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288th out of 856 books
—
1,222 voters
Cybill Disobedience: How I Survived Beauty Pageants, Elvis, Sex, Bruce Willis, Lies, Marriage, Motherhood, Hollywood, and the Irrepressible
From Model to Moonlighting, from Elvis to Bruce Willis to motherhood to a behind-the-scenes inside view of network sit-com madness, the irrepressible show biz icon tells all in her own inimitable, no-holds-barred fashion.
-- Cybill is a bona fide star with millions of fans -- a hero to middle aged women everywhere, and a fighter who has championed the rights of women in the...more
-- Cybill is a bona fide star with millions of fans -- a hero to middle aged women everywhere, and a fighter who has championed the rights of women in the...more
Hardcover, 294 pages
Published
April 4th 2000
by HarperCollins Publishers
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I don't read a lot of biography, and I don't read a lot of celebrity biography, but this was really a hard book to put down. I found it to be refreshingly honest, and that from a woman who describes herself as the consummate liar throughout her life.
I didn't know that Cybill Shepard was a singer. Now I do. I've checked out her voice in Amazon music and iTunes. I may be acquiring some of this music, bluesy, blowsy, Memphis music in the very near future.
I think the impetus to reading this comes fr...more
I didn't know that Cybill Shepard was a singer. Now I do. I've checked out her voice in Amazon music and iTunes. I may be acquiring some of this music, bluesy, blowsy, Memphis music in the very near future.
I think the impetus to reading this comes fr...more
This has happened to me before. I pick up a celebrity autobiography, the celebrity in question being someone that I've always liked for one reason or another. With Cybill Shepherd, she has always seems very smart, and funny, and politically aware and savvy. (But I've had this exact same thing happen with Rosie O'Donnell, Patti Lupone, the list goes on and on). I read the book and discover, ok, this person (let's say Cybill) may in fact be smart and funny and politically aware, but WOW, she is an...more
Was surprised to find this as a free download. I'm a big fan of biographies, so I thought, why not. When everyone my age was watching 90210, the old soul in me was watching Murphy Brown, Cheers as well as Cybil Shepherd's show, Cybil. I was too young for her days in Moonlighting, but I had seen Taxi Driver.
One could say Cybil's a dislikeble person for acknowledging her constant sleeping with married men--including taking married director Peter Bogdonovich away from his wife. Or you could say sh...more
One could say Cybil's a dislikeble person for acknowledging her constant sleeping with married men--including taking married director Peter Bogdonovich away from his wife. Or you could say sh...more
Autobiographys are just grandstanding and grandiosing about a boring life.
Cybill's was anything but boring. A woman who spoke her mind, didn't live by the conventions of her upbringing and made it through sheer determination.
Cybill Shepherd is a woman I have always admired because of her willingness to call a spade a spade and not sugar coat it. She confronted woman's issues on her popular Cybill show. It was a shame that she happened to annoy the wrong person - that was ultimately the demise -...more
Cybill's was anything but boring. A woman who spoke her mind, didn't live by the conventions of her upbringing and made it through sheer determination.
Cybill Shepherd is a woman I have always admired because of her willingness to call a spade a spade and not sugar coat it. She confronted woman's issues on her popular Cybill show. It was a shame that she happened to annoy the wrong person - that was ultimately the demise -...more
I am so glad this book was a free download. If not, I don't think I would ever have recovered from my rage at paying money for it. I bought it because I am always fascinated by other people's work and I thought it would be all about what it's like being a television actor. Instead, it started with a blow-by-blow of Ms Shepherd's teenage backseat fumblings and progressed to the main part of the book which was chiefly concerned with her congratulating herself on wrecking people's marriages. I must...more
I didn't know much about Cybill Shepherd before starting this book, but it was a free Kindle download and I'm a sucker for a bio, so...
