Book Description
Carmen Bryan is no stranger to the rap world. Not only did she work at Def Jam and Capitol Records but she shares a daughter with hip-hop superstar Nas -- a relationship made extremely public through Nas's celebrity status, rap lyrics, and the ever-present media. Now, in It's No Secret, a strong, resilient Carmen bares all, telling her side of the story and leaving no detail unturned -- with the true candor and raw emotion of someone who has been there, done that, and survived.
From a clandestine relationship with Nas's biggest rival, Jay-Z, that stirred up the biggest feud in hip-hop history, to seeing her reputation in tatters and a once loving relationship with Nas fall apart, Carmen depicts her trying journey to become the strong woman and mother she is today. After years of turmoil that included drugs, sex, greed, and violence -- and abandoning what she had always prized above all, her freedom -- Carmen took a stand, focusing on herself. After years of pursuit by the media, Carmen sets the record straight in It's No Secret -- and has no regrets.
Customer Reviews:
listen up.......2007-09-14
I think it was a good book. I enjoyed it, the thing was I wanted to know more about NaS and not her, the only reason why I got it was b/c of him. since i'll never marry him I wanted to know what it would be like to be with him. I'll still take him though i know that. I read it in one day. but i do wish her the best. sometimes things dont always work out
not all that intersting.......2007-09-14
could have been better not interesting enough maybe if carmen slept around with more people this would sell more but not all that good so what nas beat her, both were guilty we all know nas was a male ho we know jay z is a male ho too we know kelis is a freak, hdell nas may have slept witrh beyonce before she started fooling with jigga what was her number doing in his pocket in hollywood and the music business everybody sleeps with everybody.
Strong Woman? No........2007-08-25
I sure am glad I got this book at the library and didn't pay any money for it because the time I spent reading it was a waste.
Strong woman? Not even close. Drama queen? Yep.
It is pretty easy to predict she will continue to live her life with the same behavior she describes in her book. Irresponsible.
BETTER THAN U THINK.......2007-08-23
THIS BOOK WOULD BE A FIVE STAR BOOK IF IT HAD COME OUT BEFORE SUPERHEAD'S BOOK.VERY INTERESTING
This Is Her Life Let Her Live.......2007-08-09
I will start off by saying I took along time to read this book. The reason being the reviews well I won't let that effect me again. This book
is a good read. I think the problem people have with it is because they are looking for another tell all like Karrine Steffans and this is not that type. She is telling the story base on her trial and tribulations in her life. Which happen to include some well known people. She is basically saying that her life is no differnt from anybody else she makes bad choices and she has to deal with it. I mean did anybody read her final words in the book where she says there are no victims or villians. Meaning everybody knew how the situations could turn out.
With that being said Everybody Get Over It.
To tell the truth people will probably be up set with Karrine new book if she doesn't drop enough names.
Book Description
“Have you ever wanted something so bad you was willing to crawl over bodies to get it? I mean, fiend for it so hard it didn’t matter who you hurt, how low you had to scrape, it was gonna be yours? That’s what music and balling did for me. They were the fundamentals behind my rise . . . and the perpetrators of my fall. They called me Harlem’s black prince–a rising star who carried street dreams on his back. But the streets, ya know. They got a way of coming for theirs. A method of sneaking up on you when you ain’t looking . . .”
Andre “Thug-A-Licious” Williams came up on Harlem’s meanest streets. But thanks to his nearly ankle-breaking hoop moves and explosive mic skills, he makes it out–and dominates the rap scene with chart-topping urban hits.
Thug has sexed all the hottest freaks and has a slew of baby mamas to show for it. But no matter how many women he takes to his bed, only one can claim his heart: successful beauty salon owner Carmiesha “Lil Muddah” Vernoy, his ride-or-die queen who has stuck by his side and guarded his back through thick and thin.
But Thug also has a nightmarish history with someone else. Pimp Williams, his older cousin and ex—partner in crime, is a cold-blooded killer who spreads havoc all over Harlem and will stop at nothing to get what he wants–even if it means betraying his own family, crushing Carmiesha, and forcing Harlem’s black prince down to his knees and back to his bloody beginnings.
“Urban erotica has never been hotter!”
–Nikki Turner, author of Riding Dirty on I-95
Customer Reviews:
No You Are Not The Only One...............2007-09-28
Who knows this is a damn good book. Of course the first and last chapters were the same. Real readers know all about foreshadowing and flashbacks and great writers know how to do this the way Noire did it. You need to read more often and more carefully before you start writing reviews. The beginning told you what happened on that fateful day of the NBA Finals, then the whole rest of the book flashbacked to how Thug's life led up to that day, then the last chapters told the resolution. It's a complicated writer's trick that Noire handled well. Some just ain't up on their read game enough to follow the genius of it. Muddah was a true rider and Thug was street grime and talent rolled up into one.
Am I The Only One...?.......2007-09-19
...who realized that Chapter 1 and 35 or 39 are basically the same with just a few small differences between them? It was weird and threw me off. I'm really starting to dislike this "urban" genre. Contrary to popular belief, many of us urbanites do know how to read and we DO know the difference between a good, interesting and well written book and the ridiculous typo-riddled, incomplete and CHEAP trash that these hood writers are trying to get us to buy!
Sorry had to rant. I do like Noire as a writer, but maybe I'm too nitpicky to have found this book enjoyable.
Noire does it again..........2007-06-27
I read Thug-a-Licious in two days; it was incredibly heartbreaking and entertaining at the same time.
