The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)

Book Description

"I have no wish to play the pontificating fool, pretending that I've suddenly come up with the answers to all life's questions. Quite that contrary, I began this book as an exploration, an exercise in self-questing. In other words, I wanted to find out, as I looked back at a long and complicated life, with many twists and turns, how well I've done at measuring up to the values I myself have set."
âSidney Poitier

In this luminous memoir, a true American icon looks back on his celebrated life and career. His body of work is arguably the most morally significant in cinematic history, and the power and influence of that work are indicative of the character of the man behind the many storied roles. Sidney Poitier here explores these elements of character and personal values to take his own measureâas a man, as a husband and a father, and as an actor.

Poitier credits his parents and his childhood on tiny Cat Island in the Bahamas for equipping him with the unflinching sense of right and wrong and of self-worth that he has never surrendered and that have dramatically shaped his world. "In the kind of place where I grew up," recalls Poitier, "what's coming at you is the sound of the sea and the smell of the wind and momma's voice and the voice of your dad and the craziness of your brothers and sisters...and that's it." Without television, radio, and material distractions to obscure what matters most, he could enjoy the simple things, endure the long commitments, and find true meaning in his life.

Poitier was uncompromising as he pursued a personal and public life that would honor his upbringing and the invaluable legacy of his parents. Just a few years after his introduction to indoor plumbing and the automobile, Poitier broke racial barrier after racial barrier to launch a pioneering acting career. Committed to the notion that what one does for a living articulates to who one is, Poitier played only forceful and affecting characters who said something positive, useful, and lasting about the human condition.

Here is Poitier's own introspective look at what has informed his performances and his life. Poitier explores the nature of sacrifice and commitment, price and humility, rage and forgiveness, and paying the price for artistic integrity. What emerges is a picture of a man in the face of limitsâhis own and the world's. A triumph of the spirit, The Measure of a Man captures the essential Poitier.

Customer Reviews:

Nice man, wandering story..........2007-10-04

I had to force myself to finish this book, simply because I didn't want to waste my money by leaving it when I was tempted to. It was interesting to realize that an actor whose work I had appreciated came from such a spare beginning, but by halfway through the book, the continuous wandering asides and disclaimers of the author so overwhelmed the narrative that I could barely tolerate it. It seems to me that the story could have been told to greater effect with half the words!

****LOVED IT****.......2007-09-24

Kept me interested...I really enjoyed this book...I couldn't put the book down until I finished reading it!!!!

MEASURE OF A MAN does not measure up.......2007-09-21

Wow, a book about Sidney Poitier. An outstanding actor with a book that just does not give him true justice. The reading tends to be dry and lacks substance. His life struggles could have been the story of any man or woman, black or white. The writing and editing are weak in some sections.

You should rent or buy one of Poitier's movies instead. His movie roles show his true skills.

SPIRITUAL "Of, Relating to, Consisting of, or Affecting the Spirit" MERRIAM-WEBSTER.......2007-08-30

I've always been smitten with Poitier's voice--his diction and control on film, the flow of his words as they travel in and around ideas during interviews--so I read THE MEASURE OF A MAN with an ear for his voice. I wondered, Is it translatable to print? It is, but that means allowing Poitier's thoughts to meander until they find their point, and that his thoughts are less formulated (or formal) and more "in his own words," than they might be if they were written by a biographer. (I read just enough "You know?"s "You hear me when I tell you?"s and "You follow?"s to feel like he was talking to me, but not too many to be annoyed.) I read to imagine what it might be like to have a conversation with Poitier. The book reinforced what I already knew--I'd be as intimidated as heck--but it also gave me the courage to think I'd be able to speak my mind.

As an editor, I read Poitier's book because I wanted to know how he defines a "spiritual" autobiography. Is it a I-Was-A-Sinner-But-I-Found-Jesus-And-Now-I'm-Saved chronology? Is it about how Christianity or another faith influenced his life? Neither. Poitier examines the people, events, circumstances, beliefs, and so on, which have related to, consisted of, or affected his "spirit," and, in doing so, he writes about childhood experiences in the Bahamas, his changing perceptions of his parents, how he adapts to living in the United States, his approach to acting and filmmaking, and his attitude toward fatherhood. He also shares a debate a friend and he had about the Basic Truth of Nature, a debate worth every second of reading it takes to get to.

Is THE MEASURE OF A MAN going to satisfy readers interested only in Poitier's film career? No, but I urge them to read it anyway, if for no other reason than to find out how his "spirit" influenced the films he starred in.

Books.......2007-08-21

I purchased this book for my daughter and she loved it!
She is a teacher and plans to teach this story in her English class fall 2007.
A great story with a great moral.

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality

Average customer rating:

Offensive to jazz fans!
Friendly conversation over coffee
5th try.
Very good, but not great
Blue Like Jazz

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality
Donald Miller
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785263705

Book Description

"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. . . . I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened." In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.

Customer Reviews:

Offensive to jazz fans!.......2007-09-30

Donald Miller, I'd like you to take out the sheet music of Mood Indigo, which I'm sure you've studied extensively, and show me where it doesn't resolve--I think that harmonically it's one of the perfect all time pieces of music, and it resolves better than a lot.

Maybe he's talking about free jazz or bop or post bop or modal jazz or something, but I'm not sure he actually knows what those terms mean. It sounds to me like he's heard a couple of jazz songs at some point and decided that this makes him an expert. Yeah, man, he was turned on to this stuff by Tony, his beat poet buddy, man. Oh, that is so hip!

But even if you're saying on a technical level that jazz music, in some of its more far-flung explorations, abandons established notions of harmony, melody, rhythm and tonality, it can always be explained. You can always notate it, analyze it, study it, and explain it. You can break it down to vibrations traveling through the air and you can know exactly what those vibrations are doing.

