Reviews (5)

Enthusiastically recommended for Western film buffs
Enhanced with a foreword by actress Maureen O'Hara, and graced with an informative text by Jane Pattie, John Wayne: There Rode A Legend is a gorgeous, superbly illustrated coffee table book showcasing the life, career, movies, deeds, and memories of the world famous actor John Wayne, best known for his many classic American West movies. Filled with both color photographs and black-and-white television and movie stills from before the firm establishment of color TV, John Wayne: There Rode A Legend is a remarkable tour of and tribute to the actor's life and work, from the 30's to the 60's. Of special note are the highlights that reveal John Wayne's humanitarian legacy, from when he had a gravely ill Navajo girl flown to a hospital 100 miles away on his personal plane to the creation of the John Wayne Cancer Institute years after the great actor's death from stomach cancer. John Wayne: There Rode A Legend is beyond compare and enthusiastically recommended for Western film buffs and the legions of fans of a truly unique actor and his enduring work.

John Wayne...There Rode a Legend
All I can say about this book is that it is the best book out there about our national treasure, John Wayne. He is as popular today as he has ever been and it was a pleasure to find this book through a friend. It's a huge book, with great, rare photographs about Duke's West. I had read some of the other reviews, and I was also not aware that Duke was a cattle rancher in real life. The book is brimming over with great art and photographs. If your looking for a gift for a friend or just to give yourself a treat, this is the book for you. I was impressed as much as the great 'impressiveness' of the book.

A NEAR HIT
BEING AN AVID JOHN WAYNE FAN I AM COMPELLED TO KEEP THIS BOOK IN SPITE OF THE HAPHAZARD PRESENTATION OF HIS CAREER. THE QUALITY OF PAPER,PICTURES,AND PRINTING WERE EXCELLENT. IN MY OPINION THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRESENTED IN THE ORDER THEY OCCURRED.

YOURS TRULY, ROBERT L. JORDAN

John Wayne...There Rode a Legend
I'm not the review writing type, but this title deserves the merit. This book is not just for John Wayne fans but for those who just enjoy superbly produced books. This title is a knockout and I would highly recommend it. There is so much in it about Duke that I didn't know existed, and I certainly didn't know he owned 83,000 head of cattle. Great book - great buy.

John Wayne's Scrap Book!
My dad loves John Wayne, which is why I picked up this book as a Father's Day gift. He is going to absoutely love it! I expected a simple coffee table book and got a technocolor heirloom. There are a wealth of personal stories and photographs of the Duke and his life as an on-screen Western genre star as well as a real life cowboy (I didn't know he was a rancher and breeder of purebred Hereford cattle!) I laughed out loud at several of the stories and cried after reading how John Wayne saved a small Navajo girl with pneumonia by lending his own airplane to fly the girl to the hospital one hundred miles away. Reading this book was like looking through John Wayne's personal scrap book. I highly recommend it -- it's going to make a great Father's Day gift! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Embarking upon her singing career at the tender age of 11, Tanya Tucker grew up fast and hard and wild. She seemed destined for either the highest fame or the worst destruction--maybe even both. From the big time to rock bottom and back again, her life reads like a blueprint for one of the melancholy songs that made her a star in country music, and her revealing memoir, Nickel Dreams: My Life, leaves out little of the nitty-gritty. With the aid of author and friend Patsi Bale Cox, Tucker writes honestly about her many exploits that became tabloid fodder--a fiery public affair with Glen Campbell and a long battle with alcoholism among them--without glossing over them or apologizing. There are plenty of anecdotes and revelations about her music as well, plus a peek at the backrooms of the music business and the shady dealings that occur there.Close attention is paid to her childhood and the overbearing presence of a father/manager who wanted his daughter to be a grown woman and a little girl at the same time. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Nickel Dreams: My Life
I recently bought this book off of a sale table at a book store, and I was pleasantly surprised at what a good book this was. Tanya Tucker has definitely had a very interesting life and career, so far, although it seemed to me while reading this book that she is always skating very closely to edge, no matter what she undertakes, and it seems as if she enjoys pushing the envelope as far as she can, without thinking of the consequences until AFTER the fact. I would be very interested in reading an addendum to this book in another 5-7 years, to see how her life has progressed and also to see how the lives of her children (I've read that she now has a third child) have progressed, as well.

Fascinating reading!
I very much liked reading this book, though not all parts of it are equally interesting. I was particularly fascinated to read about the historical background and the early living conditions of Tanya Tucker's family and the way she got both pushed by her father and at the same time pushed herself, as well, to get into a singing career. Then, there is a part that I considered rather lengthy with a lot of name dropping. I very much liked the story again as she got to the part when she had to seriously treat her drug problems. Again, it seems, she had to be pushed into it, and she foiled the system in a way, yet the goal seems to have been reached, anyway. There is quite a bit of self analyzing, unless it's her co-writer who contributed those parts. Anyway, the books is very good reading, and it's been quite some time since I finished a book so quickly.

A great book, with deep insight to her troubling childhood.
Tanya Tucker grew up in a family whose soul wish was to make her dreams come true. Her parents did not pressure her but gave her the oppertunity to fulfill her own dreams.

Honest behind-the-scenes look
I've followed Tanya's career since she burst on the scene. As a lifelong country music fan, I'm familiar with much of what she writes about the singers and musicians. I was impressed with her honesty in this well-written and entertaining story, and I've always been awed by her voice and energy. Although I don't approve of much of her past behavior, she appears to have weathered the storm. She's always been on my list of favorites, and still is.

Book filled with her emotions.
Tanya has been through almost everything, and still manages to come out on top. For those who are alcoholics, drug abusers, or victims of physical or verbal abuse you can take Tanya's experiences and know that you can find a way out. ... Read more

Book Description

This is a no-holds-barred look at the hotel heiress, reality TV star, and rampant party girl. Known to tabloids as "Paris the Heiress," The twenty-three-year-old became famous at a young age for being a rich, spoiled socialite who never met a party-or a man-she didn't like. She developed a small career as a model and actress, but her real claim to fame is the racy sex tape she made with a former boyfriend, which was recently released and has made her career-and her notoriety-skyrocket. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A nice look at a not so nice girl
What is going on in our society? This girl gets more press than the President and for what? For being what 20 years ago would have been an embarrassment to her family, 200 years ago would have gotten a "A" emblazoned on her designer frocks.
She is a slut, a tramp, a woman of cheap trashy morals. That is one thing, and really a personal matter for her and her maker, but what really gets me is how cruel and demeaning she is to real, hard working normal Americans. In her show the Simple Life, she shows how truly pathetic she is.
And, to cap it all off, her mother is getting a reality show on how to be poised, elegant and be a socialite. It should be called, "you too can be a tramp".
I am NOT impressed.
I hope the rest of the world does NOT think this young woman is a typical American. ... Read more

Book Description

Saucerful of Secrets is the first in-depth biography of this very private group. At the heart of the saga is Syd Barrett, the group's brilliant founder, whose public decline into shattered incoherence--attributable in part to his marathon use of LSD--is one of the tragedies of rock history. The making of Dark Side of the Moon and Floyd's other great albums is recounted in detail, as are the mounting of "The Wall"and the creation of the flying pigs, crashingplanes, "Mr. Screen" and the other elements of their spectacular stage shows. The book also explores the many battles between bass player/song writer Roger Waters and the rest of the group, leading up to Water's acrimonious departure for a solocareer in 1984 and his unsuccessful attempt to disolve the group he had left behind.

