5 comments about The Importance of Being Famous: Behind the Scenes of the Celebrity-Industrial Complex.

1. Very entertaining, Maureen Orth gives us "biographies" of many famous poeple. If you are interested in true stories of fame and fortune, this is a great read. I found it to be very interesting.



2. Although I'm a little late coming to the table, I found this book a stroll down memory lane. I was amazed at how many stories I had forgotten over the years. While they are now dated (this is 2005)they still resonate. The Woody Allen-Mia Farrow scandal was refreshed and I was once again shaken at the allegations. I met Ms. Farrow in London in 1970 and she was exactly as I had imagined her to be. Incredibly beautiful and incredibly delicate. But like any good mother, when one of her children was put in harms way she became a bastion of strength. The book is full of interesting stories of interesting people. You won't find the B and C-list one-hit-wonders in here. I would love to see her write another book about the bad boys and gals of Hollywood we see all the time in court these days. I am a big fan of Ms. Orth. I wish she would write more often.



3. Had I known Maureen was married to right-winger Tim Russert, I would have never bought this book. After digesting my mistake, I decided to get my money's worth - and what a disappointment!
   
   Like a few reviewers pointed out, these are reprints of Vanity Fair articles from years past. All one has to do is look at the very end of each "chapter" for the updates, and you'll get the idea of this "book."
   
   She is a good writer and has a way of letting out her opinion without being confrontational about it. She told the deep, dark ugly truth about the overrated has-been Michael Jackson (who hit his peak with 1983's "Thriller," made a somewhat good comeback with "Bad" in 1987 and has only been kept in the public eye since then due to the trashy tabloids and his weird antics).
   
   As for Laci Peterson: That's another topic she was right on about. There's a case going on right now in Philadelphia about a missing pregnant woman who is only getting so much media attention because she is related to a city councilman so I completely dig her point that some cases get more publicity than others because family and/or friends are media-savvy.
   
   But had this been an *original* piece of writing, Maureen should have widened her scope to include why political pundits (including her own husband) are treated as celebrities. Writers usually take a backseat to the things they write about but that is definitely not the case anymore as the persona means much more than the substance.
   
   I was very disappointed that I spent money for what I thought was going to be a book when I could have saved myself the dough and read back issues of V.F.
   
   Wait until this is in the Last Chance bin at your local (chain) bookstore.



4. The first thing you have to realize about Maureen Orth is that the lady is not what she seems. The media hype casts her as a fearless iconoclast, a hard-boiled Mencken style truth-teller who rips down the lies and exposes the naked ugliness of celebrity. But that's only partially true.
   
   When you read Orth's pieces on Michael Jackson, it becomes very clear that she is not so much attacking Jackson as she is defending white America. Yes, the man is a hardened pedophile, a dangerous criminal who should be locked up for the rest of his life. But it's as plain as the nose on this pathetic creature's face that four hundred years of racial hatred has something to do with his slow descent from human being to faceless monster.
   
   A handsome black boy tears his face off to look white, and all Miss Orth has to say is that "this is a story of how power can corrode and corrupt."
   
   Excuse me, honey? For four hundred years white people have had the power to decide who writes the stories, who sings the songs, who is beautiful and who is ugly. It was powerlessness, not power, that drove poor Michael Jackson to tear his face off in order to look more like you. No one in white America was shocked when this poor wretch spent his entire childhood singing and dancing for our amusement. But when it turns out the experience turned him into a pathetic half-mad wretch, suddenly we've got to "save" our children from him. When he was a child, no one was trying to save him -- and don't think he doesn't know it!
   
   Far from being a penetrating analyst, Maureen Orth is a genius at simply stating the obvious and ignoring the undercurrents. For example, she tells us over and over that Michael "got away with it" for years because he was making millions for certain powerful industry people. Fine. But isn't there a bit more to it than that? Michael conned white America into thinking he was a child, and not a man -- and don't you think race had something to do with that? His whole alibi has always been, "you think I'm a man, but I'm really just a child, and that's all I'll ever be."
   
   Now where would a black man get the idea that he's not really a man? Who thought that one up? Could it be, I don't know, SATAN?
   
   Michael Jackson got away with it because he told racist white America exactly what it most wanted to hear -- "I'm not a man, I'm only a child, and I promise I'll never grow up." And the funny thing is, he kept his part of the bargain, which is probably why he honestly doesn't get why everyone's after him now.
   
   If Maureen Orth were really the clear-sighted visionary she pretends to be, she would have explored some of these issues. She would have compared Michael Jackson to Emmett Till, the black boy who was lynched in Mississippi for whistling at a white woman back in 1955. Note that poor Emmett Till was everything Michael Jackson could never be. He was sexually normal, and white America murdered him for showing desire towards a white woman.
   
