bad didnt work if you ask me---i didnt feel one bit sorry for him throughout most of this book and found myself taking Madonnas side more often than not. He writes extensively on how often Madonna helped him, opened doors for him & introduced her to her glitterati of celeberity connections. Yet all he wanted to do was party & snort coke. Too bad Chris you werent resourceful like your sister & took those connections and turned them into something big. The part in the book where his interior design biz is taking off and Demi Moore asks him to do her house is perfect example of how quickly he was able to screw up golden oppportunities. he goes & buys a bunch of stuff from IKEA, has it delivered to her house and then sends her the bill. When she isnt amused, he chalks it up to her "not getting the joke". Needsless to say she didnt use him.

Madonna is business minded that is how she conducts her career & why she is on top. Too bad you didnt take notes Chris, you'd still have that interior design business if you had. He writes about not using contracts when he did interior design jobs for Madonna because she was his sister--yet she was all business with him from the jump. Thats your tough luck you didnt take the hint & get professional. Family or no family if youre running a business you draw up contracts. & when he does finally start using one, its more out of immature spite than anything. & yes Chris you do/did have a drug problem despite what the doctors told you. How can you write about snorting coke w/ Naomi Campbell & Kate Moss on one page & claim to not have a drug problem on another? Denial. & Madonna tried to help him kick the habit & he didnt take it. Oh well!

Yes Madonna is insecure. Yes Madonna is a control freak. Yes Madonna is tight with a dollar. Yes Madonna can be a self-serving b****. But arent all bigtime major superstars? Sheesh they dont get to the top blowing all their money, being nice to everyone & letting people get away with sh**. Like someone else here said it is, what it is. If he was smart he wouldve learned something from his sister and made something of his self. He wouldna had to write this damn book.

I'm always down for some good celebrity gossip but "Life with my sister Madonna" was a yawn fest. Christopher Ciccone assumes the reader will blindly trust his credibility solely based on his position as Madonna's brother. Rather, credibility is nonexistant as it becomes increasingly apparent throughout the (poorly written) book that it was written as a melodramatic display of sibling rivalry (example: C. Ciccone's statement in the first chapter that he was his mother's favorite child - I recall using that same line on my sister when I was 6 years old). Don't waste your time, don't waste your money.

I bought this book because I thought Christopher was going to give me a lot of insight into Madonna's personality and what she was thinking when she did certain things (Sex book, certain videos etc...). Well, he didn't.

This book is a good read though. Once you forgive Christopher for misleading you and agree to read a novel based on his life. Toward the middle I actually enjoyed myself. Then it all went down hill from there. Christopher hates Guy. Guy is a homophobe I guess. Madonna isn't all that much into the gay scene anymore and he's pretty pissed off about that also (Dude, she's 50 and has two kids...people change) and he sure does complain alot about her lack of paying him. He says she's a crazy person who believes she's the center of the world. In her defense, wouldn't you be if you were famous for so long? She can't recall anything other than that. And people who are laidback don't usually last over 25 years. Christopher part kisses booty and part complains.

I find his part on the "Butt Art" he produced to be gross.

But there are other parts about famous people and their love affairs with coke. Quick, easy read.

W-o-w. The line between love and hate is razor thin, isn't it? I wasn't terribly surprised by the things he wrote, he was mostly confirming all the bad things we've heard about her over the years. I don't like to believe negative press but in her case a lot of it is, unfortunately, true. I felt guilty reading it because I think that matters concerning the family should be resolved accordingly. Apparently he let way too much build up for way too long...and then exploded. I don't agree with the fact that he dragged some other celebrities through the mud in the process. Nevertheless, I wish Christopher well--he certainly seems like an intelligent and talented person.

This book was somewhat boring. I got it because he teased during a Howard Stern interview that there was some good stuff in the book. Not really. Other than a few drug-using confirmations of famous people, this book is not the juicy story that he was indicating it would be. Madonna is somewhat boring.

What a joke. Here is a bitter brother who writes a book (with the help of a co-author, who incidentally writes this book very poorly) supposedly about his sister, Madonna. But the book is mostly about him. Who cares? If I wanted a book about Christopher, I'd have gotten it: And I don't. He is self-serving and malicious. The tile is misleading as well. This is really not about Madonna. Christopher is a name dropper. Additionally, I wonder how the models and stars he reveals secrets about must feel about him now: A Truman Capote-ish 'tell all' expose' -- only not anywhere even close to the level of writing competence of Capote. He must be one hated man in Hollywood scenes right now. Who can trust him? No one is safe when he is around. And I wonder how much of that "schmoozing" with stars is really true? Because he is Madonna's brother he is suppose to be some famous icon? I don't think so.

He is narcissistic in his own beliefs about what he did and didn't do. It's a hard-to-believe story, written by someone who never thinks he is wrong about what he writes and what he believes. He obviously is trying to provide an outlet for his anger and take revenge on Madonna at the same time. She has worked hard to get where she is today. He has strung along on her laurels and then complained about how that occurred: his own doing, most definitely. Additionally, he constantly discusses how he is never jealous of her and how he was maligned and used by her. Yet, his anger seethes as he continuously acts as her "yes man" -- then complains constantly and literally whines about how he was treated. Ever hear of choices we make, Christopher? Perhaps using someone for your own gain bears a pricetag?

This "writer" needs help dealing with his feelings toward himself, not so much toward his sister and other family members. She is better off without him and probably won't be in touch with him again after this scathing and one-sided argument which is more about him than we need to know. A joke: don't waste your money or your time. He should be ashamed of himself, but of course, he won't be. He's the hero in his own dreams.