You can't do that with Christian spiritual notions, because they're based on assertions of faith that require you to abandon the desire for statements of fact to be proved. It's cute, Donald Miller, for you to say that you're just not interested anymore in the intellectual/theological aspects of Christianity, but it's stupid and ignorant for you to use jazz as a point of comparison. Jazz musicians know exactly what they're doing and they can explain it to you in minute detail, and yes, they could write it down if they wanted to. It's not just getting up in front of people and blowing some BS through your instrument. That's what YOU are doing in your spirituality. Jazz music requires training, education, rigorous practice and relentless creativity. What you do requires a huge capacity for BS and evasive, circular arguments. Guess which one I respect more.

Any jazz solo can be studied note for note, analyzed, and explained. And the person who performed that solo can you tell what choices they made at every point and why, and they can base that on established musical concepts. Once you get to that point, it isn't mysterious anymore, but it is beautiful and special in a way that your unfounded, frightened faith can never be.

Friendly conversation over coffee.......2007-09-25

I don't read a lot of "spirituality" themed books because after a few chapters I feel like the author is trying to convince the reader that his views are right and the reader's are all wrong. This was given to me as a gift and I really did enjoy it. The author didn't seem so much as if he was throwing up his thoughts on you as the reader, but more talking to you about them in a coffee shop conversation. I'm a decently fast reader, but I took some time with this one, reading and re-reading passages and often whole chapters so as to really chew on what the author had to say. The author has a lot to say but says it in a digestible form. Not once did I feel like he was talking over my head. I rarely purchase books for myself unless the book strikes a personal chord with me and I know I will want to read the book several times over; however, I'm glad to play hostess to this book on my shelf.

5th try........2007-09-13

I am on about my 5th try to finish this book. It is hard for me to make it past the first chapter.

I agree that in some ways his approach can be entertaining and "honest," but that does not make it edifying.

I think Miller is sadly confused with many of the vital doctrines of Christianity. Yes I know the word doctrine has come to have some rather poor connotations, yet there is truth Christianity is defined by. I'm not even talking doctrines that are usually debated.

Miller seems to make no importance of sin, and I am still hard pressed to know how serious he is when he says boys usually begin sinning when they are 10, and girls when they are 23. Has he ever even seen a child?

Miller tells of a time when he had a "slot machine god" where he would just screw up, pray, and hope for something good. Though he admits this was wrong, It seems like he is still playing the same slots. Now he is just taking his confusion and using culture he adapts it to the things that he says "make no sense."

Yes, Christians need to be relevant, but we are more importantly to live as new creations, people of a heavenly culture. We are not supposed to ascribe our culture to God, we are to ascribe ourselves to Him.

Anyone confused about this I recommend (lovingly) to read the book of Romans, and if you can't commit to the whole book chapters 6,7, and 8.

Very good, but not great.......2007-09-03

This book was highly recommended by several of my friends and I particularly liked the idea of reading up on "Christian Spirituality". This book had several funny stories in it, and also a few others that were really touching and made you think.

However, there were a few times where Miller decided to go on a tangent about Republicans and how heartless and selfish they were and how churches are puppets for the Republican party (i.e. Ch.12, titled "Churches"). It just really left a bad taste in my mouth which is why I didn't give this 5 stars. I wanted to read a book with anecdotes about Christian Spirituality and not get randomly bombarded by irrational and irrelevant political speech that was aimed at bashing Republicans.

I really hope this wasn't the main motivation for him becoming an advocate for Christian Spirituality or else this book will really lose a lot of credibility in my opinion. It's not because I am a Republican (because I'm actually a Libertarian), it's because political slamming is completely out of place in the book and is really in poor taste considering this meant to be about Christianity and not George W. Bush.

Blue Like Jazz.......2007-08-28

In the book, Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller seeks to address Christian spirituality in a nonreligious manner. He relies on experience rather than obscure religious doctrine to convey spiritual truths relating to life, God, community, friendship, love, and the like. In the way Miller relates stories and anecdotes the book is reminiscent of a memoir, but unlike many memoirs Miller's stories have a point and teach a lesson. He does not write simply to entertain, but also to teach and inform.

Miller was born in Houston, Texas, and left at the age of twenty-one to travel around the country until he ran out of money in Portland, Oregon, where he now lives. He published his first book, Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance, in 2000. Two years later he published Blue Like Jazz. He continues to write books and also teaches a class at Summit College outside Toronto.

Miller's perspective is refreshing and convincing. Even when he writes about the importance of giving to charity or going to church he avoids coming across as preachy and condescending by backing up his beliefs with personal anecdotes and experience. Instead of relying on Bible verses or well-known evangelists and ministers, he quotes Christian friends and hometown ministers. He expresses the same truths Christianity and other religions present by drawing on rich personal experiences and memories to show the reader his views.

Miller opens the book by saying that in order to love and appreciate something you must sometimes first see someone else loving it. Miller attempts and succeeds at showing the reader how important the words he writes are to him. The philosophies he presents are ones that he has lived by. While Miller writes specifically to a Christian audience, this is a book that cuts across specific religions to appeal to anyone who believes in a higher power.

Out With the Stars: Hollywood Nightlife in the Golden Era

Average customer rating:

A Real Treasure!

Out With the Stars: Hollywood Nightlife in the Golden Era
Jim Heimann
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0896595722

Customer Reviews:

A Real Treasure!.......2004-06-27

This is one of those books I can't recommend highly enough if you love old Hollywood or the flamboyant architecture and graphic design of Hollywood in the 20's - 50's. I picked it up on a cut-out table in New York about 10 years ago and have come to appreciate it as one of the best books in my library - in fact it's one of those books that is always getting borrowed from friends who are graphic designers or work at ad agencies looking for inspiration.

