Entertainment Books

As a high tech major I had to buy this book for one of my classes. Horrible book. So basic I do not even know why they made it. Should be called Computer Basics 101.

I recieved the book fairly quick and there were no problems with it.
I am pleased with the book.

This book was great for a beginner in the Information Technology degree path. It breaks out principals simply, and in a way that's easy to understand for the average reader. The chapters are medium in length and I found them easy to read. I had to order this book for ITS101, that I'm taking in order to gain my degree. I felt the book was easy to read and a great source of information, even though I have over 15 years of IT experience.

Mr.Rothe has lovingly put together the photographs of burlesque stars and forgotten performers that would have appeared in publicity packages, coming attractions posters,lobby cards, and advertisments fifty years ago. Not all of the women are conventionally beautiful, and their costumes would be considered less than risque by current standards. These are women that time and mainstream history have ignored.The exsistence of their images is important: for feminists, for people interested in the history of costume, for modern consumers of sex work, for those that think of Doris Day as being the penultimate 1950's woman. Enjoy this piece of work and contemplate where these lovely ladies are now...

Marvelous collection of vintage photos assembled into a lovely coffee-table book. It's difficult to remember that most of these photos were taken a half century ago because the quality is so spectacular.

Suggested companion reading:
"The Bare Truth" - Len Rothe
"Gypsy" - Gypsy Rose Lee
"Minsky's Burlesque" - Morton Minsky
"My G-String Mother" - Erik Lee Preminger
"This Was Burlesque" - Ann Corio

First of all, a little context: There have been only 2 thorough bios of Billy, both in just the last couple of years. This one, and Hank Bordowitz's "Life of an Angry Young Man." As often stated, the bios are rare because Billy and his friends wouldn't talk. Now, thanks to Billy's alienation of those friends, they're talking. Of the two, Bordowitz has the better book, but it's worth comparing the two to get the full picture.

The story of Billy's grandparents is described in detail for the first real time in print (although Bego relies heavily on a PBS documentary of the Joels), and this was good to see. Unfortunately, Bego does a much less thorough job covering Billy's early years. Not only is it covered with less detail, but he seems to rely heavily on previously published interviews with Billy. And as Bego himself references, Billy's memory is not only bad but criminally selective. For example, Bego seems to take Billy at his word surrounding the events of Billy's attempted suicide circa 1969. Hank Bordowitz has a completely different description of the incident, but Bego doesn't even mention that there's a conflict between Billy's memory and the facts. Regrettably, there is also still very little about Billy's odd jobs between Attila and his first solo album. Granted, only Billy (who won't or can't recollect these events) could fully piece together that era, and maybe it's a small point, but it's a shame that time period of Billy's life still remains vague.

The rest of the book is basically a pastiche job of Billy's interviews and other publicly known material. But Bego has two things going for him: First of all, it's a very good compendium of the info that's out there; so even if you knew all this stuff, you finally have it in one read. Secondly, the newer, most revealing things come from interviews from former band members who actually go on record and recall specifics, which gives Bego, I think, a leg up over the Bordowitz book.

Some notable downsides: Bego makes some serious, hilarious goofs. One is to quote a National Enquirer story without any comment on how dubious the source material is (maybe he thought it wasn't necessary, I don't know). He also attributes a quote of Billy's to "The Nylon Curtain," even though the quote was clearly referencing "An Innocent Man"--with hilarious results. But the biggest weakness of the book are the song analyses: Not only are they weak and redundant--most fans don't need to be told what "Piano Man" is about--but he occasionally gets them wrong. In fact, at one point, he says "Temptation" is about Christie--and then 2 pages later quotes Billy as explaining that it's about Alexa!

Now for the technical writing complaints (some will say "nitpicking," but I gotta get 'em off my chest). I don't know how Bego got this book past an editor (presumably he had one??). He often wanders into odd segues and non sequiturs. And he's CONSTANTLY misusing the word "ironically." For example, he talks about how Billy couldn't graduate high school because of a missing English credit. Bego follows this up with, "Ironically, the principal who gave Billy his diploma was his former gym teacher." WHA--? On what planet is that "ironic"?! And, someone tell Bego to stop using a comma after "and" (like I just did). Sorry, but this had to be said.