In Thug-a-Licious, Noire paints a vivid picture of Harlem street life. Thug, Smoove, Pimp, and Muddah come from the same neighborhood. When Thug finally inches his way to fidelity, fame and fortune, the unthinkable happens. Muddah makes a decent living as an entrepreneur but is caught up with family issues. Smoove takes an honorable way out of the neighborhood. But Pimp is the one who chooses to continue in the life of the ruthless drug and crime game.
I can't wait to read another Noire book!
Noire IS Awesome hands down!!!!!!!!!!! .......2007-06-26
This book was really good. Thug boy let me tell you he will have your thong on fire wishing you could have some of him. WOW!!!!!!!!!!! \
Anyway I would suggest reading all of noires books before you read this one, it is not a sequel but the books do connect and I love that about noire books. She gives refernce to other characters in the old books.
I hated the way it ended for thug, I had to shed a tear for him because it was DA** shame. Go pick it up you won't be mad.
AWESOME!.......2007-06-24
I absolutely loved this book.The only bad thing was having it end.It was very good from the first page to the last page.This author definitely knows what she is doing.As previously stated, I just wish that her novels were longer,I really hate for them to end so soon.It's like having good sex,you don't want it to end.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent Just Needs A Musical CD !!!!
- Encore! We want more!
- A great read aloud for kids!
- Jude's Review of Jazz Man
- This Great Book! (More and More Honors!)
|
This Jazz Man
Karen Ehrhardt
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0152053077 |
Book Description
In this toe-tapping jazz tribute, the traditional "This Old Man" gets a swinging makeover, and some of the era's best musicians take center stage. The tuneful text and vibrant illustrations bop, slide, and shimmy across the page as Satchmo plays one, Bojangles plays two . . . right on down the line to Charles Mingus, who plays nine, plucking strings that sound "divine."
Easy on the ear and the eye, this playful introduction to nine jazz giants will teach children to count--and will give them every reason to get up and dance!
Includes a brief biography of each musician.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Just Needs A Musical CD !!!!.......2007-04-23
I love this book! My son is 20 months and loves this book the rhythm of the words, the numbers, the clapping the sounds of the instruments. What would be excellent if there was an auditory accompaniment to the book. A taping of someone reading the book who can demonstrate the sounds or even better a taping that included musical instruments playing.
I know a lot of people would LOVE to hear it as well and it would be an excellent teaching tool. Please forward this to the appropriate individuals and if possible keep me updated on the release date of the cd. Thank YOU for writing such an awesome, entertaining and needed book!
Encore! We want more!.......2007-03-22
Oooh, this book made me what to rap and tap and beedle-di-bop! Which is quite somethin', since I don't have a musical bone in my body!
This is a great book-the text jives off the page and the illustrations thimp dumple thump right along. What a great way to teach kids about jazz legends!
Hats off to Ehrdhardt and Roth for a beautiful book!
Encore!
A great read aloud for kids!.......2007-03-07
I am an elementary school media specialist for grades 1 - 5. I read this book to my first and second graders. By the third jazz man they were chanting along with me. By the fifth man we were all singing along with the familiar song tune. They loved the scat phrases and repeated them over and over. What a bonus that these men are actual jazz legends. I highly recommend this book for a great musical read.
Jude's Review of Jazz Man.......2007-01-21
I'm 3 and my Grandmother Helene reads this book to me. She said that my Doctor Beth gave it to me and my sister Scarlett and the author signed it. That made me smile.
I really like this book. My grandmother sings me it and i like music and instruments and can name the saxophone and trumpet and drums.I like the pictures of the conga drums.
I usually say, " read it again" when she's done and I can almost pick out all the numbers now too. Jude Stulb, Pueblo Colorado
This Great Book! (More and More Honors!) .......2006-10-05
Note: Since writing the review below, I've discovered that "This Jazz Man" has received three (and counting) prestigious honors in the last month or so: A Nick Jr. Book of the Year for Children, one of the N.Y. Public Libraries Top 100 books to Read to Kids, and one of a very few named by National Public Radio as a best children's book of the year!
February 2007 Update: This Jazz Man is on the cover of the February "Crickets" magazine! In addition, it was shortlisted as a top book by the Cooperative Children's Book Center, and is being used as a teaching tool for a Smithsonian Museum (yes, that Smithsonian!) exhibit.
If you've bought this book, you and I share a certain nose for kids' books; if you haven't, you'll discover a book that's snappy and swinging, fun and informative. My original review follows.
"Doodly-doodly-Doot-doot! Toot-Toot!"
That's Karen Ehrhardt's delightful take on a Dizzy Gillespie trumpet line, and like the rest of this sparkling first book, every note rings joyous and true. In a somewhat daring move, Ms. Ehrhardt airs out the musty English poem, "This Old Man," with jazz-infused lyrics, and distills the essence of nine jazz giants: Louis Armstrong, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Chano Pozo, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Art Blakey, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charles Mingus.
The improvisations in "This Jazz Man" are authentic and fun--the text is made for reading out loud! Listen to this evocation of Charlie Parker, for example:
This jazz man, he plays five,
He plays bebop, he plays jive,
With a Deedle-di-bop! Bebop!
Give the man a hand,
This jazz man blows with the band.
