Product Description
Spike Lee wrote, directed and starred in She's Gotta Have It, the independent-film success story of 1986. Shot on a shoe-string budget of $175,000 in black-and-white 16mm, the film was made with Spike Lee's persistence and talent plus the help of family and friends.It grossed $8 million at the box office and proved to be a major hit with both critics and audiences. Now Spike Lee reveals how he did it, mapping out the entire creative and production processes-from early notebook jottings to film festival awards.Spike Lee's Gotta Have It is a unique document in film literature - it's funny, absorbing, and fresh as the hit film itself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An inside look at Guerrilla filmmaking
Spikes Lee's gotta have it is an essential book for independent filmmakers. It's a book in three parts. The first part begins with aninterview of Spike lee By Nelson George sometime after SGHI premiered andhe became a big shot. But the second part is the most appealing. It is theproduction diary in which Spike goes into complete detail how he got she'sgotta have it made. The Diary is from the intitla idea to postproduction.It's filled with loads of insights into the struggles he was up against. Infact it's so indepth he even mentiones when his heat and lights go out. Then finally theres the script, which is like the icing on the cake. Hardto find but worth it because you really get to understand how he works andhow he got to where he is. Essential! ... Read more

Product Description
A candid account of one of America's most provocative filmmakers that belongs on the shelf of any serious movie lover.Spike Lee tells the cinematic story of the preeminent director, whose pioneering films—from Do The Right Thing, Jungle Fever, and Malcolm X to 25th Hour , Bamboozled, and The Inside Man—helped transform the face of late twentieth-century America. With unprecedented access to the Lee family and new interviews with stars and celebrities—including Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Rosie Perez, Adrien Brody, John Turturro, and many others—film critic Kaleem Aftab chronicles Spike Lee's explosive rise to stardom, exploring such important issues as Black Nationalism, Hollywood stereotyping, and the rise of a powerful black middle class. Lee's prominence in American culture continues in 2006 with the release of The Inside Man and a forthcoming documentary on Hurricane Katrina. Spike Lee tells us as much about the last two decades of American social history as it does about the life of this fascinating director. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Plagued with mistakes, but it's an honest effort
After reading this book and thinking about it as a whole, I was led to give it a 3-star rating, but it could've been a 5-star rating, if the editing were much stronger.

Viewing the reviews listed here, I see various complaints about the book, but none of them address what I consider to be the most glaringly obvious things:the grammatical errors and the cultural fact errors--two things that could have been handled before the book even went to the printer.First, and I must admit that I don't know if England uses a different set of grammatical rules, there is a serious problem with subject verb agreement throughout the entire text, particularly with regard to collective nouns and singular nouns with a plural appearance.Aftab even changes around some of the quotes to fit this very jarring grammatical detour.(For example, "40 Acres and a Mule are...."While I teach composition, I still know the average reader could pick up on this, whether it's setting a word like "jury" or committee" against the plural verb form or something more complicated like the 40 Acres name.)

Next, there are numerous fact errors.Among them is a misquote of Louis Farrakhan ("good" should be "great"--and that quote is forever taken out of context, and I say that not to defend the man at all).He also has Tupac dying in 1995 after being shot five times, Carmello Anthony going straight to the pros from high school, alongside LeBron James (as opposed to leading Syracuse to a NCAA championship), and stating that Cash Money Records was Master P's record label (not No Limit).

These errors are very glaring, but I can best compare them to enjoying a class where a teacher insists on using screechy chalk on the blackboard, because overall I really liked the book.It took enormous effort to synthesize so much information into a highly readable biography.Don't get me wrong.It is far from perfect, but the linear layout and the quotes from various actors and Spike create a kind of balance so that it's not completely one-sided.And Aftab covers all of the media worthy hot topics that surrounded each of Lee's films so that when you finish the book, you will have gotten a strong glimpse into Lee's professional approach to filmmaking.

I'm pretty sure that Spike Lee's own journals from his films will ultimately prove to be more useful for a beginning filmmaker than this book.It does, however, have its merits.

A rare look into Spike Lee
For a man who stands out in a predominantly "white" profession, "That's my story" provides the reader with a rare glimpse into the mind of a genius. For Spike to allow this biography, he was sending the reader a message. Open up your eyes, and if you read between the lines, you will understand that Spike has been misunderstood for years, by the industry, media and his fans. He is a visionary, who has made his mark on all of us for years, we are just beginning to catch up to his genius finally.

Spike does not mention in book how he hates Italians
Spike, you make some great movies, Summer of Sam is one of your best, Do the Right Thing. Spike has a gift for cinematography, however

Spike Lee Interview on ESPN?The interview said,

interviewer:
"Kanye West said that Bush doesn't care about black people.Would you agree with that?

