5 comments about The Clarks of Cooperstown.

1. Enjoyed the book, it was educational for me, I am fan of biographys and history books and I was happy to have read it.



2. Having attended school in Cooperstown in the Otesaga Hotel, I found the book fascinating as I had not known of the Clarks as other than the rich family in town. Seldom there but respected by the townsfolk.
   The book was well written and, while not, a bestseller it gives a vivid portait of art collecting in this country.
   A good read.



3. An interesting topic but flawed book. It is mainly a history of how a family fortune was created (on the sewing machine invention of the wild Isaac Singer and the business shrewdness of Edward Clark) and then spent on art by generations of certain of the Clark family's men.
   
   The author is prone to exaggeration. The art purchased always seems to take great "bravery" to buy. "Why Stephen Carleton Clark fired Alfred Hamilton Barr Jr. is one of the most important questions of twentieth-century American cultural history." Really?
   
   Odd things are included, such as paragraphs spent on a cheap, obscure novel apparently about the Clarks, when almost nothing is said of one of the Clarks founding baseball's hall of fame. Much is made of an alleged plot by a Clark to overthrow the U.S. administration of FDR with little real evidence given to show any serious action by that Clark in furtherance of the "plot."
   
   After reading the book, I fail to have the same high enthusiasm and respect for this family of wealthy deadbeats as does the author.



4. I read biographies all the time and this one had the potential to be superb: Singer Company fortune, amazing art collections, fascist plot against FDR (yes!), surprising sexual liaisons, family feuds of a rarified nature. However, it feels tedious to wade through, because the author is not a gifted writer, gushes too much when he should be more objective, and spends far too much time rhapsodizing over individual works of art to the point where we lose sight of the people collecting them. An editor could have pruned what feels like endless repetitions of Sterling's shopping trips and pushed the author to analyze, not emote. I understand from a New York Times article (not the review mentioned by the other reviewer) that the book was rushed. It certainly feels like it missed a stage in the editorial process.



5. Debby Applegate in the May 20, 2007 NY Times describes this as a "flawed family biography" although she admits it is "fascinating." It is indeed a fascinating family saga which resulted in great legacies to the National Gallery in Washington, DC; the Clark museum in Williamstown, MA; the Modern and Metropolitan museums in NYC; and several cultural institutions in Cooperstown, NY; not to mention the "Dakota" apartment building in NYC. Don't be misled by Ms. Applegate's smart alecky review.

5 comments about Infinite Variety: The Life & Legend of the Marchesa Casati, The Definitive Edition.

1. "I loved 'Infinite Variety' for the way the authors brought the Marchesa Casati vividly to life."--Robert Fulford, author of 'The Triumph of Narrative: Storytelling in the Age of Mass Culture'



2. 'This book about the Marchesa Casati (1881-1957) is called "The Definitive Edition" about a lady of extravagant leisures. It is an excellent book reviving the roaring twenties in Europe and gives you a fairly good insight of the lifestyle of the truly rich and famous through to the 1940s. Part of this set was the Marchesa Casati, who is a source of inspiration to this very day for fashion designers, artists and wealthy heirs. So if you squander your vast inheritance, at least do it in style!' (review from Elegant Lifestyle)



3. "'Infinite Variety' is a thoroughly unbiased and well-researched biography. The 'Definitive Edition' includes a plethora of new information as well as artwork and photos. Thanks to the efforts of Ryersson and Yaccarino, the story of the Marchesa Casati, with all its splendor, will continue to astonish.--Jonathan Williams, Gothic Beauty Magazine



4. "Mesmerizing and revealing, 'Infinite Variety' is the definitive account of the Italian femme scandaleuse. A great glimpse, and more, into the life of a larger-than-life individual."-Mar Yvette (Clear Magazine)



5. "'Infinite Variety: The Definitive Edition' provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the bizarre and spectacular life that Casati led...All you fashion-conscious history buffs will love the in-depth exploration the authors take into Casati's stylish life."-Denise Dandeneau (Zink Magazine)

   "This meticulously researched and completely updated biography vividly details Luisa Casati's extravagant life...Fashionistas, art history buffs, aficionados of Belle Époque and Jazz Age culture-and general readers-will be pleased."-Lorraine Thompson (Primo Magazine)

5 comments about The Last Playboy: The High Life of Porfirio Rubirosa.

1. I am a former foreign student in the Dominican Republic where I got to learn the name "Rubirosa", linked to large peppermils in chique restaurants on the Malecon and the pubs of the then (80's) newly renovated Colonial Center. I also heard his name in equestrian circles with acclaim for his introduction of the sport of Polo to the now largest Polo playing country in the Caribbean.
   
