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Customer Reviews (2)

Robert Downey Jr: The Fall and Rise of the Comeback Kid
I am not a kid but I am a student of Robert Downey Jr's work. This book, for all the author's sincere effort to be accurate and authentic, lacks heft. Granting that the book covers the first 45 years of Robert Downey Jr's life, 250 pages hardly examines the harrowing experiences of this gifted actor. The book reads more as a show biz bio than a true biography. Where quotes occur, apart from occasional textual references, there is no documentation. There are no explanatory notes to provide depth. Seminal moments in the actor's life are glossed over in a few sentences. For instance, the birth of his son. This was the point in his life where Robert ceased being only someone's son (Junior) and became someone's father. But the days and weeks surrounding this event, whether or not he was present when his son was born, what his reaction was, all are ignored. Equally, when he married producer Susan Levin he married into Jewish culture with all the responsibilities and obligations that go with it. Yet again nothing more is made of it than the fact they were married and went off to France. These and other critical moments are hardly addressed. One expects more of biography. There are some anecdotes and some fresh information, plenty of conjecture, but no real insights. The actor as a man never comes off the page. For newer fans who want an accurate overview of the life and career of Robert Downey Jr, this is a good place to start. But be aware: the book is informative, not enlightening.

"If it encourages one more person to buy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang or Less Than Zero on DVD, it's been worth it." Ben Falk
(I ticked the "kid" on person by way, Amazon won't stop putting my full name and town up when I don't!)

As stated from the start RDJ has not contributed to the book but a wealth of people have helping to provide a very revealing, frank and at times harrowing account of Robert's life and career. It enlivens the facts with humorous anecdotes and a comfortable, personable writing style all the while maintaining a very balanced piece that doesn't sway (as it so easily could have) into sensationalism, judgment, sycophancy or exaggeration. There are a lot of stories and quotes in here that I haven't come across before and some detailed interviews with friends and celebrities. It's not by any means a celebrity puff piece, there's some real meat here that may be hard for some readers to stomach. I, myself, was quite disturbed by the chapters that dealt with Robert's incarceration in depth but once you get passed that, you then you realise just how lucky he is to be alive and healthy, leaving you feeling even prouder and happier that those times are now behind him.

Not that there aren't the occasional lighter moments on the way, like RDJ's poetry:

"He chopped up the body like a gourmet magnifico
And put those pieces under the floorboard very specifico."

Beautiful!

In summary the author has clearly researched his subject and is an obvious hardcore fan resulting in a biography that is respectful, entertaining, poignant, saddening, inspirational and ultimately ending in hope and a strong optimism for the future.
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.Biography of Robert Downey Jr. His rise to an A list actor, playing Iron Man, Tropic Thunder and The Soloist. The Oscar nominated actor has been called the best of his generation, but he has been shadowed with self-doubt and addiction. Cry about his struggles and laugh with his quick, quirky sense of humor. Read about Robert Downey Senior, who has an even stranger sense of humor than he does. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

After reading I am now a bigger fan
I didn't know much about Robert Downey Junior, but one of my friends suggested I read this book. The book was great, I found him to be a very interesting person. His struggle with drug addiction was very compelling, and I'm glad that he has overcome it.
The book was filled with great RDJ quotes, each one funnier than the last.
I didn't really realize how many movies he has been in, it doesn't seem like you see him very often, but after reading the book you find out that most of his roles have been in smaller films.
I am very glad that I got an opportunity to read the book, and I think I'm going out and renting Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang so I can see more of him.
I don't understand what the other person who reviewed this books problem was, I found the book to be very well written.

I wanted to love this book ...
but I couldn't.As soon as I heard about it on a RDJ website that I frequent, I was very excited and came to Amazon to order it immediately.When it arrived, I tucked into my bag and raced off to work.

When I began to read it, it seemed so familiar, like I had read it all before.Then I realized that I had.In other magazines, books, videos, interviews, and various materials.This book appears to be a collection of quotes and interviews from the broad spectrum of media sources.I was expecting a more "investigatory" style to the book, much like the style used by Walter Icaason in his books about Einstein and Benjamin Franklin.One of the expectations I had for this book was to learn or, at least, clarify my knowledge of the man and his life.

