Genres Books

I read this book many times when I was young and was thrilled to find it still in print. I would recommend this for anyone who loves romance novels with historical fact mixed in.

Thought this book was a very good read. I Love fiction with historical facts. Beautiful love story. The end got a little long so thats the only reason i didn't give it a 5.

This book is worth purchasing. Yet, somehow that's an understatement. I now have my own copy and am reluctant to lend it!

Several of my friends raved about this book. I liked it okay. And I love to read so much; I'm not that hard to please. There were several kind of raunchy parts that I didn't expect, as well as numerous bawdy references. But there is a theme of redemption in the end that I liked quite a lot that makes the story more...well, redeeming. The last 150 pages or so were the best, I think. It wasn't riveting for me, but the history was really interesting, and I learned a lot.

This is one of my very favorite books ever. In fact I've gone through 2 copies already I read it so often. I'll keep buying it because each time I read it I find it more fascinating. I would highly recommend this book.

One of the best since Peter Brown's "The love you make",but has a lot of detail about the fab four as to their musical career and experiences in show business. I would read it again if i could. Good investment.

No other book tells the beatles story like this, awesome pictures and comments by the fb4 as well as people that worked with them

I am 56 and so just caught the end of the Beatles era. I enjoy their music, but would not label myself as a Beatles "fan". What I liked most about this book was discovering what happened in fact that I was only vaguely aware of at the time.

One strength of the book is the illustrations. Many of these would not be considered worthwhile to include in a biography, but they can stir interest, such as seeing portions of contracts for their performances did for me. Another strength is hearing the story directly from the band members. (John's "contributions" were taken from interviews he gave prior to his death.) They do debunk some silly rumors that have persisted about the band. I also enjoyed hearing the circumstances that prompted the writing of many of the songs they recorded.

One negative is that, being an anthology, you get the various opinions on what occurred at key points in time. These can be repetitive and even contradictory among the different band members. So, you do not get the persistence and continuity of having one point of view from the author. The book follows the general sequence of the band's development, but doesn't provide an exact chronology which is sometimes an annoying omission. At times the Beatles are quite candid and at other times I feel like they are offering up answers that protect one another as I would expect from any close group of musicians.

All in all I now have a much greater appreciation of the Beatles phenomenon, their contribution to popular culture and their personalities. However, I still feel that I know "the whole story" and would only consider this book to be one key reference towards understanding the group.

This is an excelent book, it is the Beatles story told by them, the book quality is amazing, clear pictures, hardcover is the way to go with this book.
The only problem I see in this book is the size, it would be almost impossible to carry it in a bag, it is heavy and big to carry, it is a book to read confortably in your bed drinking a Margarita and imagining the adventures of the most succesful band in the history of music.

The only negative is the size of the book. There should be a smaller hardcover or paperback edition. The content is superb and a great coffee table book, but it's difficult to curl up with this book in bed.

I was delighted by the reading of such a good novel packed with a lot of suspense and actions.
Bob Lee Swagger (also called Bob the Nailer) was a top sniper in the Vietnam war. Stephen Hunter inspired by the biography of Carlos Hathcock depicts a brave man, alone, who looks like Rambo (from "First Blood" by David Morrell). In every book of the saga, we learn to respect Bob Lee Swagger. "Point of Impact" was made into a very good film titled "Shooter". Here the hero comes from Iraq and not Vietnam.
Have a nice time.

Shooter Movie Versus Point of Impact Book:
The Bob Lee Swagger story lines in the book and the movie are different in character building, action, and political satire. Very understandable, screen productions can rarely replicate a book.

Although I hesitate to "spill the beans" on the movie or the book, but the movie is so entertaining that I watch it over and over and the Point of Impact book is one of the few books worth reading over and over again (sorry Clancy, Koontz, Coontz, and Ludman).

Shooter Movie:
The movie from director Antoine Fuqua takes the world after 9/11 (El Salvador is not of much interest, but oil is) and he pumps oceans of well oiled political satire, which is at its very best: "there are only have and have-nots (Iraq ref)", "I didn't much like the President before him", "I still have the shovel (JFK ref)," "its just human weakness, and you can't kill that with a gun," "Exactly!...Bang!"