   Now here comes Michael Jackson. He's no Emmett Till. He's the ideal black man for white America. The thought of sex with any woman, black or white, literally makes him ill. Like the ultraviolent Alex in Anthony Burgess' brilliant dystopia A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, Michael Jackson is a superb example of social conditioning. He's the black man white America created to very exacting specifications -- and now that we see just how ghastly our handiwork is we want to bury him and forget the truth. And fearless, truth-telling Maureen Orth is leading the pack, shovel in hand.
   
   Some journalist! Some truth teller!



5. this book is simply a re-hash of old Vanity Fair articles. She gets paid for those articles then slaps them together in a book for a second payday. What a lazy way to "write" a book?

5 comments about One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey ',The Kid', Ungar, The World's Greatest Poker Player.

1. It wouldn't end well. I knew that when I purchased this book. How could a man succeed so well in poker -- a game that requires heart, stamina, incredible focus, uncanny ability to read people, discipline and intense mathematical analysis -- and fail so badly at life? Nolan Dalla captures Unger so well that I felt as if I was another of Unger's friends, watching his life unravel. Dalla skillfully peels away Unger's layers, until beneath all the bravado, genius, and generosity we see not a man, but a little boy; probably a traumatized boy desperately trying to outrun his demons. When he could no longer outrun them by chasing escalating gambling highs, he escapes into drug addiction. Knowing how the book would end, I couldn't help but root for Unger. But Dalla does not stop with Unger, we experience the frustrations, disappointments and horror of Unger's friends and family, whom Dalla thoroughly interviewed. Like any child, Unger is singularly insensitive to the needs of those around him. As exhaustive and painful as this book was proving to be, I couldn't put it down. That's a great credit to Dalla.



2. This book was a lot of fun to read and very interesting. Once I started reading it I could not put it down. If you have been reading a lot of poker books you will enjoy this book. This book is an easy read compared to the poker strategies books. It is full of people in the poker world that were involved with Stu in one way or another. People like Mike Saxton and Doyle Brunson that tried to stop Stu Unger from his destructive path. This is a very interesting and sad story. Buy this book and read it. I think you like it.



3. One of if not the best poker related book I have ever read (I have read more than I care to mention lol). If you are a Stuey fan you won't find a more accurate entertaining account of his tragic yet triumphant life.



4. As I said: it's ok. It's pretty short for biography and there where goes away that fifth star. Also, it's simple - nobrainer - leisure reading. But we can't judge for that non professional writers [minus star]. Overall - pretty good and fast reading. If it would be possible, I would give 3,5 stars.



5. 
   As a disclaimer. My novel, Texas Poker Wisdom, is now out. The first editorial review is by Nolan Dalla. This cautionary tale would make an excellent gift for your younger relatives. It is an entertaining, mesmerizing read but it also has a clear anti-drug message. The book is definately not just for poker players. It tells how one of the most talented card players of all time yielded to his self-destructive demons. This biography gives an accurate depiction of the poker tournament world and Las Vegas. In the poker forums, like TwoPlusTwo, it is the most popular book in years.
   
   I have met and played poker with the two authors. Both are good poker players as well as excellent writers. Nolan Dalla is the Media Director of the World Series of Poker,a prolific poker writer for many publications, and known for his wit and integrity. His co-author, Peter Alson, has impressive writing credentials in both books and magazines.
   
   This book and Jim McManus' book inspired me to become a full-time poker writer. I'll take a Gambler's Oath that you will love this book.
   
   Johnny Hughes, author the novel Texas Poker Wisdom.Texas Poker Wisdom

5 comments about Money for Nothing: One Man's Journey Through the Dark Side of Lottery Millions.

1. "Money for Nothing" is a superficial, less than credible account of a salesman's life selling "up front" money for lottery winners with multi-year payments. The book references winners' haste to settle (not even inquiring as to interest rates involved), misleading sales pitches that focus on what the winner needs (rather than deserves) to reduce the payout, sudden divorces made possible by the new wealth, etc.
   
   However, few specifics are offered, especially on the financial terms involved. Instead, "Money for Nothing" provides lots of filler - eg. life prior to this job, getting this job, history of state lotteries, etc.
   
   Bottom Line: Buying "Money for Nothing" would be paying money for nothing.



2. A humorous, quick, and easy read. At times, Ugel comes off as an adolescent in his decisions and values, but he puts it all out there for us to see.



3. As a counselor for problem gamblers. This is a prime example of PT Barnums saying- there's a sucker born every minute and two to fleece him.
   Although in this case there is a firm to fleece them.
   
