Book Description
Born on a Blue Day is a journey into one of the most fascinating minds alive today -- guided by its owner himself. Daniel Tammet sees numbers as shapes, colors, and textures, and he can perform extraordinary calculations in his head. He can learn to speak new languages fluently, from scratch, in a week. In 2004, he memorized and recited more than 22,000 digits of pi, setting a record. He has savant syndrome, an extremely rare condition that gives him almost unimaginable mental powers, much like those portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in the film Rain Man.
Daniel has a compulsive need for order and routine -- he eats the same precise amount of cereal for breakfast every morning and cannot leave the house without counting the number of items of clothing he's wearing. When he gets stressed or is unhappy, he closes his eyes and counts. But in one crucial way Daniel is not at all like the Rain Man: he is virtually unique among people who have sev- ere autistic disorders in that he is capable of living a fully independent life. He has emerged from the "other side" of autism with the ability to function successfully -- he is even able to explain what is happening inside his head.
Born on a Blue Day is a triumphant and uplifting story, starting from early childhood, when Daniel was incapable of making friends and prone to tantrums, to young adulthood, when he learned how to control himself and to live independently, fell in love, experienced a religious conversion to Christianity, and most recently, emerged as a celebrity. The world's leading neuroscientists have been studying Daniel's ability to solve complicated math problems in one fell swoop by seeing shapes rather than making step-by-step calculations. Here he explains how he does it, and how he is able to learn new languages so quickly, simply by absorbing their patterns. Fascinating and inspiring, Born on a Blue Day explores what it's like to be special and gives us an insight into what makes us all human -- our minds.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting view inside an autistic mind.......2007-10-11
I thought this was a really interesting read. The perspective was like no other and while I certainly still could not say I know what it's like to be autistic, I felt that Tammet gave some good insight into his mind and how he thinks and how he views the world.
Excellent.......2007-10-10
As a mother of a child with high functioning Autism I found this book extremely interesting. However, even if I had no direct connection with Autism this book is very good. It is wonderfully written; engaging and quick to read. I appreciate Daniel Tammet sharing his story and highly recommend it to anyone.
Not Terribly Engrossing.......2007-08-07
The introduction for this book, in which Tammet describes his savant skills and his synesthesia, is really the most interesting part, and one wishes that the remainder of the book could have been so. As it is, it is a memoir about a life that, despite the curiosity of his Asperger's syndrome and his talents, is actually rather ordinary.
It is interesting to hear him describe the mental manifestations of his mild autism, but as the book moves on, it actually does not effect his life as much as you'd think. When you see him on television programs, in fact, you would hardly guess the mental stress he undergoes to interact with people.
Until late in the book, no one seems particularly interested in Tammet's outstanding language and math abilities, which seems a shame. The memoir has been produced precisely because he has been discovered, but I can't help but think that a different kind of book would have been a better, more interesting way to learn about Tammet. While his brain is fascinating, his life story isn't nearly so.
Nice book about synesthesia.......2007-08-03
This is a nice first person narrative about synesthesia. I enjoyed reading another person's perspective of synesthetic problem solving by means of spontaneous, intuitive pictures. I know of synesthetes that have had to go through extensive occupational therapy to heal hypersensitivities to light, sound, etc. I wonder how he just got over it at some point.
I rate this book a 5 star because it is rare to find a book about synesthesia written by the people who live it and know it best.
A beautiful book!.......2007-08-01
This is really a beautiful book. I really mean beautiful. Yes it is a great book and a great read, but the difference between this book and other great reads is that this is truly a beautiful book.
The author will take you right into his mind and will show you how he visualizes the world around him. You might think he is a genius, capable of feats we mere mortals are incapable of. For example, he can perform extraordinary math in his head. He can calculate the number Pie (22 divided by 7, or 3.14.....) to more than 22,000 digits in his head! In fact, he holds the world record! Give him any numbers, such as 34,768 multiplied by 67,879, and he'll spit out the answer in an instant, faster than it would take you to enter the digits in a calculator.
How can he calculate so fast? What is his secret? The author, Daniel Tammet, sees numbers as shapes, colors and textures. He also experiences emotions by visualizing numbers. He says, "If a friend says they feel sad or depressed, I picture myself sitting in the dark hollowness of number six to help me experience the same sort of feeling and understand it. If I read in an article that a person felt intimidated by something, I imagine myself standing next to the number nine...By doing this, numbers actually help me get closer to understanding other people (p. 8-9, Hodder 2006, paperback). On page 11, he says, "Some nights, when I'm having difficulty falling asleep, I imagine myself walking around my numerical landscapes. Then I feel safe and happy. I never feel lost, because the prime number shapes acts as signposts." He further adds, "Five is a clap of thunder or the sound of waves crashing against rocks. Thirty-seven is lumpy like porridge, while 89 reminds me of falling snow...The number four is shy and quiet...Prime numbers feel smooth, like pebbles."
The author also knows how to speak 11 languages (he even invented one of his own), and he can speak a language fluently from scratch in a week. He learnt Icelandic in one week during a TV interview in Iceland! He says, "Seeing words in different colors and textures aids my memory for facts and names."
In case you are wondering, Tammet sees days of the week as colors. Wednesday, the day he was born, is `blue'; thus the title of the book, `Born on a Blue Day'.
Is the author a genius?
Daniel Tammet has Savant Syndrome, an extremely rare form of Asperger's that gives him almost unimaginable mental powers, much like the Rain Man (Kim Peek) portrayed by Dustin Hoffman. But he is unique among people who have severe autistic disorders in being able to live a fully independent life. He travels by air alone and visits many countries for interviews, research, and to appear on TV. His first flight abroad was to Lithuania where he worked as a volunteer English teacher. It was there he realized that he could live an independent life. He also traveled to America on his own to film the documentary Brainman.
One reviewer said that statistics recently released placed one out of every 150 births as an autistic child. This is by no means a small number. But not all autistic children have the abilities of Tammet or Peek. It is believed that there might be fewer than 100 worldwide!
So what makes Tammet and Peek different from other autistic people, and particularly us?
Tammet's Savant talents likely resulted with a short bout with epilepsy at the age of 4. Scientists studying Tammet and other Savants believe that something in the brain triggers the Savant abilities. If scientists can pinpoint this trigger, can they make us all into supercomputers? The research into the brain is still ongoing, and I must say, is quite fascinating. A lot of it is explained in this book.
However one should not forget that we too have many abilities that we take for granted, such as our ability to communicate clearly (most autistics don't have this ability); understand each other; cope with our surroundings etc...