   Curiously the new generation in the Dominican Republic and elsewhere know little of him but when an older generation is asked about him, a smile is the first thing to apear on their lips before an anecdote or a recall of one of his memorable deeds (or scandal) is to be told. Most of the time these stories are connected to fast times,headlines and the high life, despite lacking a fortune, commercial enterprise of significance or a scientific mind.
   Nevertheless making headlines by his own merits and decisions (marriages) and of those around him.
   
   This book is an improvement over previous biographies made in the 70's and 80's, among others Palbo Clase Hijo's book, that I bought 20 years ago as a present for an uncle who was a contemporary and admirer of Rubi.
   
   This book is great fun to read and brings very well into perspective the details of Dominican political life under Trujillo's dictatorship and the international impact that it brought upon the region and Rubi's pivotal role in the softening of the ugly face of the regime. Reason for his love-hate relationship with the Trujillo family and the political 'intelligentsia' around them, such as Joaquin Balaguer (6-time president).
   
   In this aspect Rubi had historical impact and records do not offer much reliable evidence to give credit to it, but in high stakes of international politics, personal relations, phone calls and small favors to key persons (intermediaries) can change history.
   
   I recommend this book to anyone who admires celebrities and light subjects for entertaining reading. They can make comparisons on the life of celebrities between today and yeasteryear (not much has changed!).
   
   Many a bachelor would like to have, at least for a some time, the kind of life experience that Rubi got out of his relatively short stay on this earth and a hell of a time it was!
   
   The book does justice, historically, to a man that lived life intensively and with great love and loyalty to his friends, a great party companion, which made him an important and long-time confidant, intimate friend and acquaintance of many of those with economic and political power on both sides of the Atlantic and also the Magreb.
   
   These characteristics are not highlighted too much in the book but can be interpreted to through the lines and is part of the things to be learned from the book and the life of Rubirosa.
   
   This is what makes the great difference between Rbirosa and many other born-rich playboys that bought most of their goodies and many a 'friend' with the funds of their pockets.
   
   On the contrary, most socialites and even wives had Rubi's company at their expense!
   
   I definitely recommend reading and keeping or as a gift.
   
   
   Randall Croes



2. Loved reading the history of this man - someone who has always been in the biographies of others from the 20th century, but I never knew his story. The book is well researched, but only reason I didn't give the book a 5 star review is that that the writing is rather "small-town", with lots of editorializing that really isn't necessary. Let the reader make their own inferences from the information in front of them. Asides, and exclamation points, have no place in a serious biography.



3. i heard of porfirio rubirosa from my grandfather, he was born around 1919 and below to the era, he knew porfirio, the trujillos and the whole gang, i remember my grandfather talking about rubirosa several times and of course as i grew up i wanted to know more about this men who put the name of the dominican republic in the map sort of speak..the book was good but a little boring for me, nothing new, too much talk about a dominican history that i already know, little talk about his relationship with barbara and doris, not much to say, his life was good, in other words he had a great life!! he knew and hang out with the most famous and important people of his times, he had a great time and them is was over quick, what a life!



4. Shawn Levy could write about a sack of potatos and make it interesting. I knew very little of Rubi but after reading this book I feel like went through a week by week breifing of the events of his life. Some of the details in the book are of astounding accuracy; I wonder how he did it. Bravo Bravo.



5. I just finished The Last Playboy on my winter vacation, I found it to be a fabulous read. The writing is clear and pretty even, although Levy does sometimes dip into gossip-like quips from time to time that aren't useful. The material appears to be well researched and presented clearly, with facts labeled as such, speculation and insights also clearly labeled. I do not know if there are any errors, but I don't think this should be taken as an authoritative bio by any means.
   
   Few people live such thrilling lives, and Levy takes you along for the ride. You can almost sense the author's face as Rubirosa himself changes as he grows older and more depraved at times. There's a sensitivity that is found in some of the best biographies, and insights that are to be expected.
   
   If you're looking for a good, fast read about the fabulous lifestyle of a playboy, this is one you should be reading. Someone should definitely look at making a movie about this guy and his times.

5 comments about It Seemed Important at the Time: A Romance Memoir.