Yes, THAT Madonna. Out of seven siblings, this younger brother (by three years) seems to have had the closest relationship with her. And maybe even a bone to pick. In his various roles--backup dancer, personal assistant, dresser, interior designer, art and tour director, and general supporter--he plays the moth to her flame. She hurts him in many ways, for example, outing his homosexuality before he was prepared to do that and pulling him into to film footage unwillingly at their mother's grave. She stiffs him for money, invites him to live with her or work for her and then changes her mind, and allows the friends of her latest husband to take pot shots at him at their wedding. The portrait of Madonna that emerges is not flattering. She requires an audience, including her family, but despite her millions of income expects them to "pony up" the money to come see her. Christopher gives a full portrayal of the best and worst of Madonna, but his account is tinged with some bitterness, making it hard to know what is really true. At her worst, she is publicity crazy . . . and at her best she is a shrewd business woman. She overcomes stage anxiety to put on a brilliant performance for millions, but she is not kind in her personal affairs. Christopher critiques her husbands, saying that Sean Penn was angry and uncontrolled, and that Guy Ritchie is homophobic and unpleasant. Warren Beatty emerges as the best of her beaus, giving more evidence of maturity and having some greater sense of the absurdity of Madonna's fame and how she chose to take it on. With this tell-all, you get a sneak peak into her world. And given what I have heard from other sources, it feels pretty accurate. But while I valued this insider account, my hands felt a bit tainted by the end of it. A telling account, certainly, but perhaps subjective?

I'm A HUGE Madonna fan. I was curious as to what Christopher Ciccone would say about his sister. Well he did not really say anything that was shocking or torrid that was not already public knowledge. It is painfully obvious how much he resents her and is jealous of her. Even though he swears hes not. This book could have been written in 100 pages or less. It was VERY repetitive, and I actually got very bored with it very fast. But I finished it, determined to learn something new, something juicy, about my Queen of the Universe, Madonna that would blow me away, but it never happened. HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT, HUGE WASTE OF TIME.

is a good book, isn't a attack to madonna, but an extreme kind of love, in the words of cristopher there's love, sometime hate, but this is the other side of love. i like it. bye

I was a huge fan of Madonna before I read this book. Keyword: WAS. This book makes you see the real Madonna. I have lost so much respect for this woman that it's just sad. However, the book is AMAZING! Christopher Ciccone is a great writer and I could NOT put this book down. It took me 3 days to read it, and if I didn't have a life, I probably could have read it in 1 day haha

As a Madonna fan, I was naturally curious to read about "Madonna". I think Christopher is a wimp that needs to get his own life. Total sellout for a sister he "loves so much". I'm sure Madonna is no angel, but why keep going back? Clearly he doesn't learn his lesson. It's unnecessarily long and bad.

The only interesting things were the things he described about Madonna, if they are true.

Well we all knew Madonna has a brother. We've seen him in the documentary Truth or Dare, taking Madonna's abuse backstage. And wasn't that him dancing with her in the "Lucky Star" video? But did you know he was right there with her from the very beginning? Christopher Ciccone's book on Madonna seems like trash at first, but on the other hand, doesn't it seem like the truth? We know Madonna can be difficult at times, we've heard she's a little stingy, and she drops friends and acquaintaces like out of style fashion. I am a huge Madonna fan and I love her, but let's face it: she's a diva. That's just how it is. None of us were there with Madge and Chris, so we don't really know what all happened between them. But there does seem to be something genuine about Chris, whatever his intentions with this book are. Madonna certainly isn't going to care one way or another about his detailed disappointments over not directing her past few tours, getting slighted and mistreated over construction of her various homes, and getting the brush off once Guy stepped into the picture. The part about Guy nearly running over his foot really got me. I was convinced. However, Guy, although he does seem to be a 'man's man' really doesn't strike me as homophobic, just because he might make a crack or two about gays. Although it's insensitive, straight men do that sometimes, forgetting gay men are in the room. We've all been there! I can't help but agree with Chris when he mentions it was in poor taste of Madonna to visit their mother's grave during Truth or Dare, even "reenacting" the search for the grave. I always felt that was a bit much for the film, using their mother that way. Upon release of this book, I was hesitant to read it, because I knew Chris was angry with Madonna and it would put her in a bad light. It does portray her negatively, but at the same time, Chris still respects and loves her and expresses that. Madonna is incredibly business-saavy, ambitious, and goes in for the kill no matter what. I keep thinking everytime Madonna suppossedly "burns" him, why Chris kept going back for more. Is it really that good of an idea for family to work together? As a Madonna fan, I still recognize she isn't a perfect person and has made mistakes. I believe she has treated some people badly and that sometimes she thinks she's a little above us at times. But I don't have to work with her, and no one forced Christopher at gunpoint to work with her either. All I have to do is listen to her music and enjoy her awesome shows. I will forever be a fan. Chris's book puts him on the fence between bitter-shut out brother and brother scorned who wants closure. This probably wasn't the best way to do it, but it made one great summer read!

There is an old saying (I believe from the Bible) to the effect that sharper than a serpent's tooth is an ungrateful child.

Add to that....an ungrateful sibling.

Somewhere along the line, Christopher, Madonna's brother, hitched his wagon to Madonna's star and road that ride for all that it was worth: hobnobbing with celebs, becoming a reasonably successful interior designer after he had designed for Madonna, traveling in private jets, vacationing with Donatella.

Then, Maddonna married Guy Ritchie, and he was no longer the dominant, consistent male influence in her life.

And, suddenly, the sister who was so worth spending time with, traveling with, and being paid by, became an egocentric, ruthless, harridan.

This book is an exercise in pettiness, envy, and backstabbing. And, not very well written to boot.

Christopher is marginally noteworthy, but his noteworthiness comes from his sister, about whom he has very little positive to say after years of living in her limelight.

At times I felt sympathy for Chris and his situation. You felt his sense of loosing himself to care for his sisters needs. That does happen in families for all types of reasons. It was clear that Madonna truly needed her loving and devoted brother as she became more famous. I think their relationship ended and was a casualty of Chris's regular drug use.

It became a complicated story because of his lack of self examination once he started "partying" "doing cocaine every weekend".

He did not see his place lost because of his drug use. However i thought it was clear that was the reason. His denial about his problem with drugs and money problems made me loose concern for him.

Madonna was wise not letting him stay involved or have access to her credit cards and homes, etc. He denies it, but your judgement does change when you're doing drugs habitually, and he was using drugs regualry enough to create all the problems with his sister!

