Product Description

Paris Hilton has a lifestyle most girls dream about. Her name is on everyone's lips, but can she help it if she was born rich and privileged? Now, with a sly sense of humor and a big wink at her media image, Paris lets you in for a sneak peek at the life of a real, live heiress/model/actress/singer/it-girl and tells you how anyone can live a fairy-tale life like hers.

Featuring more than three hundred fabulous color photos of Paris, Confessions of an Heiress is a look at life from the unique perspective of a young woman who has the whole world at her stiletto-clad feet.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #500409 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780743266659
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Heiress, socialite, model, actress, singer and media darling Hilton loves her life, knows how to get what she wants and matter-of-factly explains how anyone can be a glamorous, fun-loving, tiara-wearing heiress just like her. Bursting with photos of Hilton in trademark poses or with friends and family, her "confessions" are hardly scandalous, other than divulging that her hair is (gasp) naturally curly, she reveals few intimate details about herself, coyly referring to a famous scandal that once plagued her as "something I wasn't too proud of", but they display an energetic and earnest young woman fiercely loyal to her family and closest friends and determined to enjoy herself no matter what the consequences. Lightheartedly describing the "Paris Diet" (eat as much chocolate as you can, eat popcorn at night, never take diet pills) and admitting "I'm really bad about washing my face and using skin products," Hilton's indulgent and sometimes reckless lifestyle might not be sensible for everyone, but her advice to "channel your own inner heiress, create your own image, and project an extreme sense of confidence" is an empowering message for young women. Though much of the book consists of laundry lists of her favorite designers, body products, hair stylists, cities, etc., Hilton endears herself to readers by being the first to critique herself, even dedicating a chapter to photos of her fashion mistakes, and by encouraging aspiring heiresses, or girls who want to feel like one, to "always act like you're wearing an invisible crown. I do. And it's always worked for me."
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Review
"I have known Paris Hilton for much of her young life and have always recognized her as a great beauty. What people don't know is that she is a great beauty on the inside as well."

-- Donald Trump

"Paris is young and beautiful with her own sense of style. That's what everyone loves about her. Paris and I are similar in that all that matters is that we are happy with who we are."

-- Naomi Campbell

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter One: How to be an Heiress

A lot of people seem to have the wrong idea about me. In fact, pretty much everything I read about myself is totally ridiculous. Newspapers and magazines write that I'm spoiled and privileged, and that all I do is dance on tabletops and party with my friends. They think I instantly became famous because I was born into a rich, well-known family, and everything has come so easily to me. They like to think everything they read about me in the tabloids is true. Well, you can't always believe what you read, right? So I've finally decided to give you a sneak peek into my very hyped life -- so you can know the real me.

I haven't bothered to correct what's been written about me so far because, well, gossips believe whatever they want anyway. The people I care about know the real me. If I'm happy with who I am, what difference does it make?

And that's the bottom line for me. While the stuff printed about me over the last few years is amusing and makes me laugh, I've finally decided to let the world know: Okay, I get it. Everyone can have fun with my image because I like to have fun with it too. My friends know that while I like my lifestyle, I don't take it -- or my media image -- all that seriously. I do take my family seriously. I take my dog, Tinkerbell, seriously. I take my work seriously. But I don't take myself all that seriously.

Now, I have to confess to you: Despite what you've read, being a famous heiress is not that easy. It is, of course, fun and exciting, and it comes in handy for air travel. But look around you, and in the gossip columns: Not every heiress is famous. Or fun. There are a lot of boring heiresses out there. What a waste, I say! These are people who are so afraid of what other people might think or write about them, they don't take advantage of all the possibilities that being an heiress hands you on a silver platter. They think there's a prescribed way of "being an heiress" that you're supposed to conform to. It involves wearing white gloves, big hats, and pearls, having some dowdy debut or a coming-out party, and going to fancy, snobby all-girl colleges -- boring, old-fashioned stuff like that.

I totally disagree. There is no sin worse in life than being boring -- and nothing worse than letting other people tell you what to do. I was one of the few heiresses to walk the runway as a model. A lot of people thought that was shocking. Why did I do it? Was it a desperate cry for attention, like the papers said? Hardly. It's not like I need any more attention. Did I do it for money? Of course not. Modeling doesn't pay that well, anyway, unless you're Gisele or Cindy Crawford, or, like Patti Hansen, you get to marry a rock star. I did it because it was fun.

Well, suddenly, everyone got all freaked out. It seems modeling wasn't on the list of socially acceptable activities for heiresses. Then, a year later, every other socialite started walking the runway. Now you can't keep them off the runway. Now there are model agents in New York and L.A. who specialize in getting socialites jobs as models. And if I hadn't pursued it, it might never have happened. I mean, if I didn't do it, who would have? By being brave -- and channeling my "inner heiress" -- I created a new opportunity for young heiresses.