Jim Heimann deserves much praise for assembling what is obviously a huge labor of love with lots of great photos and illustrations that you will never see anywhere else - everything from cocktail napkins and matchbooks to beautiful interior photography and paparazzi pics of the stars at play.

Also I'd like to disagree with the review - I actually found the writing in the book to be pretty engaging. It's fairly straightforward and to the point., luckily since there is a lot of history to cover.

Book Description

Now in paperback, the New York Times bestseller by one of rocks most provocative figures Scar Tissue is Anthony Kiediss searingly honest memoir of a life spent in the fast lane. In 1983, four self-described knuckleheads burst out of the mosh-pitted mosaic of the neo-punk rock scene in L.A. with their own unique brand of cosmic hardcore mayhem funk. Over twenty years later, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, against all odds, have become one of the most successful bands in the world. Though the band has gone through many incarnations, Anthony Kiedis, the groups lyricist and dynamic lead singer, has been there for the whole roller-coaster ride. Whether hes recollecting the influence of the beautiful, strong women who have been his muses, or retracing a journey that has included appearances as diverse as a performance before half a million people at Woodstock or an audience of one at the humble compound of the exiled Dalai Lama, Kiedis shares a compelling story about the price of success and excess. Scar Tissue is a story of dedication and debauchery, of intrigue and integrity, of recklessness and redemptiona story that could only have come out of the world of rock.

Customer Reviews:

Scar Tissue.......2007-09-06

Exactly what I was looking for, good book, good price, and took 5 days to ship as opposed to the 1 month it promised.

Brutally Honest.......2007-08-29

This is a fantastic read, and is very well written. Some very cool photos and lyrics are included. I spent the extra money to buy a hardcover version which is a good choice. The drug addiction and honesty that Anthony brings to that disease is worth the read alone. It is awesome he has found a way to deal with his addiction and keep writing and performing at an exceptional level.

truly inspirational book!.......2007-08-13

i was amased by this great reading. anthony isnt only an extraordinary performer but a very good writer. the moment i started reading it, i didn't let it out of my hands. fan or not of RHCP, you'll find this book entertaining.

Drugs, Women, Music and Drugs.......2007-07-25

For those who think they know the Chili Pepper story, or those that are new fans and are unaware of the beligerent lifestyle of the Chili's up unitl this decade, this book clears it all up. Discussed in a narrative voice, all the events and feelings are dictated by Anthony Kiedis and provide a real world connection to these superstars. His individual story as well as the group as a whole is shared in a way that makes them seem so human and makes anyone wonder, "how are these guys still alive, sane, and still making beautiful, boandary pushing music together?"

Never a dull moment!.......2007-07-15

All I can say is that I wanted to have a book to read over the course of about half of the summer and instead I read it in just a couple of days! It's heartfelt & candid. And its written through the voice of Anthony Kiedis rather than someone taking his thoughts and trying to put them in some dull, refined, intellectual way. Anyway, now I have to find something to read that won't bore me after reading this great book!

Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead

Average customer rating:

Moonlight Rain
Bass-ically where its at!
Interesting and Illuminating
Good 'Ol G.D.
Searching for a Ghost Writer

Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead
Phil Lesh
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316009989

Amazon.com

Phil Lesh, considered the most academic of the group due to his avant-garde classical composition training, literate mind, and passion for the arts, decided to write his story himself. Written without the crutch of a ghostwriter, Searching for the Sound might be considered disjointed in places, but overall it comes across as conversational, intimate, informative, and candid (particularly regarding topics of drug use and death). If you are familiar with the band and their extended family, their history, the sixties' musical milestones and influences and all the band's famous tales (the Garcia/ Lesh "silent" confrontation, being busted on Bourbon Street, the Wall of Sound), you may be a little disgruntled there is not much new here in the way of content. However, what is "new" and totally satisfying is Phil's warm, optimistic perspective on the many events that helped shape his life. As described by Lesh, his life's journey, much like the Dead's music, is "a [series] of recurring themes, transpositions, repetitions, unexpected developments, all converging to define form that is not necessarily apparent until it's ending has come and gone." For the many fans who enjoyed the fruits of his life pursuit of sonic explorations, Searching for the Sound is a welcome addition to their Dead library. --Rob Bracco

Book Description

Right in time for the Grateful Dead's 40th anniversary, eccentric bass player extraordinaire Phil Lesh has delivered fans a most welcome gift: his autobiography. There are many books out there about the Dead told from the perspective of roadies, journalists, third party observers, and fans.However, with the exceptions of Jerry Garcia's ramblings in Garcia: A Signpost to New Space and Conversations With the Dead, Lesh's Searching for the Sound is the first time a founding member of America's favorite band tells their own story of what it was like inside the Grateful Dead. And what a wonderful, strange tale it is. Phil Lesh, considered the most academic of the group due to his avant-garde classical composition training, literate mind, and passion for the arts, decided to write his story himself. Written without the crutch of a ghostwriter, Searching for the Sound might be considered disjointed in places, but overall it comes across as conversational, intimate, informative, and candid (particularly regarding topics of drug use and death). If you are familiar with the band and their extended family, their history, the sixties' musical milestones and influences and all the band's famous tales (the Garcia/ Lesh "silent" confrontation, being busted on Bourbon Street, the Wall of Sound), you may be a little disgruntled there is not much new here in the way of content. However, what is "new" and totally satisfying is Phil's warm, optimistic perspective on the many events that helped shape his life. As described by Lesh, his life's journey, much like the Dead's music, is "a [series] of recurring themes, transpositions, repetitions, unexpected developments, all converging to define form that is not necessarily apparent until it's ending has come and gone." For the many fans who enjoyed the fruits of his life pursuit of sonic explorations,Searching for the Sound isa welcome addition to their Dead library. --Rob Bracco

Customer Reviews:

Moonlight Rain.......2007-05-31

I FINALLY finished this book. It took two or three false starts (i.e., read up to page fifty and stop; wait a month or two, read up to page 50 and stop) but 6 days in the hospital (nothing life threatening) gave me ample time to finish the book. Fascinating- yes. Filled with interesting facts- yes. Reads more a history text book than the autobiography of a rock star- yes. I kept referring to a dictionary ever time (frequently) Phil used a word that I had never heard before. One cool thing is Phil refers to composers (Stockhausen, Berio, etc.) that most Deadheads would enjoy. (BTW, I've been hip to Stockhausen for several years. If you think the Grateful Dead invented "Space", you are wrong.) The same goes for references to books he has read. Basically, it's a slow read but very interesting. What I want to know is with all of the LSD he took, how he was able to remember tiny details from 1966?