This book is an insight into what it is like to be a high-functioning autistic. The author explains his life from birth (as related by his parents) to the present time (2006). Some scenes are very touching, like the death of his cat, the illness of his father, and the loneliness he experienced. Other scenes are really funny, like how he didn't like shaving because he was very sensitive to the sound of the blade on his skin (his boyfriend Neil later shaved for him, and taught him to use an electric shaver which he liked using). In fact, sounds bother him, and he often plugs his ears with his fingers. He also says that he eats exactly 45 grams of porridge for breakfast each morning. How does he know this? Well, he actually measures his porridge!
He sometimes sleepwalks. As a child, his parents always made sure his room was tidy at night, for fear he would stumble on something while sleep walking.
He explains how since an early age he was attracted to males, and how he approached his first crush while in high school. He was politely rejected. He then met his true love through the internet years later. He didn't know how to tell his parents. When he finally mustered the courage and the words to face his parents, he was surprised that they immediately supported him. All they wished for was his happiness. He eventually moved in with his boyfriend Neil. They are still together today.
He explains how difficult it is to love as an autistic, and how autistics view love. There is also a chapter on his views on religion which I found inspiring. He says, "...my moral values are based more on ideas that are logical, make sense to me and that I have thought through carefully, than on the ability to `walk in another person's shoes'. I know to treat each person I meet with kindness and respect, because I believe that each person is unique and created in God's image." (p. 282).
He now joins scientists in exploring his mind. He does not mind being a guinea pig as long as there is a benefit to mankind. Imagine one day we can think like him. Imagine being able to solve any mathematical problem! I think it was Einstein who once said that we only use 5% of our brain. What if we can unlock the other 95% of our brain? Imagine being more powerful in processing information than the fastest computer! This is not a dream. People with Savant Syndrome can do just that. The Rain Man (Peek), for example, memorized over 7,000 books, and is able to retrieve any information with page numbers from any of these books!
I love reading books, and I am proud of my thousand plus book library. Imagine having the power to actually put this library in my mind! It would be like all the books in my library are scanned into my brain, giving me a Google like search within my own brain! Will scientists, with the help of Savants, help unlock the full potential of our brain?
Tammet is now a famous man. He has appeared on several Television shows such as with David Letterman and 60 minutes. Together with his boyfriend Neil they began an internet-based company specializing in teaching languages, which has become extremely successful and popular with millions of hits a month.
This is a beautiful book. You will live through the author his life story from his birth to the present time, and unlike other memoirs and biographies, you will find yourself living inside his mind.
One reviewer put it this way, "Being `normal' is nothing extraordinary. Being born Daniel Tammet was truly extraordinary!"
We are all different, and must all respect and love each other. This was my last thought as I read the last sentences of this book. He says, "Everyone is said to have a perfect moment once in a while, an experience of complete peace and connection, like looking out from the top of the Eiffel Tower or watching a falling star high in the night sky...I imagine these moments as fragments or splinters scattered across a lifetime. If a person could somehow collect them all up and stick them together he would have a perfect hour or even a perfect day. And I think in that hour or day he would be closer to the mystery of what it is to be human. It would be like having a glimpse of heaven." (p. 283-284).
This book will change your outlook on life. Do yourself a favor and read this book, and you'll know the meaning of beautiful!
Book Description
The Temptations were the most commercially successful and critically lauded male vocal group of the '60s and '70s. Through the years, the group's trademark razor-sharp choreography, finely tuned harmonies, and compelling vocals made them the exemplars of the Motown style. This is the frank, revealing story of the legendary supergroup, told by its founder, Otis Williams.
Customer Reviews:
Moive.......2007-08-08
I am in the process of reading the book and i like it so far but i love the moive sooooooo much i watch it like everyday its addicting! I'm probally the youngest temptations fan i'm 14 years old and love them ..... my favorites are eddie and david i think they are the best voices.
let me close by saying the tempts willl never die and i thinkt their the best group ever! noone can top them
Temptations Updated Book.......2007-07-20
I love the Temptations, and this is an outstanding book. It gives you all of the history that wasn't in the movie. It is a must have for all Temptations fans.
Otis Williams and the updated Temptations book........2007-05-14
I just finished reading the updated Temptations book which I bought at the Temptations concert at the Orleans Hotel Casino in Las Vegas on April 12th, 2007. I was fortunate to be in the 2nd row and Otis shook my hand at the end of the concert.
I have seen the mini series several times and bought the dvd. I also bought the 'Get Ready' dvd with clips of various Temptations songs. One of my favorite video/songs is Paul Williams: "Don't look back"
I really enjoyed Otis's book and especially the update. I do not agree that Otis dissed any of the other original Tempts as some reviewers claim. It is only natural that each person will have a somewhat different perspective of events.
As a 60 year old white man who attended a high school in South Phoenix with a large African American population, I have seen the impact that Motown and especially the Temptations had on race relations.
I have seen very prejudiced white guys who would change their attitudes as they related to Tempts music and lyrics. Otis was right when he said he thought their music had something to do with 'the rope' being taken down.
I have a great deal of admiration for Otis Williams. He obviously is a very spiritual man who has endured many loses in his life. If not for his spiritual beliefs, he may have followed the path of David's self destruction.
It was so cool at last month's concert to see many races of people singing, laughing, giving each other high fives. After the concert, many of us congregated outside the showroom lobby and shared memories and discussed our favorite Tempt songs.
I just wanted to say that Ron Tyson in my opinion, is every bit a classic Temp.
Terry Weeks must be channeling Paul Williams spirit. His dancing and moves certainly reminded me of Paul.
Anyway thanks to Otis for keeping the Tempts music alive.
Temptations,Updated.......2007-03-29
This is Otis version of things. I enjoyed the book,but I would like to know more about the outing of David Ruffin.I remember at the time it was said that Berry Gordy was the reason,because he allowed The Supremes to change their name to Diana Ross and The Supremes.,But did not put David Ruffin Ahead of Temptations. It was rumored Berry and Diana had a thing going on. David could not compete with that.I would love to hear other Temp`s view of things. Maybe Dennis Edwards will write his story.It was an intresting read and gave insite into the death of Melvin and Eddie that I did not know.
Temptations.......2006-10-13
I thought the book was exceptionally short for a body of work lasting 45 years. Great pictures though.
I had some major problems with the writing itself. It's like 45 years went by in a blur and he was an observer and not a participant.
He didn't seem to take much interest in his bandmates, there's very little known about Eddie, Paul, David and Melvin. For a man with the inside track, very little is revealed. The book seems to be more about him and not the Temptations.