Well, it's not horrible but I'm glad I got it from the library and didn't pay for it.
Mr Ciccone claims that one of the two precepts by which both he and his sister try to live their lives is keeping their word...this, no more than a few pages after Madonna cajoles him to move to New York and live with her (she reneges) and asks him to be one of her dancers (she hires someone else).
Both Mister Ciccone and Madonna seems to be permanently scarred by the early death of their mother.....y'know what? this happens. People die too soon. Move beyond it. It can be done. Not necessarily easily, but it can be done.
Mr Ciccone makes every excuse for his sisters' terrible behavior and the fact of the matter is...there is no excuse. Not all successful people in showbiz are monsters. Most of them are solid, sane working professionals. Madonna is not one of them.
Oh well, I wish them luck. They need it. At the end of the day, this is a sad book. These people enjoy the trappings of success but seem to have very little going for them in the line of their "inner life". That is actually the only thing that can keep you going when it all hits the fan.

This was an ok light read. It is a memoir of Christopher Ciccone, not strictly a Madonna bio. Madonna is part of the story only because Chris spent a good part of his life working for her.

It reads kind of like a day diary. It chronicles his life and his feelings. It's not really that deep and doesn't spend a lot of time on when they were children.

Chris is constantly being manipulated by Madonna into a client-customer relationship where he is being taken advantage of both as to being underpaid and spoken to in a personal not very respectful way, seemingly just because he is her brother.

He spends the entire book complaining about his treatment by her yet continues to forgive her by saying how much he loves his sister and how she openned up doors for him through her offers of employment in her rise to superstardom.

The best part of his story is that at the end, he had a falling out with Madonna and finally was able to establish his own businesses using the skills he acquired doing tour/stage/design work for her.

Note: I read the Kindle version. The photos are at the book's end. There are no captions for some reason. Also, you don't get the Madonna photo shown on Amazon's page either.

If I disliked her before reading the book (and I did), I detested her after reading. I would guess she makes life pretty miserable for everyone around her, including her children.

Though I heard a rumor Madonna was a ghost writer on this one, if most of the story was true about her you might think she would be concern with the unsettling truth of her well being. I have to admire her for all her hard work in an industry that woman never get the respect they deserve. It's true there are always three sides to a story, like this one. His side, her side and the truth. Unfortunately the latter may never be revealed. Truly an entertainment to read.

I have been a fan of Madonna for many many years. She was my idol and now after reading the book I feel that this is not the type of person I would like to have as an idol any longer. I have already start to look for my own ways to find who I am. The thought of supporting this performer is not one I wish to do now. As I read the book I see to much ego in her.

Now old and no longer New Zealand fan.
Mike

I can't blame Christopher for writing this book...Good job Christopher!
Its an amazing account on the life of Madonna from the eyes of her brother .
its an easy read and you can trust me on that (coming from someone who has short attention span! ha!)
Im not going to talk about the book in this review do to everyone else already has.

While at the Hong Kong International Airport last week, waiting to board a 7 hour flight to Dubai, this book jumped out at me. I had vaguely remembered Perez Hilton saying something about this book on his website and as it seemed a relatively thick book, I bought it. I spent the majority of the plane ride engrossed in this riveting novel of how Madonna created herself from nothing and how Christopher managed to come along for the ride in the early part of her career. I think Madonna is portrayed fairly, honestly and sympathetically and at no point do I feel like I am reading an attack on her that was written by her brother. Reading about her early life as a modern dancer and the track parties she used to do in clubs in New York was really interesting, as was learning more about her marriage to Sean Penn. She comes across as a flawed character, but human and relatable. I devoured this book and would highly recommend it.

Though I heard a rumor Madonna was a ghost writer on this one, if most of the story was true about her you might think she would be concern with the unsettling truth of her well being. I have to admire her for all her hard work in an industry that woman never get the respect they deserve. It's true there are always three sides to a story, like this one. His side, her side and the truth. Unfortunately the latter may never be revealed. Truly an entertainment to read.

You know how some poor, tragic circus elephants slave away in the circus for thirty years and then finally have enough? And then break free, running amuk, stomping the trainer to death and trampling through the crowd before getting taken down by police with rifles? Well, Christopher the elephant finally could take no more of the circus called Madonna. A sad spectacle to watch him liberate himself, and do himself in...

He pretty much comes off as borderline delusional, as he puffs himself up wanting you to believe that so many accomplished people need him "advising" them and take him seriously. And then the (poorly written) book bores you when it strays from the subject of Madonna. I mean, she's the star, she's the reason we're flipping pages to begin with...

Who knows how accurate it is. It's easy to suspect that many of her faults are overplayed while his are severely downplayed. And it would have been nicer to have had more coverage of her music. He doesn't even mention the albums Music, American Life or Confessions on a Dancefloor.

The best part for me was the anecdote about Live Aid in 1985. Here was Madonna, fresh off the blinding superstardom created by Like A Virgin, in the midst of the "scandal" about nude photos and she's about to perform before 90,000 people in Philadelphia. He drives her from Manhattan to Philly, just the two of them, in his beat up range rover and then they hop back in it after her performance and speed off! I guess I was picturing a limousine or a helicopter and an entourage with caviar and bottles of Cristal. I was surprised and amused to see fairly ordinary lives being led at the center of things that just happen to be mounted on an epic scale. Interesting, to peer behind the facade...

I admit that this book captured and maintained my interest. However, I can't help but feel that he had other motives (money)for creating this book. I believe 70% of what he says, but would have loved to hear Madonna's side of his story. As for Christopher, I don't understand how someone with so much talent (interior design, furniture etc.) and with so many powerful connections, can be broke ALL THE TIME. I am tempted to believe Madonna's accusations that Christopher is a drug addict after all.

Nevertheless, this is the best book concerning Madonna (so far and in my opinion). Although I believe that most of what is written here, is already common knowledge. Madonna has always been as high maintenance, and difficult, as she is talented and extraordinary.

But I feel that as he attempted to find his own voice, and separate Christopher from Madonna, that in the end he only managed to prove his dependence on her - and stood once more in her shadow.

I think the story is well written. I listened to it on audio and it kept my full attention the entire time. If the story is real, it hurts me that this man was taken advantage of so many times by Madonna. Timew and time agan, he does for Madonna. Not for money, but out of love...only to be taken advantage of. It just goes to show how many times we overlook things just because the person is family. If it is true, Madonna is quite selfish, rude and takes advantage of those closest to her. If this story is not true, then shame on Christopher. But something tells me, this story is true.

