4 comments about Circle of Greed: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Lawyer Who Brought Corporate America to Its Knees.

1. "Circle of Greed" covers three decades of William Lerach's career as he sued the Who's Who of the fortune 500, winning over $45 billion in judgments and settlements with his firm; 90% were settled out of court. Eventually he too became caught up in illegality and was disbarred and imprisoned. Interestingly, before beginning his law career, Lerach authored an article calling class-action securities lawsuits as 'procedural monstrosities.'
   
   Lerach's M.O. was to look for precipitous drops in earnings followed by a sharp drop in the stock price. Then he and his colleagues would search the company's prior public statements for material talking up its financial performance (often based on bogus revenue recognition). If also associated with or following insider trading, Lorach would find plaintiffs and file complaints. Investment banks and accounting firms that participated were also charged. Lerach claimed better results than the SEC, and sometimes he did - eg. $1 billion from Drexel Burnham, compared to $750 million for the SEC, and $750 million from Washington Pacific Power, compared to nothing for the SEC. Recently released from prison, Lerach is now being sought by insurance companies eager to have their policies made suit-proof. Others are proposing the Lerach be given a role in reclaiming excessive Wall Street executive pay and bonuses, and he has responded with an informal proposal of how this could be done. He has also lost his law license and been disbarred in California.
   
   The sometimes hard part of Lerach's business was getting clients to represent. This was solved when Seymour Lazar proposed buying stocks and then serving as a plaintiff, for a kickback of about 10% of the firm's legal fees. Kickbacks are illegal, but Lerach thought he'd solved that by using intermediary attorneys. The feds didn't catch on until the late 1990s, and Lerach ended up with a two-year sentence and forfeiting $8 million out of his $700 million fortune.
   
   The problem with "Circle of Greed" is that it way to long, and sometimes jumps around - breaking one's chain of interest and focus. The authors' dislike for Lerach is also more than a bit too obvious.



2. There is something of interest for everyone in this book. It's a rocking good story, painstakingly researched and expertly told.



3. I am a lawyer, and have worked on class actions (for plaintiffs).
   
   Now half-way through the book, I find it interesting, but over-long and less than compelling. Judicious editing and better storytelling were needed.
   
   Also, the authors make obvious mistakes about some basic legal concepts. In particular, they confuse a motion to dismiss (defendant argues there is no legal basis for the claims) which occurs early in a case, with a motion for summary judgment (defendant asserts there is no evidence to support the claims), which occurs near the end, before trial.
   
   In sum, this is interesting to those who have been involved in class actions but will have trouble winning a larger audience.



4. Here is an interesting book that I would like to read. But then I look at the price. $15.40 for the Kindle version or 54% more expensive than new releases had recently been customarily been priced at.
   
   A 54% price hike and hardly a peep in public about it, even though Amazon inveigled tens of thousands of people to drop hundreds of dollars down on an electronic gizmo based upon the lower pricing model.
   
   How is it that they quietly skewer their customar base?
   
   I won't read this book at a 54% increase. All the talk about the costs that get allocated to both hard cover and e-versions miss one KEY issue. The fact that e-versions can't be passed around so that 4 or 5 people can read the book that ONE person paid for simply doesn't apply to e-books. That's worth far more than a skinny three dollar price differential.
   
   I won't pay these prices. Anyone else who does is making a big mistake.

5 comments about The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life.

1. Buffet was smart to choose a biographer that would take the time to provide such an accurate and detailed portrayal of his life. I discovered there is a lot more to Warren Buffet than what I've seen in the media, and I found that this book presented a great look at the arc of Buffet's life, including how his experiences shaped who he is. That said, I think the biographer went overboard on the detail. There were places where the narrative was like wading through mud. Just too much detail to make sections of the read pleasurable, and at 850 pages you'd have to expect as much. I mean, even Warren Buffet doesn't need an 850 page biography. All in all, still a very worthwhile read, and I definitely recommend checking it out.



2. Personally, I think Warren Buffett is overrated. He is an excellent personal PR machine who sings his own glories exactly the way he wants to spin them and most of the media swallows it (a little like Obama and the mainstream media during the 2008 election). He is a smart, shrewd investor unquestionably; but his recent errors are pretty unforgiveable and it's amazing that he still has the following that he has. I'm impressed that Gates' father is impressed, this says something. But this book is more for the people who soak up aspects of his personal life than for serious students of his investing concepts and the extent to which they're still applicable. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life The Intelligent Investor: The Classic Text on Value Investing



3. This book does a wonderful job of shedding light on the real Warren Buffett. It really brings to light his human side, light and dark.
   