Lee:
"Yes, I agree with that,BUT I'll go one step further and say that Bush doesn't care about people who don't have any money (whether they're black or white.)I guaranteed you that if this same disaster happened on Long Island or let's say The Hamptons, you would have had an entirley different response from FEMA and his administration."

But you should have seen how he said it, it was as if he was staring right into the camera with this smirk on his face.The dude is bold man, I'll give him that and I applaude him.

Spike said either black, white, Mexican, or asian.
But what he DIDN'T say was Italians!!

That dude has been getting flack forever for his dis'n of Italians in his movies, they call him a racist all the time.

HERE WAS HIS CHANCE to say something, and he blew it.

just didn't happen to say Italians?

NO
So HE is a racist too.

And so are the Africans in Africa, they never have liked white people either, so what about that Spike? Try going over their and applying for a job!

And while I am at, the African Americans in even Baton Rouge don't want the blacks from N.O. coming up their! How come spike never said anything about that?

Fkn whiners, so many the world over! give them a mic and let them talk and will put it on TV and let the world see it for the fools they are.

And ignoramus white liberalseat it up as its gospel and he is telling Da Truth

great book for indie filmmakers
I decided to write a short recommendation for this book because I almost did not buy it after reading some of the other online reviews. Luckily I did get this very well researched and well edited director biography (it is not an autobiography but rather an interview based biography resembling the "director on director" series) which focuses on the making of all of Spike Lee's features as well as on the history and development of his production company. Being an independent filmmaker myself I can only recommend this book and found it inspiring to hear of the success of someone who tried to make meaningful, personal and confrontational films and was not only interested in to "break into film and get rich" like so many 90's indie filmmakers. How to do this, make money without selling out and stay on the game for two decades shows this book in an engaging and inspiring way.

(RAW Rating: 2.5) -Exposing Spike
From his childhood and all throughout his film career, Spike Lee, born Shelton Jackson Lee, has been outspoken and opinionated.These solid traits, along with the sense of responsibility one acquires by being the oldest of five siblings, combined with education, talent, hard work, and great timing to produce one of the most recognized African-American film directors and producers to date.In SPIKE LEE: THAT'S MY STORY AND I'M STICKING TO IT, author Kaleem Aftab pens Spike's biography with such dedication and attention to details that readers will know everything one can know being on the outside looking into the life of Spike Lee: his upbringing, his college days, his first movies, his motivations, his financial trials, his political standpoints, his outlook on life, his recent films, and his goals. Although all is not rosy, Aftab still pulls back the cover and exposes details of Spike's life, before, after, and during the making of his films.

Starting with his childhood and then arranged by film, Aftab proves to have done excellent research as he provides readers with a plethora of facts about everyone Spike ever spoke to and/or dealt with and about how he started and got to where he is now. Offering insight into the motivations behind Spike's movies and good behind-the-scenes information, Aftab presents a novel that delves not just into Spike's life, but also illuminates certain well-known actors who Spike chose to work with: Bill Nunn, Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, Giancarlo Esposito, John Turturro, Danny Aiello, and Laurence Fishburne (to name a few). Readers really get a strong grasp of who Spike Lee is as Aftab talks about some of the filmmaker's classic New York outlooks and his perspectives on African-Americans, not just in film but also in life.

Extremely informational, SPIKE LEE, by Aftab, starts out slow and mundane.Aftab's writing style is not very intriguing or captivating for readers, which is a shame for it to be the biography of such an interesting figure. Also jumpy, it is difficult to keep up with what is going on. A section will begin discussing one event and will go off on a tangent about a list of people, who they are, and how they relate to Spike or the movie, and then jump back to the previous event. Transitional aids would help to make section themes flow better. A stronger narrative voice would also make information flow better.Throughout the biography, there are a plethora of quotes. Sometimes, a quote is so long and involved that it is easy for readers to forget that it is a quote, and jumping back to the narrator's voice once again throws off the flow of the text. As readers press on and become adjusted to Aftab's writing style, his composition creates a well-researched look into the life of one of America's prominent African-American directors/producers: Spike Lee.

Reviewed by Natasha T.
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers ... Read more

Product Description
A critical and interpretive tribute to the work of film maker Spike Lee. Essays by African-American writers - Terry McMillan, Toni Cade Bambara, Nelson George, Charles Johnson, Henry Louis Gates, Jr and Melvin Van Peebles - accompany production stills taken by David Lee. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

NOT his screenplays
This is a book of photographs, which I wish it said on the cover or the description.I thought it was a book of his screenplays, which would make it great reading andvaluable indeed. You can't judge a book by its cover for sure.

