No Lifeguard on Duty: The Accidental Life of the World's First Supermodel (Hardcover)

by Janice Dickinson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Supermodel Dickinson's sex- and booze-soaked autobiography brings readers on a roller-coaster ride through the world of modeling, the emptiness of superficial relationships and the perils of drug addiction. Admitting that "terror is a great motivator," Dickinson fought like a tigress to establish her career. Courageous and confident of her worth, she demanded $20,000 for a job when the going rate was $5,000. Bolstered by Andy Warhol's advice, "you make your own luck," Dickinson represented Hush Puppies, Max Factor and Virginia Slims and ignored Calvin Klein's comment, "models aren't supposed to think." As a result, Dickinson is more interesting than some might expect, immersing herself in details about modeling and refining her skills as a photographer. Friendships with then-struggling actor Bruce Willis and her sisters have surprising warmth. The obligatory sensationalism is here concerning affairs with Jack Nicholson, Mick Jagger, Warren Beatty, Liam Neeson and Sylvester Stallone along with accounts of her multiple marriages and a near-fatal car wreck. While denouncing her hedonistic existence, Dickinson is also honest enough to acknowledge the stimulating aspects of success and glamour, explaining why they lure insecure personalities and imprison them past the point of no return. The book is sometimes predictable and psychologically simplistic, but Dickinson comes across as a triumphant survivor. Her willingness to recognize her own flaws makes it easy to relate to her positive message and should inspire readers searching for solutions to career and personal conflicts. Color & b&w photos.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

The life of Janice Dickinson is a story of extremes: uncontrolled energy, mad self-confidence and crushing insecurity, a boundless appetite for life and a ceaseless drive to self-destruct. During the 1970s she was the first lush-lipped, long-stemmed, dark-eyed brunette to break through and become not just a model but a supermodel -- a term she coined for herself.

She graced major magazine covers from Vogue to Elle to Cosmopolitan, in photographs by Avedon and Irving Penn and fashions by Versace and Calvin Klein. She was voracious in everything: affairs both passionate and casual, endless partying, and a drug habit that dogged her through twenty years and three husbands. She spent her glory days with Gia Carangi and Christie Brinkley and her nights with Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, and Sylvester Stallone. And wherever she went, Janice captured the imagination of everyone who encountered her.

Yet the tale Janice Dickinson has lived to tell is no mere diva cartoon. For the haunting undercurrent in her life is a violent dance of cruelty and abuse with her own father -- a story she tells here for the first time. And as she careens from runway to rehab to rock bottom to recovery, readers will be captivated by her tale of survival . . . and by its cautionary power for anyone who still believes that fashion -- or life -- is an easy business.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: HarperEntertainment; 1st edition (August 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060009462
• ISBN-13: 978-0060009465
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #470,070 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest memoir by an early super model, August 21, 2002

By	K. Corn "reviewer" (Indianapolis,, IN United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

Janice Dickinson was one of the first models who not only broke the mold of the blonde, pale and WASP-y supermodel but turned it on upside down, in the tradition of Gia Carangi, Cindy Crawford and Beverly Johnson. Born with looks that turned heads and drove men to their knees, Dickinson was not as blessed when it came to her personal life and self-image. She seemed destined to self-destruct but somehow managed to recreate herself until time, drugs and her past caught up with her.
Does this sound like just another dreary tale of a beautiful woman who let fame go to her head. drugs muddle her brain and life pass her by? Think again. Pick this one up and I doubt you'll put it down again till you've read every sentence. FOr one thing, Dickinson has the courage to spill almost all about the ups and downs of her life (although I'd LOVE to read what she doesn't reveal) and that, in itself, is compelling. She's honest about many of her flaws and revealing about the lives of celebrities who cross her path, including Sylvester Stallone, Christie Brinkley, Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty and others. This makes for a juicy read. I'll leave it to you to decide what is true and what isn't. What I CAN say is that this book definitely isn't boring or dry. CAUTION: There are some nude photos in the photo spread so, depending on your values, you may not want to leave this one lying around the house.

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Janice is HEAT!, October 14, 2002

By	R. Spell "raspell" (Memphis, TN USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

My only knowledge of Janice Dickinson was that she supposedly had Sly Stallone's child and there was some type scandal. I bought this book because I love beautiful women and biographies about the fast life in the 70s. This book satisfies on both counts. Not only is Janice beautiful but also virtually every other supermodel till the 90s is mentioned or pictured in the book.

Janice describes her destructive family life and through the typical desire and luck worms her way into the modeling business. Still only on the fringes of the business, she describes her European trips and how she is finally able to generate the heat necessary to grow into a supermodel. Of course, this leads to the failed marriages, self-destructive life style including sex and drugs, and an attitude to eventually hurt her career.

But this wild life makes an interesting read even though it is lightly written.

A second part of the book deals with life after modeling, her final two marriages, birth of her kids, her Stallone affair and the death of her father. It's almost sad at this point to see a person who had it all and how she had so many problems living happily. But that's the interesting part of the book seeing how she copes.

Some of us are built to go to work every day. And some, like Janice are built to live on the edge and reach for the stars. She may not be perfect but it was an interesting lifestyle although I suspect the Christian Coalition wouldn't agree. Read the book for fun.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest and Brutal, September 5, 2002

By	Taimette (Sweden) - See all my reviews

Janice Dickinson surprised me greatly by this well written book in the tradition of the lights of Marquise de Sade. Few books I have read breathe of such honesty. You can feel the knives going into her as she was writing this, the cruel treatment of her own self and the lust for life that has driven Ms Dickinson to be such a beautiful woman. Of course, this kind of determination only works with a delectable bone structure and an exotic personality, and as previous reviewers have mentioned, there is plenty of evidence Janice is bootylicious.

Frankly having seen Janice lying through her teeth (or amusing herself) on a talk show with Gia Carangi as the subject, where she proclaimed that on the topic of playing the field and taking drugs she felt like she was "left out of something", I was much surprised at finding this such an honest book. There is nothing, NOTHING, PC about Janice. Moreover this is really one of the greatest books of its kind. Strangely enough it reminds me of Gogol! She makes that curious contact with the reader - all of a sudden she reaches out and you are right with her as she writes this remarkable tale of her life. If you have no problem with dirty words, if you love art and you don't consider a person inane because of their overt usage of foul language, this is the book for you. Highly recommended!