Saucerful of Secrets is an electrifying account of this ground-breaking, mind-bending group, covering every period of their career fromearliest days to latest recordings. It is full ofrevealing information that will be treasured by all who love Pink Floyd's music. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Hear the Floyd. Read the Floyd.
For all Pink Floyd fans who would like to learn more about this extraordinary assemblage of talent, this is the book for you. Schaffner takes us from the earliest years, from before Dave Gilmour was a part of the band, all the way up to the tour for "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason" (the recording of which was later released as "The Delicate Sound Of Thunder").

After reading these pages, one is transfixed with the idea that he has actually known the Floyd personages first-hand. We feel sympathetic for Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett while he slowly (but not subtly) goes insane. We gain a newfound respect for the interchange between Roger Waters the poet & Dave Gilmour the musician. It is fascinating to trace the band's career thru the years as they get along, then don't get along, end up filing lawsuits and (eventually) start taking shots at each other via their music (as in the case of Gilmour's "High Hopes").

Most importantly, however, is attention levied on the Floyd's dedication to their craft. Unlike perhaps 90% of the rock bands of today, the Floyd was / is not about image. No dancing with pythons wrapped around their neck, or posters of them with Jack Daniels, or any other nonsense. No, the Floyd has always been about a group of serious musicians getting together to make great things happen. It is no wonder that the late great Leonard Bernstein was such a big fan of theirs. For that matter, it is also no surprise that the Floyd was a big fan of his as well. [You can read all about this relationship / correspondance here, too!]

Here is their story, laid out in a exquisite clairty and sensitivity that you will not find in other bios. Schaffner takes us thru the ups, the downs & the in-betweens of one of the most innovative and talented rock bands to ever grace vinyl, audiotape and compact disk. A must read for Pink Floyd fans everywhere.

The Pros and Cons of this book
Saucerful Of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey was a great book, written by a great author, Nicholas Shaffner, who has written many books on the Beatles. This was a well researched report,if you will,from members of the outer core of the band, but not the big members, such as Syd Barrett and Roger Waters, who Shaffner claims in the Epilogue refused. Roger's interview was needed because of the dramatic brake-up, and his points on Rick, Dave, and Nick trying to bring the band back from 1987-1990. The pros of this book is that they have interviews from all over, not just interviews given by Shaffner. They have interviews from magazines, other books, and quotes from memoirs written by the people surrounding the band. The con is one big one: detail. Although the book is 309 pages in regular length from Chapters 1-24(Not counting Epilogue and Prologue)it is very easy to get through a page without understanding anything that was said. Towards the end of the novel, I believe Shaffner got sloppy with the story of Water's resurrection of The Wall, stating it as if the whole process took one day. In fact, it took a full year to put it together, but no additional detail was shown. Shaffner easily got through three in fact BIG subjects in one page, especially in the early and latter stages.

Still definitive and essential rock writing at its best
Nicholas Schaffner, aside from being a gifted rock journalist and a stellar writer in every way, had an enormous impact on me as a young Beatle fan (his "The Beatles Forever" is by far the best Fab Four book out there) and an even greater impact on me as a wanna-be writer. I still find myself returning to both "Saucerful of Secrets" and "Beatles Forever" as examples of the high art of rock journalism. Every time I do I am saddenned by the lack of anyone out there who could fill his shoes.

The Floyd book is unsurpassed in its information, but there is one glaring flaw: whereas the Beatles book is loaded with photos and in many cases record-chart information, the Floyd book has none, which makes it more of a nightstand read and less of a "total package" that it could be if one of his contemporaries (or family members? band members?) could take it and update it with tons more photos and the like, turning it into what it might have been had he lived to see its full completion. (I'm assuming he would have wanted this, although it may not be the case, we'll never know.)

In any case, still the definitive guide to a high point of 70's rock bombast.

Would Someone Please Update This Book???
Many years ago, Nicholas Schaffner, author of this excellent volume on that rocking band of space cadets known as Pink Floyd, wrote a book entitled The British Invasion, dealing with all the rock bands that came from John Bull's Island (an old, OLD term for Great Britain!)in the sixites and seventies, with several extended chapters on the most important bands, including the Floyd. Schaffner's writing was so lucid and intense, yet free-flowing, particularly concerning the madcap ex-guitarist named Syd Barrett, that I resolved there and then to someday pick up an entire, updated book of the Floyd. Well, in one respect, Saucerful of Secrets fills the bill nicely. Schaffner's writing is still wonderfully lucid and is an easy, entertaining read throughout, and as free from bias as any book of the FLoyd is likely to be. (If bassist Roger Waters seems to come in for more than his share of bashing, it merely confirms what I have learned from most of the other sources I have read to date.) Unfortunately, Schaffner is deceased; he died in 1991 and no one has seen fit to update his work as of this writing. He has done such a fine job covering all the bases of the band's founding, the early happenings with UFO, Syd's creativity, drug usage, and subsequent withdrawal, the formulation of a Syd-less group identity, the Golden Years of Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here, the early fragmentation into two camps: Roger Waters and everyone else, the Wall and early solo projects, the Roger-less Floyd, and Water's final triumph at the Berlin Wall. All told very, very well indeed! Now, would some enterprising journalist or former band insider provide the needed updates, including such topics as Water's 2000 tour and Gilmour's escapades with one Sir Paul McCartney? Please?? Millions of Floyd fans would be most appreciative. In any case, for a great read of how the Floyd got to be Pink, get this book now and any subsequent updates as they are written. The secrets of this wonderful odyssey await you by the saucerful!!!

Secrets revealed
Secrets is the best, even handed and articulate book on every phase of Floyd that has been written. Every book I've looked at after argues for Barrett's Floyd, Waters' Floyd or Gilmour's Floyd vs. taking a fair look at the accomplishments of all versions of the band. It's a pity that no journalist has chosen to update the late Nick Schaffner's book. It doesn't cover the very last album made under Gilmour's lead (which, despite much critical bashing, I feel is among their best).

Schaffner had access to both insiders and many rare sources when he put this book together in the late 80's (it was published after his death in 1991). His knowledge as a musician also helps give a fairness to the best and worst of Floyd. I was particularly interested in the section that discusses the recording of Barrett's post Floyd solo albums and Wright, Gilmour and Waters' involvement in helping out their own, fragmented friend.

There's also a selected discography that includes the results of The Amazing Pudding's '89 Readers Poll of Best and Worst FLoyd albums. The for (pardon the pun)record:
Best- Wish You Were Here, Dark Side, The Wall, Animals, Piper at the Gates. The Worst- The FInal Cut. Bestselling (at the time of the book's publication)-Dark Side, The Wall, Wish, Animals and Momentary Lapse. Best Floyd songs-Comfortably Numb, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Echoes, Wish You Were Here, Time. Worst: The Dogs of War.