FILMMAKING, AT ITS BEST! - URBAN STYLE
In 1995, I had a wonderful opportunity to check out "Five for Five", by Spike Lee, and I could not locate that particular book until I looked it up on Amazon,com, thanks! ... Read more

Product Description

Since his first feature movie, She's Gotta Have It (1986), gave him critical and commercial success, Spike Lee has challenged audiences with one controversial film after another, sparking debates about race, sex, American politics and film production, and garnering award nominations along the way.

Spike Lee: Interviews collects the best interviews and profiles of America's most prominent African American filmmaker. The collection features interviews with such luminaries as Charlie Rose, Elvis Mitchell, Michael Sragow, and actor Delroy Lindo.

Lee has made a broad range of movies, including documentaries (4 Little Girls), musicals (School Daze), crime dramas (Clockers), biopics (Malcolm X). An early advocate of digital video, he used the technology to film both of his 2000 releases, The Original Kings of Comedy and Bamboozled.

Reactions to Do the Right Thing (1989) and Jungle Fever (1990) propelled Lee into a constant presence in the public eye as media currency. He directed commercials for Nike, Levi's, and the U.S. Navy, directed music videos, published seven books, and conducted many interviews explaining and clarifying his views. As Lee puts it, "I've been blessed with the opportunity to express the views of black people who otherwise don't have access to power and media. I have to take advantage of that while I'm still bankable."

Articulate and deeply passionate, Lee reveals a degree of subtlety and wit that is often lost in sound bites and headlines about him. The range of his interests is as diverse as the subjects of, and approaches to, his films.

Cynthia Fuchs, an associate professor of English at George Mason University, writes film and media reviews for the Philadelphia City Paper and Addicted to Noise. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Spike Lee is a Generous Man - Thanks for Sharing Your Insights
Spike Lee is the man. His films speak for themselves. His politics are admirable. His commitment to his craft is unquestionable.The fact that he would share these with others through his book is commendable. He's a great human being and an insightful writer. Thank you, Mr. Lee for sharing your wisdom.

Much respect to the man
This book gave me more insight into the man behind some of my favorite films of all-time. There are a lot of his films I have not seen yet, but after reading the many interviews and getting more out of Lee than ever, I'm motivated to own all of his films. It was cool to see how he comes up with his scripts, some of the challenges he faced in bringing them to life, and some of the criticizing he gets constantly about him, and not his work. He seems to be very aware of who he is and is also aware of the fact he cannot do this alone. He gives props to people throughout the interviews, from the woman who plays Nola in "She's Gotta Have It" to Ernest Dickerson, to Jada Pinkett Smith, to John Singleton, and so on. The one thing I gained more than anything though is he really makes people think when you watch his movies and when you hear or read what he has to say. Love him or hate him, you have to respect him. I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of his work and to people who may not know much about him other than what is seen in the media.

SPIKE SPEAKS
Shelton Lee is the most controversial film maker of his time because his work defies convention and upsets the conventional values of Hollywood. The spotlight has shone on Spike Lee since his "She's Gotta Have It" exploded on the screen. Spike Leeis a film maker par excellence and is this book we get an opportunity to hear his voice dealing with the entire corpus of his work since 2001.

Spike Lee Interviews is a collection of interviews dating from 1986 through 2001. They are originally reprinted in the form in which they appeared; hardcopy, television and on line. In them we get to hear the ideas, opinions and reflections that Lee has about his craft, the criticism of his work and the need to confront the racist myths prevelant in the film industry. His words are sharp, biting and reflective.

In perusing this book you will see the development of Lee as a film maker and astute businessman. He refuses to co-op his integrity with Hollywood depictions of Blacks and yet he is able to use Hollywood to get some of his pictures made. Lee also uses unusual ideas and film techniques that many of his peers won't touch. He is not afraid to be uncoventional in his story telling nor in his use of new technological forms.

I enjoyed his repartee with the interviewers regarding his controversial image. Spike says his critics need to look at his work rather than him. He doesn't mind talking about his beloved Knicks but moves beyond the game and tells about the exploitation of players and the system. He admits his mistakes in portraying Black women as one dimensional.

In reading this book you will get a multideminsional view of a film maker who has opened a new chapter in African American cinematography. Lee picks up the ball where others left off and challenges the whole idea of what it means to make a film. You will enjoy his ideas and have a deeper appreciation of his work. ... Read more

Product Description
Go back to bed,

baby please, baby, please.

Not on your HEAD,

baby baby baby, please!

Academy-Award nominated filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, producer Tonya Lewis Lee, preset a behind-the-scenes look at the chills, spills, and unequivocal thrills of bringing up baby!