Bass-ically where its at!.......2007-05-14

As a bassist myself, I relate to Lesh's writing and train of thought. He documents being a part of Grateful Dead as more of an ironic string of occurances than a drugged out trip. His book is incredibly personal while he discusses such moments as learning an instrument overnight, attending classical concerts while on tour, loosing friends, and finding the inner peace in chaos. He is funny, sad, and everything in between. Although some of the technical parts get a bit too detailed for those unfamiliar with sound technology, one can understand how dedicated he was to his craft aside from the music and lyrics. I liked how Lesh pointed no fingers, rather pushed towards the positives in everyone. I would recommend reading this book with Rock Scully's Living With the Dead because they follow the same format and share similar situations. Lesh's however comes across more intimately humorous. I strong urge readers to dig into this book!

Interesting and Illuminating.......2007-03-26

I've never been to a Dead concert, but once had a roommate in college who'd recorded about 100 of them, which he constantly played, so I've certainly heard my share of Live Dead. Everyone w/ a passing knowledge of the Dead knows that their best stuff was live, not studio. Just an observation that has nothing to do with the Lesh book. It's an interesting read and Lesh is an interesting character. Especially funny was how he got out of the army:
Army Doctor: "read the bottom line on the eye chart" Lesh: "I can't see anything" Army Doctor: "You can't see the bottom line of the chart?" Lesh: "What chart?" Army Doctor: "The chart on the wall" Lesh: "What wall?" Lesh certainly is thoughtful and observant. A good journey through the history of the Dead and sometimes quite moving.

Good 'Ol G.D........2007-01-21

My brother got this book signed by Phil himself. Another biography of the Grateful Dead. Written by One of the band members. It's good. Phils good. Check it out.

Searching for a Ghost Writer.......2006-11-23

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Not by the writing. In fact, some of the prose is quite unnerving, such as "if Mickey had been born Native American, his name would have been `Pushing the Envelope.'" Although he did remember the concept of foreshadowing from High School English, and he makes of point of highlighting all of the ominous signs of the chaos to come. But overall I was surprised, because, unlike many musicians' autobiographies I've read (for example, Miles Davis), Phil Lesh does not come off as a brittle narcissist. He does not use this opportunity as a format for squabbling, for giving his side of the story. He actually comes off as a thoughtful, sincere guy, and someone willing to take the time to reflect on the past.

I was interested to hear his take on the disintegration of the Grateful Dead in the eighties and nineties. His take on it was not unlike my own. He takes some ownership for his role, admitting that the Grateful Dead had become too large of an organization, too much of a money-maker with too many dependents. The band had to keep up an outrageous tour schedule, despite the obvious decline in the quality of the music and the painfully obvious deterioration of Jerry Garcia.

He makes a note-worthy observation about the parallel process between the band and the audience. At first, it was a bunch of guys with different musical backgrounds, but all with open minds, all in the right place at the right time, who used drugs to expand the individual consciousness of each member as well as the group consciousness in step with the counter-cultural revolution happening around them. They pushed boundaries but they also communicated with each other through the music, with novel sounds erupting organically from their collective experiments. But the drugs that fueled their creativity would also eventually isolate each of them from each other and from themselves. As alcoholism and heroin addiction destroyed the sense of community within the band, the dead head scene would suffer as well. By the end, prior to Jerry's death, you had a band on stage pretending they were playing together, pretending to play with even a fraction of their potential. And as an audience, we pretended too. Or at least those of us who still believed we were there for the music pretended, and the frat boys just came for the party. And they continued to sell out stadiums, while shows were marred by police stings, gate crashers, riots, tear gas, and death threats.

When I was catching shows, late eighties early nineties, you would hear two different kinds of fans as you filed out of one of their 2 in 3 mediocre shows. The Pollyanna-heads would be glowing, talking about how Jerry lifted his arm at one point, or almost rocked his shoulders with the beat, "Yeah, he was really into it tonight." The more jaded heads would just be complaining, complaining about the lackluster set-list, complaining the Jerry continued to tune himself down in the mix, that he was quitting on solos, that Bobby was trying to steal the show again. Both types annoyed me. I like to tell people that I quit going to shows because I realized that the fans who supported the Dead were enablers, burying our heads in the sand. But in reality, that's a post-hoc, grandiose explanation. I quit going because I was paying $35 for tickets a mile away from the stage, to see dishearteningly bad performances, while the drunken frat boys all around me didn't even know enough to get quiet during those increasingly rare moments of musical transcendence. The breakdown was complete, and for both band and audience, going to show meant little more than participating in a ritual.

Phil spends the most time on the early years. That's a good thing. That's the most interesting part. When they were actually hippies, living like hippies, and things were just starting to happen. Woodstock and Altamont are recounted not just as events but as contrasting symbols of everything that was good about the hippie scene and everything that was wrong about it. Ultimately it is a commentary on human nature, the capacity to love and experience ecstasy versus the tendency to retreat into hostility and hatred.