Worth picking up although, again, it obviously lacks any information after 1991. I'd rank Secrets as one of the best books written on the band. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Not surprisingly, most of Frank Sinatra's biographers have raked through the muck of the singer's marriages, divorces, mob connections, and outbursts of foul-mouthed misogyny. Will Friedwald takes a different tack. Oh, the biographical facts are there, but Friedwald is mostly interested in the Voice--that irresistible, inimitable instrument, the absence of which would punch a major hole in the soundtrack of life. This is certainly the best book ever written on Sinatra's music, which means that it sheds a great deal of light on American pop music in general. And while Friedwald gets downright rhapsodic when it comes to the career highlights, he's not afraid to tweak Ol' Blue Eyes when he comes up with a dud. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

THE book for Sinatra fans and those who are discovering him
What better testimonial can you give to a book than saying it makes you so fired about about its subject that you want to discover more of his/her work? Will Friedwald's Sinatra! The Song is You will delight Sinatra fans and "turn on" anyone even REMOTELY interested in finding out why Sinatra was named the 20th century's Best Singer. It is without question the best book EVER written on Sinatra's music due to its style, details and because Friedwald does not pull any punches: he praises Sinatra for good work and criticizes him for work that falls short. All this is done without pretension, cutesy-ness or padding. The usual personal and professional biographical info is there, but mostly for historical context. Friedwald's interest is in Sinatra the singer -- and in Sinatra's VOICE as an instrument that developed, matured and eventually (and sadly) deteriorated. Going through each performing and recording stage of Sinatra's long career, Friedwald analyzes particular songs, explains Sinatra's trailblazing role in creating thematic "concept" albums, and gives fascinating details on how and why certain classic arrangements and songs were cut in the studio. He praises and blasts Sinatra's various arrangers. What's unquestionable is that Sinatra took this kind of music to an entirely new level. This book successfully conveys the ARTISTRY of Sinatra's music so you WANT to hear MORE. Reading this book took me from a mild to fanatical Sinatra fan as I started listening to the albums, remembering what I had read and appreciating what Sinatra was doing with his voice. Sinatra! The Song is You heightens an appreciation of a musical genre that is either on it's way out as we move into the 21st century --or waiting for a new innovative artist to come along to revive its popularity and take it to the next level.

The music comes first
A century from now, nobody will care about the controversies of Sinatra's life. But the music will live on, as sure as the sun will rise and set. With the possible exception of Louis Armstrong, the twentieth century produced no greater interpreter of song than Frank Sinatra. When I was a teenager, Sinatra was this old guy who sang about New York. I didn't pay attention; I was ignorant of the amazing career. As an adult, I happened upon a copy of "Songs for Swinging Lovers" in a used cd bin -- and that was all it took. I have been a Sinatra fanatic ever since, particularly of the music he produced from the mid-fifties to early sixties. Will Friedwald is quickly emerging as the foremost writer on jazz singing; his book "The Jazz Singers" opened up whole new vistas of music for me. But "Sinatra!" is his masterpiece. He goes through the entire musical career, from start to finish, and quite simply, puts down on paper every single relevant fact, from the composition to the recording to the reception. It's a tour-de-force of writing which I have read cover-to-cover at least four times since I bought it when it came out. My only complaint? Mr. Friedwald, when are you going to do the same for Satchmo himself, Louis Armstrong? Until then, I'll just have to read this book -- again. Buy "Sinatra!" immediately -- you won't regret it.

Monumental Study of Frank's Music: As Timeless as Frank
Anyone with even a mild interest in Frank's legacy should buy this book. It makes well researched and amusing reading,and is to me the finest book on popular music ever written.It helps to read an obviously great book when you agree with about 95% of his own editorializing. Every era of Mr.Sinatra's recording career,even past Duets II,and going into his last ,sometimes awkward,concerts is covered.If you want gossip,go elsewhere.Mr. Friedwald covers the personalities,from Stordahl,Riddle,May,Jenkins, and all the rest,and when you finish this book you'll feel the incredible energy, fun,and friendship that made these recordings. The fact is that Frank's canon is so great that some of my favorite recordings are not even mentioned in the index. Even Mr. Friedwald can't cover everything I guess.It's true that there are some snide comments that Mr Friedwald has for other performers,and his general contempt for rock and roll is obvious.I usually chuckled reading them since it was nice to read that the author and I agreed on the obvious. The fact is that anyone who actually knows Frank's best, and has made such an effort,must in general agree with Mr. Friedwald. For no one from the the rock era has anywhere near the oeuvre that Frank has.And in truth, the general quality of popular culture,especially music,has been in an abysmal decline for about 40 years, hopefully bottoming in the "Rap" era...This work is also a great reference,and will provide cultural enlightenment for many years to come.

Essential reading for Sinatra fans.
How many wives did Sinatra have? How many people did he punch? Was he a member of the Mafia? These, and the stupid questions about Marilyn, the Kennedys, and Sinatra's toupee, won't be answered in this book. Here we have what really matters: the music. The song was Sinatra, indeed. In these fascinating pages, we learn that Sinatra was a committed, respected artist, a man who would rather hang out with musicians than presidents, sex queens, and mobsters. The best feature of this book? Will Friedwald's writing style, which is often humorous, never heavy, and always informative. Every great artist needs a great critic, and Sinatra has his in Friedwald. For one thing, the author went to stunning lengths to obtain interviews with the people who worked by Sinatra's side. I often feel like I'm in the studio with them. We learn about Sinatra's fabulous arrangers-- the angelic Stordahl, the unassuming Riddle, the clowning May. We learn about Sinatra's formative years with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey (unfortunately, the chapter on the Dorsey years seems to be a reprint of Friedwald's essay in the RCA box set of the same name). Friedwald understands what made Sinatra great, but pulls no punches when it comes to dissing bad songs. We get more insights into Frank's musical career than we ever thought imaginable. And it's all done without a hint of stuffiness or pretension. Why did Sinatra record the goofy "Watertown"? How did the 1956 Riddle/Porter classic "I've Got You Under My Skin" come about? And what the heck was going on in those "Duets" albums? To learn this, and thousands of other things, buy the greatest book about Sinatra ever written.

This Book Needed To Be Written
Will Friedwald, we Sinatra fans thank you from the bottoms of our hearts for writing this book. Before this, all we had was utter garbage, such as Kitty Kelly's lurid biography that found his singing not only incidental to his life but not even worth covering in her book! Friedwald's book, however, is solely interested in Sinara the singer, the musician and the artist. The fellow musicians who knew him in that world also knew an entirely different person from the one who was tabloid fodder. Since I own 38 of his CD albums, this book answered many questions I'd had about those albums being created. If this is the Sinatra you want to know, this is the book to read. If you want to read the tabloid seamy one about his personal life by Kelly, which I'm ashamed to admit that I did, buy it instead but don't say you weren't warned. And hers even partially ruins listening to his recordings for you for awhile. But not long since great art always rises above the garbage. ... Read more

Book Description

A lavish photographic tribute to the last great Hollywood icon. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Gorgeous Photographs and Balanced, Brief Biography
The strength of this book lies in the many beautiful photographs of Elizabeth Taylor from her childhood to recent times.Many of these images will be familiar, and many will not be.By putting rare images in this collection, the author has significantly enhanced its value.I wish the book had added another 100 photographs to the 100 plus, mostly color, ones here.