Vivid illustrations from celebrated artist Kadir Nelson evoke toddlerhood from sandbox to high chair to crib.Amazon.com Review
Filmmaker Spike Lee and wife Tonya Lewis Lee join the ranks of other celebrity kids' book writers with their sweet, rhythmic read-along about the endless energy of a toddler blasting through a busy day.

The Lees' diapered dynamo starts early (the VCR reads 3:01 a.m.), with the little girl outlasting her mama sprawled out on the living room floor ("Go back to bed, baby, please, baby, please"). A breakfast of upturned Cheerios follows a few hours later ("Not on your HEAD, baby baby baby, please!"), then play time, a trip to the playground, dinner, and a bath ("Please don't splash, baby baby, please, baby!"). The fun repetition doesn't change up until the book's sweet close, as the curly-haired tyke somehow can't get to sleep ("Kiss me good night? Mama, Mama, Mama, please").

The Lees have as much or more success than their high-profile counterparts (Jerry Seinfeld: Halloween, John Lithgow: Marsupial Sue; and Jamie Lee Curtis: I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem), thanks in large part to their excellent choice of illustrator Kadir Nelson, whose work has appeared everywhere from Sports Illustrated to the New Yorker. Just as he did with Will Smith's Just the Two of Us, Nelson uses his enormous talent to inject energy and emotion into each richly colored, Rockwellian spread. (Baby to preschool) --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Customer Reviews (86)

so much fun!!!!
we love to read this book - the pictures are fun for mama and baby, and the cadence of the text is really lovely and enchanting for small children.I read it to my son's infant classroom and they were mesmerized from ages 3 months to 1 year.

Great baby book
My baby LOVES this book. I've been reading this book to my son since he was three months, he is currently 7 1/2 months and he loves it. This is one of the few books where I have his attention from beginning to end. He laughs like he understands what I am reading and the illustrations are amazing. I would like to purchase more books Spike Lee and his wife.

Please make it stop!
I cannot stand this book. The repetitive words over and over are enough to drive you crazy. In the entire book, the mother is telling her daughter to stop doing something or other. That said, my 1-1/2-year-old daughter loves it. She makes me read it several times a day, twice in a row. So, I guess if I were reviewing it from her point of view, it would get five stars.

My son loves it, very instructional
This book was a big hit at home, my son who was 2 at the time really loved and we still refer to it even though it is in his father home.
There are passages that show a baby/toddler misbehaving, some common things as drawing on the walls, eating sand and so forth and the most appealing phrase "Please baby please, don't ...."
We quickly got to the point where my son would "read" the book, he would explain to the baby, please baby don't... he really enjoyed it and had a sense of accomplishment for knowing and understanding that the baby's behavior was not the right one.
I like the fact that the book has African-American characters, we are Caucasians and all the we books have Caucasians on them; good change.

We love this book!!
this is a book that we read over and over again and none of us ever get tired of it.we'd LOVE to see it made into a film!we also love please, puppy, please.the characters are so cute and as the mother of an 8 year old boy and 1 year old girl, the story is so relatable. ... Read more

Product Description
The director of Do the Right Thing and Jungle Fever describes the troubles he encountered while making Malcolm X, a film based on the life of the slain African-American leader. Original. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Basics behind the making of the film
As to say Spike Lee is one-of-a kind director and a good follower. I luv him from the top since he been out. I would actually like to hear more from him 'cuz he's still my top director and mentor. Now back to the movie, I know everybody have love for this flick that Spike Lee created it talks about the life and times of civil rights leader Malcolm X (played by my main man Denzel Washington) which begins on reading the screenplay, the talks about it, the stars who played on the film and to those that believe that believe it out, etc. This is one of my all-time favorite books to read 'cuz it tells it all right here from this movie I like. Anyway it's still my #1 favorite movie of all-time. I look forward for Spike Lee putting out a memoir of his life and where he started his film-playing career into a higher level which drops in Sept or Oct of this yr. Specially look forward of hearing it.