Although the Shooter movie character building could have used another half-hour or more, the character-action building of the movie (if there is such a thing) was superb. Anyway, more time on character building would have put the brakes on the movie. It was one lightning action sequence after another that not even a Die Hard or a Tom Clancy movie could match or even top (and I loved the Hunt for Red October, the Sum of All Fears, Bourne Trilogy, and so on).

The movie plot deviations from the book were very well thought out and made the movie rip and roar through one satisfying scene after another. The long distance shot at the Presidential podium was superior to the book and did a very credible job of integrating Nick Memphis's role and his timely flow throughout the movie.

Antoine Fuqua exploits what I define as the Al Qaeda mind-set (AQMS), which is the same brain dysfunction that people everywhere are wired into, but just use different means that cause different results: the church killing Islamic people and women centuries ago, and raping boys in this century, web video murders/suicide bombers of today's Islamic Terrorists, the previous decades of killing by the KKK, Hitler's killing of more than 6 million Jews...the never ending human carnage, no matter what millennium, from the beginning of testosterone beings or until the end of testosterone beings...I doubt that Homo Sapiens will ever change.

AQMS applies to political character assassinations in DC, where multi-millions (billions this year) are spent by political candidates attempting to destroy the reputation of all other candidates, Congressmen writing bad checks not so long ago, paying for sex, and sucking soft money at the expense of all American citizens.

AQMS applies to Enron and many others, to Mortgage banks and their infamous ARMS (the Fed is now rewarding them at our expense, with proper spin), and the Medical establishment in the movie "Sicko" by Michael Moore. It is one-sided negative-news from the media, harping on one murder after another. It is the negative consumption syndrome of the general common-denominator population that tunes in for all the sick TV shows (most of them), puts up with depraved commercials (especially those commercials that depict greed, drugs, new car decadence, and people being hurt)...almost nothing positive in the news, ever. Most AQMS folks probably never heard of and never tuned to the commercial-free Arts channel (there is some hope for Homo Sapiens even though we may yet kill the planet Earth).

Even if everyone on the Earth knew about the overwhelming genetic evidence (The Journey of Man, by Spencer Wells) that makes every person on the Earth (without exception) a child of the Bushmen of Africa, the world today would probably be the same and nothing would change. Denial is incurable, unbeatable, and an unstoppable plague on our planet.

Denial is about "No input, Stephanie...Number 5 is alive" and making it all up as he/she goes, "Short Circuit" or not: from ridiculous royalty delusions of Kings/Queens, back to Hitler's despicable Arian race, to Religions that murder people, and on and on.

Denial at the individual level is just smoke and mirrors, devoid of reality, and founded upon "What's in it for me," but more precisely "It's mine all mine!" Denial is the mother of all that is wrong with the human race.

Compared to the book, I found Antoine Fuqua's version more satisfying. Swagger being pulled down the river by a barge was a lot more believable than the book's Swagger holding onto a log for 18 hours, with two bullet wounds. It is a more believable for the sniper action on the Glacier and in its ending when Bob Lee Swagger (not his lawyer) demonstrated why the gun would not shoot. The icing on the cake was when Swagger fired his last shot into the most corrupt and well deserving Senator's head. What followed was even more explosive.

Point of Impact Book:

Stephen Hunter illuminates the world before 9/11 (El Salvador was of interest, it just after the first Gulf war) where he guns genocide and greed into political satire, which is very good but not as satisfying as the movie's one-liners which underscore greed, corruption, and other negative attributes of us Homo spaiens (means wise men, yeah, right)!

There is not much I can say about the book that can top several hundred other reviewers. However, I wished that the book had been twice as long. It was a terrific read. Hunter "the psychology nailer" knows political infighting of Government agencies.

Hunter's character building of Bob Lee Swagger was superb, starting with cutting off Tim's antlers the day before deer season to letting Dr. Dobbler cop out at the end.

For me, the book was a physiological thriller that was absolutely on target. Stephen Hunter's grasp on how the mind works was well orchestrated by the evil psychiatrist, Dr. Dobbler. Hunter's technical prose on weapons was no less impressive than Clancy at his best (I read most of Clancy's books). Hunter's prose matched the five senses Dean Koontz can conjure up, including the sixth sense (I read most of Koontz's books).