   This is a model for gamblers to understand then even when you win you loose. I found myself feeling ill at the duplicity that is used on gullible people- Yes they have to agree to it but like banks and the stockmarket that charge high rates and hidden fees, this book lets you know the hidden backstory of what happens when you win the lottery.
   
   The author illustrates well greed is not good!



4. if you like gambling or vegas, then you'll enjoy this reading. busting vegas by ben mezrich and jonny magic & the card shark kids by david kushner were better.



5. Money for Nothing: One Man's Journey Through the Dark Side of Lottery Millions--an intriguing title for an intriguing book just out by Edward Ugel. So you like to gamble? Maybe just buy lottery tickets? Reading this non-fiction, astonishing book may be the best thing you've ever done for yourself. Ugel tells all in his story about his years as both a gambler, and a salesman, and then as an employee of a company that offered upfront cash to lottery winners in exchange for their prize money.
   
   You've all seen the commercial for some company that offers cash that is due to you. All of the people cry out from wherever they are that it's their money and they want it now. If that company, called The Firm, in this book, is one that caters only to lottery winners, however, there are oftentimes millions of dollars involved--and even though the winner may have won big, they may be as poor as ever!
   
   One of the key issues is whether the particular lottery allows a lump sum as opposed to long-term payments. Selection of a lump sum has not always been available. Additionally, when you see the picture of the winner getting a large check with a large sum identified on it, the amount is always the amount before taxes!
   
   Horror story after horror story for lottery winners are shared in this book--all names changed, of course.
   
   Ugel has tried hard to write in an upbeat fashion in telling his story. His chapter titles are catchy. He ridicules some of his own actions and invites the reader to smile and commiserate with his choices. But he's not really telling about a fun-filled life. The book, in my opinion, is very much an expose' of this type of financial company, albeit though they are acting legally. Additionally, Ugel's epilogue, written in a time schedule/diary fashion reveals exactly what the addicted gambler goes through each time he gives in to this vice.
   
   Ugel has been a gambler since the age of 19, working at jobs to earn enough money so he could go gamble. When he was called to a bar by a friend, where a potential supervisor was drinking and smoking, Ugel thought he had finally found the place where he belonged. Indeed, while his boss was there at the The Firm with him, he quickly moved into big money and promotions, each time his boss moved up. But no matter how far up he went, he at last began to hate working with the man and quit, even though he was offered almost twice his present salary to stay. Ugel struggled through the following time, until he was called and asked to return. His former boss had quit and he was being offered his job. This had been what he had always wanted. He believed he could do the job and was soon back at The Firm.
   
   Ugel did all right until his former boss opened his own business as a major competitor and quickly started winning potential customers away from The Firm. Ugel was finally relieved to be fired, for even though he was a super salesman, he realized that he had treated his job, and allowed his subordinates to also treat their jobs, as if each "lead" was merely a "gamble" and since there was always the potential for high commissions without working too hard, he realized that though being a better "gambler" than his former boss, he was not even close to being the kind of manager that his boss had been. As he said, "a gambler is a gambler is a gambler" (p. 212). He and his staff were quite willing to gamble both with their own money...and with the lottery winners' money!
   
   Many of us have our own addictions. If gambling is yours...read this book! If gambling is not your particular vice, read it...and insert your own predilection. For underneath the humor, Ugel has written a story that just may help you rethink what you are doing, to yourself, to your family, and on your job! Thank you, Edward Ugel, for sharing your life in such an open way and making us realize that Money for Nothing may be more trouble than anyone could imagine!

5 comments about The Last Mrs. Astor: A New York Story.

1. Overall, a good comprehensive look at Brooke Astor's life and trials. I didn't know much about Mrs. Astor other than from the newspapers so this gave much further insight as to her life before Vincent Astor and aspects of her childhood.



2. "The Last Mrs. Astor," by Frances Kiernan, is rightfully subtitled "A New York Story," as the last Mrs. Astor did, indeed, have a lot to do with building the New York we have today. Kiernan, a former editor at The New Yorker, and author of "Seeing Mary Plain: A Life of Mary McCarthy," is herself a New Yorker, and had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Vincent Astor several times, and interviewing many friends, and family members. Her book is nicely done -- and why wouldn't it be--and although short, appears to have been thoroughly researched, though other reviewers have pointed out copy editing problems within. The book is, however, noticeably "tactful and admiring," as the author herself says of the newspaper coverage for Mrs. Astor's 100th birthday; it's not going to give you the real inside scoop on New York's famous, longtime benefactor: and surely Mrs. Astor would have preferred it that way.
   
