5 comments about Tearing Down the Wall of Sound: The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector.

1. My friend, Layng, recommended this book and I found it on Amazon and ordered a copy. Well, that was just the beginning. Then I had to have all the biographies of Phil Spector....there are about five or six. Then books about and CDs containing the artists he worked with, admired, fought with, etc. I just received the Ace compilation of Darlene Love in this mornings mail. And this is the book that got it all started. Read it at your own risk!



2. Phil Spector is an important person in the history of American pop culture, and is definitely worthy of this treatment. He's also a severly damaged and flawed person, and probably a murderer as well. This book makes no excuses for the flaws, but does not sensationalize them either -- there is balance in the book which, in my opinion, makes the subject easier to understand.
   
   I also agree with the previous reviewer who suggested reading this book with an iPod full of Phil's hits.



3. Phil Spector-Wasn't he the musical genius in the 60s and 70s, the man who created "the wall of sound?" Wasn't he the guy charged with murdering a 40-year-old actress Lana Clarkson whom he had just met. Spector is both-but so much more in between.
   
   I appreciated the thoroughness of this book. Brown left no aspect of Spector's life unexamined. We ride the highs and lows of his work with the Ronettes, The Righteous Brothers, Cher, and other famous groups and individuals (including two former Beattles), and too many others to mention.
   
   Counted as a friend were John Lennon and Lenny Bruce, who both died young. He shared with many of his friends the experience of father abandonment (his committed suicide when he was 9).
   
   Spector often co-wrote songs (or simply added his name) and was a very accomplished musician on several instruments. He had a keen ear for the right combination of instruments and sounds.
   
   The Righteous Brothers "Lost that Loving Feeling" (produced by Spector) is the most requested song ever-first to exceed 7 million performances. But Spector was so difficult to work with because of his demands and eccentric behavior that many worked with him only once.
   
   Brown filled the 466 pages with so much info I was often on overload (happily). Every story showed Spector bordering on genius-and madman-often at the same time. He was eccentric in both clothing and hairstyle, and loved being noticed, even negatively. Once he had the status of needing bodyguards, he could be rude and they'd handle things.
   
   A loyal secretary said, "I don't think Phil likes himself as much as other people like him," and he was forever trying to prove himself, mostly to himself. He didn't know what happiness was. A former girlfriend said, "I don't think he minded being thought of as neurotic, but he didn't want to show that he was venerable." For multimillionaire Spector, money did not buy happiness.
   
   I found the book fascinating and would recommend it to anyone who loved music from that era-or reading about a genius who fell hard. Only a small portion of the book is devoted to the 2003 murder and trial, the first ending in a mistrial in 2007.
   
   Armchair Interview says: Brown, a British journalist, author and broadcaster, used a very even-handed approach to Spector's life, and it is obvious he also really knows the music business.



4. Interesting biography of a sick, sick puppy whose scant 2-3 years of true creativity have financed a hell of a lot of bad behavior and lulled our culture into thinking he's a legendary genius. Did you know that Phil's parents were first cousins? Eeeeeeew.



5. This book is so well writing that half way through after my wife got so sick of me talking about this jerk spector she tossed it in the fireplace just to make it stop. This guy got away with murder. NO doubt about it.

No comments about Confessions of an Economic Hit Man: Library Edition.

No comments about Frankie's Place.

5 comments about The Extreme Makeover of Hillary (Rodham) Clinton.

1. I have never been a fan of Hillary Clinton. I found this book well written. I was not sure that she really thought the American people were so gullible but this book stripped away all those doubts. It certainly made my voting decision easier for this coming election.



2. This book is all about trashing Hillary Clinton which will appeal to some readers; however, the research is limited to information easily located with a fifteen minute Google search. The writing is sophomoric; as a result, Hillary comes off as a cardboard cut-out. I get the feeling Buchanan wrote this in a two hour stint on a Sunday afternoon when she was bored. Or maybe needing a little extra spending money. I am not a big Hillary fan, but she, like any literary subject, deserves fairness and accuracy. Read Hillary's Choice by Gail Sheehy instead. Carl Bernstein's book is also good but not as readable as Sheehy, although the Bernstein volume is more recent and addresses issues salient to Senator Clinton's bid for the presidency.



3. THE EXTREME MAKEOVER OF HILLARY CLINTON is a partisan sermon to the conservative choir. Bay Buchanan roasts "the old gal" for her stands on everything from national health care to the Iraq War and foreign policy. Unfortunately for the Clintons, they themselves have given her every reason to do so.
   