   Unfortunately, the author sidetracks the reader many times by offering overly-detailed accounts of specific events related to the story of Warren Buffet. Easily 50% (and probably more) of the 700 pages could be cut out without any loss of clarity around understanding who Warren Buffett really is.
   
   I hope this book gets vigorously edited down to remove much of the filler, as that will allow the reader to more easily get the powerful nuggets of information included within.
   
   -Tristan
   Seattle, WA



4. I enjoyed the details in this lengthy biography. Other reviewers have contributed most interesting thoughts.
   
   I just have two observations to add. First, Buffett seems to me to illustrate many of the points made by Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers, in which he looks at common threads in the lives of extremely successful people. Two of these particularly stand out. First, they are born in a time and place and family in which their particular gifts are likely to be rewarded. On page 817, Buffett speaks of winning the "Ovarian Lottery." "I have been very lucky. I was born in the United States in 1930 and won the lottery the day I was born. I had terrific parents, a good education, and I was wired in a way that paid off disproportionately in this particular society. If I had been born long ago or in some other country, my particular wiring would not have paid off the way it has."
   
   Second, as Gladwell discusses in "10,000 -Hour Rule," these individuals are often obsessed from childhood in pursuing their interests. As Buffett put it, "Intensity is the price of excellence."
   
   Second, the author's ability to clearly describe arcane financial instruments and transactions shines a light, not only on the life of Warren Buffett, but on the times in which he has operated, and particularly on factors leading up to the meltdown of recent years. It seems to me that, in the future, this work will be valuable far beyond its merit as a biography, as business and economic historians, as well as politicians, try to figure out what went wrong.



5. Let's face it, reading about Warren Buffett and his silent but formidable partner - Charles Munger - is often times insightful. Although Snowball, by Alice Schroeder, requires an investment from the reader, the payoff - for Buffett fans - is more insight into the infinite wisdom of Warren Buffett's thinking. This book serves as an excellent introduction for new Buffetteer's. For seasoned Buffetteer's; if you've read Roger Lowerstein's, The Making of An American Capitalist, certain parts of the book represent familiar territory. Wherever you are in the Buffett universe, you can't go wrong adding this book to your library because regardless of what you do for a living, a study of Warren Buffett's successes are intriguing, insightful and most of all, helpful.

5 comments about Last Words: A Memoir.

1. After reading this book, I regret not having heard/seen/read more of Carlin's work. He tells it like it is and does not pull any punches. He lays it all out there in this 'sortabiograpy'. Despite being a biographical work, this is a funny book. It is hard to translate from the stage to written word, but somehow Carlin pulls it off in the short pieces detailing parts of his stand up. This book takes you through his childhood and his career in great detail, yet the tone is always approachable and appreciatively humorous. Carlin owns his mistakes and I appreciate him all the more for it.
   
   I would give the book five stars, but the formatting for the Kindle is full of typos. I hope Amazon can remedy this.



2. Guess I should have seen it coming, but it was a good book in that it didn't hide much. However, it wasn't full of funny things, but definitely life's lessons. I was glad that I'd read George Carlin's Last Words and I passed the book on to our son George to read.



3. George Carlin is one of the finest comedians of the age. Now he gives to us even though he is gone in LAST WORDS. We get a good look inside the life and times. Watch him work his way up, fall and get up again. If you are a fan this book is a must, Tony Hendra does a great job forming this biography. This is a good read. RECOMMENDED



4. This book is the perfect conclusion to George Carlin's library of work. It is well written yet earthy enough to bring you into an understanding of what made Carlin Carlin.
   
   No words can do justice to this. Carlin was so much more than a "stand up". He was philosopher, social scientist and many other things, the most important being a thinking logical human being. As I read it, I could almost hear Carlin's voice reading it to me.
   
   Get this book. Read it. Understand it. Then get your friends this book to read and to understand.



5. When George was alive, he made the world laugh, when he died, he made the world cry.
   But even thou this book is well writen' it doesn't feel like George himself would say some of these things in here. Now Tony Hendra is a good writer and an old friend of George, but in most of this biography I just didn't get that George Carlin feeling, it feels like more of something that Tony would say then anything else. Its as if George had two different personalities. One that when he's on stage, and a complete different person off stage, like night and day. And in parts of the book Tony keeps quoting stuff that I know George would never say, like; Thanking God that he didn't die from one of his hart-a-tacks, or saying stuff like; "The good lord blessed us with a child." Dose that sound like George to you?
   But up near the last few chapters he starts to quote a lot of his on-stage routine like; Baby on board, Seven words, stuff like that. But at the last page it'll really does sound like something that ole George would say and it will make you choke-up a bit. George Carlin was the best. The comedy world will never be the same without him.