Like I said, Phil owns his role in it all, admits to mistakes, and doesn't spend a lot of time defending himself or trying to bolster his reputation. The only part where it felt like he had a little bit of a self-serving agenda was when he talked about the different directions he wanted to push the band, more experimentation with exotic time signatures for example. But even then, he talks about it in terms of lessons learned. He realizes he misread the mood of the band, they were content to play their songs and didn't want Phil as martinet. I think Phil is giving an honest account here. If you listen to the post-Dead music coming from all the living members of the Dead, it is Phil and Friends who continue to be the most exploratory. Though not the most charismatic of a stage presence, he may have been the biggest "believer" of the bunch, the most devout in his quest for the divine through the psychedelic. Along those lines, it's also interesting hearing Phil weave in and out of magical thinking. He's often grounded and very down-to-Earth, but moments later can go off on a tangent about any kind of mystical spirituality that he can tie in to the moment.

It's worth a read. Not great writing but good enough, readable, and will certainly be of interest to any fan of the band. The book ends with the recent history, the fall-out from Jerry's death, some of the ugly fighting over who owns the rights to what, and ultimately Phil's hepatitis and liver transplant. He really does end up sounding like a likeable guy, the grinning musical little brother of Jerry, the classically-trained marching band nerd, and the survivor who gets a second chance at the gift of being a father.

Average customer rating:

One Eyed Visionary
Great book, intresting facts, great, candid shots!!!!
For Photograghy Fans Too!
Photo by Sammy Davis Jr.
Great photos complement this wonderfully written book!

Photo by Sammy Davis, Jr.
Burt Boyar
Manufacturer: HarperEntertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0061146056
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

Sammy Davis, Jr. will forever be remembered as one of America's finest entertainers. An all–around performer who could sing, dance, and act, Davis broke racial barriers in the entertainment world and became the only non–white member of the Rat Pack. Only now, however, is Davis's talent as a photographer finally being recognized. In this previously unpublished collection of black and white photography, readers will be fascinated by Davis's portrayals of A–list performers, iconic world leaders, and scenes from everyday life. Davis's subjects include dozens of classic celebrities–such as Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman, and James Dean–who are often photographed at their most casual and revealing moments.

Accompanying the pictures is an assortment of remembrances by Burt Boyar, a longtime friend and traveling companion of Davis who collaborated with the entertainer on both of his autobiographies. Through a series of memorable anecdotes, Boyar reflects on Davis's many achievements as well as the private moments they shared as friends. Along with Davis's candid shots of ordinary life–from a group of children laughing to a baseball game at the Washington Monument–these stories reveal a side of the performer far removed from his Rat Pack persona.

The release of this book will also coincide with the release of Burt Boyar's upcoming documentary, Sammy Speaks, created from his extensive archive of taped conversations with the star.

Customer Reviews:

One Eyed Visionary.......2007-09-25

Few have personified the phrase "self-made man" as did legendary entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925-1990). The world remembers Davis for his varied and extraordinary accomplishments as an actor, singer, musician, dancer, and comedian.

But hardly anyone outside his circle of friends and family has been familiar with his photography--until now. With this hefty book, interspersed with reminisces by longtime friend Burt Boyar (who co-wrote Davis's autobiographies Yes I Can and Why Me?), his old fans and a new generation can revel in hundreds of images that reveal yet another significant facet of Davis's far-reaching talents.

Though Photo lacks the singular thematic focus of books published by such photographer-celebrities as Dennis Hopper and Gerry Spence, that's no drawback for this posthumously published volume. Rather, it pulls the reader into the exciting world of nightclubs, casinos, and Beverly Hills homes in which Davis moved, mostly from the late 1940s through early '70s. A voracious shutterbug, he took his photography seriously: his compositions are strikingly iconic, employing sophisticated use of line and form. Yet, his pictures are mostly snapshots--in the best sense of the word: they capture their subjects spontaneously, and his joie de vivre suffuses his work. Think of it as a highly stylized family album packed with candid portraits of "Rat Pack" pals Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Shirley MacLaine, as well as other famous friends like Nat "King" Cole, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Sidney Poitier, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Jerry Lewis, and Bill Cosby.

Among the more touching aspects of this book are the portraits of his actual family: his parents, his second wife May Britt and their children, and his third wife (and widow) Altovise Gore Davis. The most poignant are the many shots of actress Kim Novak, the first great love of Davis's life, who was forced by Columbia Pictures studio chief Harry Cohn to break off their relationship (interracial relationships were strictly taboo in 1950s Hollywood, not to mention in society generally).

One photograph, despite its matter-of-fact framing, is particularly chilling. Through the window of a passenger train en route to Miami, Davis snapped a picture of an elderly white gentleman on a station platform holding a cigarette, standing before a pair of double doors over which the foreboding phrase "WHITE WAITING ROOM" is painted. Davis's photographic abilities and inclinations were such that we see a mostly glamorous world through his eye. Thus, when we arrive at this jarring image, it's impossible not to apprehend it from his point-of-view--and also not to feel the sense of injustice that he must have experienced in the Jim Crow South as he clicked the shutter.

As Davis's show business career took off, many venues--even north of the Mason-Dixon Line--were happy to let blacks perform onstage; but the same headliner artists weren't even permitted to drink at the bar, use a dressing room, or occupy one of their hotel rooms. Photographs from Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial, and portraits of politician friends Senator Robert Kennedy and President Richard Nixon, give silent witness to Davis's largely forgotten achievements as an outspoken civil rights advocate.

Photo is a coffee-table book that won't spend much time on the coffee table if your houseguests are anything like mine. Because of a car crash in 1954, Sammy Davis, Jr., was left with only one eye. But what an eye this cat had!

Great book, intresting facts, great, candid shots!!!!.......2007-08-09

This book is so fun. It has so many candid great photo's, really intresting history on Sammy Davis Jr. and his relationship's. I really enjoyed this book. Great coffee table book.

