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.

2 comments about Verdura: The Life and Work of a Master Jeweler.

1. This is a wonderfully written and illistrated account of an incredible person. I found the detail fascinating and the pictures amazing! A great addition to your wardrobe of books on REAL jewelry.



2. This book has not only wonderful pictures but also incredible biography of Verdura -- highly recommend it.

5 comments about Swimming Across: A Memoir.

1. This is an inspiring story of Andy Grove's extraordinary life. As a contemoprary, I do not relish thinking about how well I would have fared against the dangers and adversities Grove faced, including Nazi invasion of his native city of Budapest, Soviet takeover, Communist Hungarian government, persecution as a Jew, physical illness. This book could be titled "Only the hard-headed, determined, and confident survive". On a small negative note, it is not realistic to think that he could remember many years later the degree of detail he includes in the book, although I have no doubt that the essential events happened as reported.



2. Andy is a wonderful person and a genius - but not a writer. This book is simply childish.Sorry Andy.



3. The reason we should read biographies, to my mind, is clear - to find out what drives other people towards success, towards failure, towards redemption, towards evil, even to find out how the Mansons, Stalins, Hitlers and Husseins grew up. The pursuit of a clue towards a person's later decisions is a delicious game, to find the key events in childhood that makes that person later go down in the history books.
   
   However, there is one problem in an autobiography: the person is himself writing it, therefore editting out consciously and unconsciously factors that may well have been much more critical, omitted due to personal embarassment or because the family members and friend are still alive.
   
   Reading the life of Andrew Grove, according to Andrew Grove (born Andras Grof), is to have a feeling that his whole childhood was drawn through a cheesecloth with small holes. If he did write it all himself, without outside editting, it reads in a very simplistic way, for a very complex man. It seems as if the "big words" were taken out, the more complex self-examination of his soul was either never set to paper, or deleted.
   
   Nevertheless, you will find this book a good read, like a suspense story, as young Andris, only child of a Jewish comfortable family in pre-WWII Budapest, grows up with a strong sense of separation from others.
   
   He has several marks against him from the start - he is Jewish, and all around him know it, and for the most part, in Europe, that was no plus. He rejects his own religion and remains fiercely secular, so he has no religious morality on which he hangs his decisions. He is a pudgy boy, whom others tease, whom girls reject. He turns to books, to study, to the English language, and finally to science, in his loneliness. His own father is taken away during the war, hence his mother loses her social life and is isolated along with her son. The situation is restored to prosperity and popularity after the war, when the father miraculously survives a dreadful work camp, returning home a filthy skeleton.
   
   When the father is in clover, getting top level positions in the post-war economy, by means unclear to readers, all seems well, and people come in a steady flow to the house. Later, the father is accused of illegal activity, and loses his position and 75% of his salary, along with the pretty secretary and the car. The sensitive son, Andris, notices how popularity depends on the income and position of the father. NO doubt that this is driven deep into his consciousness more than anything else.
   
   When a chance to leave Hungary arises in 1956 with the 17 days of fighting the Russian Communists, his parents do not hesitate to encourage him, for at least he has a fighting chance with relatives in New York City, and years of English lessons under his belt. These two factors hasten his journey by ship to America, where his relatives adopt him and support his way through college, until he has a degree in chemical engineering. His attachment to Hungary is weak to this day, and he has not returned since his mudcaked trudge over the border to Vienna. He never voices a strong hatred of Communists, perhaps because his own father must have been one to have been appointed an inspector in an area in which he was not qualified. Yet it is the Communist mentality which has hung over his country and threatened the Western world for decades. It is a strange omission in a man who celebrates America's open doors and willlingness to give immigrants a chance at great capitalistic success, something that could never have happened in a Russian-dominated nation.
   
   I am impressed with this older man's willingness to write about his painful and persecuted youth, but any experienced reader can feel that there is a stiffness in the writing, especially in dealing with any of the women who did not mother him (i.e. his own mother and the aunt in NYC), as if the human elements in his life were not so critical for him. He seems to be a very tough nut, although he may have underneath some sentimentality, i.e. when the grandchildren were born, he wrote this book. He admits in the closing chapter that he himself is not sure why he does not return to the country of his youth, but I have my own suspicion - that he felt himself an outsider and a social failure throughout all those years, both as a Jew and a "nerd", and that his father's ups and downs with the economy and with the Communist affiliation made a much bigger impact than he will dare delve into. He perhaps underestimated the English-speaking world's understanding of this kind of dictatorship and decided not to go deeply into that part of everyday life.
   