The biography is perfectly adequate, but it is too brief to really get into any detail that might expand your knowledge very much beyond what you know already.The best aspects were putting Ms. Taylor's career in perspective.She performed in around 65 films and television movies, a number matched by few actors of her era.She also was one of the few child stars to have an adult film career.Further, she outlived most of the stars she appeared with by many years.Despite ill health and many accidents, she has been the ultimate survivor in the most fickle business we have.

The main story line of the biography is in the transformation of her life and career roles from child, to child actress, to child star, to multiply married person and mother, to adult star, to a celebrity, to an entrepreneur, and then to a social activist for AIDS.Long before Madonna, Ms. Taylor and her advisors wereexpert at reinventing her in ways that were almost continuously popular with the public.

Today, the world is changing very rapidly and most of us will have many different jobs and careers before we die.After you finish enjoying this book, I urge you to consider what lessons you can draw from Ms. Taylor's career and life that can help you in yours.While many would be thrilled to have some of her fame, few would envy her pain.How came a good balance of life and career be yours?I suggest that you read Anna Quindlen's recent book, A Short Guide to a Happy Life, for more ideas.

Smile, be interesting, be balanced, be careful, and be interested in others! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Al Green Took Me to the River
Al Green's new autobiography, written in 2000, is a riveting story for anyone who has ever been curious about Al Green, how he came to be a famous soul singer, and the story behind his music. I was hooked on this book from the moment I picked it up. It was easy to read and very entertaining. He starts off describing his childhood and his experiences in Jacknash Arkansas as the middle child of a sharecropping family. He tells about his parents whom he loves very much and how they had the courage to sell everything they had and move north for a better life. "Al," he said, "go wake up your brothers and sisters. Tell them to get dressed and start packin." Al explains how much he learned from his parents and how much he respects them for taking this gutsy move. His childhood was hard but he pursued his dream of becoming a soul singer and when he teamed up with legendary producer Willie Mitchell, he was on his way. This autobiography tells of his rise to the top of the music industry, his attempted murder and suicide, his immense struggle between his religious side and his secular side, and how this struggle is reflected in much of his music. Al eventually chooses God over his million dollar career but left us with some of the best soul music ever recorded. I was very surprised at the candor with which Al told the details of his life, good and bad. He talked as honestly about the problems he had with drugs and money as he did about his numerous successes. It made his story sound very earnest and sincere. He covered all the bases of his life and answered all the questions I had about the artist that I have been listening to for many years. The only negative about this book was that it wasn't longer. I was not ready for it to end and have a strong desire to read as much more as I can about him. I am only 17 years old but have been listening to Al Green for over five years. This book was very well written and very interesting to me. I am sure it will be just as riveting for other fans.

Wonderful book for Al Green lovers, but NEEDS a copyeditor!!
I love Al Green(e). Almost everyone who knows me knows that. For Christmas I received two copies of this book: one from my husband and one from a girlfriend. My husband ordered the book from Amazon.com. My girlfriend, however, purchased hers and stood in line at a bookstore in Atlanta to have Al sign it and personalize it. It was the BEST gift I received this Christmas! I read it in a couple of days and thoroughly enjoyed it right from the Introduction to the last page. I have a deeper appreciation of my favorite male vocal artist (Aretha being my favorite female) and although he sounded boastful often enough, he owned right up to it -- admirable. HOWEVER . . . Being married to a copyeditor/indexer/proofreader it was almost impossible to put up with all the stupid and distracting mistakes. A publisher the size of HarperCollins should have staff that is at least literate! What an embarrassment! For example, throughout the book "or" is used instead of "of," "spent" instead of "spend," words beginning with a consonant are preceded by "an" instead of "a," and the reverse happens for vowels. I know this kind of slack attitude is rampant in e-mail messages, but I started getting angry at the apparent total disregard for the English language. I hope this was a case of rushing to have the book out in time for holiday season sales (although there's NO excuse for such a sloppy job), but I started to wonder at one point if some misguided editor was trying to make the book have more of an ethnic sound to it. If that is the case, Mr. Green and Mr. Seay should have that editor's hide because it was downright insulting. And since that is probably not the case, I would advise future authors to think twice before allowing HarperEntertainment to publish their work using their current staff of copyeditors and proofreaders. By the way, I have the name of an excellent person if you want it!

Take it to the river, Leave it there!
Huge Al Green fan, yet greatly disappointed in this book. For some reason, I did not feel total truth and sincerity was put into writing this book. And who was the editor! The numerous typos only led to further frustration. I have always respected Al Green for who he was- the church boy gone secular who never lost his ability to interpret any tune with gospel fire and conviction. The Hollywood side of Al has always been visible- to everyone but himself- and it is still prevelant as I watch him on numerous television events singing his hits of old. I was not fascinated by this read and I would suggest that you borrow this book from the library or a friend before making the purchase.

Thoughts on Take Me To The River
I believe that one of the most interesting aspects of the book is Al's discussion about his upbringing in an intensely religious home, and how this conflicted with his worldly aspirations. His story in a sense is not unlike many of the stars of his generation who were brought up in the church, and found themselves at odds with their parents world view. The chapter that illuminated on the Hi recording sessions at the Royal Studios in Memphis was spectacular. The book even provides a great run down of the stars on the Hi label - a record label that has not received the respect it is due. By the way, Al Green's producer Willie Mitchell is a genius. He turned Al Green into a superstar. However, I must say I found the book wanting. I thought the pictures in the book were one's that most of us who have followed his career have seen over and over. In addition, there are no pictures of him as a child, or even of his own family (wife and children). If you expect this book to be reveal any of the struggles that he has dealt with on a personal level, you will be sorely disappointed. He glosses over his own personal family life. The book paints a nice surface potrait of Al, but really does not go much beyond that.

Fascinating, but...
I found "Take Me To The River" to be very eye-opening, in terms of the amazing range of experiences that Al Green has had, and as to his development as an artist. It was the later part, that interested me the most. Having been a fan of his, since "Tired of Being Alone" changed the course of soul music, in 1971, I was most fascinated by his accounts of his working relationship with Willie Mitchell (who I consider an unsung genius of popular music), and with the Hi Records rhythm section, one of the greatest groups to ever make a record.

I also found the book to be very well written. I have two major complaints though. First of all, as another reviewer has pointed out , (and I'm amazed that it's only been one), the book looks like it wasn't edited. I have never read a book with so many blatant typos, in my life! Harper Collins should be ashamed (and should make a recall, have the book edited, and send everyone new copies.)

My second objection is much less cut-and-dried: I was recently involved in the production of an event at which Mr. Green was given a Lifetime Achievement Award, and not only did he not show up, but didn't notify anyone until the day of the event, that he would not be there, leaving many people in a very awkward position-and leaving a very unsatisfied audience at the Apollo Theater. He had been aware of the award and of the event, for at least a month, and had confirmed the fact that he would attend.