1. It is quite irritating to read and re-read comments about Gloria Vanderbilt being unloved by her mother, her 'less than lucid' mother, or being harmed by a self absorbed mother. Perhaps those who believe these descriptions would do well to read "Double Exposure" by Gloria M. Vanderbilt and her twin, Lady Thelma Furness. This autobigraphy relates her mother's side of what happened at the custody trial (when wealthy, connected Aunt Gertrude 'won' little Gloria she no longer had an interest in her), the court allowed heresy and libel to colour testimonies and soil the reputation of mother and widow Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt as 'unfit'. Gloria M.'s own mother, Laura (little Gloria's grandmother) testified against her daughter at this trial with outrageous lies and unmotherly love. Read more about Grandma Laura's unstableness, selfishness, and self absorbsion (she left her oldest daughter at school in Paris during WW1 bombing seige). Grandma jetsetted around Europe shuttling her children to various boarding schools; she allowed her twins to move into a Manhattan apartment by themselves at age 16 to live there basically unsupervised. This was in 1922. Modern medical knowledge would most likely diagnose Grandma Laura as suffering from a neurological disorder. One wonders if it was passed down through the genes.
   Learn of Gloria M's motherly love and pain of being torn away from her only daughter and the lies spun on both sides to keep them apart. "Double Exposure" should be offered in tandem with any Gloria Vanderbilt autobigraphy. Both sides of the story should be known before one can truly pass any judgement, and even then pause and ask yourself if either one is truly glorious and deserving of gushing praise for a life of having a 'good time' and 'getting lots of lovin'.



2. This book lacks depth and leaves the reader feeling that we still don't know Gloria Vanderbilt. Also, why does she give the impression that she only has one living son? What kind of mother would disregard her two older children? Very sad.
   
   A much better book on the Vanderbilts is "Fortunes Children". I recommend it.



3. I never received this book. A notice was sent to me saying the book was unattainable at this time.



4. The book was much shorter than I thought, and the writing was a bit too scattered, too many side notes - but good. I would average it out to be a 3.5 and you will find it funny, interesting if you know the characters or have read much about them. When you think of them as people it becomes harder to grasp, but characters seems a more realistic yardstick to use. I love Gloria Vanderbilt, I admire her and feel that she deserves applause and praise, but this one didn't do it for me. Maybe a good book to take traveling.



5. Dear Gloria Vanderbilt, i am enjoying reading your wonderful book. Thank you!! sincerely,
   Joan Clement

5 comments about Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr..

1. John D. Rockefeller Sr. was probably the biggest, baddest robber baron in 19th century America, and also its leading philanthropist. Many writers scorned his ruthlessness, notably Ida Tarbell, who wrote two books on Rockefeller and his company, Standard Oil. Author Ron Chernow digs deeper, through masses of Rockefeller family documents, to present the founder of the Rockefeller dynasty as a "man of flesh and bone and soul." He covers Rockefeller's ugly, dramatic and even shameful aspects, while concurrently demonstrating his business acumen and his philanthropic leadership amid a remarkable generation of business barons, including William Randolph Hearst, Jay Gould, William Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan. An amazing portrait emerges of an almost invisible, rather megalomaniac ascetic who wanted to fulfill God's will. He became extremely wealthy, gave millions away, and believed that he brought the benefit of inexpensive oil products to all mankind. getAbstract highly recommends this multifaceted biography.



2. This is a really excellent book on Rockefeller. It made me laugh; it helped me to understand who he was as a person; it showed how he became who he was; and it gave me a true and complete understanding of Mr. John D. Rockefeller, Sr. in an unbiased way.
   
   I read the negative reviews on here, and I want to refute them. Some say the author clearly favored Rockefeller; I felt quite the opposite at some points and think a really objective depiction was achieved. Others say the editing was poor; I didn't find a single spelling or grammatical error during the read. In terms of its editing, it was fine.
   
   If you want to know who Mr. Rockefeller, Sr. was, this is the book for you.



3. Hopefully it is good, Kinda Long but I am looking foward to having time to read the whole novel.



4. Rockefeller is reported to have searched endlessly for golf balls lost in an attempt to recover them, yet could nearly buy the world - why?
   
   Objective biographies are important to show that it is rarely money or greed that inspires the mind of man; it is the pursuit of the solution to the particular problem that he has defined worthy of solution. Both great inventions and great works of art have been formed as a result of the tiny seeds of construction or of destruction that engage the human spirit.
   
   Without it, are we not all merely reduced to automated machine status, the robots of today for the future of tomorrow?
   
   Is the mind of man made for the pursuit of money, or for the pursuit of satisfaction of what he perceives is worthy of addressing, focusing his attention upon the manner and the object of his passion?
   
   What makes people tick is a source of inspiration often overlooked in the attempt to idolize or endow humanity, and far too often, misconstrued by mistaken others who aim to profit from that misinterpretation.
   
   Molded soles, like molded fingerprints, rarely sit anyone else. Why then do we not concentrate upon the perspective of what men aim for, and why, rather than what they accomplish, and its yield?



5. 
   This book is the best biography I've read thus far.
   Ron Chernow has a deep understanding of
   economics and history. He uses this understanding to
   paint an accurate, balanced and complete picture of
   the Rockerfeller dynasty with J.D. Rockerfeller as the
   center of their powerful universe.
   