And yes, Billy comes out looking bad after this. But maybe he should. The band members' stories seem to dovetail, and Bego is gentle in his soapboxing. It's not a hatchet job; it's not investigative journalism; but it is an interesting and revealing read.

While it's nice to have a biography about Billy Joel on the shelves, author Mark Bego leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to not only how he compiled the book from various interviews, but his poor writing style as well. As a diehard Billy Joel fan, it was really weird to see Bego misplace quotes Billy made at the time for the Innocent Man album into the portion of the book regarding The Nylon Curtain album.

Bego also doesn't seem to know squat about the Beatles, calling Abbey Road their "most psychedelic album" at the time, and one that was "filled with backward messages." Any Beatles fan worth their salt can only shake their head at such incorrect "facts." But Bego does the same thing to Billy's own catalog, even going so far as to say the little ad libs at the end of "Say Goodbye To Hollywood" on the Turnstiles album was him talking to his bandmates. Apparently Billy saying "Hey! Where you going?" went completely over Bego's head within the context of the song.

There are also typos galore. It's amazing that this book even made it to print. While reading the interviews with bandmates Liberty, Richie, and Russell do make some interesting reading, Bego's prose surrounding those moments reads like a 6th grader's hastily written biography of the artist instead of someone whose apparently published many books on rock artists. But one look at Bego's picture on the back inner dust flap pretty much says it all: A goofball sitting eating a plate of spaghetti with his shirt unbuttoned to show off his ample chest hair and gold necklaces. Dude, it's not 1978 anymore.

All that said, Billy Joel fans may find a few things worth delving into here that they might not have known previously, but a serious biogprahy or autobiography even needs to be written about Billy after this long. Unfortunately, we'll only have books like Bego's half-hearted attempts to fill the book shelves. A pity.

This is the worst book I have ever seen in print. It is obviously cut-and-pasted from a mishmash of online interviews and other unreliable sources. Bego repeats the exact same information and phrases in various chapters, supposedly talking about completely different things. He uses an incredible amount of cliches and his explanations of Billy's songs read as though a five year-old child had written them. There are numerous typos and errors that even a half-witted editor would notice. As if all that isn't bad enough, the second half of the book is basically the Liberty DeVitto whine-fest. Maybe the drummer didn't get paid as much as he thought he should have, but shouldn't he write his own book, rather than taking over someone else's? As a fan of both good writing and Billy Joel, I am very sorry to have wasted my money on this tripe. Bego is not a writer, and his editor should be fired.

As a Billy Joel fan, I appreciated the unknown tidbits, such as Billy's attempted suicide and that "Rosalinda's Eyes" was a tribute to his mother.

BUT (and this is a very strong negative) the writing style is awful. As other reviewers have said, Bego consistently repeats himself (using the same adjective 2x in one sentence, rehashing the same theme within the same paragraph or page). In addition, he dedicates a book to a photographer friend, he widely quotes this same friend as if he has firsthand knowledge of Billy, and not surprisingly most of the photos in the book are from the same source. Journalistic integrity? Gone.

Bego provides scant detail into Billy's upbringing (with no childhood/family photos) and regurgitates historical and musical details that do not deepen the reader's understanding of Billy Joel. Does having Watergate explained in detail, or knowing Whitney Houston's height, or having a sentence list more than a dozen of Elvis' song titles drive the narrative forward? I think not.

In my opinion, this under-edited book is solely to be skimmed to ferret out details unfamiliar to the reader. Too bad, I was expecting much more.

Don't waste your money. If you really want to read this go to the library or wait to see if it ever becomes a paperback. If you don't know the importance of a good editor then read this book. It is a terribly written book, almost to the point that it was hard to read. I will leave it to other smarter people to give specific details. But the entire time I was reading I felt the author was told. "Hey the book needs to be 330 to 350 pages". If you tell the reader that he grew up with out a TV you don't have to mention that 10 more times over the course of the chapter. Or give 8 to 10 examples of musical contemporaries when 2 or 3 will do.

