If you need sound advice, this is the place to go.
Caine illustrates his principle with amusing anecdotes.
Even if you're not interested in film acting, this is a delightful read filled with interesting tidbits about star
like Stallone.

My only gripe is I wish it were twice as long.

An invaluable guide to working in film. The right mixture of imparting knowledge, and wisdom in an enteraining way. I literally could not put this book down until I had finished it.

In one night I read this book wanting to put myself in the shoes of Michael Caine and seeing his perspective on movie making. Many times I have sat with other actors and filmmakers to gain an insight and to know their passion as a thespian. Michael Caine is a talented individual and what an experience it must have been for the people who had a chance to be part of this two-day class which was transcribed in this book. Thank you Michael Caine and Maria Aitken for releasing this book.

If you are a passionate, disciplined actor who would like to learn several pointers from this professional, buy this book.

Look at this as an inexpensive tool to improve yourself as a thespian. Wonderful reading! Highly recommended!

This book has it all, adventure, history, fun and it doesn't read like an autobiography, but more like a wonderful entertaining story. I heartily recommend it for anyone who loves film and who would appreciate being transported into the heyday of the film industry. Kudos to the writers who did such a beautiful job.

This autobiography is fascinating and written in a very "readable" and easy manner. Mr. Neames' life is so interesting. The film industry is part of our history and is an important art form. Thank you for sharing your life with us.

This is a refreshing way to spend your time listening to some of the best interviews from the show. I like the show but sometimes don't have time to catch it on NPR. This audio set gives me lots of the memorable interviews I've heard or partially heard over the years. It's a great collection of some of the folks who are major influences in their work. The inquisitive and probing questions of Terry Gross really open up conversations with the likes of Tracy Ullman and Dennis Franz, they sound like us. These are wonderful snippets of real life.

this is without a doubt the finest book ever written. it's packed with worthless trivia and obscure facts that you will never use and will fill up parts of your brain that should be used for something else. feel the power of this great book.

Not many people know that Michael Caine was born in 1933, the son of a Billingsgate fish porter. Then again, not many people would care either, so it is hard to see how this book became the "number one bestseller" that its cover claims it to be. The introduction of this book gives you something of an insight into Michael Caine, the man. Who was he? What moved him? Why did he become whatever it was that he became? It seems that as a young child, li'l Mikey became aware of the power of a well timed fact. Apparently, they make you feel better for not having received a proper education. They are also useful for a bit of one upmanship when you come up against a "know-all". Unfortunately, and it really does pain me to have to point this out to a man of Michael's obvious calibre, it seems that Michael is the know-all. After all, this book is a collection of facts that Michael Caine has put together because he knows them, but not many other people know them. It also seems that, along with his knack for absorbing useless and highly dubious bits of information, Sir Michael Caine has a rare talent for self promotion. Another extremely unfortunate point that has to be made is that many of Caine's 'facts' are, even to the layman, clearly spurious. Incorrect, that is, or if not incorrect certainly insanely difficult to verify. Like the fact that 'Some soft drinks are made sweeter by adding coal'. Or that 'An American aircraft in Vietnam shot itself down with one of it's own missiles'. Not many people know that. That's because it is NOT TRUE. Or IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVE. Michael's only valid point, and I think this is the point on which the success of the book hinges, is that facts, especially highly irrelevant and inexplicably timed facts, can be very funny. They can be even funnier if read aloud in a pseudo-Cockney accent. Believe me, I've tried it. If you want to give it a go, simply peruse the pages of this book and read each useless fact aloud. Pretty funny, huh? And believe me, it gets funnier and funnier the more you do it. Actually, despite its faults, and largely because of them, this book rates pretty highly on my list of things to do in a social setting. And you really can't discount the fact that there is a huge picture of Michael Caine on the front. Now that's a selling point.

This is a wonderful collection of poetry readings by some of the best actors in the world. If you allow yourself only one tape of poetry, I would recommend this one. The rendition of Lawrence's "The Snake" is spellbining, and the reading of Macneil's "A Death in the Family" is quietlly gut-wrenching. And you will be surprised how well Bill Shatner recites about whales. Buy this tape, and you will listen to it again and again.

A very good read. Michael Caine had a surprisingly interesting early life, and it is the first half of the book which is the coolest. Unfortunately after he becomes a star, the autobiography loses its objectivity and he just becomes another Hooray Henry. It really is a shame that he couldn't keep up the wit that propelled me thru the first few hundred pages. Another annoying element is that everyone in the book is his "friend." By the end, the guy has about 5000 friends. He must spend a fortune on Christmas cards. Still, very recommended!

Michael Caine, one of film's most durable actors, tells his story through 1992 in the autobiography WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

How many film performers have done as much as well as Michael Caine? For more than forty years, the actor has delivered shining performances in dramas, thrillers and comedies. He's carried flicks as a leading man, shared the spotlight as a costar, contributed to emsemble casts and has even take small roles.

In WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT, Michael Caine vows this book is the only autobiography he will write. I hope he changes his mind. I am sure Mr. Caine had to leave a lot of good stories out of his first volume. And since its '92 publication, he has been knighted and won another Oscar. Why not another book?

The most noteworthy aspect of WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT is that Michael Caine, despite having done almost everything you could want to do, has had the same personal and professional ups and downs as you and me. He tells stories we've all been through, such as being nervous about meeting women and his strained relationships with friends. (Of course, you and I would not be pals with actor Terence Stamp.)

This Michael Caine fan wants more movie-making anecdotes. If Mr. Caine does publish a second autobiographical volume, I request a synopsis of the making of each of his ninety-something films. He barely mentions two of my favorites: WATER and especially the obscure comic gem WITHOUT A CLUE.

Bravo to Michael Caine for not kissing and telling. He alludes to the bedroom activity that made the 1960s what it was for the rich and famous but does not name names.

The night Michael Caine won the Best Supporting Actor for CIDER HOUSE RULES, ceremony host Billy Crystal had been making fun of Caine's role in a JAWS film. Yet Mr. Caine did not return the dig during his acceptance speech, despite notorious Crystal bombs such as MR. SATURDAY NIGHT, FORGET PARIS, and FATHER'S DAY.

Unless, of course, Michael Caine's saving those remarks for his next autobiography!

For now, read WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT.

This book is inspiring. Michael Caine knew at a very young age that he wanted to act, and through perseverance, he has become highly successful and one of the most respected actors of our time, with two Academy Awards to his credit. This should serve to encourage those with dreams but who tell themselves "I'll never make it."

This is the real thing. Caine starts at the beginning and tells it all without indiscreet name dropping. He mentions that he does not plan to write another autobiography and so does not want to leave anything out. That makes for a really great read.

But what's really special about this autobiography is how approachable Caine seems to be. He comes across as just a regular guy whom you could approach on the street and say hi. Considering that most of the other autobiographies I've read, however great they may be, still seem like stories told by a celebrity who has deigned to share his/her life story, that in itself is an amazing accomplishment.