   Although Mrs. Astor, Virginia -born as Roberta Brooke Russell, only child, daughter of a naval commandant and an ambitious, flirtatious Southern belle, always did have a taste for flirting, dancing, and fun. The author quotes Mrs. Astor's good friend, television journalist Barbara Walters, as saying: "She is very kind. She is also very witty and likes being slightly wicked. She will tell a story about some young man she was sitting next to at dinner who was trying to impress her. The man said,'Mrs. Astor, how many lovers have you had?' And she said, `That's how I count myself to sleep.'"
   
   Mrs. Astor's first marriage, entered at a young age, was not a happy one: her husband drank excessively and abused her. Nor was the son, Tony, born of that marriage, who would be her only child, going to give her much joy. So she took her leave of that unsatisfactory situation, without, unfortunately, stopping to nail down alimony for herself. She moved to New York, as a single mother, and became a hard-working, talented editor at Conde Nast's magazine "House and Garden," and so supported herself and her son. She was in New York at an exciting time, after the First World War. She met Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham, Osbert Sitwell, Aldous Huxley, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Linda and Cole Porter, Ezra Pound, Max Beerbohm, and the actor Brian Aherne, with whom she would have a close relationship, among others. As she worked at Conde Nast, she also became acquainted with the very beautiful young society widow Claire Booth Brokaw, an editor at Vogue, who was stiff competition in the contest of young society women looking for their next rich husband: Brokaw would eventually marry Henry Luce, founder of "Time" magazine. Astor remarked that although the other woman was more beautiful, they liked, found appealing, and were found appealing by very different men: there was no problem.
   
   Astor married again, to Buddie Marshall; it was a happy, fairly long-lived marriage, and although Marshall never adopted her son Tony, the boy did take his last name. Unfortunately, Marshall died, leaving her a widow in her late 50's, not the best age at which to snag another rich husband. But Vincent Astor was around, of a rich and famous old New York family: some years before, Mrs. Caroline Schermerhorn Astor had made herself the gatekeeper of New York society, admitting only a select 400 people to her celebrated balls. Vincent already had a wife: but he was reputed to drink heavily, was not considered too pleasant a man, and his current wife wanted out. She thought her best route to leaving with alimony was to find him his next wife, and there was Brooke. For better or worse, Vincent lasted only five more years, leaving Brooke a relatively rich, healthy energetic widow in her early 60's. Vincent left the little-known Astor Foundation behind.
   
   Brooke gained control of the foundation, and used it to pursue her charitable interests. It is fair to say that such essential New York institutions as The Metropolitan Museum, The Bronx Zoo, Central Park, the South Street Seaport, and The New York Public Library, among others, would not be what they are today without her generous support. Along the way, she wrote five well-reviewed books, and published many articles. She was 99 years old at the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and not what she had been, but then, too, she threw herself into the struggle to help her adopted city recover. Kiernan quotes Brooke's old friend Freddy Melhado as saying: "There's a term for a racehorse of known quality....The sort of horse you can always bet on. Does not disappoint."
   
   Unfortunately, at the end of her life, as many readers will know, Astor's son Tony Marshall gained control of her affairs, and dishonestly abused his power, greatly mistreating his mother. As Shakespeare said in "King Lear," "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child." It's tempting to continue with Shakespeare, and quote him from "Macbeth," when Malcolm says of the Thane of Cawdor, "Nothing in /her/ life became /her/ like the leaving it," as her sad story, late in life, threw needed light on the problem of elder abuse, and undoubtedly helped many others. But it wouldn't be true: for most of her long life, she was a becoming ornament of New York social and civic life.



3. i was disappointed in this book. it is very generic as though it was taken from other sources and didn't really take into account people that really knew brooke.it seemed superficial. i wanted to know the details of her life more thoroughly.i love biographies but this left me unimpressed.



4. One of the people mentioned is "Mary Stuart Alsop," who is of course Susan
   Mary Alsop, who was married to Joseph Alsop, whose brother is Stewart (not Stuart) Alsop. Sigh.



5. This is a good exercise in biography that goes just far enough in celebrating its subject without spilling over into fawning. Mrs. Astor lived an amazing life, from a girlhood spent trailing along with her Marine officer father and overachieving socialite mother to Central America and beyond, to multiple marriages, to her becoming, as the widow of Vincent Astor, the chair of the Astor Foundation, through which this "First Lady of New York" oversaw the investment (never charity) of millions into various people and projects. Mrs. Astor was a bright spirit whose recent passing at the age of 105 brought to an end an era that began in the days of the Manhattan society's fabled 400. Dealing appropriately and I think fairly with the dismal topic of the legal war that went on in the last several years between various Astor relations contesting one against the other the disposal and ownership of various Astor possessions, author Frances Kiernan also handled with delicacy the matter of whether or not Brooke Astor, who had done much for many, was herself receiving adequate care near her life's conclusion. I hope a future edition of this biography includes one more chapter that covers the period between the publication of its first edition and Mrs. Astor's actual passing this month. This biography of Brooke Astor is not only the tale of an extraordinary woman, but the story of a century's worth of people and events. It's a worthy investment of money and time.