As for the content, well now I will be eagerly waiting for an autobiography, then the truth will be between the two books. If Billy's ex band mates were to form a band it should be called the "Sour Notes". It is telling that no one associated with Mr. Joel currently was interviewed directly by the author, or if they were their interviews contradicted those of Mr. DeVitto and were omitted. I also thought is was curious that the author omitted whether or not it was a normal business practice not to have session musicians or touring musicians under contract? Billy Joel is a solo act with a backing band. He has never been like Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band or Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band. Perhaps that is a fact lost on the author and Mr. DeVitto. The disgruntled band members Mr. DeVitto et al. seem to take a lot of credit for influencing the music. But none have ever equaled the success they had when with Mr. Joel. Mr. DeVitto and his cohorts found a sympathetic ear in Mr. Bego, who managed to compile a book made from jaded memories of disgruntled former employees, gossip column snippets, and music reviews.

I just finished reading "Tony and Me" by Jack Klugman. It's a wonderful dedication to the memory of his best friend Tony Randall, of whom he had the pleasure of working with in various projects for many years, including 5 years together on a TV show. In the book he discusses the work they did on "The Odd Couple", their plays together and some personal reasons why the friendship mattered so much. As a reader it was visible how much of his heart went into making this. He does say their friendship went beyond "The Odd Couple" and their work, and as a reader we can see it. He has written this lovely tribute with grace, respect and love. It's a short book, but one that I just kept reading (I finished it in 2 hours). This was a partnership that started from acting together but it grew beyond that, with their friendship becoming first and foremost. He put it best in the beginning of his book "For Tony". Thank you Mr. Klugman for sharing your friend with us. As a fan of both men I appreciate it. I highly recommend "Tony and Me". The bonus DVD is a real extra treat....
I have a best friend too that I met while working together. True friendship is about accepting each other's imperfections and looking past the silliness we've done. Thank you for putting that in perspective. I know we appreciate this more!

This was a wonderful story of friendship. Jack wrote this after Tony died. It briefly tells about how they met, how The Odd Couple came to be and how their friendship became a life savor for Jack, especially after he was diagnosed with throat cancer. Tony was instrumental in building Jack's confidence back after Jack lost his voice from cancer surgery so that Jack could perform again. Tony was also helpful in allowing Jack to see how important friendship is, especially during rough times. Jack never thought much of friendships. He was a loner and reluctant to open himself up to trusting anyone. But, Tony showed Jack how much he cared and how much he was routing for him when he was trying to come back as an actor. This book is a tribute to a partnership, a very successful partnership. Included in the book is a DVD of some outtakes from The Odd Couple. This was the icing on the cake.

I recently saw Jack Klugman in a production of the Sunshine Boys and he signed my book!

Jack does a fine job of recounting their careers and eventual freindship. Could have been longer found myself wanting more. The DVD is way too short again I wanted more.

Reading this book by Jack Klugman, you could almost see it written by Tony Randall. Far more vulnerable and sensitive that you would expect from the characterization we see of his public persona.

The book was very insightful and surprising on the complexity of these two individuals and the relationship they developed over the years. I was duly impressed.

He sums it up quite well at the end of the book:

"If you're like I was, or you're someone who likes to hold a grudge, or you've never really let someone know what they mean to you because you're afraid, ask yourself this question: what are you really protecting? If you look, you'll see it: nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just phantoms from old wounds that never healed. Give them up and join the people in your life who love you. Risk it all. For me, it was the best gamble I ever made."

In this, though the book is easy and quick to read, it is an epic in personal growth as well as a tribute to the effect those we let in our lives have on us.

"A Boy Named Shel" is really a mixed bag. On one hand, it is an incredibly interesting read, due entirely to its subject matter - Shel Silverstein was a fascinating individual who lived life to the fullest, and his passion for creation and zest for the here-and-now clearly comes through in the telling of his life.

On the other hand, Rogak is a horrible author and biographer. The biography itself is comprised largely of quotes by people who knew him, and in that respect I believe Rogak should only really claim editorial (as opposed to authorial) rights. Her actual writing is poorly organized and even more poorly executed, and would greatly detract from a less luminous subject than Silverstein. It is unfortunate that such a creative and successful person fell prey to such a biographer.