An informative and educational book on an important film.
"By Any Means Necessary" is an excellent book on the making of the film "Malcolm X" by director Spike Lee. Not only do we get a chance to see the film from the director's eye, but we also get to read all of the hassles he had to go through in order to come out with a film in Hollywood.The whole tone of the book, like all of Lee's books on his firms, is that of a diary. So what we're reading is random notes, scribbles, and just little lines that he will remember down the line. It almost seemed like a match made in hell: Spike Lee, considered to be a "controversial" film director, does a film on the line of Malcolm X, considered to be a controversial human rights figure. Throughout the book, Lee has to remind himself that despite the nay-sayers, the film will be done, even at times when he doubts his own creative genius.There are also thoughts from some of the actors (including Denzel Washington, who also played Malcolm X in his early years), but the best words come from Lee ... Read more

Product Description
Spike Lee rises again.This time, he and Lisa Jones document his transition from struggling independent to mainstream filmmaker with the making of the Columbia Pictures film, School Daze.No longer working with a small cast and a painfully tight budget, Spike Lee and his crew find themselves working in a swirl of university politics, a cast of thousands, big musical production numbers and the not-insignificant pressures of coming up with a hit in the majors.He "uplifts the race" by demystifying the process of producing an entertaining commercial film that, at the same time, delivers a stinging - yet funny - critique on American culture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Love this film!
I remember buying this book at an independent bookstore in Boston about 15 years ago.Because I'm a navy brat, during all of our moves, I ended up losing the book.So I am definitely happy that I have the opportunity to purchase this MUST HAVE once again.I will also be able to read the script with a new perspective, since I am older and wiser now.And yes when I first saw the movie...I was too young to be looking at or even reading about School Daze, but I found the story so intriguing even at that young age.I remember my parents allowing me to see the dance sequence and then telling me to go back upstairs because the rest of the movie was "too adult"...well the movie remained in the house so I eventually snuck and looked at it...and continue to view it to this day...I even have the special edition DVD which is another MUST HAVE.I ended up attending a historically black university, partly due to my parents, A Different World, and of course SCHOOL DAZE.

If you love the movie you gotta have this book!
School Daze is my favorite film of all-time. You can imagine how pleased I am to have a book about making the film. The book contains so much valuable info. Spike discusses being kicked off the campus of Morehouse Univ. in the middle of production, his struggles with Island Pictures, and the big jump from directing a film independently (She's Gotta Have It) to a bigger budget & all that comes with it. It also features commentary from some of the stars of the film such as Laurence Fishburne, Tisha Campbell, Joie Lee, Doris Witherspoon & Roger Smith. It also features pictures & the original script (you will notice alot of good stuff was cut from the final film). Definitely a must have!! ... Read more

Product Description
Spike Lee's films have raised a multitude of questions about cinema, from attempts to outline the nature, or "essence," of a black cinematic aesthetics, to a revisioning of American film as a whole. They have sparked critical inquiries into the nature of genres, the role of the auteur, and the mechanics of an active text and an oppositional spectatorship. They have asked us to reconsider spectatorial pleasure; to revel in their polyphonic visual and aural fields. They consider not only race, but also the often blurred interconnections among race, gender, sexuality, and class. In short, they have encouraged, and, in some cases, forced us to interact with what's on screen and, perhaps more importantly, with each other, whether it be in the theater, the cafe, the classroom, or the street corner. Taken together, the essays in "The Spike Lee Reader" will spark dialogue and encourage a continuing consideration of the depth and complexity of Spike Lee's career. Contributors include Christine Acham, Toni Cade Bambara, Mark D Cunningham, Anna Everett, Krin Gabbard, Ed Guerrero, Bell Hooks, Michele Wallace and many others. ... Read more

Product Description
Chronicles the life and career of controversial filmmaker Spike Lee. ... Read more

Product Description
Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" brings together essays, freshly written for this edition, that analyze this controversial film from a variety of methodological perspectives.Collectively these essays connect the interracial strife of New York as treated in Do the Right Thing with the contemporary social climate and racism in America.Also included are reviews of the film by influential critics, a large selection of production stills, and a complete bibliography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

SPike is The Man
A great book of Essays.Spike Lee is One OF The Very Few Artists in Hollywood saying Something.This Book Breaks Down Many Subject Matters.The Movie is a Timeless Classic.this Book adds upon it.a Must. ... Read more

Product Description
The most public fan of America's number one spectator sport takes a provocative look at the game, yesterday and today, while relating how his own growth over three decades mirrored that of the game--and the team--he loves. of photos, 8 in full-color.Amazon.com Review
This is filmmaker Spike Lee's reminiscences of his love affairwith basketball (make that the New York Knicks), from the time he wasa child growing up in Brooklyn, New York, to the present. While it's akind of history of the game, from its long-ago status as a not-quiteprofessional sport (which seems unbelievable in this day ofmulti-million-dollar salaries and prime time television exposure),it's also a very personal journey. Lee paints an evocative portrait ofgrowing up in Brooklyn in the 1960s with his four brothers andsisters, remembers his high school years and time at Morehouse Collegein Atlanta, and his start as a filmmaker. Film fans will find aspecial treat in this book--Lee's account of the creation of thecharacter Mars Blackmon, who appeared in She's Gotta Have It,and several commercials for Nike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great book
Give you an example: It seems Spike had issue with Scottie Pippen. He mentioned Scottie privately said Pennny was a better player than MJ once a while.
Obviously it's a personal experience, which makes this book unique.