5 comments about Fortune's Children.

1. Arthur Vanderbilt II takes great care in researching and describing his own family tree. despite the fact that there are still many Vanderbilts that are missing, such as Frederick Vanderbilt who built the mansion in Hyde Park, NY, the book is a very good quick reference of the family tree.
   This is a must have for historians of the Guiled Age and Vanderbilt family, as Arthur has compiled an extensive bibliography of re fences and primary sources that are immensely important for further research.



2. Extremely interesting account of the demise of the Vanderbilt fortune. Obviously, this will not be available at the Biltmore Estate bookshop!



3. Being a recent visitor to The Breakers and a past visitor to the Vanderbilt mansion on the Hudson River in New York, I am fascinated by this family and their lives.
   I am still reading this book and find it quite interesting, but I would have liked to have a family tree just as another reviewer mentioned and definitely more pictures would have been appreciated.
   
   I know that I will be purchasing other Vanderbilt books to quench my thirst for knowledge of this family.



4. It was like reading a trashy novel - but this is nonfiction. I found it fascinating to read how a mob mentality can take over a person even when it is "mobs" of money surrounding them. Greed and status overtook any common sense, or even love for their children. I now understand why Andrew Carnegie gave all his money away.



5. Since the book was written by a Vanderbilt, I dubiously expected a sanitized version and was delightfully surpised to find the author was brutally honest about the characters covered. This book was engrossing. I could not put it down. The portion about the Gloria Vanderbilt custody case was particularly engaging - what a piece of work the maternal grandmother was. But the book as a whole was a gem - I devoured every page and was sad to see it end.
   I do agree with the previous reviewer who said a genealogical tree would have helped to refer to when reading about the characters and keeping track of how they were all related to each other, especially since the family was so fecund and so many of the men had similiar names. I think it also interesting the author does not mention precisely which branch of the family he is descended from. So perhaps he is trying to maintain some of his own identity. But all in all, this excellent read has whetted my desire to read more about the Vanderbilts, as well as other East Coast aristocratic families.

5 comments about The Beatles: The Biography.

1. Best book I've ever read about the Beatles. Bob Spitz writes very well and puts you right there in the room with them. It's a delight to have so many pages to go. I don't want it to end. It's Fabulous!



2. Let's face it: Beatles fans know their trivia after forty-five years of discussion about a group that was one of the major catalysts for societal and cultural changes in the sixties and beyond. This book, while highly interesting and well written, just gets under the skin with so many factual errors splattered across the pages. It is amazing that the text was not vetted by whatever editors were assigned to birth this book on rock and roll legends. As another reviewer has noted, the biography appears to have been rushed to market.
   
   All that having been said, it does offer fantastic stories about the Beatles that fall into various categories: stories we've all heard before but are here viewed from a slightly different narrative and psychological viewpoint; stories we've heard that have new information; and, thankfully, many stories that are brought to light for the first time.
   
   More time is spent on the band's formation than it's break-up, which seems an inexcusable error since any comprehensive biography needs to cover the entire life of its subject(s). The break-up has always been a source of great discussion, with numerous accounts as to how, when, and why the band fell apart. Even THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY proved that there are different perspectives on many aspects of the group's history from the surviving members themselves. So was it Paul's overbearing nature? Yoko's constant presence?; George's feeling that he could live quite happily without the melodrama?; or was it just that it was time for four creative geniuses to go their own ways? Was it John or Paul who pulled the plug ... or pulled the plug harder? This book doesn't delve deeply enough on a crucial era in Beatles' history. Spitz seems to favor Paul's personality over Johns's, but regardless, the end of the book skimps on too many important details.
   
   Despite its problems, this book is an important addition to the history of four very talented men who were in the right place at the right time. For a true Beatles' fan, there's no such thing as too much information about a band that still serves as inspiration for contemporary artists. It's a good book. Period.



3. i have read more beatles books than i care to admit. this one by bob spitz is the best one so far.
   if you want to read one book about the beatles and only one, this is it.



4. Excellent book on the Boys! Really goes indepth about where they came from, their family and backgrounds, and how day by day the alliance was formed leading to the greatest band in musical history! Well done!!