I echo the sentiment that this is not a great book. While Shel Silverstein was a remarkable and influential figure (certainly he was in my life), Mrs. Rogak's language and presentation makes for a seemingly unauthorized biography. Why there is one early cartoon featured in the whole book and not one poem I find unforgiveable. A cartoonist and poet and song writer and not a significant representation of such work in a bio? Perhaps the estate didn't authorize, though Rogak seems to have access to many of his friends and has done research to quote previous interviews. Silverstein was a special bird, full of contradictions and ever creative until the end but this book, which covers chronologically his life, doesn't dig into anything of significance.

This book was a great buy. I have always heard that Shel was a very private person, but this book had great detail about his life. Easy read and interesting.

What's it like to be born with more artistic talent than ten ordinary artists combined? Lisa Rogak's book about Shel Silverstein provides one answer to that question, and the answer is this: It's different.

Shel Silverstein was an accomplished cartoonist, a poet, a talented jazz musician, a writer of movie scores and rock-and-roll and country western hit songs, an author of best-selling children's books, and a noteworthy playwright.

If an editor asked Silverstein to change a word in one of his poems, Silverstein couldn't directly comply, even if he wanted to. The closest he could come to it was to tear up the poem and re-write it from scratch without the offending word. Yet Silverstein's loyalty to his own creative vision never got in the way of collaborating with other artists. Indeed, he sought opportunities to collaborate with others, he produced great work on a collaborative basis, and he was generous in sharing credit with his collaborators.

Although Silverstein seldom explained his work except to say that it explained itself, Rogak has done an effective job of characterizing both the work and the worker behind it and placing them in perspective with the help of stories and anecdotes collected from dozens of Silverstein's friends, associates, and artistic collaborators.

Shel Silverstein deserves a much better biography than Lisa Rogak has written. She has horrible grasp of flow, which greatly diminishes the pleasure of reading about such a truly talented man. I am so disappointed in her work.

Walter Matthau always enjoyed fabricating his past. From false name (Matuschanaskayasky) to false ancestors (his father was not an orthodox priest). Most of his biographers dutifully reported all those false informations he fed them over the years, until the "real" person of the actor nearly disappeared under the flood of anecdotes. Now - the long list filled with the names of interviewed persons confirms it - Rob Edelman and Audrey Kupferberg set out to search after the "real" Walter Matthau. From his miserable childhood on New York's lower East-Side to the U.S.Army Air-Corps, to Broadway. Scene-stealing supporting parts in films, and finally, the big breakthrough at the late age of 55 with "The Odd Couple" and "The Fortune Cookie".

The best thing about this book is, that we finally get to know more about the private person than we used to know about the public one. This biography gives an astonishing frank account of the star's weaknesses (He lost about $5 million on the race-track) and his failures. The whitewashing is only minimal: no, it's not the lawyer who is to blame if the ex-wife isn't well off. The fact that his first family (including his two children) disappeared completely from public sight once he started his second one is honestly mentioned. Matthau's health problems are described in such detail that his son was even criticized for his, well, detailed description. Fortunately "Matthau - a life" does NOT contain exhaustive interpretations of his films - read the Allan Hunter book for this - but on 338 pages on which not one word is wasted exactly what the title promises: The story of a man and his life. Essential reading.

Walter Matthau is one of my favorite movie stars. He was a great comic actor, and (as noted in this book) he also played drama as well as just about anyone. Plus, off-camera, he was such a memorable personality. This book is loaded with facts and insight about Matthau's life, and interviews with people who knew him. I particularly loved reading about his childhood on the Lower East Side, his time spent during World War II, how he broke into the entertainment industry, and his lifelong gambling problem. Great book!!!!

I've always been a fan of Walter Matthau, and was looking forward to reading this book. I found that it was loaded with information about him. I didn't know that he appeared in so many 1950s television shows, for example, and that he acted in so many dramas before playing Oscar Madison. I also enjoyed reading about his childhood, his military service in World War II, and his friendship with Jack Lemmon. A first-class read!!!

