Rating: 
Summary: Fun and Informative - A MUST for every Simpsons fan
Review: I should preface this by saying that I am a Simpsons fanactic. Because of the wonders of digital cable, I am able to watch the show -- 3 episodes worth -- every afternoon as I'm making dinner. To date, it's the only show on television that makes me laugh until I snort. Now that I've painted that beautiful picture, let me get to the book... I was pleasantly surprised by this book and by Nancy Cartwright, the author. She did a great job of mixing the obscure, behind-the-scenes stuff that fans (like me)love with a pleasant grouping of autobiographical sketches and personal photos. I hadn't known that Nancy had such a wide-range of voice experience! Truly, though, it was the "Behind the Simpsons" stuff that sold me. I thoroughly enjoyed about how the show began, what the performers are really like, and how time consuming/complicated it is to put together a 24-minute episode. Also, it was great when Nancy would reference different scenes/anecdotes from the episodes. I felt like such a Simpsons insider, especially when I was able to say, "I saw that!" or "I remember that!" A final note: Make sure to look on the lower, right-hand corner of the last hundred or so pages in the book. By flipping quickly through the pages (think "flip book"), you can see an adorable animated short featuring Nancy and her alter ego, Bart Simpson. So cute! Make sure to give this to every Simpsons fan on your holiday gift list. They will definitely appreciate it.
Rating: 
Summary: More biography than "Simpsons" anecdotes
Review: I'm a big "Simpsons" fan, and I figured this book had to have some really great Simpsons-related anecdotes. While there were some good stories, I really was left wanting more. I wanted to know more about Groening & the writers & some of the other voice talent that has made this show such an incredible success. While this book has just the right amount of biographical material on the author, I felt that maybe there was a little too much time spent on things like detailed information on how the animation is done. And I was hoping for some inside scoop on the "nasty" contract negotiations of a few years ago. Unfortunately, Nancy says "none of your business" in this book. The people involved with creating the "Simpsons" have to be some of the most intelligent and funny people on the planet. Unfortunately, this book provides only limited information on them. If you're looking for a book that is more of a biography of Nancy Cartwright, and has a few interesting (but short) anecdotes of her run-ins with a few stars (Streep, Mel Gibson, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson), then this book will not disappoint you.
Rating: 
Summary: insufferable, a real stinker
Review: Impossible to read. I don't know how I did it, but I got to page 190 out 285, and I just couldn't take any more of Carwright's gushing about how wonderful it feels to be so lucky to have gotten the voice over part for Bart Simpson. She's obviously a talented voice over actor, but she really doesn't have anything to say. Any real content that might be found in this book would be found a lot easier on online Simpson fan sites. I used to be a big fan of the show, and when I learned that this book was out I jumped at the chance to buy it and read it. But having read this book, it has considerably dampened my ardour for the show. In order to enjoy this book, you really need to have the sort of narcissistic, egotistical personality that the author does, in my opinion. But then again, most narcissists are incapable of identifying with others, so I guess this book is mostly for the benefit of the author's friends and relatives and a few die-hard fans of the author herself, as opposed to fans of the show as a whole. Reading this book was like being trapped in an elevator with a daffy maiden aunt that can't control herself and just keeps gushing and gushing and gushing. To each his own, I suppose. Then again, the author does mention that the show's producers discouraged her from writing the book in the early years of the show. Reading this book, I can see why. Its enough to drive a dog out of a tanning yard, as my dad used to say. Awful, totally, utterly, sickeningly, nauseatingly awful. What seems to have escaped the author is that Bart Simpson is symptomatic of a lot of the things that are rotten about American culture. She seems to think he's mostly charming. I don't deny that Bart is charming, but if everyone in America behaved like Bart, and unfortunately many people do, this country'd be in very bad shape. Another thing that's impossible to stomach about this book is the author going on and on about how she could have been a regular live action movie or TV star, but that things didn't quite work out that way. She seems totally unable to accept that she doesn't have the looks to be a live action star. It just seems so greedy, pigheaded, self-centered and childish. There's nothing at all charming about those qualities as they are on display here by Ms. Cartwright. None of this book should ever have seen the light of day.