He seemed also to forget certain facts, like, David was indeed married when he started seeing Tammi Terrell. When she announced that she and David were engaged back in the early sixties, is when she found out David was already married and couldn't marry her. (This also around the time her headaches started.) I don't what the relationship between Geena and Otis is/was, but for him to leave her and Davids' son out of the book was wrong, totally wrong. He acknowledged the others' wives, why not Geena?
Another thing that disturbed me was Otis' "my way or the highway" attitude toward his group members. Truly adolescent behavior. When he wasn't scouting out women, he was scouting out new talent. (But I guess in his mind it's the same thing). ,"just in case so and so doesn't work out", seems to me, he was waiting on the inevitable. He comes off as arrogant and overbearing. "No one man's bigger than the group." Like Eddie said in the movie, "Who is the group for, who did "it" make sacrifies for?"
OTIS, knows good and well, that he and Melvin could not have carried the group on their own. Eddie, Paul, and David didn't need "the group", as much as "the group" needed them. David and Eddie saw the writing on the wall between Barry and Otis, well before hand and did the smart thing and got out. I wish Paul had as well, alive. Otis should have thought more of his "brothers" and fought for them. He waited too long. Too bad he used the book to trash them when they're not here to defend themselves.
With three ex-wives and 15 ex-Temps on the roster, maybe it would do Otis good to look inside himself and not place blame everywhere or to everyone.
Paul and Eddie brought style and sophistication and experience. As well as their voices. David, brought the fire and raw sex appeal they needed. And last, but not least, Melvin, with that bottom drawer, under the floor bass. There's no one else like him. Have to give Dennis his "props" too. He may not be an original Temp, but because of him, they got their first of many Grammys to come.
Otis should be more greatful, he and Eddie forged a supergroup we'll never see again. He's not one-fifth as talented as his current or original band-mates. If he could sing, we'd know about it. He's a man that needed a group and he got one. Each man brought with him his own set of baggage, but they were the best.
They will be missed through out time.
Thanks for the music, guys, Where ever you are, (we know you're together) take a bow. We love you.
Book Description
Wrapped In Blue is Donna Rose's deeply personal memoir of self-discovery. The emotional story of her courageous and difficult journey across the gender line challenges the reader to consider life, love and gender in a new and insightful way. In the process, it provides a unique, intriguing, and sometimes humorous perspective on the differences between men and women.
Customer Reviews:
A Hearts Desire Fulfilled.......2007-10-14
I learned a very great deal from the book, by Donna Rose, titled "Wrapped In Blue." Being as I am TG myself I realized that there are others who suffer this same affliction besides myself. But most of all, the most important lessen of all that I learned from Donna Rose's book was that I could stop my self hatred, (to a very large degree), and finally understand that this is the way that I was. I no longer feel like a deviate sex pervert, or possessed by the devil, and I no longer feel genetically defective. Donna Rose's book gave to me a kind of healing and I finally feel okay with my self. This book had a big and beneficial effect on my life. I highly recommend this book for reading by anyone who wants to increase their understanding of the TG condition, whether they are TG themselves or not. Yours sincerely, Scot Crawford, (Beeble-bee).
A Moving and Honest Story.......2007-01-02
For any persons who have wondered about making the journey from manhood to womanhood, this is a "must" read. It is also a most scary and tension-filled adventure as we follow Dave from his life as a world class athlete, a husband and father and a successful professional into being Donna, a most attractive and lovely professional woman.
I found myself engrossed in this book from the first chapter, and read its 361 pages in two sittings. This is a story of her early life of deception trying to hide at first her crossdressing and later her desires to become female from parents, brothers and sisters, friends and later wives and children.
Dave/Donna is an intelligent, caring, loving father who juggles natural feelings of femininity and the needs to live as a woman. She learns with disastrous results that whether she is "up front" and honest about her situation or is "found out" that she chances the loss of everything she had gained in the first 40 years of life: family, job and many friends.
She tries strategies to do everything "right" at the workplace as she takes the steps to womanhood; yet, each step is filled with fears and tensions as she becomes an object of co-worker gawking and corporate coldness to her situation. Her relationship with her wife of 16 years (a woman she loved unconditionally) is particularly heart-rending.
Once Donna has come out to her family, friends and employer, much of the tension of the book is lessened. She fully describes the difficult and painful surgeries involving facial reconstruction, breast enhancement and sexual reassignment, and these have their own tensions, but nothing like the fears and terrors she felt in dealing with the social aspect of transitioning.
Let's commend Ms. Rose for honestly and openly telling of her struggles and triumphs in transitioning. Not many persons could have been as brave and persistent as she was in discovering her true self.
The book also is a step-by-step summary of the transition process. Those interested in transitioning will learn just exactly all of the tremendous challenges they would face in deciding whether it's worth it.
A very honest and courageous portrayal.......2006-07-18
Donna Rose is a very attractive, feminine woman. I highly recommend "Wrapped in Blue: A Journal of Discovery," as Donna gradually becomes aware that although apparently born as a boy, there was a strong feminine side to his personality, which did not completely go away even during years as a successful athlete, an intially happy marriage and the birth of a son.
There is no such thing as a typical transsexual and Donna's life probably is different in certain ways from the experiences of many transsexuals. One feels the psychological pain Donna experiences as Elizabeth, spouse, discovers Donna is taking female hormones and the couple's previous happy marriage comes to an end, as well as the pain Donna feels while losing contact with her son for many months.
Donna reveals the process commonly taken by many transsexuals, the hormone treatments, electrolysis, transition issues at work, breast augmentation surgery, sex reassignment surgery, etc. I recommend this book not just for persons who think or know they are transsexuals, their families, friends and co-workers. I also recommend "Wrapped in Blue: A Journal of Discovery" to all persons as a book having universal themes about honesty, courage, being true to one's self and pursuing one's life dreams.
great book - lots to think about.......2005-09-06
This isn't written nearly as well as "She's not there" however it is a very telling story. A very "normal" story of a trasformation. The focus on how relationships were altered forever is a sobering reality and a pretty realistic picture I would expect. I enjoyed this book very much.
Following in you Footsteps.......2005-01-31
I am Transgendered and in transition. I found the book to be a valuable educational tool for me. But beyond that it is a story of courage beyond all reason. I cried when she cried and I was lonely when she was lonely. It is a riveting yet compassionate story of 4 years of David/Donna's life in which a frustrated male tosses all odds to the wind and despite intiial misgivings transforms into a beautiful woman. Her explicit details of her day to day transition is must reading for anyone contemplating a gender change. I applaude her for her honesty and integrity. Bravo. Donna
Book Description
In the 1920s, thousands of white migrants settled in the Los Angeles suburb of South Gate. Six miles from downtown and adjacent to Watts, South Gate and its neighboring communities served as L.A.'s Detroit, an industrial belt for mass production of cars, tires, steel, and other durable goods. Blue-collar workers built the suburb literally from the ground up, using sweat equity rather than cash to construct their own homes.