Although I know that Mr. Downey is cautious about the media's exposure to his son Indio, and wife Susan, I would have liked to know more about these relationships, because in the limited interviews and press that he does discuss or mention his son and/or marriage, I feel as though these two relationships are the stabilizing units in his life.While reading a recent interview with Mr. Downey regarding his son, I felt the warmth and absolute love that this father has for his son radiating from the page.Evidence of this connection was lacking in this book.

I also would like to have more attention paid to Mr. Downey's time and experiences spent overcoming substance abuse.I think that this portion of the book, handled in a mature, factual, and sensitive manner, could be of help to certain individuals facing the same issues with substance abuse.In fact, I do know of one person who can saw that she overcame alcoholism thanks to the public struggles Mr. Downey suffered "exorcising his demons."

I believe that these last two complaints could have been satisfied with actual interviews with Mr. Downey.Had this not been a possibility, I would have questioned the feasibility and usefulness of writing this book.

The last issue that kept me from enjoying this book was the spelling and grammar mistakes that plagued parts of this publication.Some may call me petty to allow this to bother me, but the fact of the matter is, when I read a professionally written and published piece of literature, I expect proper adherence to grammatical rules.Although this was not a rampant problem throughout the book, it did occur enough times that it impeded my enjoyment of the book.

Mr. Hamilton, I wish you well in your writing career, but I feel that this book was not written in a manner that best shows your potential.I apologize if this review seems harsh, but I simply wrote what was in my heart.
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Hardass, Flake, Superstar and Yes, IRON MAN 2 // PLUS: Kesha: Confessions of a Party Animal // and much more ... Read more

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Chapters: Robert Downey, Jr., Jesse Jackson, Jr., David Carradine, Wesley Snipes, Daniel Wu, Shin Koyamada, Jason Delucia, Channing Tatum, Cung Le, Benny Urquidez, Summer Glau, Mark Dacascos, Michelle Waterson, Cynthia Rothrock, Thuy Trang, Michael Jai White, Ron Van Clief, Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Bobby Lowe, Elaina Maxwell, Mark Salzman, Meiling Melançon, Morgan Benoit, Alex Huynh, Ilram Choi. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 186. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Jesse Louis Jackson, Jr. (born March 11, 1965) is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives representing Illinois's 2nd congressional district, which includes the part of the Southland southeast suburbs of Chicago and part of the Chicago South Side. The son of activist and former presidential candidate Jesse Jackson, he has served the 2nd district since winning a special election on December 12, 1995 to fill the seat vacated by Mel Reynolds. His wife, Sandi Jackson, serves on the Chicago City Council. He served as a national co-chairman of the Barack Obama presidential campaign. Prior to elective politics Jackson was active in international civil rights activism. He participated in his father's presidential campaigns and then in the office of his Rainbow Coalition. During his time in public office he has co-authored three books, two of them with his father. Jackson has a consistent liberal record on both social and fiscal issues. His most important political issue has been the pursuit of the proposed Chicago south suburban airport to serve as a third major airport for the Chicago metropolitan area. He has been a very active Democratic spokesperson for other Democratic candidates and a popular interviewee and broadcast media guest. In his 40% white district, he has generated broad-based support, wh...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=411900 ... Read more

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Plus, An Early Look at His New Thriller SHERLOCK HOLMES // Also Articles on : Making Sense of FLASH FORWARD // We've Read Sarah Palins Book // New Albums From, Shakira, Rihanna, & Adam Lambert // and much more ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Robert John Downey, Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor, film producer, and musician. Downey made his screen debut at the age of five when he appeared in one of his father's films, and has worked consistently in film and television ever since. During the 1980s, he had roles in a series of coming of age films associated with the Brat Pack. Less Than Zero (1987) is particularly notable, not only because it was the first time Downey's acting would be acknowledged by critics, but also because the role pushed Downey's already existing drug habit one step further. After Zero, Downey started landing roles in bigger films such as Air America (1990) and Soapdish (1991). These higher-profile roles eventually led to his being cast as Charlie Chaplin in the 1992 film Chaplin, for which he gained an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. ... Read more