   Most refugees from Communism and Nazism are willing to go on for chapters about the restrictions and mind control of their homeland's dictatorships, but you will find that these are only briefly touched upon. I see the young Andris a boy of self-conscious, sensitive and rationally intelligence, who refuses to let external factors push him down, what the Finns call SISU. Whether it is outside takeovers like the fall of Hungary to COmmunism, the rape of his mother by the Russians, the imprisonment of his father, and other extremely horrid life situations, he shut his emotions down and plowed ahead. Yes, he is very much like the Finns, especially their men.
   
   We can all admire Andrew Grove as a great leader of Intel, as a driven and highly intelligent man, but the person underneath, as revealed in this story, is a damaged and isolated person from his youth. No wonder that he did not want to write it down until so much later in life, when material success and a family of his own could prove that he was great.



4. Never would I have expected a man behind Intel could have such a childhood.I picked this book because it was written by Andrew Grove and mostly because it sets in the the times of World War II. Although I could not get much from a Jews perspective during the war time, however the book has captured some of the essence of tension during the period.
   
   I was intrigued by his childhood story and found it hard to put the book down one I started reading it (Yes, it is cliche to say that..) The title of the book "Swimming Across" could not have been more appropriate with his escape from Hungary to the United States - that made such an outstanding person in man's history!



5. When I finished this book, I was rather disappointed at its incompleteness. No doubt Andy Grove must be an extraordinary person after immigrating to America with almost nothing and then moving to become the CEO of Intel Corporation. His book gives some insight into his personality through his childhood experiences and his dedication to hard work can easily been seen through his striving for an education.
   
   The most disappointing aspect of "Swimming Across" is that it does not explain how he became such a successful person after moving to America. The story ends after his college education from City College in New York. It does not describe any part of his involvement in the development of Intel Corporation. Rather than a biography, it is more of a complication of his childhood reflections.
   
   A good portion of the story revolves around his childhood experiences as a Jew during the Holocaust, followed the Soviet occupation of Hungary. It is interesting to read from a historical perspective. Much of the book also deals with his interest in chemistry and his quests for girls during his gymnasium (high school) years.
   
   The writing is easy to read and not very intricate. While it offers an interesting tale of his personal experiences as an American immigrant, it does not have very much on how to climb the corporate ladder. It has a very good glimpse into the real Andy Grove's personality from a first person perspective, but not the details on what made him stand out as a successful individual among other Americans.

5 comments about The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed.

1. This is a very interesting book about the Gucci family, but it at times delved too much into all the business and acquisitions. It got at times really complexed. Having said that, it was a really good and interesting book. It was almost as if the author didn't want the story to end. I am glad I read it.



2. Yes, the Gucci story is intriguing. And yes, Ms. Forden provides some historical facts. But remember, this is a book. It should be readable. Ms. Forden's constant and trivial inclusion of far too much 'stuff' is more annoying than enlightening.
   
   This book could be condensed into 200 pages. Thoughtfully written and entertaining by someone other than Ms. Forden. It is a laborious task to tread through the boring an completely unnecessary details. Ms. Forden, no one cares about the work history of then-Head-of BergdorfGoodman.
   
   Poorly written, this book is one long magazine article. Paragraph after paragraph of unnecessary filler. I suggest you find some other way to capture the history of the Gucci company.



3. The subtitle said it all: "A sensational story of murder, madness, glamour and greed". The perfect combination for a successful novel that in reality has been real life. Read it!



4. I have inherited and purchased a few Gucci pieces, and have been so fond of the quality of their products that I thought I would read this book as a "light read." I was completely surprised by the first chapter that I just kept on turning the pages. It's anything but a light read, but a great read! This book really does have it all, including a tremendous education into the fashion empire. I also love the Italian detail and family disfunction. The author did a fantastic job of weaving the intimate details of a family, a business, and a family business. I have not lost an ounce of respect for the Gucci product, in fact I am more of a fan. Blood, sweat, and tears.



5. The House of Gucci reads like a soap opera in book form. Dramatic elements involving the fashion industry, business, and a dysfunctional family are deftly interwoven into a book that is impossible to put down. This novel is a perfect example of how power and greed can lead to the downward spiral of an outwardly- perfect family. Forden writes in a way that would keep any of a number of people riveted, including the fashionistas, the business- savvy,and those who are simply fond of the Italian culture. I have not hesitated in recommending this book to friends and family.