5. Although I've counted myself a serious Beatles fan for nearly 40 years, I had never actually read up on them. I picked this book as a starting point. I don't think I'd recommend it for that purpose: it's too long by half, focuses more on gossip (especially of the sexual variety), and, as many others have noted here, not nearly enough on the music. What I found more objectionable was the deep-seated bias -- so it appears to me -- against John Lennon. Granted that John was a difficult customer, with a vicious wit and by far the most self-destructive tendendencies of the four; but Spitz doesn't miss an opportunity to cast him in the worst light possible. (Of course, this may reflect my own bias; after the breakup, I found John's music more appealing than the solo efforts of the others. I realize that great artists can also be lunatics and monsters; but surely there was more to John than this book allows.)

5 comments about Mine's Bigger: Tom Perkins and the Making of the Greatest Sailing Machine Ever Built.

1. Hi Tom,
   
   It was a pleasure to work with you on the car book and I look forward to reading the boat book.
   
   Marshall



2. Sadly, Mr. Perkins tries to compensate for his apparent 'shortcomings' in other areas by building an enormous ship. David Kaplan correctly characterizes him as narcissist who lacks the fundamental human trait of compassion for his fellow man (or woman). Like a eunuch, Mr. Perkins deserves more pity than scorn.



3. A great read about a fascinting and innovative yacht which merges old and new technology very gracefully. In addition, the author gives the reader great insight into Tom Perkins personality and how he earned his way into owning the Maltese Falcon.



4. "Mine's Bigger" reacquaints us with Tom Perkins, to whom author David A. Kaplan had previously introduced us as one of the leading venture capitalists behind "The Silicon Boys". What follows is the story the "Maltese Falcon", the greatest sailing vessel ever built, a tale in which Perkins is no less driven (and, some might say, no more sane) than the seafaring protagonists of Melville and Hemingway. Along the way, readers will learn more about sailing and nautical engineering than they could ever have imagined caring to know. Although Kaplan literally fell down on the jibe in researching this book, his occupancy of one of the four guest staterooms on the Falcon's maiden voyage is testimony to his ability to go places that few of his readers ever will and come back with details, anecdotes and insight.



5. I have been reading David Kaplan's books for over 20 years, and happily recommend his latest: "Mine's Bigger". It tells the story of the world's largest privately-owned sailing vessel and how it was conceived of and designed by its owner, Tom Perkins. Perkins is a legendary venture capitalist (known for his insight, power, and damn good luck in Silicon Valley), and Kaplan peeled a few layers of the SV onion back in "Silicon Boys". As a result, this book is much more than "here's how I built this big boat". Expect a few snarky stories (all in good fun) , helpful exposition on what exactly all those sails are called and why, and some wonderment over how much, er, stuff somebody with more money than God can acquire. Buy it. You will not regret it.

5 comments about Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith's Death.

1. This book was a dreadful read, confusing, bias and with no cited sources to back up startling allegations. I was disappointed and turned off!



2. If you are a Anna Nicole Smith fan this is a book for you. I read the book in one sitting. This is a book that you can't put down. You will definitely enjoy it. It's worth the money



3. I am a firm believer that Larry Birkhead is a good Dad to this baby.
   I somehow have doubts in the "sex act" that supposedly took place with Larry and Howard. The obvious disdain that the two men have/had for one another make this unbelievable.
   I believe it to be true that Howard is sneaky, dangerous man who liked to control and manipulate, and not to be trusted. He very well could have been the one to take the lives of Daniel and Ana Nichole. Sad for this baby who now has no Mother to grow up with, nor Brother.
   Sad Book, Too bad they could not have had the intervention that they needed to save their lives.
   I think Rita did a good job writing this book. It does hold the readers interest, and moves pretty smoothly and quickly.



4. Excellent condition, everything you say is true. I will be purchasing more. Prompt and courteous service. Thanks :) Jan



5. You know I really don't follow any of the tabloids or the television shows devoted to celebrity culture, but when I saw Rita Crosby interviewed on Fox I thought I'd give Blond Ambition a leafing. Somewhat comically, the anchor said to Crosby during the segment, "I saw the title and thought it was about you." In a way he was right because this is a most subjective account of Anna Nicole Smith and her death. I usually don't mention much about an author's style as I'm no Hemingway myself, but I found the writing here to be quite poor. It was a brief text but I kept putting it down due to how ponderous it was. I don't see Smith as having been a bad person so much as I consider her as an individual who could not control her impulses. Oh, I do think that charade with Mr. Marshall was reprehensible but I would never expect honor from a Hollywood star.
   