As Becky M. Nicolaides shows in My Blue Heaven, this ethic of self-reliance and homeownership formed the core of South Gate's identity. With post-World War II economic prosperity, the community's emphasis shifted from building homes to protecting them as residents tried to maintain their standard of living against outside threats—including the growing civil rights movement—through grassroots conservative politics based on an ideal of white homeowner rights. As the citizens of South Gate struggled to defend their segregated American Dream of suburban community, they fanned the flames of racial inequality that erupted in the 1965 Watts riots.
Customer Reviews:
Am I Blue?.......2004-07-12
Though I've read many books on obscure topics, Becky Nicolaides' 'My Blue Heaven' surely tops them all for being a conversation-stopper. Telling someone you're reading a history of a blue-collar suburb of Los Angeles through the middle decades of the 20th century nearly guarantees eye-glazing, if not outright abandonment. Yet, if a reader has even a passing interest in any of the ambitious ground Ms. Nicolaides covers--urban trends, suburban sociology, the political emergence in the 1960s of the famous "silent majority," among many others--I wholeheartedly recommend this work. Only some thready allegations in the final chapter mar an otherwise superb survey.
I'll also admit to a personal interest. Both my parent's families--at least two generations worth--hail from these neighborhoods. Beyond some sketchy childhood memories from the 60s, I don't have any solid impressions of how my immediate ancestors grew up and therefore found myself riveted by--in essence--a detailed family history.
So beyond supplying a nearly endless string of familial "ah-ha!" moments for me, Ms. Nicolaides also blankets her study with incredible (and often myth-puncturing) detail; among them:
* Impressive majorities of pre-WW2 homeowners actually *built* their own homes in the south LA "suburbs." Prototypical developer housing arrived much later.
* In the late 20s (*before* The Depression) the average household spent over a third of its income on food--but only a quarter on housing
* As soon as LA residents could drive, they did: 50% of residents owned a car by *1925* (concurrently compared to 16% nationwide, and 9% in Chicago), and as many commuted to downtown as took (excellent and cheap) public transit. This early automotive embrace neatly skewers the "Roger Rabbit myth," i.e., that evil oil companies "forced" Angelenos into smog-belching cars and conspiratorially drove the beloved streetcars out of business
* Teenagers commonly hitchhiked (!) to popular hangouts like movie theaters and the beach
This list could go on and on. The author is nothing if not comprehensive--and, as shown, she backs up her claims with reams of statistics. A more nuanced and revealing portrait of emerging suburban America would be hard to find.
But the book reaches far beyond strings of lifestyle anecdotes, however fascinating and well-supported. The formation and consolidation of local political attitudes provide both the strongest and most contentious parts of her thesis. The author rarely misses a chance to show how these blue-collar suburbanites swung from being 1920s "Republicans" (boot-strapping home-builders and farmers) to 1930s/40s "Democrats" (New Deal-embracing proponents of post-war government expansion)--and finally back to 1960s "Republicans" (anti-Civil right protectionists), the so-called "silent majority." Her best work shows the underpinnings of these political transformations, fleshing out how they were both formed at the local level and reflected nationally.
My strongest objection to her political theses comes in her final chapter--on race. Leaving aside any sensitivities about my south LA relatives being natural bigots (I can personally attest that many were), I'll only note that the author fails to connect some obvious dots about neighborhood segregation. For example, after a withering critique of blatant bigotry shown by the New Deal-spawned Home Owners Loan Corporation--their notorious loan appraisal maps included such lovely language as "blighted," "menace," and "subversive racial elements" while denying loans to blacks and hispanics--she conveniently neglects mentioning this government segregation complicity in any later contexts. This omission struck me as especially curious since she saves her strongest venom later for white homeowners who opposed many civil rights measures on economic grounds. Whether whites were segregationist bigots or trying to protect their property values (or both), to neglect the money-loaning agent who initially subsidized these conditions struck me as selective at best.
A further racial swipe perhaps comes closer to the author's philosophical biases. After noting that Southern migrants to the area brought "a new style of working-class populism, melding racism, economic populism, and anti-elitism," (a point I'll surely concede) she notes in the same paragraph that "self-help, Americanism, homeowner rights, and a distaste for activist government persisted as core values (among residents); in the new context of economic prosperity and racial encroachment, they *blended easily with the southern political style*." (Italics mine.) We're to conclude that racism and populism "blended easily" with self-help and "Americanism" (whatever that is)? To be fair, Nicolaides sets the context ("The values forged in the distinctive context of working-class suburbia during the interwar years fused smoothly with these imported ideals"), but unlike the rest of the book she provides no evidence for these profound statements.
Ultimately, I found 'My Blue Heaven' a five star effort with a severe markdown for these objections. Aside from an occasional anti-capitalist sneer ("the vagaries of the free market subjected working people to lives of economic instability ...")--almost *de rigeur* from an academic, I suppose--I found her scholarship sound, her organization tight, and her supporting data nearly overwhelming. (Indeed, she is her own worst enemy as topics lacking evidence clearly stand out.) I discovered more here about my parents and relatives than I could have probably ever unearthed on my own and for that Ms. Nicolaides has my utmost gratitude and respect.
A Must-Read.......2003-12-15
I was absolutely riveted by Ms. Nicolaides' study of LA suburban culture and how the struggles therein eventually culminated into the Watts riots. This is a must-read for anyone searching for answers about how these neighborhoods developed and how the families within them struggled from poverty to middle-class. It is written beautifully and I thoroughly enjoyed every page.
My Blue Heaven - a fascinating history of L.A. Suburbia.......2002-12-08
I loved this book! I never thought of suburbs as being all that
interesting or important, thinking that cities were important, and suburbs were minor satellites around them. This book, however, tells the real story of the working class suburbs of L.A. and how they developed. Often, one hears that the purpose of studying history is to understand why things are the way they are today. As a history buff, this book motivated me to travel to LA and ride around the streets of South Gate and some of the other suburbs, visualizing the events of days gone by. Ms. Nicolaides shows how these suburbs changed from street after street of self-built houses inhabited by struggling workers, chicken coops, and makeshift stores into the dynamic communities of today. Once I started it, I was totally engaged through the last chapter.
Average customer rating:
- The Girl with a Twisted Leg - KCS
- Gathering Blue
- gathering blue student review
- Gathering Blue Review
- Amazing. If you liked the Giver you should read this.