Rating:
Summary: MORE THAN A VOICE,NANCY CARTWRIGHT IS BART SIMPSON
Review: MAYBE THIS REVIEW SHOULD BE DISQUALIFIED BECAUSE I AM A PERSONAL FRIEND AND FAN OF BOTH THE WOMAN NANCY CARTWRIGHT AND THE CARTOON CHARACTER BART SIMPSON.HOWEVER,OUR CHANCE AND RATHER HUMOROUS MEETING ON AN AIRPLANE LAST WINTER ON HER WAY TO ASPEN,COLORADO FOR A FIRST TIME EVER CAST READING OF THE SIMPSON'S IN FRONT OF A LIVE AUDIENCE SHOULD CONVINCE ANYBODY THAT READS THIS REVIEW TO BUY THE BOOK IMMEDIATELY.AS THE AIRPLANE HAD REACHED IT'S CRUISING ALTITUDE FOR THE SHORT FLIGHT FROM DENVER TO ASPEN, I HAD MY FIRST CELEBRITY SIGHTING.HANK AZARIA, THE VOICE OF APU AND MITCH FROM THE POPULAR MOVIE TUESDAY'S WITH MORRIE WAS GETTING UP FROM HIS SEAT TWO ROWS UP.MY FIRST INSTINCT WAS TO SHARE THIS SIGHTING WITH A YOUNG WOMAN SITTING NEXT TO ME:"EXCUSE ME,I SAID EXCITEDLY.BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REALIZE THIS BUT THAT'S HANK AZARIA TWO ROWS UP.AT THE SAME TIME I WAS POINTING TO HIS PICTURE AND BIOGRAPHY FROM THE UPCOMING APPEARANCE OF THE ENTIRE SIMPSON'S CAST IN ASPEN THE NEXT NIGHT.WELL, THIS WOMEN LOOKS AT ME, LOOKS AT HANK AND FINALLY LOOKS DOWN AT THE PROGRAM AND FINALLY BLURTS OUT IN HER VERY BEST BART SIMPSON VOICE.WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM? POINTING DOWN AT THE PICTURE BELOW HANK'S IS NONE OTHER THAN NANCY CARTWRIGHT,THE VOICE OF BART SIMPSON AND AUTHOR TO BE OF HER FIRST BOOK,"MY LIFE AS A TEN YEAR OLD BOY". NEEDLESS TO SAY, I TURNED BEAT RED FROM EMBARRASSMENT--AND IF I HAD A PARACHUTE,I WOULD HAVE USED IT. MEANWHILE,WHAT FOLLOWED WAS A DELIGHTFUL CONVERSATION THAT WENT FROM THE SERIOUS TO THE HUMOROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PILOT ANNOUNCED THAT WE COULD NOT LAND IN ASPEN BECAUSE OF BAD WEATHER--AND NANCY,I MEAN BART SAID "I SHOULD GRAB THE MICROPHONE AND SAY ,"EXCUSE ME,THIS IS BART SIMPSON SPEAKING FROM THE COCKPIT--AND AS SOON AS I FINISH PLAYING MY NINTENDO GAME,I'M GOING TO LAND THIS AIRPLANE." YES,THIS PROVED TO BE CLASSIC NANCY-ERR BART AS OUR FRIENDSHIP GREW AND I VISITED HER IN CALIFORNIA TWICE WITH MY FAMILY STAYING AT HER GUESTHOUSE ENJOYING LIFE IN TOONLAND.WHAT A DELIGHTFUL LADY AND WHAT AN ENTERTAINING BOOK!!!! MY REVIEW IS REALLY INVALUABLE BECAUSE I LIVED THROUGH SOME OF THE EVENTS MENTIONED IN THE BOOK,MET MANY OF HER FRIENDS AND STAFF AND REALLY GOT TO KNOW THE PERSON FIRSTHAND THAT IS THE PERSONALITY AND MISCHIEVIOUS CHARACTER THAT MANIFESTS ITSELF TO ALL THE LUCKY FANS THAT HAVE ENJOYED THE ANTICS OF BART SIMPSON FOR OVER 10 YEARS. READ THE BOOK AND GET TO KNOW NANCY BETTER BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN SHE MIGHT POP UP BEHIND YOU AND SAY THOSE MAGIC WORDS,"I'M BART SIMPSON.WHO THE HELL ARE YOU"?
Rating:
Summary: A "must" for all Simpson fans everywhere!
Review: My Life As A 10-Year-Old Boy is the fascinating, behind-the-scenes story of Nancy Cartwright, who is the voice of Bart Simpson on "The Simpsons", the very popular and longest running comedy series on television today. Here revealed for her legions of fans is the inside story of Cartwright's career, with intimate and candid anecdotes from a true insider. We are treated to Cartwright's history of her life as Bart going back to the early days when she received a call from her agent about an audition for an animated "interstitials" series that was to be sandwiched between commercial breaks and "the Tracey Ullman Show". Nancy was originally asked to read for the role of Lisa Simpson, but landed the role of Bart, a devious, underachieving, school-hating, irreverent, clever, soon to be a pop culture icon, ten year old boy from an hilariously dysfunctional family in the dysfunctional town of Springfield. My Life As A 10-Year-Old Boy is a "must" for all Simpson fans everywhere!
Rating:
Summary: A "must" for all Simpson fans everywhere!
Review: My Life As A 10-Year-Old Boy is the fascinating, behind-the-scenes story of Nancy Cartwright, who is the voice of Bart Simpson on "The Simpsons", the very popular and longest running comedy series on television today. Here revealed for her legions of fans is the inside story of Cartwright's career, with intimate and candid anecdotes from a true insider. We are treated to Cartwright's history of her life as Bart going back to the early days when she received a call from her agent about an audition for an animated "interstitials" series that was to be sandwiched between commercial breaks and "the Tracey Ullman Show". Nancy was originally asked to read for the role of Lisa Simpson, but landed the role of Bart, a devious, underachieving, school-hating, irreverent, clever, soon to be a pop culture icon, ten year old boy from an hilariously dysfunctional family in the dysfunctional town of Springfield. My Life As A 10-Year-Old Boy is a "must" for all Simpson fans everywhere!