I am a big fan of Madonna's but I have to say that I have read this book and frankly was not shocked by what he had to write. Madonna is cheap, who would have guessed? Madonna can be a b*&ch, who would have guessed? I keep hearing how people think that he shouldn't have written this book, why the hell not, it is his story too. It is pretty sad that a woman who is worth more than $200 million takes better care of her employees than her family. Having said that, I think Christophers drug problems are more than he makes out. It is interesting hearing some of the backstage stuff, overall it is an easy read, although some of his facts are incorrect (eg. Bedtime with Madonna).

Famous Sister Madonna is chronicled in this latest edition of the singers life. Ciccone writes about the simple pleasures of growing up in a busy family household. He appears to have had a close relationship with his big sister early on in her career, however today this seems somewhat frayed and disjointed. He gives some personal insights and writes from the heart with some obvious help from Wendy Leigh. Would recommend to anybody who has an interest in Madonna.It will certainly pass a couple of hours by the fire this winter.

This is a book that is not rich in the real details of their relationship. It skims over most of it and concentrates on denial of his past or maybe present drug use and what his sister thinks of it. Her husband comes accross as a homophobic. Wait to get it from a friend to read, don't waste your money

I wasn't crazy about this book. I can't put my finger on why I didn't like it that much. I don't know a whole lot about Madonna, and that didn't change after reading the book. What her brother did mention were things that I assumed she would do anyway..just from what I have read about her already. Not much surprised me in this book which is what I was looking for... some good dirt.

I get this "I love my sister, but she did me wrong" attitude. It is an interesting look at MaDonna's life. She is one crazy b@#$h.

Loved this book. I cryed towards the end. I was left wanting to read more. Aside from their being famous, just to hear a brothers very real and down to earth views and feelings toward his sister were so touching to me.

What's with the negative reviews? Let me guess they were left by diehard Madonna fans.. not by people who took the time to dispassionately review the book or people who actually read the book. This is indeed a very compeling read. There were few things in the book that surprised me. Christopher portrays Madonna as we've always known her: ruthlessly ambitious, yet calculating, manipulative, and at times b*tchy. There were things, however, which I did not know.. The fact that he did not land in Manhattan with no money.. She did have money and plenty of right contacts in place.. Her proclivity to invent stories... Her outing of her brother in the Advocate for publicity reasons... Her love with the media.. I remember reading how she told Christopher to purchase 3 paintings, worth over $60,000, and then she flatly refused to pay for them, saying she didn't want them anymore; she didn't even care if her brother would be able to resell them... There were so many other interesting bits. I've known my whole life that Madonna is who she is today due to her ability to manipulate and take advantage of people. Because of that, I have little respect for her..

Nothing scathing revealed, just the fact that she is cheap! There are lots of small details about her that only a huge fan, like me, would care about. The book isnt very articulate and it is poorly edited. I couldnt put the book down though!

It is obvious that Madonna's brother wrote this book out of pure jealousy for his sister's success. Is Madonna the most artful and talented person on the planet? Not by a longshot. Is she a great character? Yes. Is she great at selling herself, her image? Yes. Is she worth the money she's making? Totally.

But poor poor Christopher. He had to live his life under his sister's shadow. The whole book reads like this sad attempt at tarnishing his sister's image because she no longer wants him to be a true part of his life. And who can blame her? The author is whiny, self-absorbed and thinks he is much more important than he truly is.

The point of the book is to tell us that he's had a great deal to do with Madonna's success. Ok, so he listened to her from times to times. He was her dresser and dancer for a while. He even did the art direction on some of her tours. Does that equal making Madonna's career? Not by a long shot. He never produced her music, never wrote any of her songs, never actually truly adviced her about her career choices (although he does tell her she's great even when she isn't on every page, a good suckup). And yet, he resents the fact that Madonna has all this money and only provided him with the type of pay that would be given to all of her other employees. Poor, poor Christopher.

At one point in the book, Madonna does not want to use her brother's services at decorating her house because she thinks he is a drug addict. The author denies this yet keeps on telling us about all the parties he attended, all the drugs he's done with famous people, all the alcohol he's had during his party years? Hhmm... doesn't that make a person an addict? Who can blame Madonna for not trusting her brother. (A one point, he even steals from her while decorating a house and when Madonna finds out and gets mad at him, he casts her out as a drama queen. Where's the logic in that?)

Christopher calls himself creative yet never does much to help his career. Oh, wait. He does befriend many celebrities (Demi Moore, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss, many fashion designers and models) in the hopes that they will boost their career. But when they realise he is a leech, they discard him and he feels like they are trying to destroy his so-called talent. So what does he do? Tell gossip about each and every one of them of course!

Ok, maybe he's a decent designer. But he tries painting once and he calls himself a painter. He writes one screenplay and calls himself a screenwriter. He takes photographs and has one show in a gallery and calls himself an art photographer. Honestly, who cares? He cannot stay focused on one thing for more than five minutes and when Madonna doesn't trust him to do a job to the end, he is insulted. In the end, he is more mean-spirited and one-sided than his sister ever was to him.

The whole book (badly written and as repetitive as it is) feels like a poor attempt to destroy his sister's career because he is no longer under her wing and no longer has the glorious life he once had. I don't think Madonna's perfect. I'm not even that big a fan of hers. But after reading this book, I can truly see why she would cast out her obsessive, self-absorbed and whiny brother out of her life.

Poor, poor Christopher. You were never much of anything when your sister is everything.

A lot of the other reviewers have pretty much hit the nail on the head about this book being Christopher Ciccone's
"WOE IS ME!!--I LOVE MY SISTER, BUT I HATE HER!!" journal.
The only thing original I can say is that MADONNA,
love her or hate her, is what she is and that's that!
The very traits of ambition, drive, focus, fearlessness, will, talent, saavy, guts, etc.
are what made her rise from suburban Detroit to the bright lights
/ big city of NYC in the late
70's and early 80's, on to the world stage and the
iconic megastar she became and still is today!
Of course, with all those star-making traits come selfishness, manipulativeness,
control-issues, etc. because everybody has a darkside as well.
Show me a person who is all goodness
and light all the time and I'll show you either a phony or
somebody good at repressing their darker nature and who will
one day explode!