However, the book's version about Swagger's woman being an actual nurse and not a third grade teacher (where is a teacher going to get antibiotics or surgical skills for deep wounds?) made significantly more sense. The movie left out the need for antibiotics, the book was right on target for gangrene candidate wounds.

The book's version about Swagger's hilltop battle was good, but not as totally satisfying as the Movie's shootout with 24 child killers that got their just dues from Swagger and Nick. The book did not have a nasty nemesis inside the VA cabin commit suicide, a child and woman killer that deserved to die. This shooter's suicide stayed within his evil character, denying Swagger the satisfaction of killing him. And even rubbing it in with "They've got your woman...Bang!"

The movie changed Colonel Shreck's name to Colonel Isaac Johnson. The title of the movie "Shrek" kept popping up in my mind every time I read the Colonel's name in the book. I was glad that the movie changed it to Johnson.

Unlike the movie (probably no sequel is planned), the Bob Lee Swagger books are a trilogy. Thank you, Stephen Hunter, I've got two more Swagger books to savor, "Time to Hunt" and "Black Light!" And after I'm done with these, there are books about Bob Lee Swaggar's father, plus other great books by Stephen Hunter.

Arguably the best book I've read in 2007. The movie follows the main story line, although a decade or two behind. The movie was great, the book was better. It was full of action/suspense from cover to cover. I was impressed with Hunter's writing and will definitely get the second book.

This is a great book that kept me up all night, several nights. Hated to see it end, but fortunately, I had Time to Hunt.

I would usually give a longer review but I see the 100 plus on here and all are good. Same would come from me. If you want a great thriller and well written book this is it. If you haven't read a Stephen Hunter book this would be the one if any to read. I just started on his other books and am enjoying all of them. So if you have $8 laying around and want a good few hours of entertainment this is the way to go.

I found that this was an excellent account of Donny Osmond's memoirs of his life and of his enccounters with social anxiety. I recommend this to anyone who is a Donny Osmond fan.

As a life long Osmond fan, I was captivated by this book. Donny really put himself out there, the book was honest, written with feeling,I really understood the grown up Donny and felt the fear he must have felt when he was going through his Social Phobia. I am glad that he wrote it the way he did. People get the wrong impressions and they run with them. I feel that fans and the entertainment industry let Donny down. Everyone wanted the gorgeous teen aged boy, he grew to be a handsome man, a loving husband, a good father and a fantastic artist. This book gave you a true picture of who Donny is and that above all he is human just like the rest of us. I have even read this book again because it was very interesting. We see the glamour and the fun part of being famous, but it has its nightmares and is very hard work. What I admire about Donny the most is that he hasn't let success change who he is, he could have done something drastic to be in the front pages amd he has chosen not to. As of this date he is married to Debbie for 30 years now, how many celebrities can say that.

Am not a big reader but loved to hear how Just like others Donny has not had a perfect life, A must for all Donny fans and those who just want a insight into his life.

LIFE IS JUST WHAT YOU MAKE IT: MY STORY SO FARas I read donny's book, i couldnt help but feel partly responsible for Donny's downfall from super stardom. I was devastated to learn of Donny's marriage to Debbie and felt so betrayed by him that i put my Osmond albums and posters away and turned my back on him for what I vowed would be forever. It made me sad to read how hard it was for him to go from being on top of the world to a has been at the age of 21. And a broke has been as well. At times through out the book, i felt Donny was feeling sorry for himself but then, thats understandable too. Something I was absolutely delighted to read about was the family home. I always pictured the Osmond clan all living in one big giant mansion. As each brother got married, he'd just move his wife in. Well that wasnt quite right. they bought an entire apartment building and knocked out some walls to accomadate them. I also was touched by the story Donny wrote about briefly about the relationship between his mother and Elvis Presley. I am glad i read this book. although i dont listen to or care for his music anymore, I do, from time to time see him on TV and will watch. I was very disappointed in him when i saw him insult Rosie Odonnel about her weight. Totally rude and uncalled for. He explains in his book that he thought her words of praise and love for him was her way of mocking him and he lashed out. I don't buy it. He said too it was a joke. Ask any fat person if they've ever heard a fat joke that was funny. I lost alot of respect for Donny that day. However i was amused at Rosie. She over exaggerated his comment and for weeks, every guest she had on her show, she'd ask them if they saw the show where donny called her a big fat pig. Guess he picked the wrong fat girl to pick on. I would definately recommend this book to Donny fans.