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Gathering Blue (Readers Circle)
Lois Lowry
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
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Gossamer
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The Silent Boy (Readers Circle)
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Number the Stars
ASIN: 0440229499
Release Date: 2002-09-10 |
Amazon.com
Lois Lowry's magnificent novel of the distant future, The Giver, is set in a highly technical and emotionally repressed society. This eagerly awaited companion volume, by contrast, takes place in a village with only the most rudimentary technology, where anger, greed, envy, and casual cruelty make ordinary people's lives short and brutish. This society, like the one portrayed in The Giver, is controlled by merciless authorities with their own complex agendas and secrets. And at the center of both stories there is a young person who is given the responsibility of preserving the memory of the culture--and who finds the vision to transform it.
Kira, newly orphaned and lame from birth, is taken from the turmoil of the village to live in the grand Council Edifice because of her skill at embroidery. There she is given the task of restoring the historical pictures sewn on the robe worn at the annual Ruin Song Gathering, a solemn day-long performance of the story of their world's past. Down the hall lives Thomas the Carver, a young boy who works on the intricate symbols carved on the Singer's staff, and a tiny girl who is being trained as the next Singer. Over the three artists hovers the menace of authority, seemingly kind but suffocating to their creativity, and the dark secret at the heart of the Ruin Song.
With the help of a cheerful waif called Matt and his little dog, Kira at last finds the way to the plant that will allow her to create the missing color--blue--and, symbolically, to find the courage to shape the future by following her art wherever it may lead. With astonishing originality, Lowry has again created a vivid and unforgettable setting for this thrilling story that raises profound questions about the mystery of art, the importance of memory, and the centrality of love. (Ages 10 and older) --Patty Campbell
Book Description
Kira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. She fears for her future until she is spared by the all-powerful Council of Guardians. Kira is a gifted weaver and is given a task that no other community member can do. While her talent keeps her alive and brings certain privileges, Kira soon realizes she is surrounded by many mysteries and secrets. No one must know of her plans to uncover the truth about her world and see what places exist beyond.
Customer Reviews:
The Girl with a Twisted Leg - KCS.......2007-10-11
Kira is a 2 syllable girl with a twisted leg. In her village, those who are diseased or unable to contribute to the village are left to die in the Field, but Kira was saved by her mother. The village is of little technology and is ruled by the Council of Guardians. When Kira's mother dies, she is left alone as an orphan. She is to be put into another family, but instead, the Council of Guardians takes her in. Her task is to restore the Singer's Robe, the robe worn by the Singer on the day of the Gathering, with her great weaving skill. There are other gifted orphans living beside her, such as Thomas the Carver, and Jo the soon-to-be Singer. With the help of her little rascal of a friend, Matt, they unravel a dangerous mystery that could get them killed.
This science fiction novel teaches you to be brave and to stand up for what you think is right. This book starts out pretty slow in the beginning, and the ending seems too short and incomplete. The author's writing style is magnificent; she can create another world so well that it makes you believe it is real. I had a blast reading this book as Kira and her friends go through hilarious and touching moments. I would recommend this novel to everyone because it is a wonderful book to get lost in.
Gathering Blue.......2007-05-16
My first Lois Lowry books were a Summer to Die, then Find a Stranger say goodbye. A friend had read Gathering Blue, she said it was really good but I was drawn away from it. Finally I read it and quikly I became confused. I found out that I was not focusing on the book. I started to re-read the book. I was amazed, the book made a huge impact on my life. I love it. Each one of Lois Lowry books come to life and make you feel the pain, happiness, joy, and guilt of your life, but expressed in different ways.
gathering blue student review.......2007-05-11
Hi I'm a six grader and I read the book Gathering Blue.This book is about a girl named Kira who's mother died and father didn't want her.This book was interesting in the middle because in the begining I really didn't understand what was happening to Kira but at the middle I started to get what was happening to her.The person who I recommend this book would be my old teacher Ms.Duphiney because she likes books that leaves you geussing.I would give this book 3 stars because this book isn't really what I was looking for,but my favorite part was when she had to build a cage for herself to live in.
DONE.
Gathering Blue Review.......2007-05-10
Hi we are a group of 5 girls and we are reading a book called Gathering Blue. All 5 of us are in Middle School 118. Any age should read this book I think it is appropriate from ages 10 and up. We are reading this book because it looked and it sounded like an interesting book so we all agreed on picking the book. All 5 of us have read the book in class and in our homes. If you read this book it will make you understand how the character Kira felt in the book and it will make you understand the book way better and the real life of the orphans in the book Gathering Blue. Trust me you will love this book it is a story that once u read it you will not forget. - CrYsTaL.
The book Gathering Blue is about a girl named kira. Kira's mother just died and now she needs to find her place in life. While kira's life changes mysteries and secrets are being discovered. Kira is an orphan with a twisted leg and lives in a world with all cast aside included her. But the all- powerful Council of Guardians spares her by giving her a task that no other community member can carry out. Kira's future is a big blur and she's scared of what the blur might be but when she finds out that's when things get clearer! - NaThALiE.
I thought the book was a good book but it got a little bit boring. And the reason I felt that way was because kira's mom died and then she didn't have anyone to stay with so finally she meets a boy name matt help kira find her dad what a surprise and then they lied to her saying that her father was killed by a bear. But that was a lie her father, left her for another reason. But that big blur came to a clear end and this book brings a lot of surprises to this book. - KeYoNnA.
We recommended this book to all the people that like to read about orphans that suffer a lot. We think that this is an appropriate for all kind of ages that can be able to read chapter books. And if u like reading about orphans. The Gathering Blue is just not a regular book it is a book u will never forget not like the other books. The kind of interest you should find in this book is how a young girl could stand a lot of suffer from a lot of things its just crazy how that girl can take all that pain and still try to be happy. - StEpHaNiE
Some question that you may ask while reading this book Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry are. One do you think that Mat really helps Kira in her problems? Two do you think that they should make a place for orphan kids? The Gathering why is it very immpotant? Read the book and find out what is the meaning of the gathering and why is it important.Well I am not going to spoil the surprise in Gathering Blue so bye.JeSsIcA
Amazing. If you liked the Giver you should read this........2007-04-29
I read this book after I read the Giver. I thought it was similar to the Giver in the way that they both had "utopian" societies. I loved this book. I cried when I read it at the end. I loved how she was the one who got to restitch the robe. I loved how she found her father. This book is so amazing. I loved Lois Lowry when I was younger. She is an amazing author.