For Photograghy Fans Too!.......2007-06-22

I originally picked up this book as a curiosity and found its links to a bygone era utterly fascinating. The subject matter, i.e., rat pack photos were wonderful but the photographic mastery of Davis Jr. is, I think, equally as stunning. A look into Davis Jr.'s remarkable life is given by him in the way, like other great photographers, he insightfully choses to document and communicate with his subjects through the lens. Again, like many great photographers, the images are powerful and soft, crisp and dazzling. More talent revealed from a man who had more in his baby finger than most of us have coursing through our entire bodies.
Bravo. Well done.

Photo by Sammy Davis Jr........2007-05-28

An excellent "coffee table" book that graphically recalls the fifties and sixties, and the hedonistic style of the Rat Pack and Sammy's many friends and colleagues. Beautifully captures the mood and style of the period.

Great photos complement this wonderfully written book!.......2007-04-21

An extremely fun book that reminds the reader of a very happy period of US entertainment history (including old Hollywood, the Rat Pack, and more). Lets the reader see Sammy's world from the camera's view, and what a great world it must have been. Boyer is a talented writer and put together a fabulous collection of photos. A perfect book for the coffee table that includes some great stories to go with the rare photos. A must have for any fan of mid-century Hollywood.

Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time

Average customer rating:

Nice idea, cute story, just not a great book.
Mix it up!
Tended to Ramble
It's Not Just About the Music
Captivating......

Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time
Rob Sheffield
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400083028
Release Date: 2007-01-02

Book Description

What Is love? Great minds have been grappling with this question throughout the ages, and in the modern era, they have come up with many different answers. According to Western philosopher Pat Benatar, love is a battlefield. Her paisan Frank Sinatra would add the corollary that love is a tender trap. Love hurts. Love stinks. Love bites, love bleeds, love is the drug. The troubadours of our times agree: They want to know what love is, and they want you to show them. But the answer is simple: Love is a mix tape.

In the 1990s, when “alternative” was suddenly mainstream, bands like Pearl Jam and Pavement, Nirvana and R.E.M.—bands that a year before would have been too weird for MTV- were MTV. It was the decade of Kurt Cobain and Shania Twain and Taylor Dayne, a time that ended all too soon. The boundaries of American culture were exploding, and music was leading the way.

It was also when a shy music geek named Rob Sheffield met a hell-raising Appalachian punk-rock girl named Renée, who was way too cool for him but fell in love with him anyway. He was tall. She was short. He was shy. She was a social butterfly. She was the only one who laughed at his jokes when they were so bad, and they were always bad. They had nothing in common except that they both loved music. Music brought them together and kept them together. And it was music that would help Rob through a sudden, unfathomable loss.

In Love Is a Mix Tape, Rob, now a writer for Rolling Stone, uses the songs on fifteen mix tapes to tell the story of his brief time with Renée. From Elvis to Missy Elliott, the Rolling Stones to Yo La Tengo, the songs on these tapes make up the soundtrack to their lives.

Rob Sheffield isn’t a musician, he’s a writer, and Love Is a Mix Tape isn’t a love song- but it might as well be. This is Rob’s tribute to music, to the decade that shaped him, but most of all to one unforgettable woman.

Customer Reviews:

Nice idea, cute story, just not a great book. .......2007-08-30

The story is of the power of music and one tragic loss. The author lost his wife unexpectedly and pieced together a book about their relationship in its before, during and after stages. Each chapter is headed by the tracklisting of a mixtape -- a customized amalgamation of songs, however random -- they had made. I was somewhat under the impression that the chapters would be more about the mixtapes they made together and less mile markers in the chronological tour of their relationship. The songs set the tone (somewhat) for the chapter to come, but there isn't necessarily any cohesion between the song choices themselves and the following few pages.

I understand how difficult it would be to pull that off, but I guess I had pretty high hopes.

Some parts of the book were beautiful in their tribute, but other parts just seemed like simple narrative. There were times when the anecdotes made Sheffield sound like he lived to a ripe old age and here he was remembering his early love. While I am sure we can get into how philosophically much more time passed in his life than ours after she died, he is still a young man. The book may have been cut down by a few pages, in fact all I really needed was some of the set up and the last chapter. In the last chapter it seemed like Sheffield finally let himself feel Renee's absence. Sharing in that, I finally began to feel for him.

For the most part, the book was enjoyable. I would argue that the inclusion of music into the story was a little over done (with countless references, name drops and lyrics spread throughout the book), but apparently that was how Rob and Renee lived. Those were the conversations they had.

The feeling I had the most while I read was that his story was a private one. I felt that he needed to write the book for his closure, to preserve her memory and to give himself perspective. While I am honored that he shared Renee with us all, I couldn't help but feel that I was intruding on something that was special to the two of them.

As previously mentioned, the final chapter could live and breathe on its own. The emotion that finally pulsed through those last few pages just about made up for its conspicuous absence earlier in the book. I never read achnowledgements, especailly when they are more than a paragraph but I read these. The last chapter spilled over into them and I couldn't help myself. I wanted to see the final goodbye and thank you written to Renee. After thanking everyone who helped write the book, I wanted to have my heart ripped out by a simple homage to Renee who will now live on forever in text. But while she was mentioned in the acknowledgements, she was never thanked. But then again, maybe that part was just too personal.

Its story, while sometimes buried under excessive music references, was sweet. The book was short; at 219 pages it is short enough to try it even if you aren't sure about it. All in all, Love is A Mix-Tape was a decent book.

Mix it up!.......2007-08-09

I generally don't stray outside the realm of strict fiction, but being a music lover (and a lover of mix tapes (or CDs these days)), I was intrigued by the notion of indexing one's relationship in terms of mix tapes.