It was an enjoyable read. Although she does seem a little "fuzzy" on why EVERYONE around her thinks she's pushy. At the end, she kind of backtracks a bit and says that she realizes that it's a case of not seeing herself properly and that if everyone else has a problem, maybe the problem is her. Good to see that she at least acknowledges the mistakes that she's ma...more
It was an enjoyable read. Although she does seem a little "fuzzy" on why EVERYONE around her thinks she's pushy. At the end, she kind of backtracks a bit and says that she realizes that it's a case of not seeing herself properly and that if everyone else has a problem, maybe the problem is her. Good to see that she at least acknowledges the mistakes that she's ma...more
I try not to read reviews prior to reading a book (or seeing a movie) because they tend to bias me but, now that I’ve read the book, I’m not surprised that so many people were disappointed. I’ve always liked Cybill Shepherd (or thought I did) and the title seemed a witty enticement. But with the exception of the first and last chapters, which provided an intro and then a summary, the book reads like dry statistics. These aren’t amusing reminisces but lists of events that fall into either of two...more
This was free at the Kindle store... don't judge. Well, the prologue seemed to promise an amusing read, but after that I couldn't get past a couple more chapters. The stories of sexual escapade were as boring as they were self-absorbed. Good thing this was a free e-book I could simply delete from my iPad. Goodreads needs an option for "didn't finish because it stank"
I wouldn't call myself a HUGE Cybill Shepherd fan, but I did watch and enjoy Moonlighting, and I was mildly curious about her life. Cybill's story is certainly interesting, and from the looks of it, she certainly didn't "play it safe" with this book. She shares the good, the bad, and the ugly - about herself, and everyone else. There are a few references to people that she doesn't give names to, but there are plenty that she does name: including Peter Bogdanovich, Bruce Willis, Christine Baransk...more
I got the Kindle edition of this book free about a year ago. I had fun reading it. I am not a huge Cybill Shepherd fan so I learned a lot about her life that I did not know. One interesting thing; she was named after both of her grandfathers Cy and Bill. That is why her name has such a unique spelling. She names a lot of names in this book and obviously had a lot of famous friends and movie/TV associates. Some of these people do good things and some do bad things, including Cybill. To give her c...more
I remember hearing that Cybill Shepherd's autobiography was a major tell-all when it was released back in 2000. I love celebrity gossip but somehow never got around to reading it so when it was offered as a free Kindle book last year I snagged it.
Cybill definitely tells all about her sexual escapades but didn't tell very much about anything else. I would have liked to know more about the more personal aspects of her life. This book was basically, "Here is the project I worked on and who I slept...more
Cybill definitely tells all about her sexual escapades but didn't tell very much about anything else. I would have liked to know more about the more personal aspects of her life. This book was basically, "Here is the project I worked on and who I slept...more
I love celebrity bios-and auto bios. And I have watched (and enjoyed) Cybill Shepherd since her breakout success in The Last Picture Show. Plus I adore Bruce Willis. So how could I not love Cybill Disobedience : How I Survived Beauty Pageants, Elvis, Sex, Bruce Willis, Lies, Marriage, Motherhood, Hollywood, and the Irrepressible Urge to Say What I Think?
Less than pedestrian writing and often too much information-both in the sense of too much intimate detail and in the sense of just more than wa...more
Less than pedestrian writing and often too much information-both in the sense of too much intimate detail and in the sense of just more than wa...more
I was a fan of Moonlighting back in the day, and loved Cybill's self-titled show - it's probably the closest thing the US will ever get to an Americanized AbFab. Seeing this memoir free at the Kindle store proved too tempting to resist. Overall, it's a decent book - it didn't seem to flow as easily as other celeb bios I've read. Given the actress's knack for openness, though, I was surprised to find the Moonlighting gossip so lacking. I came away with the feeling there's more to tell there aside...more
Cybill Disobedience by Cybill Shepherd, a Kindle book I started reading on April 8nd. I chose to read this book due to being a big fan of Moonlighting (or perhaps watching my sister watch Moonlighting, then watching it later when I was her age and being able to grasp the vintage humor and the push & tug steamy relationship between David and Maddy).
Issues, issues, and more issues. Granted Cybill is alot more fluent and in-depth than she may seem on the surface, but she had a hell of alot of m...more
Issues, issues, and more issues. Granted Cybill is alot more fluent and in-depth than she may seem on the surface, but she had a hell of alot of m...more
Dec 20, 2010
Mai
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of celeb tell-alls
Shelves:
kindle-books,
nonfiction
As celebrity autobios go, I think this one is pretty excellent. I didn't know much about Cybill Shepherd before reading it, but I liked the pun in the title. I'm now quite anxious to check out "Moonlighting," the TV show she did with an all-but-unheard-of Bruce Willis, and a few of her movies. The book itself was thoughtful and amusing, managing to drop plenty of names without seeming to do so gratuitously.
Also, I had no idea she was rather an outspoken feminist activist, and I found myself une...more
Also, I had no idea she was rather an outspoken feminist activist, and I found myself une...more
Well written and a nice historical documentation of Ms. Shepherd's rise to Hollywood actress - I definitely don't agree with her views on most moral/political things since she is really dyed-in-the-wool Hollywood but that's what makes life go round - different opinions and perspectives. I did get the feeling throughout that, while she would throw in a line here and there taking a little bit of responsibility for when things went bad or she needed to justify having affairs, she really just wants...more
I'd like to think that I understand where she's coming from. She's a strong female who wants what she wants and will do anything to get it. There shouldn't be anything wrong with that, but when even the people you call friends don't like you anymore??? If it only happened once or twice, I would understand. It seems like every single person Cybill has ever come in contact with has eventually turned on her. Maybe it's not them... maybe it's her. But hey - I never knew she slept with Elvis before a...more
This was an impulse free purchase. I discovered it whilst hunting around for free/very cheap Kindle books. I was very surprised to find it for free. I've always quite liked Cybill Shepherd and thought her autobiography would be popular. Especially due to the Elvis bits. Then I began to wonder if she'd missed out all the juicy bits and that's why it was free....
