Five Easy Decades: How Jack Nicholson Became the Biggest Movie Star in Modern Times Paperback – Illustrated, December 1, 2008

Not having read the book yet, I know it will be quite fascinating. This is one of the finest actors in film. He seems to be anything but dull. The book arrived quickly and in great condition.

IF YOU HAVE SEEN A LOT OF JACK NICHOLSON"S WORK THIS WILL MAKE A GREAT ADDITIONTO HIS WORKS. THANKS AMAZON, & MERCHANT WHO SENT THE BOOK IN A TIMELY MANNER, REGARDS, S

Regardless of how much of this book is actually accurate, I found it to be an interesting read. Only Jack knows the real truth but since he's such an fantastic character, it makes for a great story. It won't change your opinion of him as an actor or an eccentric icon in the movie industry. We love him regardless of any character flaws he may have. Afterall, he's just one crazy, brilliant guy! My review was actually for the following book. My comments remain the same.  Jack Nicholson: The Life and Times of an Actor on the Edge [Hardcover

If you have read previous Nicholson biographies I would recommend you do not spend your money on this one. What's new?: Jack's injuries/illness and movies that go up to The Bucket List. If you haven't read any biographies on Jack, this is not a bad read. The book's major themes are Jack's screen and personal personas (as they can be divined), his involvement with money- particularly how much he gets paid a movie, his off screen relationships and the issue of his paternity. As with most of Nicholson's biographys this is not authorized and thus relies on press and ex- associates/"friends" accounts of who Nicholson is..The author does attempt to present a balanced picture and has noted Nicholson's generosity as well as his "mean spirited" dealings with money. This reads on the side of a "pop" biography as opposed to a serious biography. I suppose we are not going to get a decent biography until Jack agrees to authorize one. The language in this book is at times crass: "codfish Jack", Warhol is a "pop art twit", Jack's collection of record albums makes him a "pop music nerd", "born a bastard", "horn dog hedonist", "obeying his gonads" etc. The themes that get overstated are Jack's paternity and his demands for getting paid for his movies....There are minor inaccuracies which makes you wonder about perhaps other substantive ones?..: Bob Dylan was not on the Easy Rider soundtrack (two of his songs were-but not him); Hunter S. Thompson did not kill himself with a shotgun, it was a hand gun; Allen Ginsberg does not spell his name ALAN; Jack could not have danced cheek to cheek to "Blue Velvet" in 1954, it wasn't a teen hit until the early sixties; The Two Jakes did not "predict" the growth of LA suburbs, because the script was written after the growth of suburbs; Jack is referred to as being both 5'10" and 5'9", because at one point he decided to cease his public display or discussion of drugs but kept on doing them, did not make him a "hypocrite"...There are some relatively minor editorial problems but its not worth going into...Maybe some day we will get a serious study of Jack's movie making, his artistry and his history...I would like to see a book that judges Nicholson on his art as an actor and the quality/impact of his movies...and not so focused on him as a person in and above the Hollywood psychodrama...

This is a Christmas gift for a friend. She loved it and is going to pass on to her friends to read it.

For those curious about Jack Nicholson, his generation's most mercurial film star, get this book. McDougal manages a critical though unjudgmental examination of Nicholson's behavior and success while entertaining the reader. Quite a trick. Caveat: not to be used as a training manual. Like Sinatra, only Jack Nicholson could succeed in his way.

Five Easy Decades: How Jack Nicholson Became The Biggest Movie Star in Modern Times suggests that this biography just might in fact be a How-To guide. It is not. It's not even a good biography as far as bios go. As an actor myself, I read a lot of Hollywood oriented bios, in hopes that they can give me some insight into how my screen heroes work. This book reads like a lurid expose, rife with anecdotes and legend-making antics, not the serious minded study of one of America's finest screen actors that I expected. For that, let me suggest "Jack's Life" by Patrick McGilligan. It is far more detail oriented about the day-to-day existence of a young, struggling jack Nicholson, before he made the "Big Time."

This summary/bio of Jack Nicholson's career in the moviesis well done, informative and fun to read! I am enjoying thisand will donate to our library when finishedcs

Interesting insight into a great and charming actor

Delighted. Great read. Great value.

Great book! I collect celebrity autobiographies, one of the better one's!

A really interesting life story.

GREAT BOOK ABOUT MR. NICHOLSON!