5 comments about Howard Hughes: The Untold Story.

1. After finally watching the Aviator, I wanted to know more about Howard Hughes' life but wasn't sure which book to get since there were so many out there to choose from. The Untold Story turned out to be one of the most moving books I've read. I previously only knew him according to the reputation he had in his final years: bizarre recluse, deranged, weirdo, bilionnaire.
   
   Howard Hughes was an ace pilot. The 200 ton Spruce Goose was his personal triumph. This books brings to light his outlandish reality and his extraordinary and adventurous personal life: the many movies he produced, and his amazing influence on Hollywood censorship, purchasing the most Las Vegas resorts owned by one person, the McCarthy era, even Watergate and the fall of Nixon. It covers the many famous actresses he discovered, his womanizing and dating nearly every leading glamor queen. Jean Harlow, Ava Gardner, Giner Rogers, and Katharine Hepburn all dated this handsome playboy. It explains his passion of aviation, perilous record breaking flights as well as his three plane crashes, and his development of commercial flights (TWA). Howard Hughes was a genius inventor and head of a giant corporation which produced oil drill tools (which he inherited from his father). The book reveals his emotionally incestuous ties to his mother. his addictions, breakdowns and recoveries, disappearing acts such as when he locked himself in a studio room, didn't bathe for months, and watched the same movies 30 times in a row, eating only Hershey bars. His now-famous but then unknown obsessive-compulsive disorder produced full blown food fetishes such as counting chocolate chips in each germ-free cookie and eating his peas with a small rake. Who knows what might have happened, and how history might have changed, if doctors knew about Prozac in those days?
   
   The circumstances of his death remain mysterious and puzzling - to this day, no one is sure about how he died. Like his life, it was covered in a wall of secrecy. A compelling, sympathetic, and well-researched story (nearly 400,000 pages of court documents, 2,000 pages of FBI reports, and 600 interviews were used) about one of the most controversial, intriguing and extraordinary people.



2. After a while I got really tired of all of these starlets stories. I couldn't stop thinking " what a jerk" and how stupid all of these girls, and worse yet, their parents were.



3. I had read an earlier book on Hughes, Empire: The Life, Legend, and Madness of Howard Hughes, and remembered it as a fascinating book. I purchased recently this newer book on Hughes, Howard Hughes: The Untold Story.
   
   It, too, was fascinating in its own National Inquirer kind of way! This particular book dealt more with Hughes' womanizing more than with his business empire. We are treated with endless stories of Hughes' conquest of Hollywood actress beginning in the early 20's up until his final pursuit of women in the late 1950s.
   
   The stories are truly fascinating to read and Brown's and Broeske's writing style certaining kept me engaged. One just has to wonder how one would have acted in Howard's place as he pursued women on a daily basis while in Hollywood. Simply amazing!
   
   The one drawback about this book that I was not anticipating was what made it so interesting: its dedication to his lothario lifestyle. In other words, by the time the story of Jean Peters (his last wife) rolls around, along with his last attempted affair with the starlet Yvonne Shubert, one starts to tire of reading exclusively about his sexual conquests.
   
   I found myself wondering how all of this tied in with his businesses. The authors did throw in just enough about his businesses for it all to make sense, but I don't think there was enough. In other words, this book dealt almost entirely with his sex life than anything else. There were enough tidbits about his paranoia, his germophobia, his Hollywood movie making, and his aviation exploits to keep the book moving.
   
   I recommend this book to read about the personable side of Howard and the book, Empire, to read about the business side of Howard. Both are excellent.



4. I watched Martin Scorsese's "The Aviator" and was immediately interested in learning about the "real" Howard Hughes. This book more than satisfied my curiosity. I wasn't aware of the non-aviation contributions made by Hughes; satellites, seek and destroy missles. All very important to our national security. I had never heard of Hughes' connection to the Watergate scandal until I read this book.
   
   This publication was a page turner about a man that we'll most likely never learn the full truth about. A great read!



5. I first read this book to see what Howard Hughes was all about. I was not disappointed in the writing or information. It was well written and a page turner.
   
   I read bio books to learn more about the personal side of people - their lives & feelings/views on matters, how they handled personal situations more than just facts of their accomplishments. So therefore, this book was a great fit for me.
   