I picked the book up on a whim, and then found myself riveted by both the writing and the story that Sheffield offers up. Even though I did not agree with most of the authors musical tastes throughout the book, his story and his love transcend such specifics. Sheffield manages to infuse his tale with both levity and gravity, is witty as well as poignant, often within the same paragraph. Even knowing the twists this tale must take, Sheffield carefully develops his relationship with the reader (and his wife, Renée) so that we acutely feel his greatest triumphs and his lowest blows. As the title proclaims, this is a book about life, and it is a book about loss, and it is all the more beautiful for it.

I found this book a joy to read, as it stands as a testament to how music binds us together and reminded me that each of our lives has a soundtrack to it. What makes this book truly impressive is how Sheffield's extremely personal story so easily becomes engrained within the reader, feeling familiar rather than foreign. It is a lovely tribute, and a wonderful peek at the human spirit. Highly recommended to anyone who loves music of any sort.

Tended to Ramble.......2007-08-03

I enjoyed the premise of the book which was a tribute to Rob Sheffields dead wife, but unfortunately many of the chapters seemed to be the authors stream of consciousness. My book club read this book as one of the members went to Hollins College and lived in the same dorm as Renee. She brought a yearbook and we all got a better idea of who she was. The authors choice of music was very interesting and the band descriptions were fascinating.

It's Not Just About the Music.......2007-07-11

Rob Sheffield's Love is a Mix Tape is a heart-breaking, uplifting, funny, sad and entirely human memoir about love and loss unified by Sheffield's love of music and his life-long penchant for crafting the mix tape. Music fans born in the 60's will recognize most of the music (and understand why, for example, the eighth grade dance mix tape had to have Free Bird and Stairway to Heaven to end the sides), but I don't think you have to know much about the music he mentions to enjoy this wonderful book because the book simply uses music as a way into his story about Renee. Renee was his wife with whom he shared an intense love and they found love through love of music as well. Renee died suddenly, tragically at a young age, but somehow Sheffield's engaging personality comes through so well in his writing that he makes this memoir overall an uplifting read, despite the undertones of intense sadness and loss. The love he has for Renee (and she for him) and the love of music, Sheffield's charming, self-deprecating humor makes this a wonderful read. I recommend this one to all, music-obsessed or not. Enjoy.

Captivating.............2007-07-05

Before reading this book, I was familiar with lots of Rob Sheffield's work with Rolling Stone. I would often buy the magazine specifically for his articles. His amazing writing also comes through in this memoir. I was completely engrossed in every page and every musical reference, even crying during many of these times. I would read this book over and over again. Such a sad story told in a remarkably dignified way.

All You Need To Know About the Music Business: 6th Edition

Average customer rating:

This one is the BEST! - Highly recommended!
All You Need To Know About the Music Business
One hell of a book!
A+
How the Traditional Music Business Works

All You Need To Know About the Music Business: 6th Edition
Donald S. Passman
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743293185

Book Description

For fifteen years, All You Need to Know About the Music Business has been universally regarded as the definitive, essential guide to the music industry. Now in its sixth edition, it has been completely revised and updated with crucial, up-to-the-minute information on the industry's major changes in response to today's rapid technological advances and uncertain economy. Veteran music lawyer Donald Passman is in the thick of this transformation and understands that anyone involved in the music business is feeling the deep, far-reaching effects of it. This latest edition of what the Los Angeles Times called "the industry bible" will lead novices and experts alike through the fundamental practices as well as the new, uncharted territory of one of this country's most dynamic industries.

In the music business, the key to success lies in knowing how to protect yourself. To do that, you need the best and most up-to-date advice available. Whether you are -- or aspire to be -- a performer, writer, or executive, Passman's comprehensive guide to the legal and financial aspects of the music world is an indispensable tool. Drawing on his unique professional experience as one of the most trusted advisors in the industry, Passman offers authoritative information on how to:

Select and hire a winning team of advisors -- personal and business managers, agents, and attorneys -- and structure their commissions, percentages, and fees in a way that will protect you and maximize these relationships

Master the big picture and the finer points of record deals

Navigate the ins and outs of songwriting, music publishing, and copyrights

Maximize concert, touring, and merchandising deals

This latest edition also includes information on:

Music downloads, webcasting, streaming-on-demand, and podcasting

The new video streaming services

How royalties are computed in the digital age

The latest developments in deals with independent labels, including upstream deals

Updates on all the traditional industry matters, such as royalties, advances, video budgets, and copyright law

In All You Need to Know About the Music Business, one of the industry's most influential figures shows you how to thrive in the most exciting business in the world. It's a book that no musician, entertainment lawyer, agent, promoter, publisher, manager, record company executive -- anyone who makes their living from music -- can afford to be without.

Customer Reviews:

This one is the BEST! - Highly recommended!.......2007-09-20

After reading half a dozen of this type of book, THIS is the one I bought! Covers nearly every aspect of the music industry including publishing, legal and management, merchandising, touring, record contracts, film licensing, the internet/ new media, etc. It even has a section on classical music. The only thing I don't like is the author's liberal (pun intended) use of leftist quips. Not appropriate. What sets it apart from others of its type though is the author gives clear and specific advice on nearly every issue, `Check for this,' `Avoid that,' etc. Very helpful to anyone who is seeking to enter the industry in any aspect. Buy this one!

All You Need To Know About the Music Business.......2007-07-21

Am trying to learn more about the music business to help out a friend and the book is great as there is a lot to know and it is informative.

One hell of a book!.......2007-06-01

I've read over two-dozen books on the music business- this is the best. If you only get a few bks on the biz, get this.

Something "Search Inside" doesn't tell you: Passman allows you to read this book choose-you-own-adventure style by telling you what you can skip if you are on the "Fast Track" or what you should not skip if you are on the "Intermediate Track."