On the otherhand, you have Christopher, her younger brother,
who by his own words, has been a person who has always been subdued,
kind of muddled, middle-of-the-road, and played it safe for most
of his life. It takes a Madonna-type to wake up and bring out a person
like that because left to their own devices, they would never have the guts to live their lives outside the box!
That's what she's been doing to the status quo for the
last 25 years!--Duuhhh!!

Chris's paradox is that the very things he admires and
is deeply attracted to in his older superstar sister
are the very things that he hates in her and yet
helplessly can't tear himself from.

I have seen some of Mr. Ciccone's artwork and he is good,
but Michelangelo ain't got nothing to worry about! (LOL!!)
He probably is a better set designer, artistic director
and interior decorator than a full-on artist!
But the reality is, is that he would have never gotten the
noteriety he has if it were not for his sister!
Instead of him sending $50,000 checks to his ex-lover,
who he broke up with because the ex couldn't deal with the
demands of Madonna's frantic life on Christopher,
who was always a willing participant and would drop everything
as soon as he was summoned to follow her, he should've been
saving all of the many hundreds of thousands of dollars that
have passed through his hands over the years for that inevitable
rainy season when it would all come to an end!
He does, after all, know her and her behavior patterns and
how she can disconnect from someone, blood or no blood,
at the drop of a hat!
And no way would I have spent $65,000 of my own money
for paintings for Madonna with no promise of reimbursement,
given her past history of mercurialness and bitchiness with him!
Truth is, he let himself get played time and time again
because, bottomline, he wanted to be in the spotlight
and to warm himself in the sunshine of Madonna's starpower!

Long story short...we all have a role to play in life,
and that role is based on who we are inside, what we
are willing to accept from ourselves and others,
our own ability to adapt, change and see opportunity and
know what to do when we see it.
Madonna is who she is, and Christopher is who he is...
there's no good, bad, ugly or indifference to it...
it's just the way their lives have played out so far!
It's not too late for Christopher Ciccone to finally get out
from under his sister's shadow and forge his own path to happiness!
He just needs to let go of the anger, the blame game,
and to own his own part in his unhappiness and misery.
He needs to leave those drugs, partying, phony hollywood types, etc.
in the dust and focus on himself. People like Madonna respect those
who stand their ground and will tell them to F--Off sometimes!
Had Christopher not caved in to her so many times,
even when she was a witch with a capital B,
she might have respected him more!
Sean Penn and Guy Ritchie knew when to tell her to go get stuffed!
That's why she couldn't get enough of them!
So to Christopher, I say GROW UP and GROW A PAIR!!

I think that Christopher Ciccone is a talented man with a lot to offer. I appreciate his account of sibling rivalry/intersibling conflict. Few people seem to understand the devastating affect siblings can have on each other; most accounts of familial conflict focus on the parent-child relationship, not the sister-to-brother, brother-to-brother, sister-to-sister dynamics.

I do have reservations about Christopher's story, however. He seems to downplay his "recreational drug" usage. I don't know where the fine line is drawn between recreational use and addiction. As a person who has had two destructive psychotic episodes (the first due to medical malpractice and the second due to cold-turkey withdrawal from a strong medication with known health risks), I would never willingly alter my consciousness in such a Russian Roulette manner. Yet I understand that drug usage is more complicated than heavy-handed, unhelpful judgment, and I have compassion for those who struggle with addictions. On the other hand, I don't think it's fair for Madonna to dismiss Christopher's grievances against her as stemming from his drug usage or denials of addiction.

The book really wasn't much of a shocker, other than the confirmation that Madonna is not yet enlightened, no matter what she may claim. If she says something that actually makes sense (IMHO, she says a lot of things that don't make sense!), then she won't apply this wisdom by treating people with the dignity and respect that is inherent in every human being. After reading this book, I just have to point out the hypocrisy between pretending to be enlightened and then treating people like crap. Yet I give her full credit for charity work in Africa, bringing a forsaken country to worldwide attention. Christopher speculates whether her commitment is in part due to her need to keep up with the Jolies. If she is going to play the Mother Teresa part, she will eclipse all other celebrity humanitarians. Well, maybe, but so what? She's still positively impacting the lives of impoverished Malawians, and I applaud her for it. Perhaps the road to heaven is paved with dubiuous intentions. I'll be honest, I started volunteering in part due to my admiration of Princess Diana's active compassion and wanted to emulate this flawed heroine. I can hardly keep up with the Spencers, but you get the idea that people are influenced by each other and imitate each other.

I don't get Madonna. After reading this book, she still remains the same enigma she was before I opened this 342-page book, replete with family photographs. Losing your mother at such a young age must have been horrible; she and Christopher both have my compassion for their loss. Though my mom and I get into tiffs somewhat regularly, she is still one of my best friends. I couldn't imagine life without her. Christopher makes it clear that Joan, their stepmother, never mistreated them and went out of her way to take care of them. Madonna apparently resents having someone try to take the place of her mother and played up the Cinderella Syndrome.

Even though Madonna has nothing but my compassion for her early loss, that loss does not give her carte blanche to do whatever she wants to whomever she wants. Just because she was hurt at an early age doesn't mean that she can rationalize treating others badly, if that is what she is doing on an unconscious level. I don't know. As I said, I don't get her. According to this book, she certainly has treated her brother as though he's dispensable, there for her ready convenience when he's of use to her.

Also, what a miserly mindset! My brother and I have quite a history between us, but he'd want for nothing if I had millions. He wouldn't have to decorate my house in order for me to dole him out a bit of money if he was between a rock and a hard place. Nor would my sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, parents, cousins, aunts, or uncles. That's what you do for family. I'm saying this theoretically, as I don't have millions, but if I ever do, I hope that I will follow through with this sentiment because I just think sharing with your family is the right thing to do. And I'd actually enjoy providing for them, as I love giving presents at Christmas that my family members actually want. It's a pleasure to see someone's face light up when you give him or her something you know s/he will enjoy. (For example, I recently sent my uncle (through marriage), who just lost his mother, a DVD of a French movie called Tous les Matins du Monde (All the Mornings of the World). We had seen this movie together years ago when I was an undergraduate. It features the lives of two composers of the viola da gamba, and my uncle briefly took lessons on this cousin-to-the-cello. To hear his heartfelt thanks on my voicemail repaid for the gift many times over.) Stephen Covey talks about the scarcity mentality versus the abundance mentality in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I don't know whether Madonna is suffering from the scarcity mentality in some aspects of her life.