   A few reviews have said the book should have focused more on the specifics of how he handled his business affairs. This to me would be much more boring. There is just enough details of how and why he came up with his inventions, mechanics of flying, and drive to make profits without putting us to sleep.
   
   Enjoy a great read and learn about a fascinating person at the same time!

5 comments about Her Mother's Daughter: A Memoir of the Mother I Never Knew and of My Daughter, Courtney Love.

1. My books club cloose "Her Mother's Daughter" for our April meeting and we were so into Linda Carroll's story that we had to meet the following week to finish our discussion. Mothers and daughters, relationships with men, finding yourself, finding what spiritual means, friendships, mental illness, death, birth, accepting life's bumps with grace laughter and compassion and going back after 30 years to find your first love, forgiveness, and lots of Catholic craziness of the 50's...this book has it all. Her descriptions of San Francisco are astounding and meaningful, ( I have lived here for 15 years)..I could imagine perfectly sitting at The Green Valley Resturant or Alioto's market at Fishermens Wharf. So is the way she describes having attention deficit disorder,"Fidget and Squirm were like an angry couple that lived in my body. Their constant warring made it impossible for me to sit still." I look at my students who struggle the same problem through new eyes. Its a fantastic book, colorful, intimate, honest, and thoughtful.



2. I loved this book, I devoured it in a weekend. It was interesting to learn more about Courtney Love that explained why she acts so insane at times. But I really fell in love with her mom's story. I could completely identify with the victimizing kind of family life she grew up in. She is painfully honest and very insightful.



3. This book is a really great. I can't put it down. It aslo was delivered pretty quickly and was cheap.



4. I just read about this book in a rave review in an old Entertainment book, I agree with the other readers who say she describes the decades with just the right emphasis. What a great movie this would be; the themes are universal.Attitudes about religion, relationships, child-raising sex, drugs and rock and roll and how they changed through time and the core of the book which is one woman's finding her roots within herself. I have been expecting it to appear on TV or as a film, it would be a blockbuster.
   As a Catholic (I'm a decade younger and had it a little easier than she did) I felt her determination to find spirituality in her life heroic, (in spite of her religion) and it seems she really did get there. I too loved the last chapter. I am sure she could have done a lot more with her relationship with Paula Fox, but can understand why she didn't. All in all, a really grand story, well written, intimate and real.Hope to see it on a movie screen.



5. I purchased this book because of its generational mother-to-daughter topic, knowing that with Linda Carroll being both a psychologist and an adoptee, she would add dual perceptions. Her book is clearly insightful, especially in Carroll's ways of dealing with the feelings of the adopted child (and somewhat less so of the adoptive parents' feelings), and she truly reveals some of the harmful "denial" aspects of adoption of the 1940s and 1950s, with its "don't ask, don't tell" philosophy--that somewhat veiled and secretive view of the adoption process all around: the biological parents, the adoptive parents, and the adopted child all becoming unknowing victims of that process. At that time, to be enlightened was to "forget about the past." Linda Caroll makes it clear that one can never be quite whole without all of those pieces to put into their places.
   
   Where Carroll is lacking slightly is in her depth of understanding of her adoptive parents' feelings and her own troubled daughter's, although she tries honestly and valiantly to do. Some parts still seem to be missing, and the reader comes away, mostly towards the end, sensing that some parts are just not there.
   
   Nevertheless, it is a well written book, and one that I couldn't put down. It also offers some insight into the 1960s and early 1970s in terms of our views of what works in a family, and what we know now, just doesn't.

5 comments about I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This: And Other Things That Strike Me as Funny.

1. While I don't read show biz biographies--heaven knows theres too many of them and those subjects are already over-idolized--I saw this one. Newhart has always been my favorite "clean" comic. That doesn't mean I don't like, say, Lenny Bruce. But, say, Eddie Murphy and George Carlin overdo the "let's be audacious" thing. Newhart doesn't need to do that.
   
   What's more, I've always wanted to learn a little about what makes a comedian's mind tick. (Though Newhart explains in one chapter that if he sees another book on the science of comedy, he's going to "throw up.")
   
   Actually, Newhart is quite eloquent. His vocabulary impressed me. There is, of course, name dropping, but it doesn't come across that way. He has a chapter, for example, on golf, those with whom he'd golf and witty anecdotes about other golfers, like Dean Martin--and an interesting story about Clark Gabel and Robert Wagner.
   