   The narrator seems to have a high amount of respect for Smith which amazed me. The corresponding vilification of Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead also made no sense. Personally, I would not want to associate with either of those two guys, but they strike me as being no different in their qualities from Smith. They are scammers and societal free-riders who associate who other scammers and societal free-riders. Isn't this to be anticipated? Should this discombobulate us? Further, Crosby's take on her subject's addictions was absurd. She blamed Stern for the drugs Smith did which is fallacious. Smith was an independent, autonomous human being who was responsible for her own actions. Even if Stern obtained them for her (and whether he did or not I have no way of knowing) she still had a choice before taking them. Being addicted to a substance is both debilitating and a challenge, but even low will-power fellows like me managed to quit smoking. It was not easy but preserving your life is worth the suffering it entails. Of course, survival was a priority for me, but, as we see here, it isn't for everyone. The thing that puzzles me most is why anybody admires celebrities in the first place. I'd be no more likely to look up to them than I would a grouper or a mockingbird. I'll never comprehend the allure these rich folks have but this book will not add to anyone else's collective understanding of that phenomenon either.

5 comments about The Fortune Hunters: Dazzling Women and the Men They Married.

1. 
   the title is a kinder, glossier euphemism for 'the gold diggers' of course. it basically gives a little biographical backstory to the great gold diggers of our age, yawn, and the message remains the same - women who marry for money end up earning every penny, just not on a 9-5 basis and perhaps not standing upright...
   
   a travesty of feminism.



2. The Fortune Hunters has the unique qualaity of being both entertaining AND informative. If 'all is fair in love and war' then this book illustrates the strategies and characteristics of the greatest conquerors of the battle of the sexes. You learn how each of the 'generals' won the skirmishes, battles, and wars that made them famous while also learning the motivations that drove them into battle. Each of the women profiled could command a 400 page biography of their own but this book isn't about detailing their ENTIRE lives but, rather,their LOVE lives. Though these women are all one-of-a-kind personalities they share a specific cocktail of traits that makes for successful big-game hunting. Whether it is Wallis Simpson or Marla Maples Ms. Hays confirms that you can get more money during a 5 minute wedding ceremony than you could get from a lifetimes hard work. The text is witty and easy to read while the boil-plate approach to the fortune-huntress tactics provides high nutritional value. I have seen many 'fortune huntresses'(South Florida boasts a large population of 'old men with even older money') toiling away at their craft with dissapointing results but now that Ms. Hays has written this primer on marrying money their fortunes might just change for the better.
   I read this book the first night - couldn't put it down.



3. Very simply, THE FORTUNE HUNTERS should have been better. Author Charlotte Hays, presumably in concert with her editor and publisher, has cheated her readers.
   
   Most importantly, the book simply is too short. At less than 300 pages, it should have been at least 50% longer. Had it been longer, it might have included sufficient examples of fortune hunters -- and examples abound -- to do justice to the theme.
   
   The writing has a rushed quality, with some sentences so run-on that they could have been broken up into full paragraphs.
   
   Author Hays draws some conclusions that are just plain wrong. Diana, the late Princess of Wales, was not a fortune hunter. Coming from an old noble family, a rich family, she was a misguided teenager who thought that she was marrying her Prince Charming -- and who, at the same time, assumed that when he became king, she would be queen.
   
   Neither was socialite Nan Kempner a fortune hunter, though Hays opens AND closes the book with the EXACT SAME anecdote about her. Kempner married young and stayed married for about 50 years, to a boy of her own social class. The author is confusing making a "suitable" marriage with hunting for a rich husband.
   
   At the same time, the author never even mentions Princess Grace of Monaco. Admittedly, Grace was not a fortune hunter, being a member of a rich family and having made serious money on her own as a movie star. Yet she did marry a virtual stranger in her quest to become royal.
   
   As for those fortune hunters the author does include in her book, she omits most of the more compelling anecdotes about them. Anyone who was in New York during some of these ladies' heydays will find it difficult to understand how Hays could neglect to reference the details of the notorious party which caused the Steinbergs to retire from polite society, or how she could give only one example of Mrs. Gutfreund's hilarious social gaffes.
   
   As the expression goes, the omissions also are glaring. Pat Kluge is cited only in a single aside. The marriages of Mort Zuckerman and Henry Kravis and all of the later Mrs. Perelmans are not mentioned at all, nor is Brooke Astor. Denise Minelli Hale was so laser-focused on the man that she succeeded in wedding that her step-daughter wrote an entire book about their marriage; shouldn't Hays have included the last Mrs. Hale in her summation?
   
   THE FORTUNE HUNTERS is fascinating in concept, but the book is so short and so sloppy that it cheats its readers.