The fact that he didn't show up was an insult to the organization making the presentation, as well as to the house full of people who were expecting to see him...Even worse, this isn't the first instance of his not showing up for a scheduled appearance, that I know about. I must say, that knowledge of actions like these, made me read certain sections of "Take Me To The River" with more than a grain of salt... ... Read more

Book Description

What really goes on inside the mysterious VIP room? Find out first-hand, as career stripper Lacey Lane unlocks the doors to the secret sanctums at the center of the action in gentlemen's clubs across America. CONFESSIONS OF A STRIPPER puts you in the middle of the VIP Room, where freaks, fetishists, scammers, and even normal guys match wits with the dancers. Here, outlandish fantasies are bought and sold, and almost nothing is beyond the realm of possibility. These true stories, culled from Lane's years of performing in dozens of clubs around the country, also provide the lowdown on the ins and outs of the topless trade, including suggestions on tipping, finessing the bouncers, negotiating for services, avoiding sucker traps, and yes, even scoring a date with a dancer. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Surface Skimming
This book was lame. After a few chapters about the stereotypical dancer, the stereotypical strip club owner, the stereotypical strip club DJ, The stereotypical strip club bouncer, the author breaks the book into short (1-3 pages)chapters about clients. Each client has a boring story to accompany him (or her) None of them are particularly interesting, shocking, or entertaining. One guy likes feet, one guy likes lingerie. etc.

If a skin-a-max movie could be a book, this would be it.

I absolutely loved this book
I've read about 20 books of late about strippers/sex workers & can honestly say that this one & Strip City by Lily Burana are my two favorites, with Lacey Lane slightly edging Ms. Burana out. They both made me laugh out loud & I couldn't put either one down but Ms. Lane's comes out on top because there aren't endless descriptions of outfits in it. hahaha Not that I don't appreciate the fascination with fabulous dancewear, it just wasn't my thing. This is just excellent entertainment & I wish I'd read it BEFORE I blew my savings on strip clubs. My one criticism of this book is that it's too dang short. Man, I would've LOVED to hear more more more.

I've given copies to my favorite dancer friends (we have a sort of strip club reading club going on) & they agree with me. Very fun, very entertaining book. Not what you'd want if you're looking for intense sociological studies but for great behind-the-scenes tales & a wicked sense of humor, Lacey Lane's your best bet. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Python fans will need to clear a large space on their bookshelf or coffee table for The Pythons--a big, vital autobiography of the comedy troupe. This is an oral history by the six members (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin) from birth to--in the case of Chapman--death. We get reminisces about childhood, university days, early successes, and rich details about the landmark Flying Circus TV series and subsequent films. The voices are fresh (with expectation of Michael Palin's insightful diary entries), not just complied from earlier publications. "Due to his insistence of being inconveniently dead," Chapham's voice is heard through his longtime partner David Sherlock, his brother and sister-in-law (and some archival materials). As a whole, the six impart a refreshing ability to deal honestly with the frustrations that arose over the years and it comes out in the text even when events are recalled differently. The book is not a light read (figuratively and literally), perhaps a smaller size would have been better for the amount of text; a cursory glance at the coffee table is tough. What does fill the book is an abundance of photos (over 1,000), most never published and many from the troupe's private collections. Along with concept sketches, Gilliam's drawings and doodles, and a few correspondences, this is a keepsake memento of the legendary group. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (20)

And Now For Something Completely Distant
From the overlong pre-Python segments (yes, we get it - some of them worked for David Frost) to the glossing over of Season Three (blink and you'll miss it) to the chronology-free pictures (look for pictures from Season Four routinely rubbing shoulders with pictures from Season One for no narrative reason)... this book is a delightful first draft. I look forward to the final version.

Following the arc of these six comedic heroes as they go from ballsy, non-conformist artists to men who argue like they are stuck in the Argument Clinic itself makes "The Pythons" a depressing read. It certainly needs a better ending than Eric Idle's terse "we'll never do anything again" - a fact that probably dawned on the rest of us after the (relatively) disjointed "Meaning of Life."

On the whole, the boys are just as you expect them to be. Terry Jones, the workaholic. Mike Palin, the nice guy. Terry Gilliam, the American. Eric Idle, the cunning linguist. John Cleese, the Tall One. Graham Chapman, the dead one. There aren't many revelations along the way, though a few interesting stories emerge from the group's earlier days. And some of the pictures - especially when they are relevant to the adjoining text - are absolutely delightful.

For those interested in the group's work and not how much Graham Chapman drank, a subject discussed more than any aspect of, say, creating an innovative televsion show, the lighter and more concise "Monty Python Speaks" is recommended.

The last word on Python
I was excited to read this book. After enough books had been written based on excerpts from obviously longer interviews, I was ready to read the definitive word on Monty Python and I was not disappointed with The Pythons.

True, they may not describe the writing of every sketch, but that would make the book impenetrable and probably triple the length. This is an examination of the group as a whole and I was pleasantly surprised by it. I thought I knew my Python history but it was nice to finally see how things fell into context, particularly the troupe's early, pre-Python work as well as some of the fine details of the making of the records and books, which have gotten short shrift in other books.

It's not always an easy read, which almost goes without saying. Some lasting enmities come out in the interviews and they can be discomforting to read. However, it goes without saying that without that if they had been removed, the book would have been lacking.

If I have any criticisms of the book, it would be some of the layout choices. Like many similar books, the designers went a little overboard in some of their color schemes, using dark colors behind black text or complicated background that distract the eye from what you're reading, both very distracting.

But that's a relatively minor quibble for what is, essentially, the final word on most (if not all) things Python. It's well worth the wait, the weight and the price.

One of the GOOD books on Python!
At this point, there have been many, many tomes written on the now-legendary British comedy troupe Monty Python. The best of them are: George Melly's "The Life of Python" (one of the few written before member Graham Chapman's death); Kim Howard Johnson's two titles, "First 20 Years of Monty Python" and "Life Before and After Monty Python"; and David Morgan's "Monty Python Speaks." This 16 ton autobiography is quite good but, if you've read any or all of the aforementioned books, there will be far fewer suprises here. The way in which this book stands out from the rest is the increased detail of many of the oft-told tales and a handful of newer (if somewhat trivial) revelations. The larger reveals seem to take place during their individual childhoods and events which took place near the end of their partnership, with much detail given involving the writing of "Meaning of Life" and the proposed '90s reunion which never materialized. Also welcome are the comments of Chapman's brother John who provides a new perspective on the most conflicted Python. If you do not own or have never read any of the other finer titles, this could very well be considered the one stop shop for all Monty knowledge. There is NO editorializing in this book, simply anecdote after anecdote from those involved. This, and the other titles, are probably of most interest to those interested in the art of comedy writing in that they are largely accounts of the creation of the material and group dynamic. A great book!

