The Philosophy of Andy Warhol : (From A to B and Back Again),   ISBN:9780156717205

Customer Rating: 

This is an awesome book it's funny and Andy is God or at least my God and this is my bible :D

Customer Rating: 

I only wish I'd had a copy of this book when I was dealing with rage in the workplace. Life can be tough and complicated. Somehow I think Andy Warhol was more than visionary when he saw such levels of stress entering into the American life. The modern age is complex with more than just issues of making money and survival - we are still struggling with the right use of our technology and STUFF. Andy, had he lived longer, would have been able to provide some insights and solutions towards the stupid things people do when it comes to cell-phones, text-messaging and "tracking" emails. He would have flipped for reality TV, and by now would have a show of his own. It would have been inevitable. Such a loss!

One thing I appreciated here was his advise to never complain or create problems when in the midst of other people's dramas... Learn how to use the drama of your own silence constructively! And then? After the drama has died down -? BLAME SOMEONE.

So far his philosophy is working like a charm! I LOVE IT!

Customer Rating: 

Upon receiving this book ,which I gave as a gift to my sister, I was very disappointed. The book was listed as if it were in decent shape with a few minor imperfections. On the contrary, the book was in pitiful shape. Luckily, it was not the only thing I was giving to my sister. I don't feel like I over paid by too much, but I was expecting a good deal. What I got was less than a fair deal.

Customer Rating: 

This book was very funny and a great insight on how Andy's mind works.
Some of his philosophy is so far from the norm that when you think about it it actually might work. Its a quick read, seemingly a lot of it is actual transcribed conversations, so some things get a bit monotonous like an hour long conversation with B about what she cleaned all day. (I think the idea is that B is high and rambling, but its pretty funny when you think about it). I laughed out loud through most of the book, I highly recommend it if you're an Andy fan.

Customer Rating: 

I recently had lunch at the Andy Warhol museum in Pittsburgh PA from where I purchased this book. With me was a very intellectual Indian guy who hadn't heard of Warhol nor was he familiar with his work. He wanted to understand who this person was and understand his significance.

Without thinking much about it, I explained that Warhol was a central figure in the pop art scene who made the spirit of art--the ability to see everyday things in a different light and from multiple perspectives--available to the common man. How was it that I knew this? It wasn't any remarkable brilliance on my part, rather I would credit the ability of Andy Warhol to make a philosophical statement purely on the basis of his art. That an artistically untrained person such as myself could get this is a reflection of Andy Warhol's genius.

Andy Warhol made the living essense of art available to the common man by showing him the beauty of popular culture.

Warhol is an iconic American figure and we should really appreciate this fact. His appreciation of blue jeans, ballpark hot dogs, a Coke and yes obviously Campbells soup is revolutionary in that no one else at that time, save a happy go lucky American could appreciate that. In that vein, what is truly American about Warhol's art is that it is divorced from any specific tradition, thus apart from any cultural phenomenon and so it stands as an inspiration to see that commercialization as the American way has indeed an equalizing power unparalleled by any political or philosophical system. I do believe that Warhol appreciated this fact and there are many other unique insights to the American experience that support this point of view.

The book itself is loosely based on categories of human interest...Love, Fame, Work, Time, Death etc. Within these chapters, Warhol observes from his experience and those of his acquaintences simple ideas that put the world into perspective for him. I find his approach to be existential in that he simply observes in journalistic fashion the effects of lifes experiences and the results to his thinking.

The tone is conversational and you get the impression from the narrative that you are witnessing some spectacle and hearing Warhol's commentary and this makes the book very easy to read. It is not pretentious or pompous, rather there is an innocence and naivete to Warhol that comes through.

There are more than a few gems, one the most important the paradoxical aspects of life in terms of success. I find it extraordinary that he felt that good business was an art as very few seem to appreciate this fact.It seems that Warhol's commercial motivations for art gave rise to the best work produced by him. Though I would not be quick to dismiss him as an artistic prostitute.

A worthwhile read for anyone who is constantly on the lookout for evidence that the American experiment has noteworthy contributions towards social development.