5 comments about High On Arrival.

1. The book started out good reading, but then it just seemed like it was all repeated and repeated all over again. I really hope this time she leaves the drugs in the past.



2. Hard to believe that a lame TV show in the 70s is what made Mackenzie Phillips so famous, well, that and her old man, who she accuses here of incest. And, a role in "American Graffiti," which is grossly overrated. She has spent most of her life high on coke or heroin or some other drug, she claims. Add 10 years of performing at state fairs in the revived Mamas & Papas band, and you have the sum total of why this woman exerts a claim in the pop culture sphere. The book spares nothing and no one. It's a fascinating memoir, especially about her childhood in the various LA mansions of Papa John Phillips, the Wolfking of LA, who was a genius song writer and arranger, but then a hardcore drug addict who imparted his full sensibilities on this daughter. Born into privilege, she squandered it over and over on drugs and bad choices. There seem to be few truly happy moments in this book. It's a miracle that she's still alive at age 50-something. This is best read with Papa John's mid-80s memoir, which I read back then but have forgotten. Excellent reading, both.



3. I wanted to like this book, and thought that I would, as I had always liked Mackenzie Phillips acting and loved her in "American Grafitti." I had seen her interviewed on "Oprah", where she talked about the incest and drug abuse, and she came across as likeable and like she was really trying to get it together. But this book made me change my mind about her.
   
   First of all, the writing is all over the place. She will say something happened, then two pages later she will say that thing happened two years later (or earlier). She glosses over almost all personal information, but then brings up people or events as though we already know all about them. I found it very disconcerting, and it contributed to my mistrust of Ms. Mackenzie and what she writes. How can you believe anything she says when she constantly contradicts herself and admits that she can't remember many events?
   
   It was also very hard for me to listen to her blaming everyone else for her drug abuse. Yes, it's true she had a terrible upbringing, I'm sure that was a major factor, but there comes a point where a person has to take a little responsibility for themselves. Phillips says that she was ashamed of her actions, yet she rarely asked for help, and usually only went into rehab forcefully. She seems to pride herself on almost ODing many times, on how *many* drugs she could take at once, at how great she looked in her outfits, and how much dirt she can flippantly throw out there about other celebrities. She came across as very delusional about herself as far as her own fame and her ability to stay sober.
   
   I wish this woman well, I really do hope she can stay sober, for her family's sake if nothing else, but I'm really sorry that she wrote this shambles of a book. I doubt that I could be as forgiving towards her as her family appears to be (according to her).



4. Excellent read. When you read, you feel like you are experiencing her pain, joy, fun, and adventures right along with her. God Bless Mack on her continuing recovery and journey.



5. My fiancee is in love with this book... I was dissappointed myself. We're both recovering opiate addicts, and we can definitely understand and relate to her stories, but I personally felt like it was a shocker/typical celeb addiction tale moreso than a real quality read. I personally thought it lacked depth, and even though she tries to relate herself to the reader in the best way possible, sometimes the war stories just get old. Yeah, thats great... your dad did a lot of drugs and dirty things to you, you've lived a terrible life and done some dirty things yourself... the end. Come on McKenzie!
   
   My fiancee related to it very much, and couldn't put it down. She came from a similar situation, being raised by an addict, and was set up to become an addict herself from a young age by an irresponsible monster of a parent. Fortunately, her mother wasn't keeping a sexual relationship with her like McKenzie's father was, but it made her more aware of her addiction, the struggles of addiction, and she just all in all enjoyed and appreciated this book for every word it contained.
   
   I personally will warn anybody off the bat, this book is just her shoveling all the dirt she's accumulated over her years onto the pages... and even though her intentions were probably honest, and despite claims of the whole admission of incest being just to bring money in, I honestly believe that she just wanted to share that experience so other victims wouldn't carry those secrets around for all the years she did... BUT at the same time, a normal person will only want to hear so much. She had a GRIMY life and did some GRIMY THINGS and this book is just dripping with GRIME. BUT... if you're into that kinda thing, if you're a big fan of celebrity autobios, or if you're a recovering addict of cocaine or opiates (including heroin) yourself, this book is probably for you. The average best seller reader will probably be bored and disgusted by about 1/3 of the way in.
   