Ever since informally converting to Unitarian Universalism, I've enjoyed attending services. To the best of my knowledge, the U.U.'s don't make million-dollar demands on their adherents' pocketbooks. Christopher Reeve, a celebrity U.U. and personal inspiration, appreciated that this congregation never pressured him for money. Admittedly, I'm an outsider looking in, but I don't get why Madonna has given the Kabbalah Synagogue millions of dollars. It's her money and she can spend it how she will, but she shouldn't have to pay outrageous sums of money to learn about the Kabbalah. But I don't know the whole situation, so I should just reserve judgment on this extravagant expenditure of the otherwise tight-fisted Madonna.

I wish both siblings well. I hope that they will sincerly reconcile in the near future, without blame and defensiveness. My own brother and I are well on are way to reconciliation and are getting along better than ever. We're not 100% yet, but we're so much better than we used to be. If he and I can work through our garbage and issues (and believe me, our issues are the stuff of Faulkner and Pat Conroy fiction), I think that many other dysfunctional intersibling relationships can heal as well.

I'm glad that I borrowed this book from the library, as I'm not likely to reread it. I think that Christopher is a talented man, but his theme of jumping into new artistic ventures without any formal training may have worked in other areas of his life, but I think he needs more experience and guidance with his writing. He has real potential, but in my opinion, this memoir could have been improved if he had taken writing courses at the college level and bounced off ideas/collaborated with established writers before publishing Life with My Sister Madonna.

A lot of the other reviewers have pretty much hit the nail on the head about this book being Christopher Ciccone's
"WOE IS ME!!--I LOVE MY SISTER, BUT I HATE HER!!" journal.
The only thing original I can say is that MADONNA,
love her or hate her, is what she is and that's that!
The very traits of ambition, drive, focus, fearlessness, will, talent, saavy, guts, etc.
are what made her rise from suburban Detroit to the bright lights
/ big city of NYC in the late
70's and early 80's, on to the world stage and the
iconic megastar she became and still is today!
Of course, with all those star-making traits come selfishness, manipulativeness,
control-issues, etc. because everybody has a darkside as well.
Show me a person who is all goodness
and light all the time and I'll show you either a phony or
somebody good at repressing their darker nature and who will
one day explode!

On the otherhand, you have Christopher, her younger brother,
who by his own words, has been a person who has always been subdued,
kind of muddled, middle-of-the-road, and played it safe for most
of his life. It takes a Madonna-type to wake up and bring out a person
like that because left to their own devices, they would never have the guts to live their lives outside the box!
That's what she's been doing to the status quo for the
last 25 years!--Duuhhh!!

Chris's paradox is that the very things he admires and is deeply attracted to in his older superstar sister
are the very things that he hates in her and yet
helplessly can't tear himself from.
I have seen some of Mr. Ciccone's artwork and he is good,
but Michelangelo ain't got nothing to worry about! (LOL!!)
He probably is a better set designer, artistic director
and interior decorator than a full-on artist!
But the reality is, is that he would have never gotten the
noteriety he has if it were not for his sister!
Instead of him sending $50,000 checks to his ex-lover,
who he broke up with because the ex couldn't deal with the
demands of Madonna's frantic life on Christopher,
who was always a willing participant and would drop everything
as soon as he was summoned to follow her, he should've been
saving all of the many hundreds of thousands of dollars that
have passed through his hands over the years for that inevitable
rainy season when it would all come to an end!
He does, after all, know her and her behavior patterns and
how she can disconnect from someone, blood or no blood,
at the drop of a hat!
And no way would I have spent $65,000 of my own money
for paintings for Madonna with no promise of reimbursement,
given her past history of mercurialness and bitchiness with him!
Truth is, he let himself get played time and time again
because, bottomline, he wanted to be in the spotlight
and to warm himself in the sunshine of Madonna's starpower!

Long story short...we all have a role to play in life,
and that role is based on who we are inside, what we
are willing to accept from ourselves and others,
our own ability to adapt, change and see opportunity and
know what to do when we see it.
Madonna is who she is, and Christopher is who he is...
there's no good, bad, ugly or indifference to it...
it's just the way their lives have played out so far!
It's not too late for Christopher Ciccone to finally get out
from under his sister's shadow and forge his own path to happiness!
He just needs to let go of the anger, the blame game,
and to own his own part in his unhappiness and misery.
He needs to leave those drugs, partying, phony hollywood types, etc.
in the dust and focus on himself. People like Madonna respect those
who stand their ground and will tell them to F--Off sometimes!
Had Christopher not caved in to her so many times,
even when she was a witch with a capital B,
she might have respected him more!
Sean Penn and Guy Ritchie knew when to tell her to go get stuffed!
That's why she couldn't get enough of them!
So to Christopher, I say GROW UP and GROW A PAIR!!

A lot of the other reviewers have pretty much hit the nail on the head about this book being Christopher Ciccone's "WOE IS ME!!--I LOVE MY SISTER, BUT I HATE HER!!" journal. The only thing original I can say is that MADONNA, love her or hate her, is what she is and that's that!
The very traits of ambition, drive, focus, fearlessness, will, talent, saavy, guts, etc. are what made her rise from suburban Detroit to the bright lights / big city of NYC in the late 70's and early 80's, on to the world stage and the iconic megastar she became and still is today!
Of course, with all those star-making traits come selfishness, manipulativeness,
control-issues, etc. because everybody has a darkside as well.
Show me a person who is all goodness and light all the time and I'll show you either a phony or somebody good at repressing their darker nature and who will one day explode!

On the otherhand, you have Christopher, her younger brother,
who by his own words, has been a person who was always been subdued,
kind of muddled, middle-of-the-road, and played it safe for most
of his life. It takes a Madonna-type to wake up and bring out a person
like that because left to their own devices, they would never have the guts to live their lives outside the box!
That's what she's been doing to the status quo for the
last 25 years!--Duuhhh!!

