Books for Fans of America's Next Top Model

America's Next Top Model features aspiring young beauties who yearn to get exclusive modeling contracts and see their faces on the cover of glossy fashion magazines. But what about top models that were famous long before shows like America's Next Top Model were even on the scene? Reading books written by and about top models could be a wise career move for star-struck women who want to follow in the footsteps of Tyra Banks, as well as some newer models who have appeared on the show, women named Chauntel, Lisa, Shannon and Toccara. Reading about Janice Dickinson, Brooke Shields, Gia Carangi and..yes..Tyra Banks could be quite an eye-opener for those who think modeling is all about the glam - and the bling.

Not in the know about America's Next Top Model. You can find out more about it here: http://cwtv.com/shows/americas-next-top-model11 as well as information about auditioning for the show.

Before America's Next Top Model, the show, there were actually top models - and top modeling books

Take a look at some fashion modeling careers and you may see or hear names such as Brooke Shields (now in Lipstick Jungle), Jerry Hall (Mick Jagger's ex-wife), Janice Dickinson (in a class of her own, on television and off), Paulina Porizkova, Christie Brinkley (recently in a sordid divorce trial) Gia Carengi and Carol Alt. Many of them have written memoirs or tell-all books. If not, someone has most likely written an authorized or unauthorized celebrity biography of them. If you've know someone who yearns to be a contestant on America's Next Top Model, a look at some of these books could be worthwhile.

For those who have their sights set on the local modeling scene before aiming for a wider market, a look at this article could also be helpful: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/980164/a_guide_to_working_as_a_catalog_model.html

Top model books worth a look

In no particular order, here are some of my favorites:

Top model book - Tyra's Beauty: Inside and Out - Tyra Banks and Vanessa Thomas Bush

As you might guess, this volume focuses on the enigmatic and often fiery Tyra Banks, a woman who knows how to command the spotlight and make money at the same time. The book is actually quite engaging and readers have raved about its tell-all style, mixing beauty tips with before and after shots of Tyra as well as family stories. Those who like Tyra and America's Next Top Model are likely to be equally smitten by this book.

Price: $3.99 and up at Amazon, available only used for now (hardcover). You may do better at Ebay or at a used bookstore.

Special features: focuses on a woman who has managed to segue her modeling career into success as the host of her own show as well as America's Next Top Model. Still popular, very much in public eye (for now).

The Brooke Book -Brooke Shields

I once owned a first edition of the paperback version of this book, an odd little volume (and a bit creepy, too) put out when Brooke Shields was still quite young, long before she appeared in Suddenly Susan or The Lipstick Jungle. If you like collectible books,you might be interested in knowing that the paperback is actually worth more than the hardcover, perhaps because of the cover photo, which is somewhat controversial, along with additional photos inside the book, some revealing a scantily clad or even nude Brooke Shields posing provocatively. There is one where Shields appears in a bathtub, apparently nude, but covered with bubbles. In any case, the book contains early and sometimes rare photos of Brooke Shields, from babyhood to her teens.

Special features: a rare, early glimpse at some of Brooke Shield's modeling photos, with upbeat blurbs about her life thrown into the mix. Collectible, if you buy the right edition. But will it continue to rise in value?

Price: this depends on whether you want a true first edition or not. I sold mine for about $72.00 on Ebay, years ago, and winced when I saw that current copies of that same paperback edition now range from $135 to over $1200 on Amazon. The hardcover? You can get one for about $40 or up on Amazon. Prices vary on Ebay and other venues. If you see a paperback copy of the Brooke Book in a used bookstore, consider grabbing it, if only for investment purposes (but check Amazon to be clear about the cover of the first edition). By the way, Brooke Shields also wrote a book called Down Came The Rain, her memoir of postpartum depression. That book does have some info about her career but is aimed at women struggling with depression.

Top model book: No Lifeguard on Duty: The Accidental Life of the World's First Supermodel - Janice Dickinson

Called "One roller coaster of a book" by Entertainment Weekly, I'd have to say that this is probably an understatement. Just as dramatic and gossipy (and irreverent) as Janice Dickinson herself, No Lifeguard on Duty truly shows how sordid the life of a model can be - but somehow Dickinson's style is so charming that it is hard to put this one down. Reading it is like eating a box of chocolate, leaving you feeling guilty afterwards - but impossible to resist at the time. It doesn't hurt that the book is full of photos, not only of Dickinson but Sylvester Stallone, Liam Neeson, Christie Brinkley and other famous names, past and present. Readers should be forewarned that there are allegations of sexual abuse and some rather graphic details in this one. Depending on your take, that will make the book more appealing - or something you'll want to cross off your gift or holiday list.

Special features: a full color photo section, with shots of Janice Dickinson on Vogue, Cosmopolitan and in photos taken by Stan Malinkowski and Peter Beard (for Playboy). Also full of celebrity gossip about Jack Nicholson, Sylvester Stallone and others. Dickinson doesn't hesitate to dish out both the gossip and dirt on everyone and anyone.

Price: $7.99 but can be found for less if you buy it used.

Top modeling book: Jerry Hall's Tall Tales- Jerry Hall

I grew up seeing Jerry Hall in Vogue and other top fashion magazines. She never looked anything like other models and was able to carry off a "high fashion" look when still quite young. Extremely tall and with an exotic look, she took the modeling world by storm. With her Texas accent and eccentric personality, she even managed to snare Mick Jagger and bear many of his children. Jagger being Jagger, Hall eventually got fed up with his shenanigans and went on to live a solo lifestyle, after handling the public humiliation of a husband who had bedded and impregnated another young woman. But the book, Jerry Hall's Tall Tales, was written long before then and is a fun and gossipy volume about Hall's rise to fame. She also gives tips about how to tell if a man is being unfaithful, how she rose above her insecurities and more.

Special features: photos that reveal Hall when she was in an ugly duckling stage, early in her life, perhaps inspirational to some readers who are going through an awkward stage. Gossip about Mick Jagger and other celebs and the photos of Jerry Hall are other features.

Price: $59.98 and up on Amazon (way above original list price), depending on whether you want the paperback or hardcover. Take a look at Ebay for comparison's sake.

Top Modeling Book: Thing of Beauty - written about Gia Carangi by Stephen Fried

I first read excerpts of this book in a city magazine based in Philadelphia. Fried was an editor or contributing writer for the magazine at the time and I found his writing style impossible to resist. Going beyond the usual and superficial look at the life of a model, Fried seemed to truly capture - as much as possible- the enigma that was Gia Carangi, a woman destined to rise to the heights of the modeling world and also to burn out nearly as quickly. The book may have been used as reference material when Angelina Jolie starred in the movie, Gia, based on Carangi's life. Gia was moody, often showed up late to appointments but also had a certain charm that photographers, including the famed Scavullo, simply couldn't resist (he remained loyal to her even when she showed up for photo shoots with needle marks on her arm from drug use).

Special features: an excellent black and white photo spread. There is some nudity so consider yourself warned about that. The writing style is superb.

Price: $7.99 new, less if you want a used copy.

Along with the books listed above, there are novels written by Carol Alt, Paulina Porizkova and others. You might want to check those out if fiction is more to your taste (however thinly veiled) and curl up with one of these books while dreaming of fame, fortune and maybe even an appearance on America's Next Top Model. If you collect some of these books, you might even make a small - or larger - profit if they appreciate in value. Some have soared in price over the years.