   I feel badly for speaking poorly about it, but I'm just being honest. I don't think she wrote this book just to boost her income, I believe she had a difficult and trying life/lifestyle, but unfortunately it is just not something that everyday Joes and Janes will get into, in my opinion. She's a sweetheart, she's come so far, I'm glad she's done so well for herself... but I just wanted to warn people, in modern day and age when the value of the dollar is so low, there are better books to spend your money on. This one would be a great soft-cover buy, a great second-hand buy, or a great library rental. If you pay the cover price, you are either a rich fool or just a fool... Fortunately Amazon cuts breaks on the price of the hardcover new... and I got it new, in hardcover format, for cheap enough to not regret the expense, but I wouldn't pay much more than $12 for this book new in hardcover format.

5 comments about Wishful Drinking.

1. This is the first of Carrie Fisher's books that I have read and let me just say, it is HILARIOUS! I laughed out loud until I lost my breath in several places. With just the written word, this woman conveys biting sarcasm and a sharp wit. She is also warm and clearly a loving person as evidenced by her description of her family and friends, particularly her mother, brother, and daughter.
   
   I very highly recommend this book.



2. Carrie Fisher has a unique writing voice. I laughed out loud at points and was disturbed at others. I especially love the way she describes an event that could only happen in her life and say, '...as one does.' Writing can be cathartic. Is Carrie self-absorbed? I remember my own bout of clinical depression and I understand how small the universe became during those long months. I wish Carrie only joy.



3. I purchased this for myself and really enjoyed it. It arrived in a prompt and timely manner and was packaged very nicely. I would recommend this vendor as a reputable dealer with quality products.



4. This review is for; Wishful Drinking and Wishful Drinking [WISHFUL DRINKING -OS]
   
   At only 156 pages this is definately the shortest hardbook-cover book I ever read, but nontheless I found it to be an enjoyable read! Based on her solo, live, stage perfomance of the same name, Carrie Fisher quickly explains her whole life in a whirlwind style. She explained that her Hollywood parents Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher were the 1950's married couple version of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston with Elizabeth Taylor as the 1950's version of Angelina Jolie who ran off with Eddie Fisher. We also learn about Carrie's electro-shock treatments due to depression, but after completing her book you'll find out why she got depressed with the assortment of strange incidents that she experienced. For Star Wars fans like me, there is only a ten-page chapter about her experiences during that iconic, film trilogy. Very funny reading about hearing George Lucas's excuse for Carrie to not wear a bra because of the "no underwear in space excuse". She also explains with humor about her Princess Leia shampoo bottle where you twist off her head and pour the shampoo out of her neck. She also complained about a Princess Leia action figure of her where you can look up her dress and see more details than desired!
   
   The short book also has a few black and white photos and newspaper clippings throughout the book to help illustrate some of the things and people Carrie talks about. Despite the very short length as a book, I find it hard to recommend it as a purchase because you can read it very quickly. Recommended if you can borrow it from a local library otherwise too short to enjoy thoroughly!



5. Enjoyed WISHFUL DRINKING, written and read by Carrie
   Fisher . . . it's adapted from her one-woman show of the
   same, and it tells Fisher's story in a funny manner
   that makes you think this should be the stuff for a novel
   if it weren't so true.
   
   Fisher, the daughter of Eddie Fisher and Debbie
   Reynolds, came of age on a movie called STAR WARS . . . she
   became famous at the age of 19, married then divorced
   and then dated Paul Simon, learned that the father of her
   daughter forgot to tell her he was gay, and woke up one morning to
   find a friend dead beside her in bed . . . and that's just
   a small part of her life, which also included bouts of alcoholism,
   drug addiction and mental illness that eventually led
   to electroshock therapy.
   
   There were a lot of juicy anecdotes, many of them involving
   her father . . . she rarely missed the opportunity to give him
   a dig, probably because she never forgave him for leaving her
   other to be with Elizabeth Taylor:
   
   * My father had many big songs, but perhaps the one he's
   best remembered for was "Oh! My Papa,": which I like to call
   "Oh! My Faux Pas."
   
   As for her mother, she did:
   
   * Tons and tons of films, but I think the one she's best remembered
   for is the classic film SINGIN' IN THE RAIN. But she was also
   nominated for an Oscar for best actress in her role in THE
   UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN but tragically, she lost to
   Julie Andrews for her stunning, layered and moving portrait
   of MARY POPPINS. Ibsen's Mary Poppins, of course.
   