Well, I couldn't have been more wrong really. This seems to be a no holds barred account of the way she sees her life. Unless she's led a...more
Well, I couldn't have been more wrong really. This seems to be a no holds barred account of the way she sees her life. Unless she's led a...more
This was not a happy read. I was really disappointed. I found her to be bratty and self absorbed. Just not likable at all. And the bits on sex were embarrassing in that she seemed so desperate to come off as sexy. I never believed the hype surrounding her that she was a bitch to work with, since it seems that is the “story” on almost all successful actresses, but after reading her side… I actually believe she really was impossible to work with.
Enjoyed reading about some of the characters she's met, but it did feel like one long justification of her behaviour. She did say at some point that this was her opportunity to put her side of the story, but that's all she seemed to do. Little other than why she upset someone/why they were inexplicably upset with her/how she knew it was wrong but was overruled by the "old boy network". While I'd always want to give a woman the benefit of the doubt over a bloke, this just seemed to be too much wh...more
I wanted to read mind candy, and this was perfect. It is like People magazine in book form.
I couldn't decide whether to give it three or four stars. At times I really liked it because it was fun and showed the behind the scenes life of a model/actress, but other times it was a little gossippy and bitter. Don't expect great literature, but this is a good beach read.
I couldn't decide whether to give it three or four stars. At times I really liked it because it was fun and showed the behind the scenes life of a model/actress, but other times it was a little gossippy and bitter. Don't expect great literature, but this is a good beach read.
Love her or hate her... Cybill apparently doesn't care, as she lets it all hang out in this memoir. I admire her frankness while being put off by her total self-absorption. Pretty sure she earned that rep for being hard to work with.
This is your basic guilty pleasure trashy read. Quick and dirty. If you got it free on Kindle, as I did, more power to ya.
This is your basic guilty pleasure trashy read. Quick and dirty. If you got it free on Kindle, as I did, more power to ya.
I did it again-picked out a book that looked interesting only to realize partway through that I already read it a couple of years ago! But what the heck, it was a freebie on Kindle! Pretty good because Cybill is funny and doesn't buy into the show biz culture and she's had a few interesting adventures. And learned a lot along the way...
This book lacks any literary quality, and I feel a mild guilty pleasure for having read it... I will assuage my guilt by recommending it as summertime reading.
It's what I imagine it may be like if I were to wind up at a nice restaurant with Cybil Shepherd and over a long meal with _a lot_ of drinks, she talked about herself endlessly, and I egged her on the whole time while typing everything she said and buying us both more drinks.
So relax in your sand chair and listen to Cybil, but don't take...more
It's what I imagine it may be like if I were to wind up at a nice restaurant with Cybil Shepherd and over a long meal with _a lot_ of drinks, she talked about herself endlessly, and I egged her on the whole time while typing everything she said and buying us both more drinks.
So relax in your sand chair and listen to Cybil, but don't take...more
This is not the typical book I'd pick up... but it was there and I wanted to read something and it took hold. I've always liked Cybill Shepherd in the Moonlighting days and beyond. She is very well spoken, often sarcastic and sometime hilarious. I read this every time I had a couple of seconds to read.
Light and easy autobiography. Nothing really unexpected- details her relationships - many with famous people that she identifies, and some that she calls things like 'The Director' to keep them anonymous. Underlying thread of feminism and equal rights and how Hollywood views these things (negatively).
If you weren't a fan of Cybill Shepard before reading this book, you won't be after, either.
It was a free Kindle read, so I gave it a shot. Some of it was interesting, but if she was trying to convince me that Hollywood made her out to be the bad guy just because she says what she thinks, she failed.
It was a free Kindle read, so I gave it a shot. Some of it was interesting, but if she was trying to convince me that Hollywood made her out to be the bad guy just because she says what she thinks, she failed.
I am a Cybill Shepherd fan from Moonlighting days, and I did appreciate her insight into the machinations behind the scenes of that show. The rest of it was a little meh; I applaud her for her honesty about her relationships and her libido, but it did get a little repetitive to find out that she was sleeping with yet ANOTHER person she either worked with/for/under.
Quite interesting - she certainly raises some good points about sexism in Hollywood, and she obviously can't identify anything in her own behaviour that led to her being treated as she apparently was (on her own show). So she is obviously entirely blameless, or lacks a level of self awareness?! Hard to decide which.
This book was okay. I've always liked Cybill Shepherd, but after reading this book, I've upgraded her to a self-centered diva. I do give her points for some of the causes she undertakes, however. I'll keep watching her movies/shows, but probably won't read any more of her books.
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updated Dec 13, 2010 10:39am