   
   To emphasise just how well this book was written,
   consider the fact that I spent my whole
   Christmas weekend reading it! I couldn't move from my
   library or sleep until it was done. Though the book
   weighs in at approximately seven hundred pages, it is
   reads like a novel, a trait which makes it both
   palatable and pithy.
   
   

   Synopsis

   
   Rockerfeller has all the traits of a classic self made hero. His
   antecedents are not amazing. He grew up in a poor
   family featuring a bigamist foot-lose father who was
   hardly ever around. His father taught John painful
   lessons in business and human behaviour. John's father
   would regularly tell John to jump from his high chair
   into his father's arms. Once, in order to teach John
   never to trust anyone, he told John to jump. He then
   walked away, leaving John to slam painfully into the ground.
   John's mother was the backbone of the family; quiet,
   anassuming and hardworking. He assumed the role of
   surrogate father and dedicated his life to ensuring his
   mother and the rest of his family were safe, secure
   and happy.
   
   
   When Rockerfeller got into the business world, he
   began as a book keeper. It was from these early
   beginnings that he showed the traits that would be the
   core of his success. He was meticulous and diligent
   when keeping financial records and accounts. He would
   manage his own funds as well as the company's money down to the
   decimal point! Like Warren Buffet after him,
   J.D. Rockerfeller would emphasis that "numbers are
   everything."
   
   
   J.D also proved that discipline is more important than
   intelligence. In school, he wasn't the sharpest blade
   in the set but his slow, diligent, determined and
   disciplined approach to study ensured his success. He
   emphasised this in his business dealings as well. With
   this method, he created the jaggernaut monopoly of
   Standard Oil. He began by consolidating the mass of oil
   refineries and wells in Cleveland under his umbrella.
   Later, after recruiting his alter ego, Henry Flagler,
   they would proceed to dominate the oil industry
   thoughout the world.
   
   
   Rockerfeller also exemplified a reticence that would
   inspire respect and fear in his enemies while planting
   admiration and loyalty in his friends. At board
   meetings, he was often known to lie back in a settee
   with his eyes closed as he let his leiutenants debate.
   Later, he would discuss these issues in great detail,
   as though he had absorbed and understood everything
   without skipping a beat. Within his company, he was a
   ghost. Employees would never see him arrive or watch
   him leave. However, they were made acutely aware of
   his presence when he popped up at some underlings desk
   and discussed their jobs and records in great detail. He
   knew everything and everyone.
   
   
   Later on, Standard Oil would become the focus of the
   anti-trust movement. The Spellman Act was passed in
   order to curb its power. In later years,
   Rockerfeller's juggernaut would be split up with
   unforseen results. Instead of destroying his wealth,
   as his detractors and politicians had hoped, his
   wealth and that of his shareholders trippled!
   Rockerfeller's success was enduring and could not be
   stopped or limited.
   
   
   Rockerfeller dedicated the first half his life to becoming the
   richest man on the planet. He then dedicated the
   remaining half to becoming the greatest philanthropist
   in the planet. His medical foundations brought
   back the disciplined approach he applied to business to
   the medical field that had erstwhile been dominated by
   quacks and homeopaths. Were it not for Rockerfeller's
   contributions to medicine, modern health might not be
   as advanced as it is now.
   
   
   After living to the ripe old age of ninety eight,
   Rockerfeller had achieved more than most people achive in a
   hundred lifetimes. He was one of those individuals so
   powerful that he forever changed the destiny of
   humanity forever.
   
   
   
   Something in the nature of J.D. Rockerfeller had to
   occur in America, and it is all to the good of the
   world that he was tight-lipped, consistent and
   amazingly free from vulgar vanity, sensuality and
   quarrelsomeness. His cold prsistence and ruthlessness
   may arouse something like horror, but for all that he
   was a forward-moving force, a constructive power.
   
   --H. G. Wells. The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind.
   
   
   

   Conclusion

   
   This book is mandatory reading for all students of
   success. It teaches the nature of the monopolist, the
   spirit of the leader, the hunger of the rich, the
   ambition of the visionary, the structure of a dynasty
   and the soul of the innovator.
   
   
   I've idolized Rockerfeller my whole life. Reading this
   biography gave me an understanding of both his faults
   and his virtues. It humanised him. The fact that
   Rockerfeller is so much like a next door neighbour
   leads the reader to a very important conclusion:
   success is not about nature, it's about nurture. It
   is not about intelligence but of intent. It is not
   about destiny but of decision. It is not about magic,
   it is about method.
   
   Each of us can make the decision to be successful. All
   we have to do is practice the method by mimicking that
   of the giants who have come before us. That is the
   Billionaire Way.

5 comments about Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People: The Memoirs of the Greatest Gambler Who Ever Lived.