   What I most liked about WISHFUL DRINKING was some of the inside dope
   about the entertainment business, including this tidbit on George Lucas:
   
   * He wouldn't let her wear a bra in STAR WARS because he
   was adamant that there was no underwear in space!

4 comments about Dear Dad: Where's the family in our family, today?.

1. "Dear Dad" is a compelling story of boy who grew to be a man, struggling through life in the rural countryside of Jamaica, then the mean streets of Miami, Florida. The son of musical and social icon, Bob Marley, Ky-mani Marley's book gives us an inside look at the Marley family trials and tribulations. The book outlines how not all of the Marley children were supported in a way that Bob would have most certainly wanted. Its a compelling read and I would highly recommend this book to all Marley fans.
   
   
   So Jah seh,
   "Not one of my seeds
   Shall sit in the sidewalk
   And beg your bread."
   (No, they can't and you know that they won't!)
   "And verily, verily, I'm saying unto thee, 'I
   Inite oneself and love Imanity.'"
   'Cause puss and dog they get together:
   What's wrong with loving one another?
   Puss and dog they get together:
   What's wrong with you my brother?
   -Bob Marley
   
   
   I am my momma's son
   you are your father's child
   sometimes we act as if we hate each other
   A different fate, a different state of mind
   That don't mean we all can't be satisfied
   WE ARE ALL BROTHERS AND SISTERS......
   -Ziggy Marley



2. I thought this was a well thought out and honest book. It verified what I suspected for years! Keep on with the positivity, and you will reap the rewards!



3. I just recently purchased this book and must say that I really enjoyed Kymani's tell-it-like-it is truth! He tells his story with such great descriptive narrations that it felt like you were there with him reminiscing. Unfortunately, being a child out of wedlock and having a mega star Dad can have his ups and downs. Having "Marley" behind his name, didn't give Kymani the rights to the fruits and labor of the lavish life that his siblings lived growing up in the mansion. I sympathize with Kymani in the sense that he wasn't asked to be borned and yet he had to grow up fast in an environment he had no control over.
   
   I loved Kymani's honesty, humor and love for his family. The only downside I had with this book is that he didn't include pictures of himself as a youth or through the years. That would of been cool



4. I'm glad he wrote the book. I just can't understand why Rita stayed with a man who had all those kids by other women. A child is inocent so don't take it out on them or their mother's. Bob Marley just loved women. If I was Rita she should have found love herself. But those are his kids.. HELP THEM

5 comments about The World in Vogue: People, Parties, Places.

1. This big book is just magnificent. I haven't even finished looking through it yet, but it's sitting pretty on our couch as decor too!
   A must have!
   -t



2. I live vicariously however unrealistically through Vogue and appreciate the good taste and lovely photos so this book is perfect for me. The world of beauty will never become stale in my mind. I would have to disagree that putting Tom Brady and Gisele Bunchen on the cover is a mistake - what better way to epitomizse the combination of the athletic world with the world of fashion? They have indeed become intertwined as has the world of fashion and the world of entertainment. A lovely book to keep ~



3. I was hoping to find more on parties and it was really more on people.



4. A huge book for the admirers of good taste, style, beauty and culture. VOGUE manages to impress again. I wouldn't expect anything less, of course.



5. Vogue's big photo books --- and The World in Vogue: People, Parties, Place serves up 300 gorgeous pictures --- are ruthlessly edited experiences. They buy the glamor myth, and they chart it over time. Their aim is manicured, buffed, air-brushed beauty, life the way it oughta be.
   
   Old people? Never happened. Which makes it disconcerting to see photos of people you know --- or knew, because many have gone on to that place where Vogue can't be delivered --- in the full blush of youth.
   
   Truman Capote's "swans", beautiful people in the Hamptons, Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall in Mustique, Valentino's country house, palaces, gardens --- almost every photograph and most excerpts from the profiles that accompanied them have the same effect. That is, they make you want to be rich. And thin. And young.
   
   And that's the way it goes for 400 oversized pages. Vogue is the InStyle of the upper order; it's one big wet kiss to the people it photographs. Which isn't to say it's unappealing --- it's nice to get all your jealousy from one thick source.
   
   I do note one factual error. The editors claim that, in 1990, "Georgina Howell found Carolyne Roehm exemplifying the spirit of the Working Rich." Yes, she did. But she wasn't the first. I recall a New York Magazine cover story about Roehm called "The Working Rich: The Real Slaves of New York," published in January 1986. The author, I believe, was Jesse Kornbluth.