I truly enjoyed reading this book as it showed a side of Donny that I assumed existed but didn't believe until I read his book. The book is honest, truthful and forward about his life, family and how he got where he is now. Eye opening in a lot of personal stories. I got a sense that his father was more of a disciplinarian than was let on and this affected Donny more than we knew. If you really want to know more about Donny and what makes him tick, read this book. I read it in 2 days.

This book has everything you need if you are interested in more than just the movie. The whole script is included. Interviews with the entire cast! The whole story of how rent was created, start to finish. It is worth every penny and is the only rent book you'll ever need.

An absolute necessity for any renthead. only complaint is it is written early on in the broadway run but really that is the end of the story mostly.
rent has etched itself into my psyche like a weevil. there is not a morning that i wake up that one of the songs is not in my head. i sell music and i have never came across a group of music that has had this effect on me.
perhaps the story of larson's early demise colors it and adds that extra tragic twist that keeps it inside your soul but whatever it has provided the most joyus ride into musical bliss that i have ever experienced yet.
(move over "pet sounds", "west side story", "toy matinee" & "eli & the 13th confession".
the book is laid out well, quite informative. even has comments from the pit band (who are essential).
GET THIS if you have to futher feed your rent needs.
viva la vie bohem.

I wasn't a big fan of "Rent" until I saw the movie, and when I read this book, it gave me a bigger meaning to the play/movie.

Warning: This is just for fans of "Rent". Those who haven't seen the movie will get into the story of how it was made, but not as much the screenplay.

The life of Jonathan, how Rent was born, how it still grows... The neverending story of the musical that changed (and continues changing) the world. A MUST for every renthead, but also for everyone who likes this musical (both the stage version or the movie). A lot of informations, photos, the musical script...
You HAVE TO BUY IT!!!
...it made me cry... it's SO real... and SO full of love... AMAZING!!!

Daughter is "Rent Head" she cried of happiness when she received for Christmas so That gets 5++++ Stars in my book.

this book is a must for all nsync fans! I was a little disapointed because they didn't have a lot of "411" on them as I like (mostly pics) but the pics are great~but It's an awesome book!

This is a book all about the popular band *nsync. they include how they got started, what's an everyday routine for them, bio's and several pages of their life story. they used a lot of qoites from when they where performing in Disney land (which if you have seen as much as I have...nothing new) personally I enjoyed the baby pictures of the guys. they have family pictures and a picture of when Justin was at the tender age of 14 (I laughed because they have changed so much) Several up-to-date pic's as well. you will probably enjoy this book!

I an an obsessed *Nsync fan and bought this book a few years ago.I still read and have read it numerous times.It has baby pictures of the cuties and shows pictures of *Nsync when they just started singing.It has lots of info and is actually written partually by *Nsync,unlike most of the other books.

I expected an official book to be a lenghty chapter book- but this had more information than it looked! plus cool colorful pics on each page. Of course this book covers their lives up to their debut album in '98, so of course its not exactly up-to-date anymore, but its cool to have. It has a section about each member that has some interesting info and old baby pics! Theres a section about their most embarrasing moments, which is always cool, and funny to hear about! Plus much more!

Hello, I think this book is awsome. It is grate. My mommy lic's it tooo. se reeds it to me win i go tu bed at nite. I dont eet meet! I am a vegitran. Well that is wat my mommy says anyway.