1. This was a very entertaining book. The stories in here will keep you interested from the beginning all the way to the end. It is written in colorful language and allows you to kind of get inside Slim's head. It is a short 264 pages filled with wild stories of how Slim would gamble on almost anything and win. You may not agree with everything written in these pages but you will definitely get a few laughs along the way.
   
   Slim talks about human psychology and what role that plays in gambling. One of his sayings is "never make a bet unless the bet is already one." And through these pages he reveals his secrets to doing just that. I think there are a number of useful things that anyone could pick up and find useful in their own lives from some psychology to a number of bets that anyone could make others that could almost be guaranteed winners. One of the last things Slim says is, "making peace with yourself is the first thing a winner must do."
   
   If you have any interest in the mind of a gambler and like outrageous stories involving risk then I think you will enjoy this book.



2. Fast read on a fast pace of a fast life. Amusing and entertaining, and probably educational if you pay attention. The lessons aren't presented as such, but if you follow the pattern of his betting, you learn not to get sucked into a bad deal. Not going to win a Pulitzer, but a great light read if you like biographies, poker, Texas or characters. He makes Huck Finn look like an altar boy.



3. Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People is a autobiography of Slim focusing (unsurprisingly) on his gambling exploits.
   
   The upside of this book is that it's very entertaining & well written. For a lot of people, that may be more than enought it make it worth their time. The gambling yarns contained within are some of the most incredible I've seen in print, and I'm a fan of the genre.
   
   Unfortunately, there are serious issues of Slim's honesty and integrity surrounding this book.
   
   The first, and more minor, issue is that the book is largely assembled from Slim's previous "Play Poker To Win" and Holden's "Big Deal," often taken nearly word for word from those sources. Not only is this a bit of a raw deal for readers who already have those books, but I'm a little curious why Holden is credited and quoted for some of the sections he wrote, but others masquerade as Slim's voice. I hope nothing dirty is going on here plagiarism-wise, but I'm suspicious.
   
   The second, more serious, issue, is that this is a self-flattering autobiography by a man of very questionable morals. There's no doubt, reading this book, that Slim thinks quite highly of himself. But his actions don't exactly support his opinion. He's a self admitted gambling cheat and liar. In fact, the allegations of cheating go far beyond what he admits to in the book - the depth of his association with Johnny Moss' dirty card rooms and and various mechanics on the Texas circuit was not discussed. Worse yet, there's good reason to believe that Slim is a pedophile. He was arrested on three charges of indecency with his 12-year old granddaughter in 2003, apparently confessed to police, and then plead guilty to reduced charges. His wife divorced him over the incident. Sources in the poker community say that Slim maintains his innocence and claims it was a scheme by a faction of his family to get a hold of his money, but that doesn't explain the confession.
   
   Final Verdict: I WANT to like this book, but a good book glorifying a bad man looses a lot of its luster. In light of that I can't bring myself to like Slim, or his book, nearly as much as he likes himself.



4. This book is really funny but it isn't going to teach you anything really about gambling and poker. He does give a few pointers, but it is basically the story of his life and what a story it was. It is a very easy book to read and enjoyable for anyone who likes gambling.



5. In a way it's fitting that the most entertaining poker book ever written contains total detail about the most dramatic game of poker ever played, by the greatest card man of the twentieth century. I'm talking about the truly legendary, Thomas Austin "Amarillo Slim" Preston. His amazing book, Amarillo Slim In A World Full of Fat People, is for poker what the BBC's Top Gear is to motoring: funny, wicked, informative and entertaining. If Jeremy Clarkeson is reading this, that wipes out any future poker debts I might accrue!
   
   In the early nineties, Slim was invited help launch the Casino de Caribe in Cartagena, Columbia by casino boss Lynn Simon. Amarillo was flattered to be asked at this late stage in his career only to discover that he would be playing some of the deepest untaxed pockets in the world:namely, the major drug lords of the Columbian cartels. Playing poker for the very highest stakes is nerve racking at the best of times: now just imagine that you're about to have a showdown with Pablo Escobar, probably the most feared cold-blooded killer on Earth. Turns out Pablo just wanted to be friends and show Slim his mansion, his zoo and that he was in charge of Columbia. Once this had been established, Escobar's helicopter dropped Amarillo back at the Caribe. The tall Texan then proceeded to financially disable some of the deadliest Cartel bosses, under protection from a Swiss style physical safety agreement, which they honoured under pain of death from Escobar. Apparently Pablo himself didn't fair well at poker against the card playing cowboy, leaving the Columbian poker challenge to come from his under bosses, who lost the equivalent of 'a week's supply' to the six foot four American.
   