Chris's paradox is that the very things he admires and is deeply attracted to in his older superstar sister are the very things that he hates in her and yet helplessly can't tear himself from.
I have seen some of Mr. Ciccone's artwork and he is good,
but Michelangelo ain't got nothing to worry about! (LOL!!)
He probably is a better set designer, artistic director
and interior decorator than full-on artist!
But the reality is, is that he would have never gotten the
noteriety he has if it were not for his sister!
Instead of sending $50,000 checks to his ex-lover, who he broke up with because the ex couldn't deal with the demands of Madonna's frantic life on Christopher, who was always a willing participant and would drop everything as soon as he was summoned to follow her, he should've been saving all of the many hundreds of thousands of dollars that have passed through his hands over the years for that inevitable rainy season
when it would all come to an end!---He does after all, know her
and her behavior patterns and how she can disconnect from someone,
blood or no blood, at the drop of a hat!
And no way would I have spent $65,000 of my own money for paintings
for Madonna with no promise of reimbursement, given her past
history of mercurialness and bitchiness with him!
Truth is, he let himself get played time and time again because, bottomline, he wanted to be in the spotlight
and to warm himself in the sunshine of Madonna's starpower!

Long story short...we all have a role to play in life,
and that role is based on who we are inside, what we
are willing to accept from ourselves and others,
our own ability to adapt, change and see opportunity and
know what to do when we see it.
Madonna is who she is, and Christopher is who he is...
there's no good, bad, ugly or indifference to it...
it just the way their lives have played out so far!

This book was such a disappointment. From the look of the book, I was expecting a tell all about Madonna, instead it's a woe is me book about what a victim Christopher is at the hands of sister. Over and over again I cringe when Christopher tells how Madonna refused to pay him a reasonable rate, raged at him, blackmailed him, forced him into her religion, all the while denying he has a drug problem, when at every turn he is snorting cocaine. I find him pitiful and so is the book. If it was so bad, he had other choices and could have worked elsewhere. It's awful, yes she was mean to him, a complete b*tch actually, and she refused to pay him what he was worth.. but Chris, have you been living under a rock? Turn on Dr. Phil.. "you teach people how to treat you", demand respect or get the hec out of dodge.. you didn't have to follow her around, decorate her houses and assist her as a "dresser" if you didn't want to, you had OTHER choices. While reading the book, I wanted to get up out of bed, go find him and shake him. I was so irritated with his whining, I wanted to throw the book at the wall. Don't bother!

This book exceeded all of my expectations. It's been a very long time since I've found a book that I liked this much. I could not put the book down. If you enjoy peering into the lives of others, this autobiography will give you a look at what it's like growing up with (and working for) a girl who becomes one of the worlds most famous women. The book chronicles Christopher Ciccone's very close and tumultuous personal and working relationship with his sister Madonna. For her entire career, Christopher was there with Madonna, watching and helping her become one of the best known entertainers of our time. Through this book he gives you the insight into both their lives like nobody else can. You will see the price a man has paid for his life with his sister Madonna.

I think that Christopher Ciccone is a talented man with a lot to offer. I appreciate his account of sibling rivalry/intersibling conflict. Few people seem to understand the devastating affect siblings can have on each other; most accounts of familial conflict focus on the parent-child relationship, not the sister-to-brother, brother-to-brother, sister-to-sister dynamics.

I do have reservations about Christopher's story, however. He seems to downplay his "recreational drug" usage. I don't know where the fine line is drawn between recreational use and addiction. As a person who has had two destructive psychotic episodes (the first due to medical malpractice and the second due to cold-turkey withdrawal from a strong medication with known health risks), I would never willingly alter my consciousness in such a Russian Roulette manner. Yet I understand that drug usage is more complicated than heavy-handed, unhelpful judgment, and I have compassion for those who struggle with addictions. On the other hand, I don't think it's fair for Madonna to dismiss Christopher's grievances against her as stemming from his drug usage or denials of addiction.

The book really wasn't much of a shocker, other than the confirmation that Madonna is not yet enlightened, no matter what she may claim. Yet I give her full credit for charity work in Africa, bringing a forsaken country to worldwide attention. Christopher speculates whether her commitment is in part due to her need to keep up with the Jolies. If she is going to play the Mother Teresa part, she will eclipse all other celebrity humanitarians. Well, maybe, but so what? She's still positively impacting the lives of impoverished Malawians, and I applaud her for it. Perhaps the road to heaven is paved with dubiuous intentions. I'll be honest, I started volunteering in part due to my admiration of Princess Diana's active compassion and wanted to emulate this flawed heroine. I can hardly keep up with the Spencers, but you get the idea that people are influenced by each other and imitate each other.

I don't get Madonna. After reading this book, she still remains the same enigma she was before I opened this 342-page book, replete with family photographs. Losing your mother at such a young age must have been horrible; she and Christopher both have my compassion for their loss. Though my mom and I get into tiffs somewhat regularly, she is still one of my best friends. I couldn't imagine life without her. Christopher makes it clear that Joan, their stepmother, never mistreated them and went out of her way to take care of them. Madonna apparently resents having someone try to take the place of her mother and played up the Cinderella Syndrome.

Even though Madonna has nothing but my compassion for her early loss, that loss does not give her carte blanche to do whatever she wants to whomever she wants. Just because she was hurt at an early age doesn't mean that she can rationalize treating others badly, if that is what she is doing on an unconscious level. I don't know. As I said, I don't get her. According to this book, she certainly has treated her brother as though he's dispensable, there for her ready convenience when he's of use to her.

Also, what a miserly mindset! My brother and I have quite a history between us, but he'd want for nothing if I had millions. He wouldn't have to decorate my house in order for me to dole him out a bit of money if he was between a rock and a hard place. Nor would my sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, parents, cousins, aunts, or uncles. That's what you do for family. I'm saying this theoretically, as I don't have millions, but if I ever do, I hope that I will follow through with this sentiment because I just think sharing with your family is the right thing to do. And I'd actually enjoy providing for them, as I love giving presents at Christmas that my family members actually want. It's a pleasure to see someone's face light up when you give him or her something you know s/he will enjoy. (For example, I recently sent my uncle (through marriage), who just lost his mother, a DVD of a French movie called Tous les Matins du Monde (All the Mornings of the World). We had seen this movie together years ago when I was an undergraduate. It features the lives of two composers of the viola da gamba, and my uncle briefly took lessons on this cousin-to-the-cello. To hear his heartfelt thanks on my voicemail repaid for the gift many times over.) Stephen Covey talks about the scarcity mentality versus the abundance mentality in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I don't know whether Madonna is suffering from the scarcity mentality in some aspects of her life.