   I think Buchanan would agree that Hillary and Bill Clinton have lied about so much, so often, that they have come to believe the lies are true and the truth is a lie.
   
   Whitewater, cattle futures, travel-gate, 911 interviews about Chelsea, the vast right wing conspiracy, and on and on play into the hands of those who relish in her demise. The Clintons have lied to the press and the public about their transgressions; they shirk responsibility for their corruption. Hillary blames a "vast, right-wing conspiracy" for her husband's troubles as well as her own.
   
   Buchanan asserts that there is nothing Hillary Clinton will not lie about to further her ambitions. The truth seems to bear her out. Hillary has even lied about her name and where it came from! (Sir Edmund Hillary, her erstwhile namesake, climbed Everest six years after Clinton was named.)
   
   The central thesis of the book is that, in an effort to win the Presidency, Hillary Clinton has undergone a phony transformation from the left wing of the liberal party toward the center. Her real nature and values and views, however, remain militantly liberal. America is being presented a phony caricature: Hillary as a moderate candidate - in touch with and supportive of America's core values.
   
   Hillary Clinton is a liberal feminist, devoted to the cause of left wing economics: redistribution of the wealth through higher taxes and bigger government programs. She supports socialism although it has been discarded onto the ash heap of history by most thoughtful nations. He supports unrestricted abortions. She believes government is the answer for society's ills. She thinks the rightful role at the head of the family is the liberal vanguard (she and her friends) and the government.
   
   Americans are a forgiving group, by and large. Watchdogs like Bay Buchanan help us remember and recognize the obfuscation of history and be on our guard against the wiles of the enemy, lest we repeat the mistakes of the past.



4. This book was very helpful to my understanding of what makes Mrs. Clinton tick. It focuses more on her psychology than her behavior in public life. It claims that her overriding character trait is insecurity. It's especially strong in explaining how her mind works. According to it, she is a memorizer and regurgitator of information; she has an unchanging "consummate student" mindset, always eager to learn facts; and she tends to automatically make herself an expert on any subject she needs to understand (such as healthcare, in 1993). (From other reading, I know that this is exactly how Jimmy Carter worked. he was compulsive about memorization and preparation.)
   But the book goes on to say that this habit is Hillary's compensation for her weakness: she is not an original thinker, not a visionary (Bill is the opposite). Also, all her life she has been extremely impressionable; this is why, when in the White House, she was always taking advice from political advisors, New Age gurus, psychics, etc.
   
   The author of Extreme Makeover, Bay Buchanan, is conservative upfront (she is Pat Buchanan's younger sister), but is fair-minded and polite. It's not like reading an Ann Coulter book. Ms. Buchanan uses a folksy tone that gets slightly annoying at times, but it's not hard to ignore.
   
   I recommend this book, along with the late Barbara Olson's book *Hell to Pay*, if you seek to better understand Mrs. Clinton.



5. For some reason this country has made a sport out of hating the Clintons and eradicating all memory of the good they have done while recycling every twisted, malicious rumor. At least some of it has to do with the fact that she's a woman in power, and absolutely loathed for it. (Countries around the globe, from Pakistan--a MUSLIM nation--to the Philippines and the Ukraine--have or have had women leaders, but this hypocritical misogynist nation can't abide it. Too bad.) I think anyone who reads this should at least read "Living History" by Hillary Clinton, and get it from the horse's mouth--then they can make up their minds.

5 comments about Odysseus a Life: Library Edition.

1. What I loved about Odysseus: A Life is that it indulges a desire to identify with this mythological character as if he were a person while simultaneously reminding one of the fundamentally Modern limits of this kind of identification. Along the way, Beye elaborates a breathtaking overview of Classical culture, vividly informed by his passionate knowledge of the literature. It is a highly enjoyable read, told with great irony and wit.



2. I knew when I read "Odysseus: A Life" that Charles Beye is no ordinary or academic academic. Once voted "Red Hot Prof" by the students at Stanford University, Beye is wonderfully skilled at blending his vivid imagination and his mastery of ancient Homeric poem, myth, and history. He re-creates the epic hero as a man you can't help but find fascinating and irresistibly appealing. This book is utterly satisfying!



3. The great thing about this book is that everyone can learn from it. Whether you are a junior high school student just embarking upon your own odyssey in the world of the classics, or a retired person trying to get back into the world of literature, or even a scholar with a good knowledge of Homer and his poems, Beye's book serves the useful function of creating a multi-dimensional character out of all of the available souces, not just a single one. In other words, Beye brings to life someone who is a mythic figure and endows him with a full set of human characteristics that allows us to recognize him as both an ancient hero and a contemporary. This is an enjoyable but also provocative and worthwhile reading and educational experience.