Within the 5-line format of the original song, the author conveys the sound and spirit of these artists, while keeping the tone light and understandable for her young, perhaps jazz-naive audience (about 3 to 7 years-old). Along with each Jazz Man's stanza are the sounds and rhythms of his performance -- depicted in text incorporated with each illustration. When drummer Art Blakey "plays solos with his sticks" and "beats with the band," the percussive sounds "Chikka-chee! Chikka-chee! Bubbuda-bubbuda-bubbuda-BOMP!" pulse over his vibrating cymbals. Following the `performance,' older readers (and adults) can learn more about Blakey -- his innovation of the "press roll" and his role in nurturing new talent -- in the book's afterward. Riffing on the customary introductions of band members at jazz gigs ("Playing 4, form Washington, D.C... Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington"), the book briefly spotlights the life of each Jazz Man.
Illustrator R. G. Roth complements Ehrhardt's narrative pictures with multi-media illustrations that are playfully retro yet fresh and child-friendly. Airy compositions help children see the relaxed, expansive pose of the smiling Louis Armstrong, the verve and rhythmic creativity of "Chano" Pozo (how many times have you seen him in a jazz book for kids?), the playful attack of Fats Waller, and the stature and majesty of Charles Mingus. Roth displays a repertoire of textures and soft, engaging colors, and makes subtle references to Birdland, the Newport Jazz Festival, and other venues along the edges of book's `stage. For the small fry, a cute and playfully elusive mouse plays hide and seek throughout the book. "This Jazz Man" has an exhilarating finale -- after each man plays (1 through 9), all of the jazz icons appear on stage together:
This jazz band, they play ten,
We beg them to play again,
With an "Encore, we want more!"
Give them all a hand"
These jazz men make one great band!
"This Jazz Man" gets it right, rhymes it tight, and entertains without misrepresenting. (To put this achievement in context, too many kids' "jazz" books really focus on the blues--usually the rural blues, seen through an awkward sentimentalism--or solely on dance. Sometimes they confuse eras, portraying any jazz singer as a combination of Bessie Smith, post-WWII hep cats, and 1950's beats, with a dash of oddly misplaced 1970's styles.)
"This Jazz Man" is a natural for school or library audiences, rambunctious group singing, the first efforts of beginning readers, or as a bedtime treat for toddlers. One doesn't need to know one lick about jazz to enjoy the musicality of the rhymes and the understated but compelling jazz portraits: They stand on their own. In addition, teachers can easily adapt "This Jazz Man" to language units, numbers and counting, music appreciation, art, solo and group singing. Older students may delve further into the lives and times of the musicians through Ehrhardt's rich yet compact biographical sketches in the afterward. (Offhand, I can't think of any book--for kids or adults--that so succinctly and eloquently describes each musician's significance.) For readers who'd like to sample the actual music, Ehrhardt recommends recorded works for each Jazz Man: a couple tracks for each musician, and even two feature films (available on video) that display Bojangles' tapping talents. (Perhaps in future editions of this book, the publishers could include a companion CD/DVD.)
With apologies to the author--though inspired by her:
This jazz fan, I count one,
"This Jazz Man" is lots of fun!
With a smile and a nod and an "ain't that grand!"
Let's give Ehrhardt a great big hand!
Average customer rating:
- BEST BOOK ON ROSS YET
- Call Her A Survivor
- Supreme Book About the Career of Diana Ross
- Simpler and to the point
- EXCELLENT
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A Lifetime To Get Here: Diana Ross: The American Dreamgirl
Thomas Adrahtas
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1425971407 |
Book Description
This unauthorized biography of entertainment legend Diana Ross strives to give a balanced account of her life and career while giving her the historical due that seems to have escaped her previously. Captured in vivid detail are her groundbreaking performances leading the Supremes, the renowned concert in Central Park amidst a raging thunderstorm, and the peaks and valleys of the more than 40 years of her ongoing stage, studio, and screen career. The book steers clear of dry biography, in that it is interspersed with entertaining essays that capture the effect her life and career have had on fans throughout the years. This book is a must-read for anyone with an appreciation for popular culture over the last half century.
Customer Reviews:
BEST BOOK ON ROSS YET.......2007-09-29
COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. MY ONLY COMPLAINT WAS THE AUTHORS'S CONSTANT ATTACKS ON MARY WILSON.
HE BLAMES MOST OF THE BAD PRESS ON HER....AND DOES NOT PUT SOME OF THE BLAME ON MISS ROSS, WHO I AM SURE WAS NO ANGEL.
HE DEFENDS DIANA SO MANY TIMES THAT IT BECAME OVERKILL.
OTHERWISE VERY WELL WRITTEN.
Call Her A Survivor.......2007-08-23
This book is an antidote to Mary Wilson's "tell-not-a-whole-lot" book from the mid-1980s and much of the subsequent negative press Diana received in part because of it. With 2006's "Dreamgirls" and Diana's high profile TV appearances and successful concert tour this year, it's seems time to recognize her for her accomlishments. While some of the facts presented here are without attribution, the book's a fun read. And love Diana or hate her, Adrahtas makes a few very compelling points (with supporting evidence) about her assention to Motown's throne and her ability to stay there for so many years. While lesser divas fell by the wayside as trends in the music industry shifted, Ross survived, and in doing so paved the way for two generations of singers, actors, and performers.
Supreme Book About the Career of Diana Ross.......2007-07-22
As a longtime fan of Diana Ross, I just finished reading this very satisfying account of her career and its impact on fans and admirers around the world. I have read all of the prior (as of this writing) customer reviews of this book; and, like many of the earlier reviewers, I must say this account is certainly years over due!