Too bad Wood's story-book career is overshadowed by the many unanswered questions surrounding her death. How ironic, I suppose, that the high-profile, high-pressure industry she so excelled at also had a lot to do with many of those questions going unanswered. The sorry fact is that LA's biggest industry has long influenced police investigation when scandal threatens the Hollywood image, all the way back to the murder of William Desmond Taylor.

In fact, the book's best part is what I take to be the author's no-punches-pulled, eye-witness testimony surrounding that fateful November night. Two particularly damaging aspects of the investigation emerge-- no sheriff's effort at putting together a time-line surrounding Wood's sudden disappearance (p.441), and the sheriff's refusal to even contact credible witnesses overhearing cries for help during that time frame (pps. 431- 432). Couple that with Frank Sinatra's effort to get respected county coroner Thomas Noguchi removed from the case (p.435), and a classic instance of industry string-pulling takes shape.

This is not to insinuate that criminal behavior was necessarily involved in the drowning. Neither the book nor I am implying that. However, there is a clear implication of botched procedures that remained remarkably incurious about conflicting accounts and details surrounding the death. Efforts to spare family feelings are understandable. But such factors should not impede justice from being done. Then too, I wonder if family feelings would be such a factor were the deceased from poverty-ridden East LA. In my view, this is another instance of investigation being boxed-in by big money, big reputations, and big industry. After all, as the fan mags liked to brag, Natalie and RJ were Hollywood "royalty". Nonetheless, the little girl many of us grew up with deserved better, royalty or not.

Natalie Wood had what amounts to an amazing Hollywood career. Unlike the great majority of child stars, her career remained uninterrupted from childhood through mature adulthood. This was a testament both to her talent and her ability to stay employed through life's inevitable changes. Author Finstad pinpoints the central conflict in her life-- the tension between the person herself (Natasha) and her carefully crafted show-biz persona ("Natalie Wood"). After all, she was a professional actress from age six, so it's not surprising that the real person had little chance to develop and that what there was remained submerged under the movie star creation. Mom comes across as the real culprit behind this split and something of a dark Rasputin-like force in Wood's life.

Curiously, little mention is made of the turbulent Vietnam period when old Hollywood was eclipsed by the new, so-called counter-culture. A glance at Wood's movie credits shows a sharp drop-off after 1966, the first big year of the war. Yet, there's not a single mention of Vietnam nor (I believe) of the war itself. This seems odd given the cultural and commercial impact on the movie industry of social and political forces then on the march. It would be interesting to know her reaction since the movement rejected the whole glamor factory concept. I don't know if the absence of material means Natalie and her circle simply floated above the national trauma or what. Anyway, I find this a curious silence in what is otherwise a pretty exhaustive text.

All in all, Finstad's biography is a close account of Wood's personal life. I wish there had been more on the business side, but probably sources there were hard to find since insiders play the business dealings pretty close to the vest. Also, the text could have used tighter editing since the detail at times gets somewhat repetitious. Nonetheless, the book is an insightful look into America's great game of celebrity worship and the ups and the downs of a fairy-tale life. I'm just sorry that if a body had to be pulled from the water, it wasn't Natasha's-- it was Natalie Wood's. And from that moment on the interests of the Hollywood glamor factory took over. Even in death, Natasha was suppressed.

Natasha: The biography of Natalie Wood was written by Suzanne Finstad. She claims to be a die-hard fan of Wood and that part is probably true but the way she writes about her favorite star is calculated and contrived. We know Natalie drowned, which was her biggest phobia and she married three times, twice to the same man. This book is a real page turner but you can't help but wonder what is fiction and what is real, even Wood's eldest daughter called this book trash, decide for yourself.

