Celebrities Books

This book clearly deserves more than five stars.

Seldom do I find a new type of nonfiction book that is an improvement over its predecessors. Court Vision is such a book.

The concept is simple. Take famous people from all walks of life who are among our most talented individuals. Find the ones who know about NBA basketball either from a fan's or a player's perspective. Interview them about how they get insights into what they do from basketball, what their field can bring to basketball, and use a common questioning format so that the perspectives build on one another. Edit the results ruthlessly.

Although the book is ostensibly about basketball, the result is that you also see these observers in a new way through the common lens of their relationship to basketball. For example, some of the very mild-mannered public figures like Tom Brokaw use the four letter word that begins with "f" in their comments. Knowing that they were being taped, I am surprised by their language. Obviously, the public personnas and the real person are at variance in some ways. A further example comes from Walter Matthau's addiction to betting on the games, even though he doesn't enjoy it (the winning isn't enough fun to offset the pain of losing).

You will have your own favorite sections. If I quote a lot of the best material, it will spoil the book for you. But it may whet your appetite to know who some of the interviewees are:

Woody Allen (filmmaker)

William Cohen (President Clinton's Secretary of Defense)

Edward Villella (ballet dancer and choreographer)

Chris Rock (comedian)

Erica Jong (novelist)

Gene Siskel (film critic)

Donald Trump (businessman)

Reverend Edward Aloysius Malloy (President, Notre Dame University)

Julia Child (chef)

Mario Cuomo (former Governor of New York)

Alan Dershowitz (law professor)

Seiju Ozawa (conductor)

Sharon Stone (actress)

Saul Bellow (novelist)

In general, the comments by those who played basketball are the most interesting. But the narrow lens that our profession brings to our perspective is also very clear. Few draw on analogies and metaphors from outside their profession.

Many people are not well schooled in basketball. Their interest usually starts with the rise of Michael Jordan, so stars of the past are seldom mentioned. No one seems to have an explanation of how Michael Jordan could take off at the free throw line and dunk the ball. One interesting hypothesis presented is that he used some sort of extrasensory power.

Basketball players are also looked on as individuals. You get comments on the Latrell Spreewell coach-choking incident, immature behavior on the court and off, and the important potential role of education in these young peoples' lives.

Most of the observers either live in New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago, so you get a lot about the Knicks, Lakers, and Bulls. Some residual Larry Bird sneaks in now and then.

This book would also make a great gift for anyone who is an NBA fan. But you should give it to yourself first. It's too terrific to wait for.

To expand on the perspective developed by the book, I suggest that you think about what you could learn to apply to your profession and hobbies from NBA basketball. What could NBA basketball learn from you?

Have a ball!

"Court Vision," by Ira Berkow, celebrates the diversity of those who not only love, but also appreciate the complexities of basketball. Looking at the sport through the eyes of people who use their own fields of high expertise as a prism, elevates the game from the purely mechanical to the art form which it surely is. In the book, Frank Stella, the artist, speaks of the beauty of the game "..in the coordination and getting it all together." We're dealing with magic also- the defiance of gravity engaged in by basketball's foremost practitioners in their daily work.All sorts of contradictions to conventional physics are rampant when they come to play: they float when lesser men crash to the ground, and they have the capability of going backwards and forwards at the same time. Kary Mullis, the Nobel laureate, speculates about this ability to float, about whether mental strength is capable of violating physical law, or whether they're "...putting helium in their shorts."

If great basketball players are a special breed, then some of those who try to make serious sense of who they are and what they do, are special too. It helps to have been or even to still be in the trenches. Berkow's last book, "To the Hoop," dealt with another grave defiance, that of having to come to terms with oncoming age. In it, he recounts the tribulations of an over 50 player of pickup games, beset by a bum knee and much younger teammates and opponents. This time around, he lets Johnnie Cochran, Tom Brokaw, Mario Cuomo and all the standouts he has interviewed do most of the talking. Yet the experienced journalist's hand is there to keep matters on track. The leitmotiv is always close to the surface, the need to make esthetic, emotional and intellectual sense out of this hybrid of sport, metaphysics and art.

Sex, opera, psychiatry, music, the law and other indispensable pursuits have been given a voice by Berkow in this winning attempt at illuminating a complex subject. The last interview says it all though. It is with that acute observer of the chronic human condition, Saul Bellow. In response to the question as to whether there is anything in basketball or a specific basketball player with which Bellow might identify, the visionary of Chicago (now unaccountably in a Boston exile,)speaking of Michael Jordan, has the final word on the subject: "I do identify myself with this power to hang in the air."