I do think, to a large degree, that the sad fact that her music has not been as commercially successful in America, from the 1990s on, has much to do with the sad shape of the American music industry in general. Diana is one of only many well-established American acts who have continued to be very successful in other countries, including England, while being ignored here at home (think Donny Osmond, Tina Turner, the group Toto--almost anyone who is over 30 years old and, actually, sings as opposed to raps). I know there are many, many Americans who feel like they can no longer hear good music on the radio any more, unless they are listening to an oldies station.
As far as this book goes, I did find it interesting that the author J. Randy Tarabelli used to work with Martha Reeves. I think his books are about as factual as the National Enquirer or Globe Magazine. And, Mary Wilson--the former Supreme (that nobody ever paid much attention to)--comes across as less than honest and having a huge chip on her shoulder! Look at the chapter on the 2000 Diana Ross & the Supremes "Return to Love" tour.
When I think of the Supremes, I will always think of Diana Ross. After all, she was the voice of all of their most memorable hit songs. I have long admired her. And, after reading (towards the end of this book) about some of the personal difficulties she has had to endure the last few years, it makes my admiration of her grow to see her now touring and promoting the new "I Love You" album in the year 2007.
Author Tom Adrahtas has contributed a much-needed book on the legacy of Diana Ross. She is THE supreme entertainer!
Simpler and to the point.......2007-05-12
Most biographical books whether authorized or not, tend to give you lots of facts all compiled with descriptions too long and confusing at times, that make reading and believing what you read very difficult, but this book not only gives you facts, quotes, moments, dates, situations that you can compare to other books outthere published about the same subject or person and make a fair decision as to who is telling the truth and who it exagarating on the truth or who is lying.
I love Diana Ross and the members of The Supremes, which of course Mary Wilson is one of them, but when I read Mary's two books, I was stunned and could not believe what I was reading, but still need to hear or read the other side of it, and this book does that, and puts thing in prespective. I recommend for those who are fans to buy it, and those who are curious to buy it, and for those who enjoy reading and gossip and conflict to buy it. It is good reading, lots of pictures.
EXCELLENT.......2007-04-16
FINALLY, someone has written a book that defends Diana Ross where she would never defend herself. The truth about her time with the Supremes and what really took place proves that what others have written were fantasy; stories made up over the years to discredit Diana Ross. If you never read another book about her, THIS is the book to read. You will finally understand what happened in the past and present and you will fall in love with her all over again.
The last chapters had me in tears reading the pain and heartache Diana had gone through the last few years. It's a miracle she survived at all, proving she Is the strong woman we all knew she was. Mary should read this book, as well as others who wrote hurtful stories about her; they'd all have to apologize and ask to be forgiven.
Bravo to the author!!!!!
Average customer rating:
|
Beale Street: Crossroads of America's Music
William S. Worley
Manufacturer: Addax Pub Group Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1886110182 |
Book Description
Take the Mississippi River flowing through the heart of America, to Memphis. Go east and find the birthplace of the Blues and the heart of our American music heritage. Find a melting pot of delta blues, jazz, rock-n-roll, R&B, and gospel. Find cold brew and hot music. Find Beale Street. The stories and photos in Beale Street, Crossroads of America's Music capture a legacy passed on by the masters - a living, pulsating howling rhythm that smacks you at the turn of every page.
Three million people a year visit the authentic blues clubs, unique shops, art galleries, cafes, and other great attractions. They come for the celebrations. They come for great food. Some come just to experience the legendary Beale Street beat, the granddaddy of today's popular music.
This book is filled with never before published photos of a young Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Martin Luther King and more as they contribute to the heritage of Beale Street. Reach down and grab American music by its roots. Experience the legend of Beale Street.
Customer Reviews:
Inside the heart of Tupac Amaru Shakur.......2007-04-13
Tupac Shakur was shot again on September 7th, 1996, but instead of recovering from his injuries this time, a week latter he died. In this book, "inside A Thug's Heart with original poems and letters by Tupac Shakur" you will explore the emotions, thoughts, feelings, and out looks Tupac has for Angela Ardis or `Ms. Lovely' as he calls her. When at work one late night, Angela and he co-workers are playing around. One of the co-workers asked, " If you could have a `ruffneck' who would it be?" Angela says she would pick Tupac. Everyone laughs at her choice; for at the time he was in jail and everyone also thought he was no good. So a bet was made that she couldn't get in touch with him. Well it just so happens she did. She sent him a letter that stood out from the rest, one that smelled and looked nice. Inside the letter she gave him her number so he would be able to call and a picture so he would know what she looked like. With in one day he replied to with a phone call and soon followed by a letter. Now they're writing to each other. In Tupac's letters he expresses himself in so many ways you never hear the media talk about before. He is forward and honest, plus he wrote wonderful poems. What you read in this book you would never expected from Tupac. You think by the way he raps and acts on T.V. and/or magazines is the way he acts 24-7, but its not. There's another side to him. In fact there are seven as he explains in one of his letters.
My favorite part of the book is each and every time you get to read his letters and poems. It's my favorite part because I get to see the other side of idol. I get to know more about Tupac then what the media portrays. Also get its my favorite part because when I was reading his poems and letters I could feel what was getting at. You get to take a look into a real thug's heart. To show you what mean, below is one of my favorite poems written by him called " 4 those nights when u r alone".
U ever share your love with a stranger
Only To realize he was a long lost friend?
Ever Talk 2 A Man like u talk with a woman
And share what you can't with other men?