definitely read this book
thank you for your time,
Loran
Amazon.com
As a Harvard graduate and regular writer for the New Yorker, Edward Conlon is a little different from most of his fellow New York City cops. And the stories he tells in his compelling memoir Blue Blood are miles away from the commonly told Hollywood-style police tales that are always action packed but rarely tethered to reality. While there is action here, there's also political hassle, the rich and often troubling history of a department not unfamiliar with corruption, and the day to day life of people charged with preserving order in America's largest city. Conlon's book is, in part, a memoir as he progresses from being a rookie cop working the beat at troubled housing projects to assignments in the narcotics division to eventually becoming a detective. But it's also the story of his family history within the enormous NYPD as well as the evolving role of the police force within the city. Conlon relates the controversies surrounding the somewhat familiar shoo! ting of Amadou Diallou and the abuse, at the hands of New York cops, of Abner Louima. But being a cop himself, Conlon lends insight and nuance to these issues that could not possibly be found in the newspapers. And as an outstanding writer, he draws the reader into that world. In the book's most remarkable passage, Conlon tells of the grim but necessary work done at the Fresh Kills landfill, sifting through the rubble and remains left in the wake of the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11 (a section originally published in The New Yorker). In many ways, Blue Blood comes to resemble the world of New York City law enforcement that Conlon describes: both are expansive, sprawling, multi-dimensional, and endlessly fascinating. And Conlon's writing is perfectly matched to his subject, always lively, keenly observant, and possessing a streetwise energy. --John Moe
Book Description
From the fourth-generation NYPD officer and author of The New Yorker's "Cop Diary" columns comes an epic heart-and-soul dissection of what it means to protect, to serve, and to defend among the ranks of New York's finest.
Customer Reviews:
Great Read About the NYPD.......2007-09-24
Some reviewers seem to be disappointed that the book isn't more like NYPD Blue or maybe Cop Rock. Well it isn't Hollywood NYPD it is a real day to day look at what being a NYPD cop is really like. Most police memoirs are by senior officers who tell a few war stories about famous crimes they helped solve and then move on to office politics and famous people they know. This is a grimy look at life on the street in the Bronx. That is an assignment that is not for the faint of heart and the author brings his assignments to several units to life. There is indeed office politics involved and anyone who has been in the military will nod in recognition at mid-level officers who weren't about to make waves even if it means ignoring ways to actually do the job better. The book is a must read for anyone interested in big city police work.
i quit reading it around page 180.......2007-08-24
it's not that i didn't like this book, because i did, mostly. i've already quoted the author a couple of times - his clever sentence "the civics lesson of gangsta rap is feral individualism." i just personally found offensive his story of taking a sexual assault report from a mentally retarded adult woman. he wrote "it seemed like an insult to ask her: exactly how dumb are you?" well, this struck me as incredibly insensitive and poor form to even include such a sentence given the context. i couldn't believe his editor left it in. just bad taste and crude and irresponsible. not everything should be reduced to anecdote. so, the united nations has stances on the exploitation of children - it's a crime against humanity to use children in acts of warfare. this is because children are dependent on others for care and guidance due to mental limitations and their own inability to care for themselves. it seems to me something was quite remiss in conlon's perspective of his role in that incident. for this reason, i give the book 2 stars and probably won't recommend it to others. it really left a bad taste in my mouth.
i agree with previous reviewer "BedStuy" about the photo on the back with the chest hair sticking out. What's the deal? It's weird.
also, for those who don't know, Conlon was dating his editor at the New Yorker, but they broke up after the book was published. I guess the New Yorker is all for nepotism/inappropriate/seemingly favor-banking relationships. doesn't surprise me, since there's not much the New Yorker doesn't turn their "wit" on--save themselves, of course.
Good Writer, But Too Repetitious.......2007-08-16
Conlon certainly gets my respect both as a writer and a cop, though he also deserves sympathy for losing perspective and lacking any life beyond the NYPD. His father was an FBI agent and his mother a psychologist. After college (Harvard - English major) his desire for action and to follow in his father's, great-grandfather's, etc. footsteps eventually leads to the NYPD, and that in turn to his prized detective's gold shield after seven years on the force.
En route we learn of the horrible paperwork delays (hopefully since substantially reduced through automation), the promise (and upper-echelon fear) of Compstat (a computer system to analyze crime patterns), endless stakeouts, arrests, and development of confidential informants for drug arrests (usually paid for out of officers' pockets), jury nullification long before O.J., bureaucratic infighting, and supervisors sometimes more interested in their own agendas than crime-fighting.
Conlon is clearly a good writer, but "Blue Blood" suffers from too many cases of the same type. Regardless, his outside article writings eventually land him a break and a path towards a well-earned detective's position.
Great parts but way too long.......2007-04-04
This police memoir started out as a riveting read, but ran out of gas a couple hundred pages into it. One story blended in with the next, with much too much repetition. It was too much "the story of being a cop" and not enough Conlon's personal story. He is quite a distant narrator, which made this hard to stay with. Still, the writing is good and I found it a very intersting inside look at the NYPD and the life of a cop. This needed a lot of editing, and more about the author's life. This book took patience to get through. In fact, I switched to the audio book about halfway through, so I could read another book, too. Overall, I'm glad I read this.
Blue Blood - book author Edward Conlon.......2007-01-26
Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. Detective Conlon takes the reader from his early days on patrol as a rookie, fresh out of the police academy, to his current days as an NYPD Detective. He does a great job narrating his war stories, keeping the reader enticed throughout the book. He explains the slang terminology used in police work so that the layman can easily follow along. He writes about having to deal with the daily politics that are so prevalent on the job. There is also a section of the book regarding 9/11 and it's aftermath which was very moving. This is a great book to read and I would highly recommend it. It definately gives the public some insight on the inner workings of the NYPD.
Average customer rating:
- read this if you want smart southern fiction.
- Could have been better
- fun!
- Love this book!
- great read
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Savannah Blues
Mary Kay Andrews
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Savannah Breeze
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LITTLE BITTY LIES
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Full of Grace
ASIN: 006019958X |
Book Description
For fans of Susan Isaacs and Jennifer Cruise comes a witty, wisecracking tale of divorce, revenge, and great antiques, set in sultry Savannah.Landing a catch like ultra-WaspTalmadge Evans III got Eloise "Weezie" Foley a jewel of a town house in Savannah's historic district. Divorcing Tal got her exiled into the backyard carriage house, where she has launched a spite fest with Tal's new fiancée, the elegant Caroline DeSantos. The War of the Roses is nothing compared to the escalating hostilities between Weezie and Caroline.Weezie is an antiques "picker" who combs Savannah's steamy back alleys and garage sales for treasures, when she's not dealing with her loopy relatives or her hunky ex-boyfriend. She is convinced that her troubles will be over if she makes a big killing at the upcoming estate sale at a noble plantation house.But an unauthorized "sneak preview" at the sale lands Weezie smack in the middle of magnolia-scented murder, mayhem... and more. Dirty deals simmerall around her just as her relationship with the hottest chef in town heats up, and she finds out how delicious love can be -- the second time around.