If you are over the age of 25 in America, you have heard of Natalie Wood. The tragically deceased movie star is akin to an icon in our nation's past. This thoroughly researched biography gives insight into her early life and behind the scenes information about her movies. With quotes from original sources, such as Wood's family members and staff, and second hand sources, such as magazine articles, the details of Natalie's life are spread before us.
I was only semi-knowledgeable about this actress prior to reading the book. I had only ever seen her three most famous movies, Rebel Without a Cause, West Side Story, and Miracle on 34th Street. Since this book, I have been compelled to familiarize myself with more of her work.
The author is, I believe, I first-time biographer, and although I haven't read terribly many biographies, I found her style somewhat heavy-handed. She also needs to familiarize herself better with the concepts of "foreshadowing" and "irony." One thing I found very annoying about the writing was that the author felt the need to remind us, over and over, of who people were. For example, she introduces us to Debbie Reynolds "who was originally considered for the part of Judy." Then, a paragraph later, she quotes Reynolds again, identifying her as "the actress who almost got [Natalie's] part." Scarcely a paragraph later, Reynolds "who almost played Judy" is quoted again. I did not need these reminders, as I (and I would imagine most other reasonably intelligent readers) can remember what was written from paragraph to paragraph. Also, I am quite unfamiliar with movie stars and directors from this period, so I would imagine people who were alive during this time or more well-versed on in this subject might be even more frustrated than I was.
Finstad also kept pushing the idea that "Natalie Wood" was a "composite" of Natalie herself and her mother, Maria. I was willing to accept the assertion at first, as Maria pushed Natalie into stardom, but later, as Natalie grew up, it seemed Finstad was massaging the facts to support her claim.
In conclusion, I learned a lot from Finstad's thorough research and interviews with close friends and family members of Ms. Wood, but I would not read a book by her again. I have wish-listed another biography of Natalie Wood, and would be interested to see whether this concept of the "composite" Natalie Wood is more pervasive.

This book read more like fiction than fact.I was horrified at the things Natalie went through to become and remain a star. I was thrilled by her ability to overcome all and become one of the most respected actors of her time.I wanted to lash out at someone about the way she died and I wanted someone charged with a crime.With that said, I thought too much time was spent describing her early years and her background but that is a minor complaint.Natalie was a favorite of mine so I enjoyed the book.Natalie: A Memoir by Her Sister

This is one of the very few biographies where i was left feeling i knew the subject intimately and deeply. I have always felt that Natalie Woods life was a highly fascinating and karmically complex one.
The author certainly confirmed that and i didnt find the prose to be overly dramatic at all.
She is a talented writer as well as a biographer and for me, that makes a huge difference.
I like depth, insight, and good writing,
a wonderful subject is of course important and this book had it all.

I found the book to be a great information resource into her life and career start. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the out of order details, found to much jumping forward then back, or back then forward, but other than that, I thought is was a great book and I still love jenny in a big way, she is the greatest.

When my boyfriend gave me this book as a joke for my birthday, I didn't find it very amusing! You see, up to this point, I was one of the hopefully few "Jenny-haters" out there. But I decided to give the book the benefit of the doubt and give it a whirl, and I have to say that I was more than just pleasently surprised! Jenny McCarthy is not only very down-to-earth, but she's witty, hilarious, and quite frankly...normal! It was so refreshing to read that she isn't perfect after all - that she had acne, and stretch marks, and bad hair days, and bozo boyfriends. This book flys by, and I really didn't want to put it down. I am so glad I decided to read this book, not only because it was 100% entertainment, but because it gave me a chance to meet the "real" Jenny McCarthy. I loved it!

It tells us secrets about Jenny never evealed before.It's a little costly but well worth it.

The title should tell it all: Jen X. It should read Jen O because she is a negative interger. Take away those breasts, and she is just another annoying self serving celebrity with little talent. This book is a must read for airheads, retards, mutants and crackheads. Enjoy!

I think the book was one of the greatest books i have ever read. i could realate so much to her. she is my like idol and i was so happy when i found out she had a book coming out. i bought it the very first day i saw it at the mall. one day i hope i can meet her but i know that will never happen but all in all the book was really good~! i think everyone needs to buy this book and see just how much she is like anyone of us!!! well if your out there jenny mccarthy i just wanna say hi and maybe i will be lucky enough to see you one day! i love you! you are so cool! well people i have said enough, now you need to go get the book that i am raving about!please buy it! it will make me happy! well cya people! hope you read this jenny!!!! from: Your biggest fan in the world!!!!jenny h

I really enjoyed this in depth look into the life of my favourite bass player.

I've learned so much more about a guy I thought I had a pretty decent knowledge of anyway! The author, Bill Milkowski, really knows his stuff. He had a personal relationship with Jaco and writes in a way I found intriguing, I really could not put this book down.