   By the third day the physical safety agreement broke down when one of the Cali Cartel bosses decided to shoot a disloyal girlfriend with a pump action shotgun about a yard from where Amarillo was standing. This should have been Slim's signal to catch the next jet home to Texas but he readily confesses to a liking for danger and besides, a quote from the man himself betrays another reason to stay: "I'd never seen men with more money and less brains than these drug lords." The cowboy stayed and rounded up a mountain of cash before high-tailing it back to cattle country.
   
   In the lives of most card players, the above true story would stand out as the most remarkable of adventures, but trust me, to a man who had won a million dollars by the age of 19, played poker with two Presidents and driven a golf ball over a mile, it was just one of many.

5 comments about Life of the Party: The Biography of Pamela Digby Churchill Hayward Harriman.

1. "Pam," as she was known by her friends, trading on her beauty, inquisitiveness and instincts, more than on her morals: again and again parlayed her feminine wiles into higher and higher orbits of class, wealth, international intrigue and a seat at the very table where high stakes policy was being shaped and made. Even one of her many lives would have been enough for an ordinary person to kill for, but being able to do it over and over again points to her very own special gift: being perfectly situated to marry older men of influence and then making them like it, as she "traded up " the ladder to better and better situations.
   
   Just her wartime activities alone, is worth the price of the book.
   
   Here, behind the scenes where the post-WWII world order was being shaped and fashioned, she played an important if unsung role as one of the king pin (or is it queen pin?) deal makers, that helped solidify the ties between the U.S. and UK, ties that eventually were responsible for bringing the U.S. into the war. She did this all the while being married to the notorious "bad boy" and son of Sir Winston Churchill, Randolph, and while "bedding down" one of her "husbands-to be," Averill Harriman. And she did this, all the while, if not with the full knowledge, certainly with the tacit knowledge of her father in law, the British Prime Minister.
   
   Just this part of the book alone is worth its price, but there is much more: all with the ring of truth, not with the ring of mere salacious gossip, which I admit, is all that I was really looking for. In the book "Nemesis," it had been reported as fact that Joseph P. Kennedy had raped Pam while she was an overnight guest of her friend the then Ambassador to the UK's daughter, Kathleen. I was unable to confirm this fact in this "unauthorized" version of her life. This omission, however, certainly does not mean that it did not happen, just that it could not be confirmed in this version of her life story. And even though I did not find what I was looking for, this is still easily five stars.



2. Reading this, more than decade after its publication when Pamela's primary skills were already passé, it was clear how much things have changed.
   
   Pamela came out of the 19th century British aristocracy where only the first born male was entitled to inherit the family's property and power and to call it what it is/was - human rights within a family. Pamela could not expect familial affection or support. Her family turned her over to nannies and decreed that education, no matter how great her ability or curiosity, would hinder her marriage options.
   
   Pamela made her own match (did not wait for family negotiations) and married what history made the ultimate commodity, a link through a male namesake, to Winston Churchill. She used this "child" and followed the cultural and psychological patterns of aristocratic women by supporting and living through her man with a modern twist--- he did not have to be her husband.
   
   WWII put a chink in the armor of the British class system and affirmed the American ideal of social equality. The super wealthy European men paid in cash and friendship for all she willingly gave. She wanted commitment, which due to European social codes, would not be forthcoming. No wonder Pamela was seduced (in the pure sense of the word) by America. In America she was able to achieve far beyond what her family or country c/would ever provide for her.
   
   She was Darwinistic about men/marriage. If a man's wife was not as fit as her, Pamela had no qualms about the wife, Pamela should have the "position". Her sympathy for her second husband's mother (over that of his children) who had abandoned her family may be testament to an understanding of her emotional situation.
   
   One can salute Pamela's achievements, but her treatment of others is too cold for sympathy. As presented here, her mothering of "The Child" and her stepchildren replicates that toward her in her own nuclear family. Her treatment of staff and other women is pure 1950's sexism and a workaholic's view of the world. She rose above the rigid role of her family and society had given her. Unfortunately, within her intimate family (birth and blended) she could not break the chain of creating emotional liabilities.



3. I had known one women who said: "Its better you ask for what you want,then to except what others offering to you."

   This can be related to biography of Pamela Harriman. SHe lived in extraordinary circumstances but what I find most compelling is the fact that she succeed to manage her life. Although, it was not always easy for her. She left and she was left. The biography is most interesting written and I read it very quickly.
   She maybe was in some way courtisan, but I think she wanted to enjoy in life nad she was led by it. SHe knew what she want and she was persistant. However, I did not manage to figure out was she open hearted as she was presented in some moments or little bit cold caculated as in the part regarding children of her husband Hayworth. But, for sure she was woman in complete sense of that word.