Download Description
"
Landing a catch like Talmadge Evans III got Eloise ""Weezie"" Foley a jewel of a town house in Savannahs historic district. Divorcing Tat got her exited to the backyard carriage house, where she has launched a spite-fest with Tal's new fiancée, the elegant Caroline DeSantos.
An antiques picker, Weezie combs Savannah's steamy back alleys and garage sales for treasures when she's not dealing with her loopy relatives or her hunky ex-boyfriend. But an unauthorized sneak preview at a sale lands Weezie smack in the middle of magnolia-scented murder, mayhem . . . and more. Dirty deals simmer all around her -- just as her relationship with the hottest chef in town heats up and she finds out how delicious love can be the second time around.
"
Customer Reviews:
read this if you want smart southern fiction........2007-10-04
Southern fiction tends to be cliche. I enjoyed reading this mystery-romance. Funny, smart and best of all, it is well written. Characters are believable and Savannah culture of food antiques and parties is believable and fun.
Could have been better.......2007-08-06
I really enjoyed this author's book Hissy Fit. So I decided to read this book also. It was an okay read, but I will not suggest it to any of my friends. It took me forever to read. I usually read a book within 2-3 days, but this book took me almost a month. I could not get into it, and I found myself deciding to do other things beside read my latest purchase. The author spends a lot of time detailing Weezie's "finds." I was not interested in the furniture, so I skipped paragraph after paragraph. I'm not sure if I'll read any of her other books.
fun!.......2007-07-07
This was the first book that I read by Mary Kay Andrews ~ I loved it!! Maybe because she is a "dumpster diver" and reading about Weezie's adventures really inspired me to be creative! Again, it is simply a fun book to read and it is very easy to get lost in the lives of the characters ~great for the imagination!!
Love this book!.......2007-06-20
When I was reading this book I have to day it reminded me so much of what the true south is like. This book is roll in the floor funny!!! Yet it is also a mystery. I love Mary Kay Andrews.
great read.......2007-05-14
I have thoroughly enjoyed all this series-easy reading and great characters. If you want a feel good story buy it!
Average customer rating:
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Blue Collar Bayou: Louisiana Cajuns in the New Economy of Ethnicity
Jacques M. Henry , and
Carl L. Bankston
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0275978176 |
Book Description
Although the French language and the traditional rural way of life are disappearing among Louisiana Cajuns, identification with Cajun ethnicity is flourishing. Henry and Bankston draw on historical documents, ethnographic observations and interviews, and statistical sources to investigate and explain this phenomenon. They argue that while Cajun ethnicity developed from and consisted of the French-speaking, rural poor of the region, it has been transformed, during the 20th century, into a regional class with common interests and outlooks. A substantial minority of Cajuns have risen out of the blue collar niche and into the middle class, creating more complicated problems of adjustment, role redefinition, and the changing nature of relationships with friends and family who remain part of the working class. The authors detail and describe the way the working class Cajun majority and the white collar Cajun minority draw on images and ideas from a reconstructed past to make sense of their present conditions and changes in their community. This comprehensive structural analysis of Cajun ethnicity suggests a new emphasis on structural conditions in understanding ethnic phenomena and introduces the concept of an "economy of ethnicity." In analyzing and exploring the creation and maintenance of Cajun ethnicity, Henry and Bankston also point toward a general theory of contemporary ethnic groups. Why, for instance, have more and more people claimed to be of Native American ancestry? How did the population of people calling themselves Irish soar over the course of a very brief period of time? Arguing that as the cultural basis of difference subsides, ethnic claims increase, and that such claims are based on a number of factors including socioeconomic and regional concerns, the authors contend that the same factors at play in the maintenance of the Cajun ethnicity are also at play in other ethnic communities and subcultures within the United States. They conclude that in claiming an ethnic identity, group members rework ideas of history and ancestry in order to apply these ideas to modern life.
Average customer rating:
- Everything Is Coming This Book's Way
- needs to do more research
- A good book about a great artist
- Finally, A Santana Bio
- Well researched and written
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Soul Sacrifice: The Santana Story
Simon Leng
Manufacturer: Firefly Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Carlos Santana: Back on Top
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ASIN: 0946719292 |
Book Description
Soul Sacrifice is the first ever biography of Carlos Santana-the most famous Latin American musician in the world. This genuine "rags to riches" story traces his life from a childhood playing Mariachi music on the streets of Tijuana, through to worldwide superstardom.
Founded on his own unique Afro-Latin-Blues guitar sound, his eponymously-named multi-racial band, emerged from the late sixities San Francisco scene and gained instant legendary status following their raptuously received set at Woodstock. Through subsequent LPs like Abraxas and Santana III, the band have gone on to sell over 35 million albums and played to millions across the globe. Carlos Santana's musical journey has also embraced a number of intriguing tangents, including complex jazz odysseys like Caravanserai and Welcome and collaborations with John McLaughlin, Alice Coltrane and Herbie Hancock.
After receiving a lifetime achievement award from Billboard magazine in 1996, Santana recently returned to the fray with his first studio album in seven years. Featuring collaborations with Lauryn Hill, Dave Matthews and Eric Clapton, Supernatural once again placed Santana at the number one spot on Billboard's US chart-as did its first single, "Smooth"-confirming the longevity of Santana's appeal.
Simon Leng has enjoyed unprecedented access to band members and associates, and most importantly Carlos Santana himself, producing a gripping portrait of a World Music pioneer who is also one of the most distinctive and influential guitarist of all time.
Customer Reviews:
Everything Is Coming This Book's Way.......2007-07-27
I pretty much lost track of Santana after the third album, Santana III, until his resurgence a few years back. This book nicely fills in the gaps and makes the band's somewhat long and complicated discography finally clear as to where one should look back for lost gems. Mostly, way back. But no matter. Santana's music was always a cut above, going back to the early days in San Fran, no small thanks to the use of Latin percussion on many of the classic cuts. You won't find out much dirt from this tome, written by a former fan mag editor. But you will be taken back to a time when music making was slightly less corporate, though this was one of the bands that helped corporatize rock after Woodstock. This is a better written band bio than one would expect, though too light on previously unseen photos.
needs to do more research.......2000-11-03
As a historian, I was excited to read this book. Beginning to read it, however, the author wrote that Santana was born in 1947. He then states that Carlos returned to his home town in 1986 for his 53rd birthday. The author also makes a major mistake recounting the legend of our Blessed Virgen de Guadalupe, stating that the bishop was sent to investigate her appearance, and that her image appeared on his cloak. It was, in fact Juan Diego who was sent back to her to bring proof of her existence and it was his cloak that her image appeared on. The rest of the book was soured by these early inaccuracies. One wonders what other inaccuracies are listed as fact regarding Carlos Santana. It just goes to show you can't always believe what you read.