Spike strikes again!!
By and far the best book I have ever read.The content was not the most challenging but Spike Lee managed to tell his life story and intertwine it with the glory of the 70's New York Knicks teams and even inform the reader of his early cinematic musings.A great book for any Knick fan, Spike Lee fan, or general avid reader.I absolutely loved reading this memoir because it gave in depth information on so many facets of life important to Spike Lee: family, basketball, cinema.A definite must read, if only for the reason to see why Spike Lee is so emphatic about his Knicks.

Excellent book
Even though I'm not a New York Knicks fan, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Spike Lee, for all the movies he made, I enjoyed his foray into the world of being an author. This book mixes his life from the time he was a child to the time he was an adult with memories of his beloved Knicks, past and present. It was cool to hear about Monroe,Barnett,DeBusschere,Reed,Frazier,Russell (Cazzie, not Bill, but he mentions Bill too I think) and others as well. He also talks about stars of previous eras and comparing them to ones in more current eras. It's really two books in one, combining his life (an autobiography) with his love of the Knicks. We get to learn about both subjects.

Spike.Good. What's this?
Spike Lee is usually brought up when people are talking about arrogant behavior.But in this book, he shows how basketball has changed over the years.I play and follow basketball and I thought this book was great.Ifyou like basketball, professional sports, or Spike Lee, this is a book foryou.

Fun for informed Knick fans with lots of great side trips.
There's always been room for a book for Knick fans (who are abreed apart) by an informed Knick fan. Spike Lee, one of the mostprominent among millions who've put this team at the center of their emotional lives, has come up with an informative and gutsy memoir that interweaves his personal growth with a lifelong, overly intense passion for this usually-disappointing NBA franchise.His wonderful asides include reviews of his and Michael Jordan's favorite basketball movies and a raw, unflattering look at Coney Island's Marbury (as in Stephon) family.He also had the guts to say that Riley blew it by leaving Starks in. ... Read more

Product Description
Away from the gate,

puppy puppy, please, puppy.

Oh wait, puppy, wait,

please, please, please,

please....

In page after page of tail-wagging fun, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, Beacon Award-winning producer Tonya Lewis Lee, take a close-up look at what happens when a couple of high-energy toddlers meet their match in an adventurous pup who has no plans of letting up.

Irresistible illustrations by Coretta Scott King Award winner Kadir Nelson unleash countless memorable moments of toddlerhood, and puppyhood, which families with four-legged friends will enjoy over and over again.

Customer Reviews (26)

Excellent Book!
The illustrations alone make this book ideal to anyone. They are so realistic that my kid referred to them as 'photos'. And yet there's warm poetry in them. And the story is very good too. I read it to my adopted child along with 'No MAtter What', because it basically tells the same story, whatever act you put on, I will always be there for you.A reassurance most adopted kids need to hear from time to time.No Matter What

kids loved it
We got this book in paper back and I wish it was in hard back because my kids loved it so much that it has come apart. Wonderful big bold pictures that celebrate black children.

Please Please Read
Another wonderful book by Spike Lee with beautiful illustrations.
Not quite as engaging as Please Baby Please, but certainly nearly on par.
Worth a read to preschoolers, and kindergartners would have a great time, retelling and illustrating their own story!

Gorgeous illustrations; stupid and annoying text
The illustrations are just gorgeous and I love that the main characters are African-American children.The only reason I decided not to buy this book after reading it at a friend's is the incredibly annoying and repetitive text.I think I would just go crazy reading this over and over to my toddler.I wish the text were better thought out because if it were, this book would be such a winner.

Grandson Books
I bought this book for my younger Grandson, he is 23 mts, and he loves dogs. His mother reads to him every night and I love these books, I bought them also for my older grandson when he was younger. They are good reads and the drawings are amazings ... Read more

Product Description
Millions have seen Spike Lee's films - She's Gotta Have It, School Daze, and the most provocative film of 1989, Do the Right Thing - and read the companion books - Spike Lee's Gotta Have It, Uplift the Race, and Do the Right Thing.Spike launched his career with a romantic comedy, and now returns to romance, set against the backdrop of the music world, with Mo' Better Blues.Academy Award-winning Denzel Washington plays a musician torn between two beautiful women and his ambition to be a star.In this unique document Spike speaks of the people and the events that created the film, including the thoughts and feelings of the musicians, actors, and crew.The book is illustrated with storyboards and 150 photographs that reveal the behind-the-scenes drama of Mo' Better Blues. ... Read more

Product Description
Examines the life and works of the filmmaker who has chosen to explore the many dimensions of the black American experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Heterodox
Spike Lee also known as Shelton Jackson Lee has provided a vehicle with this book that really delivers.This book provided insight into the personal life of Spike Lee, the heterodox film maker.Spike Lee revealed more info than most people are willing to do, such as the rift between him and his Dad.His feelings about his white stepmother.The interaction of he and his siblings... and his father's heroin usage.