4. As someone who knows the ODYSSEY as well as a non-classicist can, before I bought this book, I asked myself: what is there to say, to add to what we have learned over the centuries about this great hero, and who would dare to try? Knowing other books by Beye, and having had the pleasure of hearing him talk in public forums, I should have known better than to ask. There is plenty to more to say simply because we know so little about Odysseus. The basic unanswered questions--who, what, where, when, and why--abound in any thoughtful reader's mind. He gives us his take on Odysseus' life from birth right up to the time that he leaves for his battles and wanderingss. Of course, much of this is speculation, but it's inspired and fascinating speculation, founded on Beye's vast knowledge of Homer and his times. Beye not only tackles these issues with thoroughness, and dazzling wit, but also contributes substantial psychological insights, some based solidly on how the ancients thought about their heroes, and others based on our modern notions. Women, who play such a major role in Odysseus's exploits, are also given new meaning in this book. Beyond psychology, we learn a variety of things about ancient Greece, things Homer does not give us: its look, smell, ways of building its structures and boats, eating habits, sexual customs, and more. Beye manages a very difficult balancing act: preserving the role of the distinguished scholar that he his with making Odysseus seem not only heroic, but human. He does that both with integrity and humor, reasons enough for anyone interested in the subject to read this book. And for those who haven't read the ODYSSEY, this perfect introduction will surely encourage them to turn to the classic once they've finished Beye's book. In my view, this is an thoroughly delightful, informative, and captivating book.



5. As someone who knows the ODYSSEY as well as a non-classicist can, before I bought this book, I asked myself: what is there to say, to add to what we have learned over the centuries about this great hero, and who would dare to try? Knowing other books by Beye, and having had the pleasure of hearing him talk in public forums, I should have known better than to ask. But why a new "life" of the great hero? Simply because there is plenty to more to say about him than we know. The basic unanswered questions--who, what, where, when, and why--abound in any thoughtful reader's mind. He gives us his take on Odysseus' life from birth right up to the time that he leaves for his battles and wanderingss. Of course, much of this is speculation, but it's inspired and fascinating speculation, founded on Beye's vast knowledge of Homer and his times. Beye not only tackles these issues with thoroughness, and dazzling wit, but also contributes substantial psychological insights, some based solidly on how the ancients thought about their heroes, and others based on our modern notions. Women, who play such a major role in Odysseus's exploits, are also given new meaning in this book. Beyond psychology, we learn a variety of things about ancient Greece, things Homer does not give us: its look, smell, ways of building its structures and boats, eating habits, sexual customs, and more. Beye manages a very difficult balancing act: preserving the role of the distinguished scholar that he his with making Odysseus seem not only heroic, but human. He does that both with integrity and humor, reasons enough for anyone interested in the subject to read this book. And for those who haven't read the ODYSSEY, this perfect introduction will surely encourage them to turn to the classic once they've finished Beye's book. In my view, this is an thoroughly delightful, informative, and captivating book.

No comments about Moving on.

1 comments about The Good Life of Helen Nearing: A Remarkable Woman Looks Back at Her Life's Journey on the Path of Truth, Self-Discovery and Integrity/Cassette.

1. The message is loud and clear, the simple life is a beautiful thing. I've passed this along to so many people, it's a wonderful companion on a long drive.

No comments about . . . And Still I Rise With Dignity.

5 comments about The Other Side of Me.

1. After you finish this book, you will wish you had read it a couple years earlier so you could have had a chance to meet this great American. I have known for a long time that Sheldon was a great author but had no idea that he had lived the ultimate American Dream before he started writing so late in life. The book inspired me to read his fiction and he is now one of my favorite authors. In his fiction, you will see many of the characters from his life. This is a great rags to riches story!



2. Sidney Sheldon invites his readers to understand the plays in Hollywood, Broadway, stage, film, television, and even publishing. He aspired to be a writer from the most humblest beginnings in Chicago. His parents' marriage was not always a happy one. Sidney would marry Jorja, an actress. They have a daughter, Mary. They lost another daughter from spina bifida at birth. They adopted a girl only to have her taken away 6 months later by the birth mother. Sidney had financial problems along the way. He conquered the film industry and won an Oscar but he was not getting the work that he longed for. He turned to television after he also did stage and film. He helped write the Patty Duke Show and I Dream of Jeannie. Neither shows were without it's problematic stars. Patty Duke was being a virtual prisoner by the Rosses, her managers. Larry Hagman wanted to be bigger than Barbara Eden but that came later in his show, Dallas. Sidney Sheldon learned a lot in HOllywood about breaking in the business. It takes more than the drive to be a good writer, it takes a lot of luck.