4. One can tell just from the photograph chosen for the cover of LIFE OF THE PARTY that author Christopher Ogden has constructed a fun read. Though his research is thorough and scholarly, LIFE OF THE PARTY flies by easily. (The title itself is a pun, alluding both to its literal meaning and to the fact that Harriman's generous donations gave new life to America's Democratic Party.)

   In crafting the biography of America's late Ambassador to France, Pamela Harriman, Ogden also provides a social history of the international "Jet Set" of the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's. Pamela's journey through the decades was complete with English aristocracy, French nobility, Italian racing car drivers, South American polo players, Arab sheiks, Greek shipping magnates and members of America's monied elite. The link among them is that Pamela Harriman slept with members of each of these groups!

   In her own, less liberated day, born to obscure English nobility c. 1920, there is no question but that then-Pamela Digby would have been considered a--ahem--loose woman (to use a mild phrase) by those who knew her. Not only did she sleep around, apparently with blatant calculation of how her liasons would benefit her financially and socially, but she also conspicuously went after married men. With the exception of her first husband, the single thread connecting the men she chose was that they were not merely rich, they were filthy rich. And her first husband was the son of Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of England at the time of their marriage. Thus, that match was socially advantageous to Pamela, and she would use the connection as her entry into highest levels of the world's interconnected rich. Nonetheless, despite her apparent rapacity, it is obvious that her men found her... appealing, to say the least.

   Some of the affairs that Ogden documents were with the fabulously wealthy Frenchman, Elie de Rothschild, with the fabulously wealthy oil sheik, Aly Khan, with the fabulously wealthy Italian auto manufacturer, Gianni Agnelli, with a fabulously wealthy American, Averell Harriman and another fabulously wealthy American, William Paley. Yet she married the merely wealthy theatrical producer, American Leland Hayward, whose daughter openly despises Pamela to this day. (It seems clear that Pamela settled on Leland due to an urgent need to wed quickly as a matter of financial salvation.)

   Of course, Pamela was a serial bride. Decades after she first began her affair with him, Averell Harriman finally tied the knot with Pamela. He had been middle-aged when they first had met, and she had been a very young woman. By the time she captured him, she was middle-aged and he was old. Conveniently, he died soon after their marriage and, even more conveniently, he left her his huge fortune.

   She immediately put that fortune to use in inserting herself as a valuable player in the United States Democratic Party and as an early and generous supporter of then-candidate Bill Clinton. After he became President, Clinton rewarded Pamela by making her his Ambassador to France.

   Truly, if this book were a romance novel, it would be dismissed out-of-hand as being too implausible. As it stands, it is an examination of an exploitative and greedy woman, yet a woman whose lifestory makes for entertaining reading. For the major events of the mid-20th century, when Pamela Digby Churchill Hayward Harriman was not present, she probably was waiting in the bedroom.




5. What an interesting woman. Okay so she may have slept her way to the top and made a few bad personal decisions. A saint she was not. For all that she was determined to enjoy life and make the best out of what talents she had. She used her friends as we all do to better her causes and even berated her children when she disagreed withj them. As if she was the first mother to do that. She gave her total devotion to the men she married, apart from Winston, and expected the same.The irony is that had Pamela harriman been a man all her negative aspects would have been overlooked and she would have been remembered more for her her political and social acumen rather than the men she had slept with. A very interesting read about one of the more interesting characters of the 20th century. It will be a while before her like is seen again. She will be missed.

5 comments about Driven from Within.

1. This book overall was pretty good, the only pitfall are the pages where they talk about brand Nike. They overembellish the brand/product a bit. Other than this there is some good stuff on the MJ persona in this book. I enjoyed reading some of the stories about him and also his personal views on many things. Good read for any Jordan enthusiast.



2. Through captivating vocabulary usage the already stunning story of basketball legend Michael Jordan comes to life in "Driven from Within". This well written hardback includes a multi-perspective look into the life and times of the former Chicago Bull. The majority of the story is told of course by Jordan himself but with most of his recollections comes the outside standpoint of someone who was either close to Michael back then or close to Michael today. This provides the reader with a second opinion, so to speak, on all of his experiences and achievements. It also helps the reader to perceive Michael as a reliable source to "tell it like it is" due to the fact that he has many of his close friends and relatives explaining their own angle on what happened during Michaels seemingly never-ending journey to superstardom.
   
   "Driven from Within" discusses Jordan's work ethic both on and off the court. In the beginning Michael talks about his childhood, growing up in North Carolina. He discusses how he began playing basketball and how hard he worked at it in high school. It then briefly touches upon college before going into the really fascinating portion of his life. The bulk of the book is dedicated to the stories of his Brand Jordan products and how they were imagined, created, and marketed. He frequently talks about how the elements of his "game" influenced his shoes during the design process. It is repeatedly stressed how it was really important to him that each new shoe he put out was better than the last. One of the more intriguing parts of the book is when he tells his people at Nike that high tops are goods for ankle support but too heavy and low tops are light but have no ankle support at all. They came up with the revolutionary mid top basketball shoe now used by most NBA professionals.
   