Can u picture your love being given
2 A criminal stuck in this hell
Can u promise 2 hold off from Judging him
Until the day when you know him well
Can u close your eyes and imagine
If everything went Right
The power of passion finally possessed
After all those sleepless nights
I bet you think I'm gaming you
Just like all the men in your past
Cuz' all of them promised u heaven on Earth
But none of them seem 2 last
After All, What can I offer u?
Besides lonely nights & sweet words
Promises of pleasures 2 come
And lines you've already heard
All I, can say is have faith in me
And in Time maybe you'll come 2 c
The definition and true meaning
Of friendship can be discovered in me
In my opinion this book is one of my all-time favorites and I would most recommend it. I recommend it mostly to Tupac fans because you get to see that there is more to him then what you hear from the media. Also because when you read it, you feel as though you where there when it was written. So if your looking for a good book to read I would recommend you read this one.
A crucial historical document........2006-01-06
I feel blessed that we are able to have access to these letters between Ardis and the late Tupac A. Shakur, and I thank Afeni Shakur (the executor of her son's estate) for allowing Ms. Ardis to publish this correspondence.
Some folks will question the motivation behind releasing these letters, an understandable criticism in this age of vapid kiss-and-tell celebrity culture. What does Ardis stand to gain from this? Is she exploiting her relationship with Shakur solely for personal gain? Fair questions yes, but in light of the fact that Shakur is no longer with us, the only connections that we have to him are through the artifacts that he left behind: his music, films, and personal documents. Collecting and preserving these artifacts is important for understanding the context of Shakur's life, his profession, and the society that he lived in.
The historical significance of this correspondence between Ardis and Shakur cannot be overstated. Here, we are exposed to Tupac Shakur as a human being, away from the exploitive glare of the media spotlight, during what was perhaps the most difficult time of his life, when he was imprisoned in upstate New York for sexual abuse. Confined in a place where he had only himself and his thoughts, he is compelled to reach out to a fan who decided to send a letter to him on a dare. For those of us who think we know all there is to Mr. Shakur, the intimacy and vulnerability displayed in his letters to Ardis is a real eye-opener.
Readers see multiple sides of Pac: friendly, inquisitive, erotic, humorous, frustrated, angry, depressed, reflective, obstinate, and self-critical. He reveals himself to be what astute observers knew all along: a deeply intelligent, spiritual, and complex human being. His uninhibited communication style allows the dialogue between him and Ardis to develop fully, and these two strangers share passions and secrets that most people would conceal from close loved ones. From reading this book, I gained tremendous insight into this person who is no longer with us.
My one criticism of the book is the title. Obviously the publishers saw the marketing potential of the "thug's heart" reference, being that Shakur's public image is defined by this term. However, I do not nor have I ever believed that Tupac Amaru Shakur was a thug. This word was thrown around by Shakur, his record company, his fans, his detractors, and the media as both a term of praise and an epithet. It's loaded with so many contradictions, namely racism and hypermasculinity, and it's a label that too many young Black men are saddled with, for whatever reason. The fact that Shakur was a Black man killed in his youth makes calling him a "thug" even more egregious.
More than just a kiss-and-tell memoir, "Inside a Thug's Heart" is a strongly recommended resource for any serious student of hip-hop and American cultural history.
We LOVE you TUPAC!.......2005-12-20
I would like to thank Angela for allowing us (the readers) inside the intimate relationship that she shared with Tupac. With each letter I felt the sincerity of Tupac's words. Even though many reviewers felt she got played, I didn't feel that AT ALL! He was honest and upfront with her. Initially, she didn't set out to fall for him. BUT, who can blame her?? I was mushy after reading every letter. So many WISH they could have shared a little piece of Pac. Angela had more than a little piece of him... she had his mind. Who cares if it was temporary?
Angela, thank you sooo much for sharing.
Greatest Book In The World.......2005-10-27
This is one of the best books I've ever read in my life. Tupac is just one of the best artist. His life is so amazing. I am like In love with him!!!!! I love reading all his books and all the review's because they all speak the truth, they always have the best review's , well duh it's the best book to read!!!!!! I'm 1 in a million 14 year old girls that love him.
Inside a Thugs Heart.......2005-09-24
I agree with most of the other people that commented on this book, Angela was definitely played. I think the book would have been much better without all of her comments (fantasies.) It was nice to see another side of Tu Pac through his letters to her.
Book Description
Michael Baisden, the bad boy of literature, strikes gold again with this provocative, nationally bestselling novel about love, lust, and lies.
Malcolm Tremell lives the life that most men can only fantasize about: exotic cars, designer clothes, and a steady stream of sexually available women. For the past twelve years, for a very generous fee, Malcolm has willingly played the role of temporary companion and lover. But the endless nights of meaningless sex and secret rendezvous with married women have begun to weigh on his conscience. Malcolm is suffering from job burnout. He soon discovers, however, that a life-style change won't come so easily, not with the allure of so many beautiful women and thousands of tax-free dollars.
Download Description
Self-published phenomenon, lecturer and relationship expert Michael Baisden strikes gold again with this provocative, nationally bestselling novel about love, lust and lies. In the tradition of Eric Jerome Dickey and E. Lynn Harris, Baisden weaves a fast-paced, true-to-life story about the drama of male-female relationships. "The Maintenance Man" is a gripping, raw novel.
Customer Reviews:
read it.......2007-09-22
i liked this book and i would recommend it. i plan on reading it again.