His biographical information mentally reminded me of his movie, "Crooklyn".The book also offers awesome behind the scenes info on the making of "School Daze", "Malcolm X", "Jungle Fever", "Do The Right Thing", "She's Gotta Have It", "Crooklyn", and "Get On The Bus".

I really enjoyed this book.I am not an aspiring film maker, but I am a fan of Spike Lee.This book is a page turner and a quick read.Spike is a true example of the fruits of faith, belief in a dream, and determination.

By:
Pam Jarmon-Wade

Spike Lee: by any means necesscary
Spike lee: by any means necessary by Jim Haskins is a book for the person who wants to make a movie but is not spike lee has an smart idea of how to make the money. Spike Lee was born march 20, 1957 in Atlanta, Georgia. Most of his life was spent in Brooklyn. His parents are William "bill" lee, a jazz composer, and his mom was a teacher. He also had three brothers David, Cinque, Chris and a sister Joile. He followed in his dad and grandpa's college Morehouse in Atlanta. Morehouse is where spike became interested in filmmaking. Lee mastered film making at NYU 1982.He has also made many movies including School daze and Do the right thing. The way he incorporated his life into his movies was brilliant. I especially liked his characters in his movies.
Spike lee's first movie out of college was messenger.This movie is a drama about a New York messenger. During the production of this film it was halted because spike was five thousand dollars over his twenty eight million budgets. He decided to pick up the phone and call wealthy black entertainers. He called from Bill Cosby to Michael Jordan. The day after he called he got a check from Bill Cosby. He was eventually able to make his movie.
The movie School Daze is based on his four years at Morehouse during homecoming weekend. The movie deals with conflict between light and dark skin blacks. The light skin blacks are rich, have expensive things and popular. The dark skin blacks were uncool.
One of my favorite characters was a guy in the movie Two-one-two the guy is Chris Rock. He would go into a store and say "How much for a rib" Then store clerk would say the price and he would say " Who! How about I pay you a quarter for the ribs."
The clerk would say " two dollars fifty cents a rib"
The guy would reply " how about you let get the rib for a days work." What was so crazy about this was at the end when he was going to pay he pulls out a roll of cash.
To sum it up the book describes spike lee's life excellently this book is for the up coming film star.

A.W.

slow ride
Spike Lee written by Jim Haskins is about Spike Lee's life. Spike Lee is a movie director, and has directed over twenty films, like Malcolm X, and Summer Of Sam. It ranges from his family history before he was born to the present. But it goes in great detail about the movie industry and how it's a dog eat dog world out there. This book was missing a lot of the fun and positive things about being in the movie industry. It really focused on several of his own failures and obstacles. But it did not really go into details about why some of his movies were more successful than others.
This book was written really well. It had good sentence fluency, but lacked in voice because the author wasn't very interested. The word choice was bad because they used simple words, and organization was also bad because they jumped around. The ideas were also terrible because this is not an interesting fellow: he's just a dead beat.
My overall opinion would be one star because this book is really slow and boring. I would have rather sat and fiddled my thumbs together. But people that love his movies might like this book.

The book review of Spike Lee's By Any Means Necessary
This book was the personal story of the man who rose from thief and hoodlum to becoming the most dynamic leader of the Black Revolution.The themes mentioned in the book are the endless problems of theAfro-Americans.A man that fought for what he believed in, and sacrificedhis life for the freedom of his people.The book showed how Malcolm Xchanged his life by using different and peaceful changes later on, in hisyoung life. ... Read more

Product Description
This study explores African American identity through film, drawing from Spike Lee's cinematic production of X (1992) and Bamboozled (2000). The study brings attention to how African American identity is negotiated in communicative interactions. In doing so, the study proposes an alternative rhetorical and cultural approach to the nuances of African American identity. ... Read more

Product Description
Perhaps the leading director of his generation, Lee has created films that have received both critical acclaim and commercial success. Illustrated with photos from Lee's personal archive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Spike has made a Difference
it's Fantastic Reading about this Brother.he is Very Deep.One OF The Greatest Film-Makers Ever.he has done so much To UpLift THe HUman Vibe.it's very Important for African-AMerican Story's to be told&seen Uncut the way Spike does.he gives back&helps bring in New Blood.He stays Loyal.he is Challenging&makes you ask Questions.A Brother with a Purpose who continues to make a Difference.