   Interspersed with the biography are many of his bits. But he adds to them. Like I've always liked his "airline and stormdoor company" bit. He adds a little about the real flight, on a C47 with seats bolted down--when the aircraft did cargo flights the seats were taken out.
   
   He does talk about both of his television shows. While I'm not a TV watcher and don't think I ever saw either of them all the way through, he even explains a little about how each show came about--and how his wife offered the plot of the finale of all of them.
   
   Oh, and the one I "read" was an abridged, CD version. I couldn't imagine reading this, but Newhart read it with his usual, stammering version, part of his bit. (Indeed, he distinguishes at the beginning of the book between stammering, which he does, and stuttering.
   
   Overall, it's a lot of fun. And you might even learn a little, about his background, about what makes things funny--and about the political correctness that pervades a bit too much of our society. (Yes, I even admit that!) As Newhart says, we need to laugh at ourselves too!



2. Fun book, easy to pack. Better for someone old enough to remember Bob Newhart era of 60's, 70's & 80's!



3. In years past, I enjoyed a bit of Newhart. He was always a "clean" comic to the best of my knowledge. However, when he spoke of his time as a draftee during the Korean War and how he manipulated the system to avoid overseas duty, I was completely turned off and view the man in an entirely different light. Instead of cheering me up, it left me sad and even a little mad.



4. I bought this book for my mom and dad because besides Bob Newhart Jack Lemmon is there favorite. My father laughed so hard no sound was coming out of him. We were laughing hysterically just watching him. Get this book! It is a great book even if you're not even sure who Jack Lemmon is. You won't be sorry! The seller is amazing and stands by there product 100%.



5. Being a long-time Bob Newhart fan I could hardly wait to buy this book. As would be expected, Bob tosses out his genteel type of humor in his telling. It's hard to put down.

3 comments about Everything Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Book: A portrait of an American icon (Everything Series).

1. I am a huge Jackie-O. fan! I met her as a child, and she was utterly gracious,and charming, in Hyannisport, on a steamy summer morning near the Kennedy Compound.I am learning facts about her I did not know before.I truly admire her class,taste,and love of country, as well as her dedication to her husband and children.She was quite a lady, America's queen! If you admire Jackie, for sure, you will enjoy this book.



2. This is a good book if you're just starting to research, or learn, about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The format is chronological; it includes all of the major events of her life spanning childhood to her final days in New York City. Each section is about two to four paragraphs with photos to support much of the text. The content, while being thorough, is sparce due to the book's attempt to list everything (ergo, the title) that encompassed her life. There are, however, some interesting trivial facts about her (and President Kennedy) that make reading this book fun to read, as these tidbits of information aren't usually included in many of the more in-depth biographies on her. Overall, this is a good book by the Everything Series to launch someone's study of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.



3. This is a very interesting book. I learned a great many facts that I hadn't previously known.

5 comments about Gordon Ramsay: The Biography.

1. I agree with previous reviewers. This is short attention span writing. It jumps from one topic to another topic without going into depth. It felt like reading People Magazine and not a book.



2. This was a great book. It really gives you insight to his behavior. (which is not bad) It was a page turner, and I finished it in a weekend.
   He really had alot of disappointments in life but turned it all around. It gives you inspiration.
   If you like Gordon,this is a must read.



3. I would consider myself a fan of Gordon Ramsey, I think his theories on management and what it takes to be a success could be a lesson to all. Also he has led what seems like a fascinating life, rising up from a rough part of Glasgow, dealing with the issues of a broken family and a promising football career ruined by injury. Sadly this book is written in little better than tabloid tidbits for those with a very short attention span. His childhood and motivations that led him to being a world class chef are glossed over and given about 30 pages. His troubled relationship with his father and its impact is mentioned several times in the book but never really elaborated on sufficiently. His early years as a chef are dealt with in about 15 pages and his years in Paris are given even less coverage despite Gordon's belief that they were absolutely central to him becoming the chef he is today. The author seems more interested in making constant references to Gordon's notorious foul mouth and his relationship with the tabloid press. What a shame there are so many more interesting facets to his life that could have been explored here.



4. Truly an excellent book. This book opens your eyes to the hard work it takes to become a great Chef.
   I recommend other Gordan Ramsay books.



5. i got the book really quick and it was in very nice shape i would buy from this person again. thank you. jan

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?