Rating: 
Summary: One of the most popular voices of tv history.
Review: Nancy Cartwright utilizes wit and humor as she explores not only her personal life and career as the voice of Bart Simpson, but as she provides a descriptive, in-depth account of the lengthy and difficult process of developing an entire Simpsons episode. Despite her various roles in films, Nancy Cartwright is better known for creating the voice of the rebellious Bart Simpson, especially since she is capable of giving a cartoon drawing depth and personality. There are several excerpts from her meetings with guest stars that have appeared on the show, including Mel Gibson and Kelsey Grammer. Through her book, she invites fans into the world of The Simpsons, from the whole cartoon making process (it takes 8 to 10 months to create one episode) to her experiences with working with fellow co-stars. She has established herself as a celebrity thanks to Bart Simpson, already an immediate icon of American culture. This book will inform readers with many interesting facts about the show. If you're a Simpsons fan or are solely interested in what goes on behind the scenes, then this a highly recommended book for you.
Rating:
Summary: ThebestbookoutofBiographesinyears a mustforchildren to Adult
Review: Nancy shows amazing discriptive words behind the scenes and about her life. In the book she also has a foreward by the man who plays Homer. If you are a simpsons fan or a Bart, Nelson, or a Ralph fan get this Book. She plays all three of those parts!
Rating:
Summary: A real pleasure to read.
Review: The sayings "Eat my shorts!" "Don't have a cow, man!" are but a few of Bart Simpson. Ever wonder what it's like to be the voice of a famous cartoon? Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes and what it takes to make the cartoon come to life? Nancy Cartwright is the voice of one of the most famous ten-year old boys in America culture and her book is an excellent look into the behind the scenes activities of the Simpson's. Unlike like a lot of books in this genre, this is the first that not only tells a story of the person but also gives a glimpse of what goes into the show, production notes and working with the cast. Easy to read and follow the storyline, you'll meet Homer, Bart, Lisa, Marge and the whole cast from a whole new perspective. It's funny, brilliant and entertaining and now when I watch the show I have deeper appreciation of what goes on behind the scenes.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting cross between "fanzine" bio and show biz bio
Review: This book is a fascinating cross between a standard "fanzine" bio -- giving enthusiastic fans all (and even MORE than all) they want to know about a star and/or show -- and a solid show biz bio. So it'll please and disappoint some. This isn't a hedge, but a fact. Nancy Cartwright is a supremely young talented actress/voice-over artist who, unless you live on Jupiter, know is the REAL voice of 10-year-old Bart Simpson (and some other characters on the show). The questions: Could she write a book that satisfied detail-hungry Simpson's fans with tidbits about how the show is created, animated, written, voiced. Could she provide bio info on the other cast members? Could she give behind-the-scenes stories about the various highpowered guest stars? And could she also do a SOLID show biz bio that shows how she got from point A to Point B, from a child in awe of show biz figures, especially voice-over stars, to a behind-the-scenes star? The answers: YES...and no. This book could be gifted to EVERY youth who seeks any career for one reason alone: it shows in the beginning how, at an early age, she was smart enough to pick a prominent mentor with whom she could consult, who could help open doors a tiny crack for her. It was Daws Butler, voice of a zillion cartoon characters such as Yogi Bear. She had the TALENT but was smart enough to seek out advice, meet her mentor, take his advice and let him guide her through the show biz obstacle course early in her career. For Simpson's fans, the book is rich in enormous detail (also in italics and a conversational style that becomes slightly grating at times but is sincere). What comes across is Cartwright's underlying modesty (but she is confident) and her continued (endearing) ghee-whiz awe at being in a business where she can meet all these famous people. There's also a nice collection of photos and a little cartoon in the lower right hand corner that animates when you flip the pages. Some non die-hard Simpsons fans MAY flip this book's pages since it most successful as a book for fans of the show. On the other level, as a show biz bio of interest to more than die-hard fans, it doesn't work as well, but has definite merits. There's a superb blow-by-blow explanation of how the program is created, animated and voiced. Excellent descriptions are given about voice-over specifics -- so this would indeed be an IMPORTANT book for someone who wants to do cartoon or commercial voices. They can learn about what goes into voice-overs, the importance of goal-setting, the importance of trying to implement a goal and the importance of seeking mentors (for at least advice before leaping into things). Yet, because it is a mixture it somehow doesn't seem to TOTALLY fulfill either mission, as a fanzine book or show biz bio. But that is NOT -- rpt NOT -- Cartwright's fault: she is an enormously talented young woman who has already shot to the top of the voice-over business NOT because of her mentor, but because of incredible talent. We might forgive her if her book is not as solid or fascinating as the immortal Mel Blanc's solid 1988 autobiography That's Not All Folks. He was about a lot older than her. Cartwright has a long career ahead of her -- and will most certainly continue to skyrocket once the Simpson's is off the air. We're sure to see her write another autobiography some years down the pike -- and that one will surely be a classic. For now, My Life As A 10-Year-Old Boy will do quite nicely.
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