The Pythons
Santa's sled has pulled in early this year and left every naughty and nice boy and girl the definitive story of the preeminent English comedy consortium of our day, Monty Python. The surviving members of the group-John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin-collaborate with noted film critic Bob McCabe (Dark Knights and Holy Fools: The Art and Films of Terry Gilliam) to tell the Python story in this magnum opus of previously unpublished diary entries, interviews, and a sumptuous photographic buffet of more than 1000 images and illustrations. Designed much like the Beatles Anthology, the text is divided into seven sections that detail the Pythons, their biographies, life before their union, Monty Python's Flying Circus, the Python films, Graham Chapman's death, and their subsequent individual projects. Pythonophiles have been blessed with numerous celebratory texts, notably Kim Johnson's troika (now all o.p.), but this glorious offering is the bible, the last word, and, yes-the full Monty. One of this season's best offerings; a pox on every library that doesn't acquire it

After a short time with this tome...
...I can already tell you it's amazing and worth every penny.

As a lifelong fan of Python, I know the skits, have read the scripts, seen the flicks, watched the specials.

But this book brings so much never-before-seen, heard, or read information that any true fan of the boys will practically cry with happiness.

However, as another reviewer said, this is NOT a "Monty Python Book" per se, full of skits or songs. It's a book about the boys: growing up, meeting each other, and being Python.

But this doesn't mean it's not highly entertaining! Just the jacket notes had me laughing out loud. There are plenty of serious moments but they are rendered with the remarkable wit of very funny people. Even the sort of bits that should be dull in a biography are worthwhile and interesting. ... Read more

Book Description

Nothing has shaped my life as much as surviving the Pol Pot regime. I am a survivor of the Cambodian holocaust. That's who I am," says Haing Ngor. And in his memoir, Survival in the Killing Fields, he tells the gripping and frequently terrifying story of his term in the hell created by the communist Khmer Rouge. Like Dith Pran, the Cambodian doctor and interpreter whom Ngor played in an Oscar-winning performance in The Killing Fields, Ngor lived through the atrocities that the 1984 film portrayed. Like Pran, too, Ngor was a doctor by profession, and he experienced firsthand his country's wretched descent, under the Khmer Rouge, into senseless brutality, slavery, squalor, starvation, and disease-all of which are recounted in sometimes unimaginable horror in Ngor's poignant memoir. Since the original publication of this searing personal chronicle, Haing Ngor's life has ended with his murder, which has never been satisfactorily solved. In an epilogue written especially for this new edition, Ngor's coauthor, Roger Warner, offers a glimpse into this complex, enigmatic man's last years-years that he lived "like his country: scarred, and incapable of fully healing." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Great Book
Read this book!!! ...especially if you are thinking of visiting Cambodia, which everyone who travels to Asia should do (and probably will do soon, judging by the number of hotels being built in Siem Reap). Words cannot describe the horror for the people who had to live through the Pol Pot regime. Haing Ngor tells you his personal story in a very conversational, personal manner, throwing in some political beliefs here and there and even some humor. You can't read this book and not be moved. ... Read more

Book Description

A dazzling tour through the world of singular entertainers, con men, and unusual phenomena.

For the past four years, the multitalented Ricky Jay (sleight-of-hand artist, author, actor, film consultant, and scholar of the unusual) has published a unique and beautifully designed quarterly called Jay's Journal of Anomalies. Already a coveted collector's item, the complete set is gathered here for the first time. A brilliant excursion into the history of bizarre entertainments, the journal covered such subjects as dogs stealing acts from other dogs, an anthropological hoax involving the only survivors of a caste of ancient Aztec priests, and the ultimate diet: ingesting only air.In a delectably deadpan and winning style, Jay conveys his admiration and affection for the offbeat that characterized his bestselling Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women. He explains how wags since the sixteenth century have cheated at bowling; he explores the ancient relationship between conjuring and dentistry; and he chronicles the exploits of ceiling walkers and human flies. Crammed full of illustrations drawn from the author's massive personal archive, Jay's Journal of Anomalies will baffle, instruct, and, above all, delight.
... Read more

Reviews (10)

The Weirdest Shows on Earth
_Jay's Journal of Anomalies_ (Farrar Strauss Giroux) is no cheat, even though it is a production of one of the cleverest sleight of hand tricksters who ever lived. Ricky Jay, author, magician, and actor, continues the theme of his _Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women_, a survey of strange entertainments through the ages. This book contains reproduction of his quarterly publication issued from 1994 to 2000, a periodical famous for its production values, rarity, and expense. The sixteen issues are gathered in one volume here, a good looking oversized book with charming period woodcuts and engravings, amazing tales of very strange human endeavors, and an afterword to bring all the issues up to date. Even at the listed... price this book is therefore an undeniable bargain, and it is good that it is going to have a reach to a larger audience.

For Jay's subjects are so stupefyingly surprising. They almost all have to do with some sort of performance, and the stranger the better. There is a chapter on, of all things, crucifixion for showmanly profit. Tommy Minnock, at the beginning of the twentieth century, gained wildly enthusiastic response from his audiences as, nailed to a cross on the stage in a supposed hypnotic trance, he crooned, "After The Ball Is Over," one of the most popular tunes of the time. "I am told by those who saw me," he wrote "nailed to the cross that I presented a weird but impressive spectacle." Evatima Tardo around the same time was regularly nailed to a cross, suspended there for over two hours. She seldom had volunteers from the crowd who would come up to run the nails through her limbs, so her
assistants had to do so. The nails were dipped in poison beforehand; she
was quoted as saying, "There wouldn't be any fun unless I had prussic acid
on the ends." She laughed and sang, and declared that she had never had
such a pleasant time: "This is so easy, I am going to do it all over again
tomorrow night, and three nights next week." Jay writes that, "while no one
would claim that Minnock and Tardo inspired a trend of copycat
crucifixions," there were successors, including Faith Bacon, who hung nude
from a cross and gyrated to Ravel's Bolero. Some fakirs participated in
crucifixions in the spirit of competition, outdoing each other by staying
aloft for days at a time.

You will find here surprising chapters on such thing as the magical amputation of the nose. You will learn of the surprising, longstanding connection between legerdemain and dentistry. There are trained dogs and pigs, and a description of how flea circuses worked. There are those who made their fortunes by making faces; the means by which performers were able to dance upon the ceiling (including "The Great Philosophical Antipodean Pedestrian from Ohio"); the rascally ways in which hustlers would gain the trust and the pocketbooks of novices in ninepins; the adventures of professional fasters; and much more. The careful, quietly amused way in which Jay tells these odd histories is perfect for his subject matter, and shows a matchless enthusiasm for his themes. "I really do love this stuff," he tells us at the end, and there is easily sufficient evidence here to show that in that there is no deception.

Wonderful Reading
If you enjoyed Ricky Jay's book, Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women, you will most certainly enjoy this new book by the same author. Jay's Journal of Anomalies is a hardbound, full collection compilation of his quarterly publication of the same name.

Ricky Jay, an accomplished magician and show biz historian, culls some of the best information, from his vast collection and library, and sends you back in time to experience the excitement, the cheating, the charlatanism, the absurdity, the amazement and the gullibility of audiences of past centuries. This is truly fun reading.