A+.......2007-05-04

This book was a good read for those who really want to know the ins and outs of the industry. I am an indie artist myself so I would like to think I don't have it so harshly. Other than that, it was very informative.

How the Traditional Music Business Works.......2007-03-08

This is a great book if your looking to be socialized into the way the industry works (or doesn't as the case may be). If you read it from the perspective of; how the labels are ripping off fans, their employees (bands), and generally mismanaging themselves, then you can get a good understanding of where the opportunities are.

I'm not suggesting that this isn't a worthwhile read as some aspects still apply and it'll serve as a great history book of the way things used to be. That said, the need to actually cover how much is an acceptable level to be ripped off is obviously ridiculous and speaks volumes about the state of the industry. I have yet to find any other industry that generally accepts that there are acceptable levels of getting ripped off. I also find it offensive that the author (well established entertainment lawyer) suggests that there's really nothing wrong with lawyers representing both labels and artists. His message there can be boiled down to "it's a small field and the way things are...so get over it."

These are some of the fundamental reasons why the music establishment is going the way of ancient Greece. Industry execs have lost the passion of the music over the greed of their financial requirements, and the lawyers being paid by artists are misrepresenting them even though they have a fiduciary responsibility to protect them.

Other great supplemental reads are Million Dollar Mistakes and Behind the Glass.

Rockin' Out: Popular Music in the USA with CD (3rd Edition)

Average customer rating:

Formidable!!

Rockin' Out: Popular Music in the USA with CD (3rd Edition)
Reebee Garofalo
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0131897853

Book Description

Rockin' Out provides a comprehensive social history of popular music in the United States from the heyday of Tin Pan Alley to the current sounds of electronic dance music and teen pop, from the invention of the phonograph to the promise of the Internet. It offers an analysis and critique of the music itself and the conditions of its production and consumption. The book is organized chronologically and thematically around particular genres/styles of music and addresses such dimensions as race, class, gender, ethnicity, technology, copyright and the structure of the music industry as they affect the development of the music. The author examines the Tin Pan Alley era, mass media and the construction of race, the rise of rhythm and blues, the eruption of rock 'n' roll, the reaction to rock 'n' roll, the sixties, fragmentation of pop, the poles of pop, the eighties, youth culture and censorship, packaging pop for the new millennium and the future of music. For music fans and historians.

Customer Reviews:

Formidable!!.......2006-12-12

This book was truely beneficial in interpreting and learning music history. The pictures and articles relate very much to college students in the modern day. It was an easy read and as a professor it was easy to make exam questions based on readings. Je l'aime bien!

Average customer rating:

Fabulous Book about a classic lady!
If your an Audrey Hepburn fan you will love this book
A must-have for Audrey fans!
Love this book!
simply wonderful

The Audrey Hepburn Treasures
Ellen Erwin , and Jessica Z. Diamond
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743289862

Book Description

With nearly thirty movies, countless awards, and an unwavering commitment to UNICEF, Audrey Hepburn's life served as an example of both style and purpose. From her early dance performances for the Dutch resistance during World War II to her London cabaret days and her breakthrough roles in Gigi and Roman Holiday, audiences worldwide have long been enchanted by Audrey's charm and grace.

Now, in this lavishly illustrated biography -- created with the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund -- Audrey's own words are given center stage to create a unique personal narrative. This special collection also includes approximately 200 black-and-white and color photographs selected by the Hepburn Estate, as well as reproduced mementos from Audrey's life. Thirty-four removable documents include an excerpt from her Breakfast at Tiffany's script with handwritten notes, a letter she sent to husband Mel Ferrer while preparing for The Nun's Story, and a birth certificate announcement marking the arrival of her first son.

A dazzling celebration of an extraordinary human being, The Audrey Hepburn Treasures offers fan an intimate and revealing portrait of the woman they admire and adore.

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous Book about a classic lady!.......2007-08-16

My mom loves Audrey Hepburn, and this book is just wonderful. It's like a personal scrapbook all about Audrey and Amazon has it $[...] cheaper than any store. It made for the perfect birthday present!

If your an Audrey Hepburn fan you will love this book.......2007-07-31

I was given this book as a birthday gift. I am a huge Audrey Hepburn fan. I think she is not only beautiful but she is an exceptional actress. She carries herself with a great deal of class. Looking through the book I felt as though I were looking through her own personal scrapbook. She went through so much in life but always came across as caring and graceful. The book is beautifuly written and I love the way it is put together with the snapshots and other wonderful surprises in the pages. This book gives you a wonderful glimpse into what her life was like. This is without a doubt one of the best Audrey Hepburn books I have ever read.

A must-have for Audrey fans!.......2007-04-06

The Audrey Hepbrun Treasures book is a treasure trove indeed, for it contains pictures and mementos from Audrey's amazing life. The book contains a foreword by Audrey's son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, and is chronologically arranged, starting with Audrey's early childhood, her first role as a dancer, and goes on with her move to the silver screen, her marriages, her work with UNICEF, and finally her legacy. What makes this book truly unique is its format: it is presented in the form of a scrapbook, with reproductions of baby photos, family pictures, a wartime ID card, programs of Audrey's performances, and numerous other personal documents [birth certificate of her son, personal letters etc.]. These help to give us an insightful look into Audrey's amazing life, and help us to better understand this beautiful and graceful lady, who has inspired many by her beauty, her talent, and her convictions.

Love this book!.......2007-03-12

Not only is the book an excellent read about Audrey Hepburn, but the envelopes throughout the book that are filled with keepsakes and memoralbilia are wonderful! Great gift idea, also!

simply wonderful.......2007-03-08

This Audrey Hepburn book is great for any Audrey Collector. It arrived in good timming, and is in perfect condition. It is very unique in the fact that is more of a scrap-book style book with vellum packets full of letters, invitations etc. that she wrote/ received throughout her lifetime.

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