That is what being an heiress means to me: being in charge. After all, if you have money and certain advantages, no one should be in charge of your life but you. Especially after the age of twenty-one. I'm twenty-three now, but in a lot of ways, I always took matters into my own hands. I knew I wanted to be a model, actress, and singer from a pretty young age, so I told my parents, and they could tell I was serious. In so many ways, being an heiress is really all in your head. If you follow your own plans and dreams and you don't let anyone talk you out of them, then you'll start to get the hang of being an heiress. It's all about feeling entitled, which seems, for some weird reason, to make a very big impression -- a good one. And who's more empowered than an heiress? Heiresses are born with privileges. If you walk into a room and know you're the most exciting person in the room because...you are, then you're feeling like an heiress. All you need after that is a good handbag, a great pose, and very high heels, and you're on your way. (Long blond hair doesn't hurt, either.)

The best way for me to tell everyone how to act and feel like an heiress is by doing this book. First of all, the book parties will be really fun! But beyond that, I want to put it out there that if you can channel your own inner heiress, create your own image, and project an extreme sense of confidence -- even if you don't really feel it every moment -- people will treat you differently. Sure, heiresses are born with privileges. But if an heiress doesn't project natural-born superconfidence, no one is going to take her seriously or put her on the pedestal she deserves to be on. Put yourself on your own pedestal, and then everybody else will, too. Always act like you're on camera, and the spotlight's on you. Always behave like you are the center of attention. Always act like you're wearing an invisible crown. I do. And it's always worked for me.

And try adding a little attitude to your normal behavior. For instance, if you expect people to do things for you, they will. If you act like a doormat, no one will lift a finger for you. That does not mean you should ever be mean, or snobby. A true heiress is never mean to anyone -- except a girl who steals her boyfriend. An heiress should be a little above it all, but sweet. She can afford to be kind because she's well bred and never in a hurry. And she shouldn't go around spilling her guts to everyone. Have some secrets, I say. Secrets are very important assets if you're going to be an heiress.

Even if you have no secrets -- and everyone does -- you've got to make people think that you do. If people read a few tidbits about you in Vanity Fair or on "Page Six," they instantly want to know more. They will want to know everything about you. If there's one thing I've learned, it's this: People need to believe your life is better than theirs.

After all, everyone needs a fantasy. Okay, maybe I don't, but most rich people want something they can't have. If they have one Rolls-Royce, they fantasize about having two. If they have a closet full of Chanel, they want a closet full of Gucci.

I'm a fantasy to a lot of people. They want to think that I have more fun than they do, have fewer problems, wake up looking great, go to sleep looking great, can buy and eat anything in the world I want, and get any hot guy I want. They think I'm "Paris Barbie." (I take that as a compliment. Barbie is my total fashion icon!) No one wants to think that I have a normal life or problems. They prefer to imagine someone has the Perfect Life, and I guess mine seems like that to a lot of people. I've only been me, so I can't tell if my life is perfect or not.

The way I keep people wondering about me is to smile all the time and say as little as possible. Smile beautifully, smile big, smile confidently, and everyone thinks you've got all kinds of secret things going on. And that keeps them wanting more. And when they want more, you are automatically interesting. If you give too much away, no one needs to know anything else. You've given it all away -- and for free. And if you do that, well, you're never going to have any money. Or make any money. It's what they call "supply and demand."

So, while I'm going to reveal some of my secrets here, don't get your hopes up too high. I'll never reveal ALL of them. How tacky would that be? An heiress never reveals how much money she's worth, or her family's worth. An heiress hardly ever refers to money, period. An heiress never reveals how many guys she's dated, or...whatever. There are definitely a number of things an heiress won't talk about. You can imagine what they are. There's a big difference between being fun and provocative and being totally over-the-top and gross. An heiress knows how to tread that fine line -- in stilettos.

I've noticed that my girlfriends want to tell their friends everything. They need to talk about every tight T-shirt they buy, every carbohydrate they eat, every insecurity they have, every single thing a guy says to them. These girls have no secrets. So no one needs to talk behind their backs. They've spilled it all. I don't do that.

Rule Number One: Heiresses aren't needy. If an heiress is feeling a little insecure, she should go shopping. And if she still doesn't feel any better, she should go to Paris. Or Saint-Tropez. For the weekend, if necessary. Because there's always another fun place to visit, another set of fun people, another cute outfit waiting to be snapped up. There's no reason for an heiress to ever EVER be bored.

Rule Number Two: An heiress should never be too serious. Being too serious is very dull, and is a sign you have no imagination or personality. No one really wants to hang out with anyone too serious. An heiress is so confident -- and why shouldn't she be? -- that she should always be able to make fun of herself. First of all, if you make fun of yourself, no one gets upset when you make fun of other people. And if you make fun of yourself first, no one gets the urge to do it behind your back. You've taken all the power away from them -- AND made them laugh. It's a double whammy.

Here are my fail-safe instructions on how to be an heiress and live like you have a privileged life -- and I am serious about them. Most of them, anyway.

1 BE BORN INTO THE RIGHT FAMILY. Choose your chromosomes wisely. This may seem like ludicrous advice, but actually it isn't. If an heiress is in control of everything, why shouldn't she be in control of who she's born to? You know how everyone always says there are no accidents? Well, I believe you choose who you're born to. And if you do have the misfortune of being born into the wrong...