MS. ERVIN DID HER THANG!!!!!!! THIS BOOK IS A REAL PAGE TURNER FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END IT WAS SO GOOD THAT I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. THE CHARACTERS SEEMED SO REAL THE AUTHOR MADE THEM SEEM SO REAL IT WAS A WONDERFUL BOOK IF YOU DON'T OWN IT IT IS A MUST BUY AND READ

You know I loved the story, Keisha is one of my favorite authors. Mo and Quan were constantly at each others throats and I could truly feel her pain through out the story. But the funny thing is as I was reading I was begging for a little more info into the lives of Mina, Victor and their two kids. I know it wasn't their story but I'm just like please give me more. So Keisha if you read this....." LET ME KNOW WHATS GOING ON WITH MISA, MINA, BLACK, AND VICTOR!"

I'm telling you one thing you MUST go get this book and read. You will not be dissappointed. I've never read a book from the author but I am now one of her fans. This book was soo good I read it in one day because I couldn't put it down. The story is a bout Mo and Quan and how their relationship was doomed from the first day they met but didn't want to see it until years later. Then Mo meets Boss, her thug in shinning armor, ready to help her pick up the pieces and show her the true meaning of the word the call LOVE! The book really shows you how Mo was TORN!!!

Torn by Keisha Ervin details the trails and tribulations of Mo and Quan. Mo, a young woman in love with her baller boyfriend loves him so much that she takes any and everything he dishes out to her. Will Mo ever do something about finding herself in the midst of this seemingly one-sided love story?

Author Keisha Ervin continues to push the envelope and shows that she is truly growing as an author. This book gives us a glimpse into why some women stay in unhealthy relationships. This is definitely a recommended read for all those who are in love or who are looking for love.

Loved it! Go buy this book you will not be disappointed, I read it in 1 day. Mo was really Torn!!

thisbook is perfect if you want to know everyting about U2
I really love it !

This book is one of the few really great rock biographies. It does a great job of chronicling the band's past by giving a distilled view of their present, in both personal lives, internal processes, and musical career. All of that is the essence of the music of U2, and the legacy their music has created. Flanagan does them a great service in this bio, but also himself, for presenting them so well and staying out of the way. Well, mostly. His humor about touring with them is fairly expressive...

An outstanding work of rock journalism. This is far from a starry-eyed fanboy tribute -- Flanagan is one of the most intellectually gifted rock critics out there, and here he turns his intellect on travel, music, pop culture, his own foibles, and, of course, U2 and their art.

Flanagan, one of the first American journalists to champion U2, is a confidant of the band, but it doesn't stop him from critically appraising their work. The book starts with U2 taking the last flight into East Germany before reunification, and follows the band all the way through the writing of Achtung Baby, Zooropa, and the tour that surrounded the two albums. It's probably U2's most creatively active period, and it's our good fortune that a writer of Flanagan's calibre tagged along for the ride. A must-read if you're at all interested in U2.

This is one of the most well-written biographies that I have read. Mr. Flanagan covers every aspect of U2, mixing the present with the past and the anticipated future of the band. As an avid reader of various non-fiction subjects, I have to say that this kind of a biography was a first for me. You wouldn't think that a book about a band would have any transferrable application for non-musicians, however I found that these guys are fairly down-to-earth. Reading U2: At the end of the world helped me to dispell some of the superstar myths that I had. That being said, I feel compelled to put a disclaimer about some of the language. While, it didn't seem to bother me, I would have to give this an "R" rating, as far as language is concerned. It's not as if the f-bomb appears on every other page...maybe once or twice a chapter. But, for those who might be sensitive to such expletives, beware. 5-Stars, with a warning.

After reading this book, I felt like I really understood what was going on in their heads while writting Achtung Baby! and the music was better for it. I've read some of the more recent books about U2 and also about Bono and this tops them all. It's a day in the life, before 9/11 and before all that came after for them. If you love U2 like I love U2, read this book.

This piece of work created by the editors of Vibe Magazine could easily be appropriately titled "Essence of Tupac." In this collection of previous interviews and vivrant photos you truely get the feeling that you are holding a conversation with The ledgendary Tupac Shakur. This is a must have for all Tupac fans and for anyone wishing to know more about Pac's Life. Good job by the folks at Vibe Magazine.

I my self am not a very big fan of rap music however i was intrigued to read this book after looking into some of the lyrics of 2pacs singles they seemed very in depth. After reading the lyrics i felt that his words had a lot of depth and soul attached to them which intrigued me to find out more about the rap star.