5 comments about Baby, Let's Play House: Elvis Presley and the Women Who Loved Him.

1. Truly a great book. I've read dozens of Elvis books, but this book examines Elvis' life from an entriely different angle -- that from the women with whom Elvis spent a major portion of his life. In this book we hear, via previous sources or new interviews, from those individuals Elvis fans rarely get to hear from. Such rare input comes from, among others, Barbara Hearn, Anita Wood, June Juanico, Joyce Bova, Susan Henning, Shelia Ryan, Barbara Leigh, Linda Thompson and even Tanya Tucker and Cher. Don't hesitate to buy and read this book. Allanna Nash takes us from the very beginning to the very end of Elvis' life from an entirely new view.



2. .
   Of all the hundreds of books about Elvis that have appeared over the years, there's only a handful that I consider significant, reflecting honestly and insightfully the Elvis I knew. Alanna Nash's new book "Baby Let's Play House" is definitely one of that small number. It's beautifully written in a style that is as accessible as it is meaningful. Alanna has artfully, through meticulous research and her unique talent as a lucid writer, tackled and conquered a very complex subject - the women who loved Elvis. Filled with poignant and memorable anecdotes, intimate and private relationships, this book is fascinating and should be required reading for anyone interested in a three-dimensional look at Elvis' life.



3. I've just finished reading a wonderful book, "Elvis, Let's Play House - Elvis Presley and the Women Who Loved Him", by Alanna Nash. I finished the 600+pages book in three nights.
   Just when I thought I'd read every conceivable approach to, and dissection of, the essence of Elvis (and I've read well over two hundred of them), Nash's new book brings a refreshing and enlightening angle to an already crowded field of writings about the King of Rock & Roll. It's a book that presents, in exquisite and well-researched detail, a view of Elvis from the many lives and loves of the women lucky enough to have shared a very private part of his life.
   Unlike many of the dry and lifeless portraits already written about Elvis, this book grabbed me and kept me spellbound as I turned each page, never failing to hold my attention as it methodically transitions nicely from one girlfriend's account to the next; all this while, at the same time, enlightening the reader as to the very complex relationship between these women and Elvis, Gladys, and his stillborn twin, Jessie.
   I thought I knew about every girl he dated from the numerous books I've read, but I learned so much more from this one. Another nice touch is the selection of pictures used throughout, some of which I'd never seen, making it easy to pair the names with the faces.
   I was particularly struck by the easy, straightforward way the author has pulled so many complex stories of the intimate, while at the same time revealing, accounts of the women and their insights into those lucky enough to have loved (and made love to) Elvis Presley - the mingling of the "plain jane" types interspersed with some of the world's greatest beauties. This book details them all and does it in such an entertaining way that you'll find it hard to put down once you've started reading it.
   I'd rate this book more than five stars if I could. Don't miss it.



4. from my blog: (...)
   
   Nash has written two previous Elvis books - Revelations from the Memphis Mafia and what I am pretty sure is the only biography of Col. Tom Parker - Elvis' synonymously famous manager.
   
   She has also written many articles about and around Elvis for various magazines. So, she is what's known as a Subject Matter Expert.
   
   I have read her earlier books and hope to get around to reviewing them, because I do want to compare them to this new book.
   
   My sense of her has been that she is a fair and balanced researcher/writer. But somehow that seems thrown out the window for this one.
   
   Before I get to what I didn't care for, here's why I think that Elvis fans should read this book:
   
   1. Extremely rare photos, more likely never seen outside the photo albums of the various women Elvis met and, well, dated as much as he was able to.
   
   2. Far more girlfriends than have ever been previously talked about in books - and by the women themselves, not Elvis' Memphis Mafia guys who I think after reading this, never saw the side of Elvis that women did.
   
   3. While it quotes Horace Logan from the Louisiana Hayride as claiming to know an unidentified woman that he discouraged from telling Elvis that she was pregnant, overall, I think that the book should put an end to all the secret love children stories. Elvis had it drilled into him early that a illegitimate child or early marriage would end his career by Parker. And his mother drilled into him a love of family, so that he wouldn't have ignored any child he knew to be his.
   
   4. The stories shared by the women give a sense of Elvis' more vulnerable and emotional side. More telling that the stories, is how many women remain fiercely loyal and decline to share very detailed information. And how many still consider him the love of their lives. June Juanico's retelling of Elvis' death and her still beleving into the 70's that she and Elvis would reunite was a little bit heartbreaking.
   
