Impressive historical documentation; not easy to get through

I very much enjoy following fashion and modeling, and I have to give credit to author Michael Gross for touching on virtually every aspect of the modeling biz from 1915 - 1995. However, what started out as an interesting historical perspective turned quickly into essentially a blow-by-blow account of influence peddling and [sort of] slave trading over many decades. "Ugly business" is right.

For me, the major problem with "Model" is that it reads like a massive chronology of "who's screwing whom" (literally and figuratively), and practically everyone gets an entry: agents, bookers, photographers, backers, models and the playboys who pursue them. In the author's own words (p. 494): "The model business remains, as it has always been, a seething morass of beauty and money, grace and envy, sensuality and lust, yearning and backstabbing, glamour, greed, and glory beyond measure.

The progression of the business story is well thought out. The title of each main chapter relates to a time frame associated with the prevailing modeling fees. In between the main chapters are dialogues/interviews with key models of each period (Veruschka, Lauren Hutton, Janice Dickinson, and Veronica Webb, to name a few). I would have preferred more focus on the models as the primary subject matter, but the business is huge, with many players influencing everything from an agency's viability to which models get work (or don't). For me, there were too many never-heard-of-before names in the cast of characters. One look at the index proves that Mr. Gross has undertaken an exhaustive accounting of modeling business: 14-pages of tiny type, consisting of virtually every name associated with the modeling business one can think of. Yet, in a book of 500 pages, I'm wondering why Gia Carangi's life encompassed but a couple of paragraphs.

It's tough to put a number value on "Model," so consider me on the fence with a 3. For me the soap opera-ish tone of this book detracted far too much from the exhaustive historical accounting. It's a monumental work, but I just can't recommend it to everyone.

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loved it long time!!!!!

God..... this book was a hot mess and I loved it!!!
I wish that I could have been a top model in the 70's.
Making a truck load of money......doing blow at studio 54 with liza, halston, truman, janice, gia, andy, bianca and all the rest....getting banged in the balcony by all the hot male models and photographers!!!!!
Or hanging out backstage at the versace show with naomi, cindy, christie, claudia and linda.....smoking, drinking, cussing and fighting!!!
Christ....I loved this book...now I may not get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Terrific book, should be read by all by Baird Jones

This is a wonderful read with a perfect pace. It has a variety of viewpoints from a balanced business analysis, to a thoughtful integration of modeling into the cultural fabric to a taste for gossip which sizzles. Where else could one find out that Grace Kelly was turned down for a beauty contest because she was too thin or that Lauren Hutton chose her first name after Lauren Bacall because her first choice Laurence was too long for her Playboy bunny name tag? I was also impressed by Gross' skill at giving the reader a sense of the individual life story in just a page or two in an almost complete sense without any sense of skimping, no small feat. He covers America and Europe with a true feel for both areas, he zooms in close and also moves quickly. This is a remarkable book.

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