Quick read but still a waste of time.......2007-08-12
Full of name-dropping, advertising, vulgar language, misguided definitions of being a gentleman, and how relationships and friendships work. Sensationalistic and predictable. An obvious attempt to write a book that would "SELL". (Yeah it's going to be a movie. Let's hope it will be better than the book.) MY ADVICE....SKIP IT!!!
The maintenance man.......2007-08-04
DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!! This was the first Michael Baisden book I have read and it was so terrible. I was extremely bored and the story was very predictable. It had the typical "get the girl in the end story" and that is not realistic. I will not read any other Michael Baisden books. I think I got the hint as to what his books are like. Great read, Coldest Winter Ever. That's a great book!!!
2nd review of a baisden book.......2006-07-20
this book was terrible. he needed to develop the characters a little more, Malcolms character especially. Mr. baiden needs to take a couple more writing classes because this book was written horribly. the drama in this book was real, but some of the characters were a little confusing. Ariel claims to be professional but she was flirting with the manager from day one. I didnt even finish this book because it kind of dragged on and got boring.
Pathetic Literary Attempt.......2006-06-04
On a national publisher's website Michael brags about being a college dropout and never having taken a single writing class. Perhaps he should have!!
At least I didn't have to pay for this text. Michael, himself, gave me a copy of "The Maintenance Man" as well as two of his other books after meeting me at a workshop in L.A. His attempt to impress me fell far short of my expectations. The problem with Michael is that he really thinks he's a good writer but he just doesn't have a clue. The one thing all of his books have in common are disjointed plotlines, a lack of character development, and the most glaring and sloppy grammatical errors that even my 9 year old niece would have caught. Aside from the fact that Michael Baisden is a dreadfully untalented writer his "relationship videos" are absolutely horrible and represent a vain attempt to present himself as a "self-help, relationship therapist or expert" when he doesn't have a shred of credibility or credentials. It's really sad that couples are taking any relationship advice from him as he is the proverbial "blind leading the blind."
For someone with such subpar talent to be as arrogant as Michael is really puts the nail in the coffin for me. He is fairly competent at shameless, self-promotion, but that's about it. Save your time and your money and read the work of some real literary geniuses like E. Lynn Harris or Eric Jerome Dickey.
Book Description
Poor Lee! He used to be a jazzman who could make the piano go yimbatimba- TANG—zang-zang. But now he's lost his hearing, and the bandleader had to let him go.
So Lee goes to a school for the deaf to learn sign language. There, he meets Max, who used to play the sax. Riding the subway to class, they start signing about all the songs they love. A bass player named Rose joins in and soon they've got a little sign language band. And in no time they're performing for audiences in the subway, night after night.
Living legend and Kennedy Center honoree Pete Seeger, renowned poet Paul DuBois Jacobs, and Coretta Scott King honor winner R. Gregory Christie present a jazzy riff on the power of music, overcoming obstacles, and all the different ways to hear the world. So, who will listen to a deaf musician? Everyone!
Average customer rating:
- "Duke Ellington" continues to jazz it up
- Excellent read aloud
- Put it this way. Jazz is a good barometer of freedom. - D.E.
- Singin' and Swingin'
- An outstanding picture book biography!
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Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra (Caldecott Honor Book)
Andrea Pinkney
Manufacturer: Jump At The Sun
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ASIN: 0786801786 |
Amazon.com
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, "King of the Keys," was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C. "He was a smooth-talkin', slick-steppin', piano-playin' kid," writes master wordsmith Andrea Pinkney in the rhythmic, fluid, swinging prose of this excellent biography for early readers. It was ragtime music that first "set Duke's fingers to wiggling." He got back to work and taught himself to "press on the pearlies." Soon 19-year-old Duke was playing compositions "smoother than a hairdo sleeked with pomade" at parties, pool halls, country clubs, and cabarets. Skipping from D.C. to 1920s Harlem, "the place where jazz music ruled," Duke and his small band called the Washingtonians began performing in New York City clubs, including the Cotton Club, where Duke Ellington and his Orchestra was officially born. By 1943, Duke Ellington--writer of more than 1000 compositions, including ballet and film scores, orchestral suites, musicals, and choral works--had made it all the way to Carnegie Hall.
We applaud this talented husband-and-wife team--award-winning illustrator Brian Pinkney and writer Andrea Pinkney--for making music fly in this fantastic tribute to a jazz legend. Andrea does an extraordinary job of translating music into words, with blues "deeper than the deep blue sea" and "hot-buttered bob, with lots of sassy-cool tones," while her husband visually interprets the movement of music as spirals, waves, and swirls of color, prepared as scratchboard renderings with luma dyes, gouache, and oil paint. Andrea writes, "Toby let loose on his sleek brass sax, curling his notes like a kite tail in the wind. A musical loop-de-loop, with a serious twist," while Brian paints those curling notes, the loop-de-loops, and the kite sailing up to the New York City skyline. Young readers will enjoy the rhythm and beauty of the story itself, and may even be inspired to give Raffi a rest and swing with the Duke! (Great read-aloud, ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson, Amazon.com Kids editor
Customer Reviews:
"Duke Ellington" continues to jazz it up.......2007-02-20
If the brilliant colors and impressive images don't catch your attention, then the amazingly written story of Edward Kennedy Ellington will.
"Duke Ellington" throws the reader into the early 1900's with its slang talk and direct narrative. The reader becomes a part of the story as the narrator tells about how Duke started out being bored by the piano, and then grew to love it when he heard ragtime being played. Andrea Davis Pinkney makes this a fun book for readers by describing the sounds of all the instruments with such detail that one could imagine they are actually hearing Duke's music being played just for them. I became enthralled with the vivid pictures depicting jazz as one might sense it if they had been there. "Duke Ellington" has won both the Caldecott Honor award, and the Coretta Scott King Award. This book is a good, fun, imaginative read for all ages.