A good book about a great artist.......2000-09-22
First, I am a professional guitarist of 25 years who believes Carlos Santana has only four guitar peers: Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, George Benson, and John McLaughlin. So this is a biased review. And now the review:
It's about time a book attempts to document the history and significance of this important musician and band. Mr. Leng, a first-time author, has done a fine job. Here are six challenges that Mr. Leng met with impressive success:
(1) Explaining how a very specific aspect of Mexican music - playing melodies expressively - influenced Carlos's style.
(2) Explaining how each individual member influenced the band's sound.
(3) Explaining the difficulties of keeping everyone - from pop fans to jazz fans to record companies to managers to musicians - happy.
(4) Explaining Carlos's conscious recording of "corny" commercial music to finance the recording of his more adventuresome music.
(5) Explaining how Carlos is trapped (for better and for worse) in the "Santana Band."
(6) Explaining the true weight / quality / genius / level / importance / influence of Carlos and the band.
(7) Explaining the greatness (and that's an understatement) of the percussionists which have played in the band, particularly Armando Peraza.
(8) Documenting the long list of non-Santana band artists with whom Carlos has recorded.
Sooner or later a professional music historian will publish a more comprehensive book - say 1,000 pages. This book will be aimed at more serious students of music history.
The book will expand as follows:
(a) It will discuss Carlos's equipment. Carlos has influenced electric guitar and amplifier design more than any other modern guitarist except Jimi Hendrix. (b) It will explain in musical terms why Carlos's playing has so much "feeling." Put simply, Carlos uses a large variety of subtle nuances to make every note count. Like Pavarotti and Isaac Stern.
(c) It will contain hundreds of photos.
I wish I could be the author of this great book. I would title it "Espiritu - Carlos Santana."
Finally, A Santana Bio.......2000-07-06
This biography does an excellant job in covering the early life of Carlos Santana and his entire career in his band. The information is based mostly on facts, and doesn't offer enough emotional insight from Carlos and his other band members. This book also didn't have enough about Carlos Santana's spiritual and political views. Basically, this book does an amazing job at covering the chronology of the band,information about each album, and information about the different guys who played with the band at one time or another. Look mainly to this book for straight facts and an excellant biography of Carlos' early life and the beginning of the first Santana band. Don't be surprised if there isn't much emotional insight or highly detailed information about the Santana band past 1974. The only thing better than this book would be if Carlos wrote his own biography.
Well researched and written.......2000-05-07
This is THE definitive book on a great artist whose contributions to cultural expression through music is under-appreciated today. Leng aptly describes Carlos Santana's early years, the struggles toward and accompanying fame, and the challenges he had to overcome along the way (cultural and professional). If you love music of any kind, you will enjoy this taste of history; if you appreciate Santana especially, you will savor this biographical feast.
Book Description
Girls, girls, girls! From the 1950s through the 1980s girl groups were hot. This book features the top sixty girl groups of rock n roll and rhythm n blues, such as the Supremes and the Go-Gos, who have contributed the most to the genre. Also included is a discography for all listed groups, pricing, and a comprehensive listing of all female rock n roll groups and their respective record labels. All girl group enthusiasts and music lovers in general will benefit from the biographical information included in this book.
-Features 60 of the most influential girl groups of the 1950s to the 1980s.
-More than 150 photos and a comprehensive listing of all female rock n roll groups.
Customer Reviews:
The book about female groups that rocked, well, rocks........2004-01-19
Simply the best thing written on girl groups, ever.
As Good As It Gets.......2002-10-22
This is as close to a definitive book on the Girl Group genre as you are likely to find... unless John Clemente decides to write a sequel, including the groups he had to leave out due to space limitations.
He corrects many of the mistakes made in Alan Betrock's book on the same subject. This book sets the record straight. The discographies are amazing. The interviews and rare pics are terrific. Any fan would be pleased.
If I have a complaint, it's that some groups have been left out. How can you include the Go-Go's but not the Bangles? As I said, space must have been the issue. Let's hope there is a volume 2 in the works.
The Book Still Remains To Be Written.......2002-09-06
Yes, this was a welcomed book, with the rare photos of obscure and not-so-obscure groups, the interviews with the players, the histories of the groups, and the discographies.
But. I want more. I want better. I want authoritative. And this just ain't that. Unfortunately, given the subject matter, there aren't going to be all that many chances to get what I want unless and until I write it myself. (The last, and first, book to cover this subject matter was "Girl Groups: The Story Of A Sound" back in the mid-1980s.)
Since the publication of Clemente's book, the online girl-group community has lifted him to near-godhead status, and I've heard not a peep of criticism: when you're starving, anything's better than nothing. But I think the book has obvious problems and these should be pointed out.
Despite Clemente's good intentions and obvious love for his subject matter, his writing is mundane, repetitive and often irritating. (Is there an editor in the house??) Worse is his lack of perspective/criticism: every girl group or female singer is just fa-a-abulous, so we don't get much insight into musical quality -- just a not very well-written cheerleader's surface story of when, who and how. Very little about the output --the "what", except, of course, that it's fa-a-abulous. Later I found, through a chat-list Clemente was on, that this may have been a quid pro quo for the interviews: he revealed in one post that he wasn't really much of a fan of, or that knowledgeable about, at least one of the groups' music, that of Reparata & the Delrons, but you wouldn't know it from their section in the book. For me, this cast doubt on the honesty of the whole project.
I've found several omissions in his discographies which could easily have been rectified with a quick check of other, reliable sources. Some of the histories are incomplete: While his piece on the Angels is in-depth and informative as far as it goes, their later-60's, early-70's story is truncated (and there is a story there still waiting to be told). ...And WHO designed that ugly cover?!
It's frustrating that books on this topic are so rare that an inferior book such as this one becomes a Bible.
A terrific achievement.......2001-11-05
There have been a lot of books and videos about girl groups but all them involved large, really large, gaps of information, missing names, erroneous information and so on. John Clemente amazingly gets it all down, all correct and every little detail in. How he did it I don't know. This book is fabulous and endlessly rereadable. And you will love the rare photos.
Doo-lang, it's mod!.......2001-04-23
The work that went into this book is astounding. As a girl-groups expert, I seldom find information that is new to me. However, author John Clemente painstakingly looked at the top girl groups and not only gives a narrative history, but a listing of group members over the various years and an exhaustive discography. Fun to read, fab pictures, and, if you're into collectibles, a good reference book, too.
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