4. Did expect more of this book. The subject sure has enough substance... However, it is neither a gossip book nor a social anthropological study but a mish-mash of tidbits of information, some seems to come from a relatively close proximity other from far, far away from the objects studied. Not a book that really grabs you.



5. This book is a wonderful backgrounder on what a fortune hunter is truly made of. I'm surrounded by them--we all are, no matter which social class we live in. But this book is a fantastic backgrounder on how all of these women think and behave.
   
   Hays is not cutting or cruel about these women; she simply tells their stories. And the stories are really something. Interesting, though: The fortune hunters of yesteryear are cut from exactly the same cloth as those we hear and see so much about today.
   
   A fun read.

5 comments about Bare Blass.

1. If you're looking for insight into the creativity of Bill Blass, this book isn't going to work for you. It's much more a namedropper's delight, particularly if you are interested in the high society bitchiness of New York City in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

   I liked that he came clean about many issues... his attraction to men, his Yves Saint-Laurent knock-offs and his penchant for glamour but I was really hoping to find out more about his clothes.

   It left me wondering how exactly he had contributed to advancing American fashion and why he was so popular.




2. Blass was a true genius and an enigma -- the genius might be gone, and though this book does shed light onto his inner workings, he will always, by his own design, remain an enigma.

   A pioneer in the American fashion scene, and true to the American spirit of self invention, we finally get a chance to learn about him on a more personal basis... and true to form, he only reveals what he's comfortable revealing... making it just as telling for what he doesn't address as what he does.

   This isn't as closed a volume as one might expect -- he's quite candid when it comes to elusive subjects of personal relationships and his unconventional sexuality (which is sure to confuse some who need things to fit into neat categories), and he's disarmingly self effacing in almost all areas -- including professionally.

   The book is a fun read, with beautiful photos -- dispensing with the traditional autobiography format to embrace a looser, to-and-fro free-association timeline that suits the tone of a wonderful dining companion with a lifetime of charming stories.




3. I think it would be correct to say that this posthumously published memoir by a legend in the Fashion Industry was a little superficial. This is not a bad thing, but one could only hope that Blass would have opened up more about his personal life. He was a very handsome man, who happened to be gay, and not much of this part of his life is mentioned. This is understandable for his generation and the time. Another reason perhaps is because of the part he played in New York Society, and the people who surrounded him and admired him his entire life. He wanted to be a class act, looked-up to, and a proper gentleman and he will always be remembered as just that. Blass practiced style, lived and breathed it. He was an iron disciplinary, style & work came first, laughter and fun later.

   This book is like an encyclopedia of encounters with the rich and famous, and well-dressed people of the world. He loved being photographed with the Reagan's, Buckley's, Kissinger's, and Vanderbilt's. His contribution to fashion, the beautiful fabrics, and well-designed clothes are legendary. Over the years, his designs stood above all the rest in New York. This book is a great introduction to the world that Bill Blass wanted to show us, a world he loved, created and played a big part in. A giant in the fashion industry that will be truly remembered, and a man of class. A perfect gentleman!

   Joe Hanssen




4. My only regret from reading this book is that I will never get to meet Mr. Blass. What a really swell guy he must have been. Many situations he describes are laugh-out-loud funny--particularly his encounter with the mysterious "Ms. Fitzgerald" at Bonwit's. And just to set the record straight--my mother grew up in McMinnville TN and knew Miss Sedberry of the Sedberry Hotel--it wasn't a brothel!!



5. Bare Blass written by Bill Blass and completed by Cathy Horyn soon after his death earlier this year is a lovely memoir. Bill Blass is and always will be the epitome of the modern American Gentleman: handsome, witty, charming and above all else, a unique talent in the world of fashion.

   Mr. Blass is quite frank speaking about his personal life up to a point. At the outset of the book, he is very upfront about his views on sexuality and relationships. While he doesn't declare himself a homosexual, he doesn't declare himself bisexual either. He leaves that designation ambiguous: in any case does it really matter in our times?

   What does matter is the legacy he leaves us from a long and illustrious career in the fashion industry. His influence can be seen in many of today's young designers: Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, and Nicole Miller to name a few. His love of color and pattern is probably inspired most by the work of Yves Saint Laurent for color/pattern, and Claire McCardell, the American doyenne of modern sportswear.

   Blass has a good time telling a story and reading them is a real treat. He's not above criticism of himself and others, a refreshingly candid attitude in today's climate of political correctness and PR maneuvering.

   If you enjoy reading memoirs or reading about fashion design, BARE BLASS is well worth your time.

   You will be missed, Mr. Blass.