3. The style of this autobiography is uniquely Sheldon and completely engrossing. As he explained in a 1982 interview : "I try to write my books so the reader can't put them down, I try to construct them so when the reader gets to the end of a chapter, he or she has to read just one more chapter. It's the technique of the old Saturday afternoon serial: leave the guy hanging on the edge of the cliff at the end of the chapter."
   
   The book starts with his impoverished childhood during the Great Depression and surprisingly ends before his meteoric rise as a successful novelist.
   
   Born Sidney Schechtel in Chicago in 1917 to German & Russian parents, Sheldon's life had more ups and downs than a month of roller coaster rides. A long time sufferer from manic depression or bipolar disorder as it is now called, he often turned away at critical moments from paths that were just opening up to him.
   
   Success took time coming his way and even when it did, it didn't stay long. (Not until his writing career took off, then there was no looking back) In his words - "Success is an elevator that moves up and down". His ups included having three musical hits playing simultaneously on Broadway, the Oscar and the Screen Writers Guild award for Best Musical for "Annie Get your Gun" The downs included long periods of unemployment and blacklisting by the studios.
   
   There are so many anecdotes about so many famous people that are a pleasure to read. Groucho Marx was an extremely close friend and also Godfather of Sheldon's daughter Mary. Having seen the Hollywood industry as a writer, producer and director his insights are precise and delightful.
   
   My only disappointment was is that I wish he had written a part two before his death on January 30th, this year. He does throw a few morsels about his writing life experiences, but they just aren't enough for his adoring fans.



4. If you're a fan of Sidney Sheldon's, you'll appreciate this book. In addition to being a prolific writer, you'll find a multi-talented writer of many popular scripts. The books includes photos of Sheldon with many of the Hollywood stars he's worked with. A fantastic journey of his life, including his greatest challenge of dealing with bi-polar.



5. This book is about Sidney Sheldon's life and is very good but is not a page turner like all of his other books of fictional mysteries.

5 comments about The Orchid Thief.

1. So the movie of Adaptation was amazing and the overall story within this book is good, the themes and ideas hidden in there are good, but the writing, not so good.
   I was rather disappointed by the extreme lack of decent writing here. This book was not a pleasure to read at all. It opened up with a little mock interview that Susan gave to herself and it was really kind of bad, not creative, and sounds like it was written by a 16 creative writing student.
   All I can say is that the story was a good idea, the longing in some of parts was wonderful, but the writing, I am not a fan of.



2. Truly fascinating reading. A friend encouraged me to read this after I became interested in and purchased several orchids at a recent orchid show. This book is an engaging journey through the history of orchids and orchid collecting as well as a revealing introduction to the often mysterious and sometimes elusive people who have been drawn to and fascinated by orchids over time. If you have an interest in orchids, do yourself the favor of reading this well-written and meticulously researched work. In fact, even if you do not have an interest in orchids you will find this book well worth your time. You may learning something of yourself in the process of reading it.



3. Excellent story,great writer and terrific subject matter for anyone interested in Orchids or the State of Florida and some of it's history.



4. Pretty quick read because it is totally, utterly engrossing. Orlean has a wonderful writing style, and a knack for just the right amount of metaphors and similes. Plus terrific descriptive abilities. Every bit as wonderful as the film "Adaptation" which was made from this book. I really liked this non-fiction book about obsession, collectors, orchids, plants, all things in southern Florida. She gets to the heart of a true collectors mind. La Rouche an unforgettable person. She makes us "see" him. To paraphrase one unforgettable line - "I hate hiking in the swamp with convicts who have machetes."



5. This book reminded me of a story about the 'fishes':
   Curious about North Americans before moving to North America, friends of mine did all they could to meet a North American. He was quiet when they were discussing life with universal categories. When asked about what he is most interested in, the North American lightened up and told them everything he knew about the fishes, his hobby. He was experiencing, interpreting and loving life through fishes (or orchids, or anything that we are deeply intrigued by), and my friends heard the most interesting story, told with love, passion and knowledge, and remained quiet and speechless for a long time.
   The "Orchid Thief" is a fascinating book, and I truly loved all aspects of this journey - the visual language, the historical references, the characters and the whole gamut of their emotions.
   Some short stories though, were told long in the book, which makes you feel the fatigue in these parts of the narration.