Customer Reviews

Garbage
I'm not a certified book critic, but I would never encourage anyone to waste $22.00 of their hard-earned money on this pile. Paris probably hired some underling ghost-writer to jot down her "ideas" and "thoughts" and paste them together in a hardcover. She was trying to get the readers to see her as someone that she's obviously not (respectful, humble, intelligent, real), and contradicts each statement with her "tips" and "how-to's" (behave like an utter snob, act ridiculously arrogant and you'll gain the admiration you've so longed for from society). She also uses an entire chapter to name-drop her celebrity friends' list.
She's glamorous, stylish and has the cash to get her by, but otherwise, there is nothing to the book but and endless abyss of shallow thinking.

Oy
Once upon a time, Paris was a cute brown-eyed girl with dark blonde hair. Then, she got minor rhinoplasty, bleached her hair to the point of falling out, tanned her skin until it looked plastic, purchased blue contacts, and hit the big time. Yawn.

Touting this book as "tounge-in-cheek" is supposed to give Paris a Get Out of Jail Free Card; i.e. "You can't really criticize this book, because it's meant to be funny". But, it's not funny, and can really only be touted as part of the "I'm milking my 15 minutes" parade. If you want to know all the things an heiress would or wouldn't do, Paris will give you the skinny (I must have missed the chapter on how an heiress should make at least one amateur porn video!). But this is fluff reading at best and trashy self-promotion at worst. If sister Nicky had written this, perhaps we could take it more seriously. Quotes such as "People say they envy my lifestyle, but I'm convinced that anyone with a little imagination can live 'The Life.'" Yeah, that and a Daddy who internationally owns one of the most expensive and popular hotel chains. I suppose that helps you attain 'The Life'; and you don't even have to work hard for it!

Between parading herself around as a "celebrity" (and a skanky one at that) and trying to convince America that she alone has coined the phrase "That's hot!" (as if no one else before her has said it), I just can't take this girl seriously. Bottom line: "Confessions" reads like one big Paris yearbook...except with less words. If you're really into this 'Girl of the Moment', then read this. But don't expect hilarity- it's Paris's way of saying, "Don't you wish you were me?" under the guise of humor. Ugh.

Don't hate Paris.....But don't idolize her either
It is amazing to me, the amount of passion that goes into people loving or hating Paris Hilton. I never knew a whole lot about her, as I am not much interested in celebrities, but I can say I find it much easier to be turned off by her than to be mesmerized by her.

What is so great about her? Have we become such a materialistic society that we worship a girl who just happens to be born into a wealthy family? That nothing else matters except that she is rich? Just by birth?

Sure, she is pretty, but I imagine with enough money spent on fake tans and blue contacts, hair extensions and overly sexy clothes, anybody can look good. And when you have all the money you could ever want to buy those things, and all the time in the world to groom yourself (because you do not have to work) well, any of us could be glamorous, right?

So people who worship this girl do so because she is rich and glamorous. And that is about as shallow as Paris herself. This girl has had such an abnormal upbringing that she has no idea what real work is like, never thinks of others' feelings, and looks down at anyone less affluent than she (as seen by her behavior on the Simple Life shows). And this is someone whom we should all look up to?!?

The real interesting thing about Paris though, to me, is psychological. I saw her on Letterman the other night, and she appeared to be much younger than her real age. She seems very immature, probably from gliding through life without many struggles, (struggling being the kind of thing that makes you grow as a person). We all wish we could have it as easy as Paris, but do we really? The things we struggle with cause us to learn and poor, spoiled Paris has never had that.

Also, she is so self-absorbed and narcissistic that I just could not believe her! I was amazed at the things written in this book, but hearing her actually speak in that manner downright shocked me. How can anyone be that in love with themselves? This isn't self-confidence, either. I honestly believe she has Narcissistic Personality Disorder (I am not kidding) so rather than hate her, she should be pitied.

I have seen photos of her, in her partying atmosphere, wearing scanty clothing with no underwear and then bending over to give the world a peek. Who in the world, other than a professional stripper maybe, would be driven to do that? Do you need attention that badly? Correct me if I am wrong, but that is abnormal behavior.

All of you folks who have blind admiration for Paris should think hard about what a true 'hero' would be. Someone who is out to help the world be a better place, to fight corruption, crime, poverty, disease, injustice....I could go on and on. With her resources, I certainly know that I could do a LOT to help good causes and to change things for the better. But Paris does not give a second thought to anyone but herself, which, to me, is disgusting, whether she has resources or not. No matter how little you have in life, you are always able to help others. And she has been filmed calling people by racial epithets. Again, is this someone whom we should idolize? She is short on brains, definitely, but also on compassion for others.

All of the people who passionately hate this girl should just ignore her, as she gets a bigger ego with any attention she gets, good or bad.

It just scares me that someone so....useless....can be idolized so easily and so much. Do not hate her, sympathize for her instead, because she really is not a very nice person, and spend your time helping others, because she certainly won't.