   June had detailed her relationship with Elvis in her own really good DVD and book:
   
   June was a serious contender for marriage with Elvis - but, on the cusp of his unprecedented fame, it became more an issue of timing than caring. But, that's for another review.
   
   What I didn't like - but, not enough to regret having read and own the newest Nash book:
   
   1. The psychological approach. This feels a bit contrived and an appeal to an authority who really has no basis for it. Without ever having met or treated a person, I think it's more than pretentious to assume you can really know what motivates them to the level the doctor quoted here does.
   
   2. Byron Raphael. In 2005, Nash co-wrote an article for Playboy in which this previously unknown in Elvis world man made many claims about his relationship with Elvis. The short version was that Byron was low level employee for William Morris who transferred to Parker's office. Raphael claims to have procured girls for Elvis (well boring, what guys around him didn't?) but more than that he makes a very unbelievable claim about Natalie Wood.
   
   Nash unfortunately seemed to have believed him enough for that article but also to include his various claims in the new book.
   
   The story he claims is such an outlier to all the other stories, that it boggles me that Nash would beleive that Wood stormed out of Elvis' bedroom, frustrated by his unwillingness for full intercourse that she demanded Raphael service her right in the livingroom in front of Elvis' posse.
   
   Let's pretend it's true for a moment. Elvis had an ego and a real temper about the guys around him flirting with girls he's dating.
   
   Is he really going to continue allowing Raphael to hang out with him? Is he really going to continue hanging out with Natalie for another month? Why would she hang out with Elvis? She was a big star all on her own and didn't need publicity dates.
   
   3. Albert Goldman. Nash quotes him and engages in some of his theatrics of story telling. This parts are a bit jarring when she goes into lurid detail of 70's Elvis bodily problems as a result of drug use. It throws you out of the story, adds nothing but puerile content in an otherwise unique and largely unexplored angle on the Elvis mythos.
   
   4. No Priscilla. She was the only one he married, the only one who had his child. Her absence in the book is a major setback. The use of quotes from interviews and inclusions from Priscilla's earlier book, Elvis and Me doesn't allow for the same rumination and perspective.
   
   Further, the "help" by Alanna's researcher, the writer of the anti-Priscilla book, Child Bride adds more to the Goldman tone and in my view, diminishes the book with this pointless venom.
   
   Fans will love or hate the book - the Sheila Ryan story is a particular sore spot, as it's the only one to get into detail about sex with Elvis. I found the story to be rather mild and don't understand why the backlash and fuss over the detail. I thought it worked in the larger context of the book.
   
   Non-Fans would do better with a more general work - and I strongly and seriously recommend Elvis for Dummies
   
   Elvis for Dummies



5. This is the second book of Alanna Nash's that I have read and she never ceases to amaze me on the amount of fascinating Elvis Presley material that she is able to present. I love her style of presentation. I do not feel like I'm reading gossip but rather I'm learning about Elvis from those who knew and loved him best. She is able to present Elvis on many interesting levels. She had me laughing but I also have more empathy for Elvis and how difficult his life truly was. Alanna presents Elvis as a man with a huge heart, endless talent but still someone who struggles with the life he was given. Alanna's books are great for any Elvis fan. The more you know about him the more you love him. If you are not a fan of Elvis Alanna's books will definitely help you to become one; they did me.

5 comments about Prairie Tale: A Memoir.

1. I sat down to read one chapter before I made lunch yesterday and quickly got sucked into Melissa's voice and her story. I finished the book late last night and I enjoyed every page. Melissa reveals her life, as she knows it, with complete honesty. She points out where she wished she would have handled a difficult situation differently. She didn't always make the wisest or best decision. In fact, she screwed up on several occasions. And that's what I liked about the book. She didn't try to sugar coat anything and was clear on her regrets as well as her triumphs.
   
   As to some of the people that didn't enjoy the book. If you have "Laura" on a pedestal I wouldn't recommend reading the book, but if you're interested in life of the little girl that played her and the woman she became then go and read this book right now. On the name dropping, I felt this was for the benefit of the reader. 1) To let us have a better idea of her world where super celebrities were everywhere and you learned to focus on who the person was really and not their name. And 2) these were critical and defining moments in her life and if she'd just said some director, that girl, this actor, we'd all be yelling at the book, WHO? Of course, she has to mention their names. But if you're a fan of one of the people she didn't like or had a run in with, you might not like seeing them from Melissa's point of view.
   