What you will find in this book is the same type of off-beat oddities found in Learned Pigs, with the same eclectic variety of persons and animals, with amazing in-depth knowledge of these acts long past.

As a professional entertainer myself, I am truly astonished at the types of amusement the people of the 18th and 19th centuries enjoyed. Here, in this book, you will find such creatures as learned dogs, trained fleas and the rare-but-famous Bonassus.

You will enjoy learning about crucifixion acts of the 19th and 20th centuries, persons who amputated their nose, people who stopped eating completely and the tiniest and fattest of persons.

You will enjoy learning about crucifixion acts of the 19th and 20th centuries, persons who amputated their nose, people who stopped eating completely and the tiniest and fattest of persons.

What's the odd relationship between magician and dentists? How did Automatons work? Could people really float? Read about these in Jay's Journal of Anomalies.

This is truly a fun and fascinating book to read; I can see how the subscribers of the original publication would look forward to reading it every three months.

One thing to note is that this book is more than just a compilation of newsletters. Added to this book are some beautiful (and sometimes colorful) posters, pictures and such that were not in the original set of newsletters. There is also a section of the book that updates much of the information in the original manuscripts.

(Expect to increase your vocabulary, too. Ricky Jay's utilization of the English language is extraordinary. I thoroughly enjoyed his unique writing style.)

I highly recommend this book to anyone who entertains. Get this book.

The Weirdest Shows on Earth
_Jay's Journal of Anomalies_ (Farrar Strauss Giroux) is no cheat, even though it is a production of one of the cleverest sleight of hand tricksters who ever lived. Ricky Jay, author, magician, and actor, continues the theme of his _Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women_, a survey of strange entertainments through the ages. This book contains reproduction of his quarterly publication issued from 1994 to 2000, a periodical famous for its production values, rarity, and expense. The sixteen issues are gathered in one volume here, a good looking oversized book with charming period woodcuts and engravings, amazing tales of very strange human endeavors, and an afterword to bring all the issues up to date. Even at the listed... price this book is therefore an undeniable bargain, and it is good that it is going to have a reach to a larger audience.

For Jay's subjects are so stupefyingly surprising. They almost all have to do with some sort of performance, and the stranger the better. There is a chapter on, of all things, crucifixion for showmanly profit. Tommy Minnock, at the beginning of the twentieth century, gained wildly enthusiastic response from his audiences as, nailed to a cross on the stage in a supposed hypnotic trance, he crooned, "After The Ball Is Over," one of the most popular tunes of the time. "I am told by those who saw me," he wrote "nailed to the cross that I presented a weird but impressive spectacle." Evatima Tardo around the same time was regularly nailed to a cross, suspended there for over two hours. She seldom had volunteers from the crowd who would come up to run the nails through her limbs, so her
assistants had to do so. The nails were dipped in poison beforehand; she
was quoted as saying, "There wouldn't be any fun unless I had prussic acid
on the ends." She laughed and sang, and declared that she had never had
such a pleasant time: "This is so easy, I am going to do it all over again
tomorrow night, and three nights next week." Jay writes that, "while no one
would claim that Minnock and Tardo inspired a trend of copycat
crucifixions," there were successors, including Faith Bacon, who hung nude
from a cross and gyrated to Ravel's Bolero. Some fakirs participated in
crucifixions in the spirit of competition, outdoing each other by staying
aloft for days at a time.

You will find here surprising chapters on such thing as the magical amputation of the nose. You will learn of the surprising, longstanding connection between legerdemain and dentistry. There are trained dogs and pigs, and a description of how flea circuses worked. There are those who made their fortunes by making faces; the means by which performers were able to dance upon the ceiling (including "The Great Philosophical Antipodean Pedestrian from Ohio"); the rascally ways in which hustlers would gain the trust and the pocketbooks of novices in ninepins; the adventures of professional fasters; and much more. The careful, quietly amused way in which Jay tells these odd histories is perfect for his subject matter, and shows a matchless enthusiasm for his themes. "I really do love this stuff," he tells us at the end, and there is easily sufficient evidence here to show that in that there is no deception.

'An Anomaly of Anomalies'
What wasn't quite clear to me when I got this book is that it is exactly what it says it is: a compellation of a quarterly 'newsletter' or journal written by magician Ricky Jay over a period of six years. The newsletter combines Jay's interest in entertainers of the outrageous kind with high quality publication; as he says,"a magazine printed letterpress on mold-made paper, with tipped-in color plates to present the illustrations I cherished with dignity and clarity." Although I have not seen either the original newsletters or the paperback version of the book, I can testify that the hardback retains these fine qualities.

As one might expect given the nature of the project, the quality of individual chapters evolves with time. Each chapter of the book is one volume of the newletter, preserved with the original masthead; the first few chapters show Jay warming to his subject. Chapter one, on trained dogs, is only 6 pages long; Chapter two, on Edward Bright and other early "Fattest Man/Woman/Child" is eight pages. Honestly, these opening chapters did not particularly interest me. But then the topics became more interesting to me and Jay seemed to 'hit his stride'--the final chapter, on the Amazing Chess Automaton, is twice the length of the first. Nonetheless, I still found the book a bit uneven--the chapter on bowling begins superbly, with a short description of Matthew Buchinger, born in 1674 who became a bowling wizard in spite of having neither arms nor legs. But after a single paragraph and picture, this singular character is not mentioned again. Instead, Jay concentrates the remaining pages on a general discussion of cheating at bowling--substitute "pool" for 'bowling' and the situation is pretty much unchanged today; and the association of bowling with amorality in the Victorian mind. Moderately interesting, but give me a ceiling walker, chess automaton, or Bonassus any day. It would be churlish of me to make more of this--it is, after all, Jay's Journal of Anomalies, not Coleman's Journal.

Among the more fascinating chapters are those on fasters, where Jay brings in the modern example of the Breatharians, who supposedly live on air alone; the Aztec Lilliputians; and a quirky chapter on "nose amputations". The common but unspoken thread among all the chapters is that odd but universal human quality--an eagerness to be deceived. The Amazing Chess Automaton, a device which has been treated at great lengths elsewhere, is a real testament to this quality; having been purchased by not one, but two members of royalty!

Each chapter is thoroughly footnoted, so that the book stands not only as an entertaining collection of quirks, but also as a scholarly source of information. One of the highlights is the Afterward, in which Jay publishes, presumably for the first time, additional material and pictures supplied by his readers in response to the original newsletter. All in all, Jay has succeeded admirably in creating (in his own words) 'an anomaly of anomalies."

Book centering on the weird in life
Following his Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women sleight-of- hand performer Jay compiles and comments on advertising for conjurers, cheats, hustlers, hoaxsters, pranksters, sideshow showmen, armless calligraphers, mechanical marvels, popular entertainments, and other weird stuff. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Words more important than packager
You can get lost in the fact that this is a collection of quotes by Oprah and not thoughts written by Oprah exclusively for this book.
Or you could be smart and glean wisdom from what she has to say.
How she grew up, what she learned from her errors, what she thinks of money and herself in relationship to it, the mental preparation to receive the abundance that she has and how she stays centered.