To any musician - not just bass players - this book is a must. giving a detailed account of Jaco's genius in writing, composition, arrangement and whole approach to music which at the time really made the man stand out from the crowd.

Filled with interviews taken at the time and more up to date accounts of Jaco's antics the book makes you laugh out loud and at times shed a tear at what this remarkable man could have achieved had his life not been so tragically cut short.

The chronological approach of the author made it very easy to follow Jaco's life from his birth, through childhood, his rights of passage on the music scene to the point where he truly sat on top as the world's greatest bass player, all the way to his sad demise, fall from grace and that fateful night and what truly happened.

First off, the title is great. There is no doubt that Jaco is one of the most (if not the most) gifted bass players of all time. The book documents his life as a young boy who picked up the bass (after he could not play drums any longer because he broke his arm), his career and his later years when he suffered from mental illness and died at 33. I bring up the question of accuracy as it has been raised by others as well.

One criticism about the book has been that it sensationalizes Jaco's destructive behaviour and takes away from his legacy. This is a point made by Metheny (who was a friend and a fellow musician) in the liner notes of Jaco's debut album. Also I have asked the opinion of (via a short e-mail) Jaco's second wife. Her website that details some minor inaccuracies that exist in the first edition.

That being said the book is well written and gives insight into Jaco's life. Milkowski (who is a music journalist) portrays Jaco as an extremely gifted, hard working and narcisisstic man who self destructs at the end due to bipolar disease. The clues to Jaco's illness are evident from his early years. He plays tirelessly and at times seldom sleeps. At the end of his life he self destructs due to a number of reasons including refusal comply with treatment for his illness,drugs and drinking.
One has to wonder what it says about our society that no one helped Jaco when he was clearly suffering towards the end. I posted the same question to Jaco's wife and her answer was that one has to be willing to accept help.

Mental illness is still misunderstood my most of the world. People who suffer from it can be hard to deal with and be around. I hope that if the same scenario plays out today, with better understanding of mental illness, the outcome would be different. But I am not an optimist.

I remember Jaco Pastorius through several great concerts with Weather Report and a sizzling show with Word of Mouth at the Cleveland Agora.

For those who had the chance to appreciate his music live or for so many that are grooving to Jaco many years after his death, the updated biography - with a CD that includes additional material - by Bill Milkowski is the best way to piece together the complicated rise and fall of the brilliant musician.

Milkowski has exhaustive interviews with musicians, family members, media, friends and lovers that are split in chapters to coincide with his years as a musician with a dream, the height of musical achievement and then leaving Weather Report, and the controversial years after leaving the group that found Jaco spiralling out of control personally and musically.

That Jaco was a musical genius cannot be denied. The book will leave you wondering why Jaco - as with too many artists - took his gift and tossed it into the abyss of "what could have been."

This book is a well done biography worth reading. Unfortunately it focuses mostly on the sensationalism of Jaco's life. Looking back what you remember is story after story of his out of control behavior, and attempts to explain it by blaming the negative people in his life. I would have liked to have heard more of his successes. It is an excellent book for musicians, but even better for anyone in the field of mental health.

This extrodinary man had serious mental health problems. It seems the only time he had a chance was when he was arrested and put in Bellevue psychiatric hospital. Unfortunately he always convinced friends to get him out. Even the author admits to this mistake.

This without a doubt one of the saddest books I have ever read especially since I know and love his music and talent. But also because had he lasted another 10 years, new drugs may have helped.

However there were too many hangers on and bad influences. It reminds me of the old Rodney Dangerfield joke in which he states,"I appeal to people who can do me absolutely no good."

In this book there is plenty of blame to go around.

This book reads at times like a hagiography of Jaco. Yeah, Jaco's flaws are enumerated, but there is an obvious worship of Jaco by the author. Having said that, it is still a good book. It is a very thorough biography. It is a little different, in that it helps to have a knowledge of the intricacies of music, e.g., specific chord changes are mentioned. Yo, I took piano, so I don't know a D chord from a G chord on a guitar. Still, I enjoyed the book and learned a lot.

The 40 minute CD that comes with the book, is a real nice bonus by the author. Thanks.