Excellent read aloud.......2006-02-02
As an elementary school library specialist, this is my all time favorite read aloud. I utilized music/sound files on the web to have the King of the Keys himself accompany his biography. The text itself is a story to be read out loud. A teacher commented that this was his favorite read aloud and I believe a student favorite of all the grades I read this to (grades 3-6). Students were swaying, snapping their fingers, and just tapping away. The older kids didn't do that, but when the music ended, they asked for a repeat and I obliged. Hats off to you Ms. Pinkney!
Put it this way. Jazz is a good barometer of freedom. - D.E........2005-07-04
Being a relatively new reader of children's books, I tend to go about my systematic reading of all good picture books out there in a backwards manner. Case in point, Andrea Davis Pinkney. I first came across this writer, and her talented hubby Brian, through their lovely, "Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuoso". It was through that book that I discovered that the art of scratchboard (remember having to do those in elementary school?) can produce some truly fabulous picture book art. After reading "Ella" I doubled back and found her 1999 Caldecott Honor winning baby, "Duck Ellington". The book that started it all. Also using scratchboard (and without relying on fictional talking felines ala "Ella") the book is a whirlwind biography of one of the world's jazzy greats. There are tons of picture books about jazz musicians out there today. Only one, however, has garnered both the Coretta Scott King Award and the Caldecott Honor.
In this tale we meet Duke from his baseball playing days in Washington, D.C. Children everywhere will sympathize when Duke decides that learning to play the piano is a waste of his time and that he'd much rather be out and about with his friends. Fast forward a couple years and an older pool shooting Duke hears the sweet sounds of ragtime for the very first time. Suddenly the piano doesn't sound so lame, and Duke teaches himself the rudiments of it immediately. Over time, his particular style and talents get him jobs in clubs and cabarets and at last he forms his own band. From here on in the book's a whirlwind series of visits to places like the Cotton Club (which I think illustrator Brian Pinkney probably failed to base after the real club itself) and, at long last, New York's Carnegie Hall in 1943. A matter-of-fact bio at the back as well as a complete bibliography of sources (well done there) round out this lively encapsulation of a life.
Kids are often assigned biographies in school, and "Duke Ellington" has the advantage of being both interesting and filled to the brim with sources and facts. The story is as lively as Ms. Pinkney could make it, often going into deep descriptions of individual players' talents in the Duke's band. The art is lovely as well. Using luma dyes, gouache, and oil paint and then rendering it in a scratchboard style, there's a real throbbing beauty to some of these paintings. In a final picture Duke conducts his band in a purple suit and the notes of the players curl out as almost iridescent swirls and waves. Altogether lovely.
In many ways, the book's going to be a bore to those kinds who've never heard a jazz note in their lives and don't understand the importance. If at all possible, try finding a copy of that incredibly amazing film "Cabin In the Sky" and showing it to the kids and THEN give them this book. The movie's worth checking out and Duke (with his orchestra) is wonderful in it.
Though this is perhaps not my favorite jazz picture book out there (I've still some very fond feelings for "Charlie Parker Played Be Bop") it's still quite a wonder and worth checking out. A necessary addition to any well-rounded children's biography section of their local library.
Singin' and Swingin'.......2004-09-03
Edward Kennedy Ellington, who preferred being called Duke, didn't like playing the piano at first. As the book made out, he considered piano lessons a chore, although it doesn't directly say this in the text. The boring "umpy-dumpy" noises that the piano made when he hit the keys made him soon quit lessons so he could pursue the interests of a regular boy. It would be a couple of years later until Duke would start practicing piano once more.
In what looks like a pool hall, Duke discovers a new way of playing piano. His discovery is ragtime. The ragtime music isn't boring and repetitve as the type of music he had practiced as a boy. This music gives of a rythmical sensation throughout the body. Duke is soon in love with the piano. And he starts practicing with the little knowledge of the piano he has. He is soon good enough to have his own band and becomes a frequent performer at the Cotton Club. Duke records many hit songs in his life and becomes known as "The King of the Keys".
Pinkney's unusually good painting are very enjoyable and I really like the way that the musical chords showed up to let the reader know that music was being played.
An outstanding picture book biography!.......2001-09-04
This beautiful picture book biography recounts the life and career of jazz musician, Edward Kennedy Ellington -- better known to all as the Duke.
When the Duke's parents enrolled him in piano lessons for the very first time, he flat out did not want to go. At that time he had visions of playing baseball; but his parents insisted that he learn to play the piano. The music lessons were slow and not a lot of fun. It wasn't long before he quit taking lessons altogether and kissed the piano goodbye. Little did he know then that the melodious rhythms of Ragtime would draw him back to this instrument again and lead to his success as a great musician, composer, and orchestra leader!
Andrea Davis Pinkney does an outstanding job sharing the Duke's story with young readers. Her husband, Brian Pinkney, matches her wonderful text with vibrate illustrations, which translate the Duke's music into a series of bold colored spirals, waves, curls, and swirls that literally leap off of the pages of the book! Without a doubt, this husband and wife collaboration will guide readers in appreciating the rhythm and beat of the Duke's life and music. This book is truly a musician's delight!