What I think thsi book is valuable for is insight, and perhaps personal inspiration for how to manage one's self in certain situations. The goal is not to become Oprah, it is to become the best YOU possible.

You take or you leave it, but you integrate it into the lessons and challenges of your own life. The same with John D. Rockefeller, Bill Gates, Jenny Jones (hahhahahaha----kidding).

A chronology of quotations
While this is a very interesting and well researched book on Oprah, keep in mind that it is an unauthorized biography. This book is basically a chronology of Oprah's life, and Adler does a decent job of stringing her quotes into a coherent history. A nice bonus is the section of short quotes on a wide variety of subjects. If you love Oprah, you'll probably love this book!

An unauthorized book of Oprah Winfrey quotes.
Bill Adler has taken past interviews, articles, and speeches of Oprah Winfrey and complied _his list_ of her best quotations. It's an unauthorized book - meaning Oprah didn't write it nor was she involved in the production. Some quotations show the source of information with a date and some don't -- which makes it a bit disappointing not to have the history or context pertaining to the quote. If you have an extensive Oprah collection, you'll want this book just to say you have everything, otherwise there are many other good Oprah biographies available. ... Read more

Book Description

A Six Feet Under-style story of a family of psychics by one of America's most trusted clairvoyants.

Most weekends in the 1950s, the Iacuzzo house in Buffalo, New York, was filled with adults and children from around the neighborhood. If Mary Iacuzzo wasn't yelling at the women to stop hanging on to cheating husbands, then the neighborhood kids were screaming and running from the messages daughter Rosemary was delivering from dead relatives. Son Frank recounted his dreams-which often came true-as he prepared his younger sisters for school each morning. Terry, the youngest, obsessively began counting tiles and tracing patterns in an attempt to cope with the mass of information about other people's lives that flooded her tiny being. And from behind the bar of his restaurant, their father doled out predictions on everything from horse races to politics.

This is the ordinary and extraordinary Sicilian family out of which sprang one of the country's most prominent psychics, Terry Iacuzzo, who has such a high-powered client list that it will remain a secret till her dying day. It's the story of the spiritual underground of 1960s and 1970s New York City. It's the story of the birth of a great seer. As Marisa Tomei has said, Terry Iacuzzo's "life has to be a movie." ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Martin Moran"s family lived in a Denver neighborhood called Virginia Vale. But what seemed most central, most important, was that they belonged to Christ the King—the church and school up the hill. And what Martin learned, as a good Catholic boy, was that the Hereafter was what counted; the here—fickle and unreliable—was the problem.

Martin"s world changed abruptly when, at the age of twelve, a church-camp counselor seduced him. New York Times theater critic Ben Brantley—praising Moran"s one-act play, The Tricky Part, for the quiet victory of "rendering chaos with this kind of clarity"—called his telling of this event "a crystalline accumulation of moments."

In his memoir Moran takes us deeper into the ongoing sexual relationship that followed the seduction, and for the first time he explores its effects upon his adult life. And finally—in a scene of stunning power and restraint—Moran confronts the perpetrator, now an old man in a veteran"s hospital.

In examining the paradoxes of human relationships, Moran manages to uncover divine grace in the most unlikely forms.

"Those of us—and we are legion—whose innocence has not been lost so much as taken, have a choice. We can remain children and insist on a black and white vision of perpetrators and victims, or, like Martin Moran, we can grow up. We can arrive at the understanding that love is only as pure, or as whole, or as beautiful, as the always imperfect beings who offer and demand it. The Tricky Part is a story of sexual abuse and its seemingly endless half life—remarkable, then, that this isn"t a book about blame, but forgiveness."
—Kathryn Harrison, author of The Kiss

"A tender, searingly honest, and heartbreaking account of the legacy of sexual violation. Moran bravely unveils the tricky part: The paradoxical worlds of longing and shame, the erotic and the reviled, the profane and the sacred all living in one act, one man, one life. Gorgeously written, the book is a divine literary and spiritual exorcism. I am better for it."
—Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues

"The Tricky Part is a beautiful book. Martin Moran is a graceful, witty, perceptive writer, remarkably brave, free of self-pity—his spirit, manifest on every page, is discerning and generous to the point of radiance. He"s a scrupulous and precise rememberer and explorer, and because he refuses simplification for the sake of judgment and yet insists on the necessity of rendering judgment, The Tricky Part is fully human, unsettling and wise."
—Tony Kushner, author of Angels in America and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama

"In an age where reality television exploits intimacy, and tell-all autobiographies have become endemic, Martin Moran"s book restores faith in the literary memoir. In documenting his troubling childhood relationship with a much older man, he eschews ready sensationalism and—instead—bravely articulates the complexities that color even the most taboo relationships. And he accomplishes it all with a prose style that is rich, immediate and constantly surprising. His is a book both haunting and profound."
—Doug Wright, author of Quills and winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for I Am My Own Wife

"Martin Moran has written an account of a childhood at once conventional and nearly unfathomable, allowing us to journey with him into the heart of his own "disturbed regions" of America. A deep, tempered spirit shines through every page, by turns understated and dazzling, wildly comic and gut wrenching. Clear-eyed and compassionate, Moran comes to believe that "what harms us may come to restore us," and this, he convinces us, is "the tricky part.""
—Nick Flynn, author of Another Bullshit Night in Suck City ... Read more

Reviews (2)

"Hungry Prey"
Little Martin lives in Colorado with his family, warm, loving bonds between them.Still there's a hollow at the center of his life.When he meets Bob, a grown man who works as a Catholic youth counselor, his twelve-year old nature reaches out to him and he accepts Bob's sexualy advances without a fight, almost greedily.

He becomes part of Bob's life, a necessary part, or so it seems, but really only an accessory.He meets other boys who are also tangled up sexually with Bob, and perhaps strangest of all, in Wyoming he meets "Karen," the fiancee of Bob, and with Bob's connivance gets to go to bed with her, have sex with them both."It all strikes me as weirdly inventive, that such a configuration could exist.This is something, I think, he's been angling for all along.Attention from all sides, mastermind in the middle.How did he become this being, this thing--like a daddy longlegs weaving a big, sticky web?And how did we get here, tangled in it, like hungry prey, groping in the dark for food, for escape?"

The "hungry prey" bit is exactly right because as the book reveals, the saddest thing of all is the way Bob uses Martin's need for him, his nascent sexuality, his forbidden feelings.Everyone needs to feel loved, and men like Bob are past masters at manipulating this terrifying need to fit their own fashions.As he grows older and stops seeing Bob he finds himself, eerily enough, replicating Bob's behavior patterns--not molesting kids, but developing an addiction to anonymous sex he can't seem to shake despite the love of a dedicated partner.

I haven't seen the play that this book is based on, but the writing here (bar a few little purple patches) is almost always right--streamlined, vivid, responsive, able to bring in both the damage to the soul and the claims of the body.Consciousness is really Martin Moran's subject, the way we learn things and the way knowledge forces itself upon us when we least expect it.You may think you've read this story before, or even that it happened to you, but you haven't really known it embodied till you pick up this wonderful book and ente