Ever since informally converting to Unitarian Universalism, I've enjoyed attending services. To the best of my knowledge, the U.U.'s don't make million-dollar demands on their adherents' pocketbooks. Christopher Reeve, a celebrity U.U. and personal inspiration, appreciated that this congregation never pressured him for money. Admittedly, I'm an outsider looking in, but I don't get why Madonna has given the Kabbalah Synagogue millions of dollars. It's her money and she can spend it how she will, but she shouldn't have to pay outrageous sums of money to learn about the Kabbalah. But I don't know the whole situation, so I should just reserve judgment on this extravagant expenditure of the otherwise tight-fisted Madonna.

I wish both siblings well. I hope that they will sincerly reconcile in the near future, without blame and defensiveness. My own brother and I are well on are way to reconciliation and are getting along better than ever. We're not 100% yet, but we're so much better than we used to be. If he and I can work through our garbage and issues (and believe me, our issues are the stuff of Faulkner and Pat Conroy fiction), I think that many other dysfunctional intersibling relationships can heal as well.

I'm glad that I borrowed this book from the library, as I'm not likely to reread it. I think that Christopher is a talented man, but his theme of jumping into new artistic ventures without any formal training may have worked in other areas of his life, but I think he needs more experience and guidance with his writing. He has real potential, but in my opinion, this memoir could have been significantly improved upon if he had taken writing courses at the college level and bounced off ideas/collaborated with established writers before publishing Life with My Sister Madonna.

..........But it sure is a heck of a lot of fun!

......my 2008 Summer of Fun book......absolutely nothing I did not expect to know about my luv Madonna.......nothing surprising & revelatory.......If Christopher is to be believed, Madge comes across as narcissistic.....demanding.......spoiled.......and the Centre of the Universe, which is exactly as it should be......I've loved this woman's' art for so many years now and she keeps getting better & better.....witness the phenomenal success of "Hard Candy"........a bit of sour grapes from Christopher I detected and towards the late 90's-early 2000 becomes a bit of a bore hearing about him & Demi...him & Gwyneth......him & Ingrid, etc.......love the parts about him doing coke with Donatella & Jack Nicholson......like last years Tina Brown's Dianna book, this one is a two-day read on the beach & quite a bit of fun along the way.......

Luigi ~ nyc

I picked up this book because I am taking my wife to Madonna's concert in October and wanted to know a bit about her. The book starts out mildly interesting and "C level" written. By the end, Christopher sounds like a whiny, self-centered, name-dropping, relative of Madonna. To make matters worse, it's as if someone else started writing it about 1/2 way through (maybe him?) and the writing drops to a "D- level".

Something was also nagging me as I read the book and I realized what it was a few chapters in: in Christopher's mind, Christopher is perfect in every way. He literally post-justifies everything he has ever done in his life. He tries to convince you (or maybe himself) that he has been nothing but honorable for his entire life and only wants to be supportive Madonna. By the end of the book, I actually found myself understanding why Madonna would treat Christopher the way she did, which was most certainly exaggerated by Christopher.

If the book simply had a note of honesty to it, that would be something to cling to. If Christopher was sincere in his writing, offering some self-deprecation when appropriate then maybe that would be something to cling to. Instead you are left with the impression that the book is nothing more than way for Christopher to make a few bucks off of his sister's life and, as a side benefit, nurture his delusion that he is not just a drug-addicted flunky living in his sister's shadow *by choice*.

If the book were a lot shorter, I may have given it another star. I only give it two stars because I actually finished it.

This book is not about Madonna, it's about her brother Christopher.

Anyone who reads the book will at first be excited trying to know Madonna, but in the end realises the story is about her brother who can't seem to make it on his own until he has no other choice and writes a book to survive once again off his sister.

Even though he has established himself as a succesfull decorator etc. He always runs back to his sister after much said mistreatment from her.If you feel you are worth your work, why settle for less?
Who does this anymore and try to bask in the sun of someone else's fame?
Also, his misfortune with money seems to exclude his lifestyle /cocaine spending habit perhaps? He is not making millions, why live beyond this.

The detail of celebrity scandals and gossip only hides how sad Christopher is by going nowhere with his very talented life and points fingers at others to include the stories about his sister without seeing his own flaws.
This book is a great read about a little brother who wants to be in the popular group his sister is in but falls short by his own talents.

A very enjoyable read if you like to delve in to other peoples, especially celebritys, lives. Very interesting and insightful, a quick read. I am a Madonna fan, and quite frankly didn't expect anything less than what was described of her, I think you'd have to be mostly like that to get to the position she's succeeded to be in today. The self adulation is not surprising but the stinginess towards her family is which I found to be very sad. I think most people who were earning that kind of money, upwards of the 100's of millions, however much they didn't get on with their family would fork out money for their well being. If I were her brother I would probably have written this book too!!

Rumor has it that Madonna herself may have ghost-written parts of this book for the publicity factor, but I choose to believe that she's smarter than to get involved with her skanky brother's shenanigans--remember his failing restaurant that mysteriously burned down? Poor Chris (as he will surely be in the years to come) seems to think that Madonna owes the good stuff to him and the bad stuff is just her fault. Talk about biting the hand that feeds.

A fascinating look into Madonna's whirling life. While I understand her anger with this coming out, there's really nothing in here that the general public would think is scandalous. The question I had while reading this was, if Christopher found it so frustratng working for the most famous woman in the world and was so embarassed that he couldn't tell his friends he was her "dresser", maybe he should have considered going to back to New York (or LA). She is the one with the "talent", she gave you a job and you thought it beneath you. Just sounds like sour grapes, to me.
Don't get me wrong, this is chock full of tales and Our Lady Madonna is definately driving the crazy train down the river of denile.
As there are always two sides to very story, I would love to read "Life with my Brother Christopher" by Madonna Ciccone-Penn-Ritchie.