Breaking the Barrier
Spike Lee; an outspoken writer, actor, producer, bussinessman and noted director Spike Lee hasn't rested on his achievments rather he keeps going. When I read this book it really caught my eye this man is really out to help his race break through the barrier that has held them back since slavery.He even stipulates in his contracts for movies and commercialsthat blacks be hired to work behind the scenes.I truly believe that thisbook brought out his inner-character, which I truly believe I can get anunderstanding for now that I read this inspirational book.I recommendthis book for anyone who believes strongly in self-character because SpikeLee's got it. ... Read more

Product Description
Poster art of the Obama '08 electoral campaign



Graphic innovation that helped make history



Hundreds of artists and designers expressed support for the Obama candidacy by designing posters and submitting them to designforobama.org for free download. This selection of the very best curated by Spike Lee and Aaron Perry-Zucker is a visual document of the most inspirational U.S. presidential campaign in living history.




From its inception, the Barack Obama campaign was destined to make history. Its message of inclusion and empowerment was spread by thousands of volunteers, a grassroots organization of unprecedented size and enthusiasm. Design for Obama built on this spirit with an online forum where artists, designers and supporters could upload their artworks and download others. Shepard Fairey s social realist "Hope"; poster became 2008 s enduring image, inspiring scores of designs that appeared on the streets, at rallies and registration drives, and in homes and offices around the country.




Edited by designforobama.org founder Aaron Perry-Zucker and filmmaker Spike Lee, this collection showcases over 200 of the best pro-Obama posters. Contributors range from prominent graphic and street artists to young up-and-comers. With essays by Spike Lee, Perry-Zucker, and design historian Steven Heller, this outstanding collection serves as a matchless historical document of the widespread visual creativity that helped spur Obama to victory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

SUPA COOL MAN REVIEW OF BARACK OBAMA
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R6EMLC7CW3H76 The Adventures of Supa Cool Man depicts an iconic super hero living in New York.
Tries to live in new york with the "NO DRAMA OBAMA" Credo.
[...]

Freedom of Speech...
If only our nation's leaders were as committed to not controlling every word of every sentence, and talk to us like real people! I love this collection of posters. I know it's about Obama's campaign, but more than that... it's a testament to the power of a group of people who are at liberty to say and create and needle and voice and debate. I'm not american. But I come from a country where these things are upheld also... Congratulations on capturing these thoughts in this way...

Classy
I'm not a major fan of art books, but this one is no regular art book. The clean layout makes for a sophisticated yet browse-able book. The range of styles represents the diversity of support garnered by our President. The book reflects the emotion, passion, and soul of the campaign. Beautiful.

An exquisite testament to a historic campaign...
This wonderful book is both a important testament to & a beautiful celebration of Obama's momentous election. Showcasing art by artists from all over the globe, "Design For Obama" is literally & figuratively a work of art in & of itself. Taschen really did an exquisite job on the printing, the coloring, the paper-stock, the layout, et al. The heft of the book is only surpassed by its beauty.
(& I write this not only as an artist whose great honor it is to have some work in the book ("Man of Hope", page 49, & "Baby Got Hope" on 85), but as a connoisseur of fine art books as well.)
If you would like to read about the book signing party which was a fabulous shindig & a great opportunity to meet the authors as well as many other artists involved, please visit "very secret monster things" @
[...].

Awesome!
Beautiful book with a lot of great posters.I love that the artists come from a wide range of backgrounds-- from high school students to experienced designers.

Aaron's layout design is quite handsome...and it doesn't hurt that Steven Heller and Spike Lee had a hand in it too.

A fantastic collection of emerging and seasoned designers.Can't wait for Aaron's next book :D! ... Read more

Product Description
Shelton Jackson 'Spike' Lee is one of the most culturally influential and provocative film directors of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Bringing together seminal writings—from classic scholarship to new research—this book focuses on this revolutionary film auteur and cultural provocateur to explore contemporary questions around issues of race, politics, sexuality, gender roles, filmmaking, commercialism, celebrity, and the role of media in public discourse.

Situating Lee as an important contributor to a variety of American discourses, the book highlights his commitment to exploring issues of relevance to the Black community. His work demands that his audiences take inventory of his and their understandings of the complexities of race relations, the often deleterious influence of media messages, the long term legacy of racism, the liberating effects of sexual freedom, the controversies that arise from colorism, the separatist nature of classism, and the cultural contributions and triumphs of historical figures.

This book seeks to stimulate continued debate by examining the complexities in Lee's various sociopolitical claims and their ideological impacts. ... Read more