   I'd also add this is a good story of a people pleaser and the stuff she put herself through to everyone else would be happy and love her. And how she learned to set boundaries and put herself and her family first.



2. I am so glad i bought this book, happenned upon it while looking for another book to buy. So execellent! Didn't even know much about Melissa Gilbert other movies that she was in beyond little house and Helen Keller. loved hearing about the familier area where she grew up. I really enjoyed all the details she gave about growing up, and the years beyond that. Interesting , life she has led. read it in just a few days, had to keep finding out what was gonna go on next in her life..



3. I knew I would like this book. I have watched her on Little House episodes so much in my life. I give it a great review!



4. Melissa Gilbert is best known as Laura Ingalls Wilder (or Half Pint) from the hit TV show Little House on the Prairie which ran from 1974-1982. In her own words she gets very personal with growing up in the entertainment business as a child actress, her adoption, family, and the good, the bad, and the ugly side of Hollywood.
   
   Like for many other fans Gilbert is a long time Idol of mine. Heck I was even named after her! From the get go I could not put the book down. She does not hold anything back, as she lays it all on the table in Prairie Tale.
   
   My favorite chapters included: Her stories about her mom, family, and growing up, adolescence, her personal feelings about her adoption, behind the scenes of Little House, the wild side of her teens and into her early 20s, big time details into her on and off again relationship with Rob Lowe, marriages, and becoming President of SAG.
   
   There were also moments that made me tear up when she talked about the passing of Michael Landon and the difficult birth of her beloved son Michael. I also loved how she shared how she became involved with Children's Hospice & Palliative Care Coalition. I personally loved that more than her involvement in SAG (which I admit the politics kind of went over my head a bit), but I loved how she was able to incorporate both.
   
   Of course there were a few things I did not like. I did get a kick out of her name dropping, but after a while it kind of got annoying; except for the big moments in her life like meeting Bill Clinton etc. I also did like her moments with her friends in The Brat Pack, but beyond that I wanted to skip ahead a bit every time a name came up (or another party). Not to mention the gossip which felt a little too tell all. I guess I am just not into that, but I know other fans/readers will absolutely love it!
   
   Gilbert also has a great sense of humor throughout the book which makes it a great, fun, easy read; especially, through emotional times (ex: with marriages, doing drugs, and her alcohol addictions).
   
   I dare you to pick up Prairie Tale I promise you won't be able to put it down. I read this in about 3-4 days tops. You will be moved, it'll make your eyes pop out, laugh and cry.



5. While Gilbert is amazingly candid in PRAIRIE TALE, I found her repeated treatise on her sexual exploits grievous and nauseating. It was as though that was the best she could come up with to describe and define her life. The background to LITTLE HOUSE was interesting, but sadly, paled against the backdrop of her more frequent personal life declarations. I pray that Melissa discovers deeper meaning in life through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and not just dream of one day coming back as a house cat soaking up a sunny spot on the floor. Eileen Rife, author of RESTORED HEARTS, Book two in the Born for India trilogy Restored Hearts

5 comments about Deal Me In: Twenty of the World'sTop Poker Players Share the Heartbreaking and Inspiring Stories of How They Turned Pro.

1. I absolutly loved this book. Each story is so unique, yet they all have the same theme: aiding you in your quest to turn pro.



2. Surprised with all the positive responses. Yeah great pictures, but really where is the content. I've been following poker on and off for quite a while. I bought this book, because I thought I might be entertained and learn something new. Anybody that half way follows poker has already herd these stories. If you want to see the life of a poker player i would recommend, Mike Matasow's, Check Raising the Devil over this book any day. I mean this book starts off with Doyle. I know he is the God father of poker, but who hasn't herd his story!



3. Ok, I wasn't sure about buying a book with alot of mini-biographies but I was sure glad I did. No, it doesn't have alot of strategies and odds, but for all of you budding Poker-Pro's who wonder if all of these folks just fell into money and luck, it is a great read. I always wondered what the wealthiest and most successful poker players did before they "made-it" and the roads they followed to "make-it". There are definately some biographies that are more interesting than others and some that you wish would have told you more. I don't want to sway your opinions before you read them, however there are a few that I wish would write their own book. It would be a great read. You would not believe some of the jobs that some of the pro's had before they became professional poker players. Have fun and good luck......



4. Good book, easy read. It really shows the work ethic and perseverance for some of today's poker stars. No strategy in this one....only entertainment.



5. Gives an interesting background to people I have watched play in the World Series Of Poker.