I myself have a genuine interest in politics, philisophy and poetry similarly to 2pac and i felt that i could relate to some of the lyrics he wrote. This book on tupac gives a deeper insight to the rap artist not only his music and talent but to his life it shed light on many differant topics from differant aspects and i found it very inspirational. What i particularly liked about this book was the way it presented both sides of the story (with the rape case) and i felt this ruled out any bias.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love for reading regardless of whether they have a genuine interest in rap this book not only looks at his career but looks at his inspiration, ambition, life and above all recognised him as more than a rap artist but as a human being and who he actually was!!!

When I discovered that my 3rd graders knew who Tupac was, even though he died the year they were born, I felt that I needed to know more about Tupac. This book is published by Vibe, the official scribes of hip hop. It is a collection on interviews and articles that appeared in Vibe and they document the rise and fall of Tupac.
Tupac had "Thug Life" tatooed on his stomach and he lived the life of a misogynist thug. He was disrespectful to everyone around him. Perhaps, as Quincy Jones suggests in the forward, Tupac could've changed into a positive force had he lived past 25. However, this book, and his own words, show him to be a negative influence on everyone he had contact with. It is very sad that he died at such a young age. It is even sadder that so many youngesters know who he was but cannot tell you about the lives of people who have accomplished great things with their lives. I have my work cut out for me next school year.
Mark Gast

As a massive fan of the late great Tupac Shakur, there are few publishings that capture as much information and insight into his life and career as this amazing book from the good people at Vibe Magazine. Consisting of every Vibe article and interview written on Shakur between 1994-97, this gives even the most casual of Pac's fans more information than they could ever dream of. With features on his early career, his signing to Death Row, and his infamous interview with Kevin Powell from inside Clinton Correctional Facility where he denounced "Thug Life", it's all here. This book also contains some of the most informative material on the feud between Death Row Records and Bad Boy. You'll get everyone's side of the story on the Can-Am Studio shooting. You'll hear what both Suge and Puffy had to say about the East vs. West saga. You will also get to hear Pac at his rawest and most candid. If you are even the least bit interested in the amazing story of Tupac Shakur, you should pick up this book.

2pac is a legacy of our generation..he is and will always be the best, not only was he an awesome rapper, but he was also a good actor and poet. This book is very well done and covers so much. When he was shot the first time 5 times..and leading up to his unjustly death..i recommend this book to anyone if they want to learn about 2pac, he wasnt a bad man or a gangsta like most assume, he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time..or he just got involved with the wrong ppl...and like he said live by the gun..die by the gun..and that is exactly what happened to this man...may he rest in peace

This edition lits the hits that most people forgot! I was looking for info on one it wonders and other fun trivia that we could enjoy at work. This book was it!

This is a great book for laying musical artists and song arguments to rest.It is also very informative and fun to read.

For some reason this book is very hard to get in the UK (a bit like a good train or bus service). Hence the need to purchase it from the international site of Amazon. Once obtained it is very useful.
It now also seems difficult to get the UK version, so good luck if you are hunting for either.

An excellent reference for any music enthusiast wishing to narrow his or her research. Well written, informative and accurate. Another typical Whitburn product worth every penny. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (Billboard Book of Top Forty Hits) 8th Edition

Supplement this one with his Billboard Hot 100 Charts (The Sixties) Billboard Hot 100 Charts - The Sixties. And lastly, while we're still in the 60's music Era, don't forget Whitburn's Bubbling Under The Billboard Hot 100, 1959-2004.Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100: 1959-2004: Joel Whitburn Presents

You can't go wrong here. The research he's done in these references to ensure accuracy and simplicity is incredible.

The 8th Edition of "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits" is another winner. Those familiar with this series already know that this book will be an outstanding research tool for radio stations and music collectors. The 8th Edition, written by Joel Whitburn, is another "must have" for anyone serious about music chart performance. Joel's reputation for compiling and publishing chart data in an interesting and useful format is well recognized, and this edition covers the entire time span of 1955-2003. Whitburn's books can get so much use as valuable reference tools, that it's easy to wear out the binders. Can't wait for the 9th edition!