   With most retired professional athletes turning to others to write about their former experiences Jordan takes it into to his own hand being the primary author of this well-written and greatly entertaining book. Michael Jordan is obviously a sports Icon and "Driven from Within" does him a great justice. It's a great read for any sports fan and anyone who enjoys a book about hard work, dedication, and achievement.
   
   - Written by Greg Tavares



3. I gave this book to my little brother who loves both basketball and Michael Jordan and he loved it!! It was full of stories, pictures and inspirational quotes. The best part about it is that it was written by Jordan himself. I would highly recommend this book.



4. The product came in a timely fashion and delivery was not a problem. I was a little disappointed in the quality of the book when it came. The inside was nice but the outside jacket looked as if the book had been used. I don't know if it moved around a lot in shipping but it did not have the newest look.



5. Learn about Michael Jordan's life and how his inner drive helped him succeed in basketball, business, and life. You'll be inspired and motivated.

5 comments about Jackie: A Life In Pictures.

1. I agree with the reviewer below whose expectations were raised by the excellent "John Fitzgerald Kennedy: A Life In Pictures," then somewhat disappointed by this book. It's well done but really doesn't evoke the era or the excitement of its subject beyond the level of a Biography Channel documentary. The photos are great but not especially arresting or telling. You actually get more of a feeling for JBK and the period from the book on her husband, which I strongly recommend. It should be noted that the JFK book was produced by Phaidon and this by another company, despite the title and dustjacket design similarities.



2. This book is sumptuous. The paper quality, the binding, the little touches that show it's a quality keepsake, not just another book thrown together to cash in on the Kennedys. I agree with previous reviewers who commented that many of the pix have appeared elsewhere. There are a few new shots and I would have enjoyed seeing more of them. That's why I subtracted a star. But still, I'm enjoying this book and recommend it.



3. A beautiful hardcover book with beautiful photos, which nicely compliments, 'John Fitzgerald Kennedy: A Life in Pictures.'



4. I'm a big fan of any book on the Kennedy's but I found this book to be a let down. Other than a handful of photos of her as a child, there's nothing in this book that hasn't already been published. The only good thing about it is that all of the photos are in one book. I really liked JFK: A life in pictures, which is wonderful but I was disappointed by this book.



5. This is clearly the best photo book to ever be published about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, no other book so far, offers such an amazing collection of not so seen photographs of the former First Lady, later Mrs. Onassis and Jacqueline as a private person.I just love it, definitely worth buying.

5 comments about Chanel (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications).

1. I am a couturiére to follow my passion and, of course, I already own a bunch of "Mademoiselle Chanel" books. Let's say that I own a couple of meters of fashion monographies and that I love this one.
   If you are interested in feeling the details of the artwork of both, Coco+Karl, you will get a number of details to learn about.
   Even though it is supposed to be a catalogue, what it is, it can be in the handbook shelf of a loving seammistress.
   On Chanel, at this price, you do not get more than the far feeling of her style.
   The forewords cover quite well her meaning and her significancy.
   As a gift it is quite showy also thanks for the transparent chemise.
   it always depends on what you are looking for.



2. This is a beautiful book and one you would love to have in your home. Of course, since I work for the company it is dear to me. I have given this book to three different people and they all have loved it. If you want to give something special to someone-- this is it.



3. I bought this book after seeing the Chanel exhibit at the Met. The pictures are nice, but I wish they showed more pictures of real people wearing clothes as opposed to the eccentric mannequins they used in the exhibit. A couple of blank pages here and there. I wish there was slightly more history behind the clothes. Still not a bad coffee table book on Chanel



4. I couldn't disagree more heartily with those who recommended this book as a "beautiful coffee table book." At this price and with this subject matter this could have been a truly amazing look at the history of the House of Chanel and it's transition from the early years of Coco to the present leadershiop of Karl Lagerfeld. The text is mediocre and the photos are terrible. The general visual quality of the book is absolutely reprehensible.The dresses are all reproduced in a poor quality "Liz Taylor in the White Diamonds commercial" fake fuzzy lens. There is not one really great photo of an actual garment in this entire book. As someone who saw the actual exhibit the book is based on, I feel the Metropolitan really missed on this one. The exhibit itself was magnificent, this poorly concieved book is a complete dud. Save your money for one of the many other books detailing the life and work of Coco Chanel.



5. Well worth your money. Beautifully done. Not only is it a lovely coffee table book, it is a book you will look at many times.