Book Description
Recorded by jazz legend Billie Holiday in 1939, "Strange Fruit" is considered to be the first significant song of the civil rights movement and the first direct musical assault upon racial lynchings in the South. Originally sung in New York's Cafe Society, these revolutionary lyrics take on a life of their own in this revealing account of the song and the struggle it personified. Strange Fruit not only chronicles the civil rights movement from the '30s on, it examines the lives of the beleaguered Billie Holiday and Abel Meeropol, the white Jewish schoolteacher and communist sympathizer who wrote the song that would have an impact on generations of fans, black and white, unknown and famous, including performers Lena Horne, Eartha Kitt, and Sting.
Customer Reviews:
Red diaper tale.......2004-02-11
The book has an introduction by Hilton Als. In early 1939 Billie Holiday sang "Strange Fruit." It made the audience nervous. Someone clapped and then everyone clapped at the night club, Cafe Society.
Billie Holiday performed the song countless times. The song encountered great resistance. It was banned by South African Radio during the existence of apartheid. The song was written by a white Jewish school teacher from New York City, Abel Meeropol, writing under the pen name Lewis Allan. He is better known as the adoptive father of the sons of the Rosenbergs. He brought the song to Billie Holiday.
Billie Holiday embellished things in her ghost-written autobiography. Cafe Society was the brainchild of Barney Josephson. Meeropol felt that Billie Holiday was not comfortable with the song. Josh White also performed the song.
Lynching was a conspicuous theme in black fiction, theater, and art, but not in music. Lynching brutalized feelings everywhere. The U.S. Congress refused over and over again to pass an anti-lynching law. The performance on record is elegant and understated. There was a sense of inherent drama in a Billie Holiday presentation. The record sold ten thousand copies the first week by some accounts. The song made one sit up and listen and think. Hearing the record was an epic event for the fifteen year old Ned Rorem.
The title of the song was used by Lillian Smith for her anti-segregation novel. When Billie Holiday moved to the other jazz clubs "Strange Fruit" went over well. The book is part oral history. The collage style is effective. When Billie Holiday was depressed she added "Strange Fruit" to the program.
In the American mainstream "Strange Fruit" was too sensitve to sing. The song made its way into a song book used by Pete Seeger and other folk singers. The song was learned by a number of the red diaper babies of the 1950's era. Nina Simone performed the song in the 1960's. The book contains a 'Strange Fruit" discography.
Elegant Portrait.......2002-08-02
This book is an elegant portrait of a song, the woman who sang it, and the man who wrote it. It is a poignant look at the interplay between them all.I am not a student of jazz, and yet I found this book to be fascinating. It is as much about civil rights and human dignity as it is about music. Margolick is an amazingly astute observer of events, and he has an uncanny ability to describe what he sees in beautiful, elegant prose. This book would make a wonderful gift to anyone interested in jazz; interested in the civil rights movement; interested in Billie Holiday; or just interested in a little known profile in courage. Read it and savor it!
Tracking a legend.......2001-06-26
There are few songs in the world that stop you in your tracks and render you speechless of mind and heart. Billie Holiday sang one of them. The combination of her signature smoky vocals and the stark lyrics of the song written by Abel Meeropol, a white Jewish schoolteacher in the Bronx, proved to be spellbinding. Its emotional charge stirred activists and intellectuals and even popular notoriety. Margolick's biography of the song is a slim volume but full of interest, well-written and researched.
Strange Fruit, like Billie Holiday's Song, Moved Me!.......2001-03-04
Strange Fruit : The Biography of a Song by David Margolick, Hilton Als, moved me! I think Margolick did a great job of ferreting out and marrying an extensive array of first person accounts of people's experiences listening to Billie Holiday sing her heartbreaking ballad, enough so that I almost felt like I was there too at times! Margolick doesn't pretend his book is a historical analysis - it's a biography, and a short one at that. As such, it does it's job and will resonate with me, as does Billie's song. It would be to the historians that I would look for analysis of its effects on society - anyone listening? The book adds another layer of fine patina to an historical moment in musical history and illustrates how brave Billie Holiday must have been!
STRANGE FRUIT is no more than an appetizer.......2001-02-15
I was glad to see the announcement for this book, an essay on Billie Holiday's landmark song, "Strange Fruit." Margolick does a good job of describing the song's origins, its performance by Holiday and its initial reception by audiences and critics.
Unfortunately, there is little analysis of the song's impact on the African-American community or on American society in general. While the narrative is presented well, the commentary is often superficial: "Some African Americans...disliked the song because it portrayed blacks as victims. Others literally feared the song, thinking that far from enlightening people, it would stir up racial hatreds and actually lead to a new wave of lynchings." But which of the many views was dominant? Margolick provides some educated guesses but no real evidence. We see how the song affected particular individuals but not how it influenced the cause of civil rights.
Moreover, the purpose and scope of the book are never made clear. As a biographical essay, STRANGE FRUIT omits much of the context we would need to understand Holiday and her life. As a social commentary, it fails to marshal evidence in a cogent or convincing way. The author presents no critical evaluation of the song itself, and the book is ultimately more a tribute than anything else.
The unusual length of the book also makes it hard to categorize. It's more than a conventional essay yet less than a full-length biography. While the comments of those who knew Holiday are generally interesting, Margolick's attempts to synthesize the material -- to make sense of it all -- often seem forced, incomplete or even contradictory.
STRANGE FRUIT is strangely unsatisfying. Readers who want to understand the song's impact will be left wanting additional evidence and a more thoughtful commentary.
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