A fascinating perspective and interpretation of some of Frida Kahlo's most famous paintings awaits the reader who has patience. I say patience because the book can be a bit overwhelming with more references than a university thesis. Each page is full of other authors opinions and quotes who author Margaret A. Lindauer does a marvelous job of threading together. She has an agenda in her writing so you will have to follow her arguments. She does a good job of taking a different approach on occacions from such notable Frida biographers as Martha Zamorra and Hayden Herrera, as well some other more obscure contributors. At other times she utilizes their writings to illustrate her points. So what are her points? As Lindauer states, "her investigation has not been directed toward determining "correct" interpretations. Rather I am interested in the consequences of inscribing particular idealogies within distinctinterpretive methodologies, and in consciously selecting theoretical approaches according to the ways in which they revererate with ongoing political negotiations." The reason I quoted such a long passage, actually a sentence and a few words, is because this gives you a flavor for the writing. This style may not be for everyone. Written like a college textbook there are plenty of juxtapostions, binary relationships, patriarchal presciptions, masculinist discourses, dichotomies and paradigmatic feminie qualities to make sure you keep the dictionary close by. These are some of the more common and easier terms used as she really bogs down the discourse with her use of language. I consider myself to have a good vocabulary but found myself seeing words I have never encountered before. Since the rather dense style demands so much attention it is also a book that is best read without distractions. Linduaer reexamines Kahlo and Rivera's relationship, Kahlo's physical and emotional being and the concept of women being sickly, th surrealist movement as prescibed by men, Kahlo's use of Tehuana dress in political terms and eventualy the cult of Fridamania that was so pervasive in the 90's and continues to this day. So is it a good Frida book? Yes and no, no if this where you are beginning your study of Frida Kahlo and yes if you have read most books available and are still "Devouring Frida." All in all it is an interesting examination of Frida but one that will have you scratching your head at times wondering what the heck did she just say. By the same token it is a book that sparks the thought process and lets you know just how esoteric art history can be. Recommended for Fridacoholics only.

I purchased this book on Frida because I was intersted in learning more about her life/works. After researching several books about Frida, I can clearly state that this is the most detailed book about her works. Whether you have a fascination for Frida Kahlo or you are an art historian wanting to learn more about her exteremly unique paintings, you should buy this book. However, the paintings of Frida are relatively small and are black and white. If you are serious about learning more about Frida I would recommend getting a hold of Frida book that shows her paintings in detail (perhaps The Brush of Anguish by Martha Zamora).

Received the item on time and in good condition. Thank you.

- The book is excellent and I am enjoying reading it.

This is a book I have returned to many times over the years. There are days when I feel befuddled by the universal questions of life, such as "why am I here?" or "what is my life's purpose?".
I can find comfort and guidance in the words of the many accomplished people speaking in this book. It is divided into sections, exploring subjects such as happiness, self-worth, love, work, hope, spirituality, health, acceptance, gratitude, etc.
There are fascinating conversations here with 50 prominent men and women, such as May Sarton, Gloria Steinem, Eda LeShan, Dr. Robert Schuller, Norman Cousins, Max Cleland, Rabbi Harold S. Kushner, Dr. Wayne Dyer, on and on.
Gloria Steinem says, "In the past, in reply to some 'Are you happy?' surveys, single women and married men reported themselves to be the happiest, and married women were the least happy. That will begin to change as marriage gets to be a more equal partnership, so it's not such an imposition on women and they can have more sense that they are in control of their lives."
Rabbi Kushner notes, "If I were seventy-five and looking back on my life, I suspect the question that would bother me most would not be 'how much longer do I have to live, but have I used my time well?. I think the scariest thing for elderly people is not the fear of dying, but the sense that maybe they didn't live the way they were supposed to- that they had one chance to be alive and they blew it."
These are just two examples of the wonderful insights you'll find here. Although this book came out in the '80's, it is timeless in nature. It has never failed to lift me up when I've been down. It educates, enlightens, and inspires. One of my treasured gems-highly recommended!

Dr. Wu astounds us by producing a work of biography that does something very rare in this age of standardized academic prose, she has produced an addictively readable volume. To tell the truth, even though I have lived in San Francisco for 25 years, I had never even heard of Mom Chung, but I guess if I lived here during World War II I would have been reading about her exploits every day.

One record after another, she smashed, despite the obvious disapproval of both the Chinese and white communities here. And then there's the gender thing. She adopted, as Dr. Yu shows us, a comically asexual pose, which made it humorous for hundreds of white men and women to call her "Mom," which would have implied that she had had sex when to look at her, and to survey her lack of marriage license, she had none. There's the secret!

The "fair-haired bastards" of the title were the war heroes, at first the pilots, then those who served in the Navy, then a bunch of "Kiwis" who Chung recognized for their work in the field supporting our men overseas. She attracted celebrities to her wherever she went, sort of like our own JT LeRoy in the present day. When she started out, she walked timidly, and it took a cunning and open-hearted woman like the poet Elsa Gidlow to see underneath the brim of her cloche and discover the Lesbian within. Gidlow's memoirs, from which Dr. Wu draws the story, reveal that Gidlow became Chung's patient pretty much to get that old countertransference going. And after a difficult operation, in which Gidlow nearly died, Chung finally admitted that she loved her.

Later on came an intense attachment to the "last of the red hot Mamas," Sophie Tucker. Chung destroyed Tucker's letters, but Tucker carefully preserved all of Chung's little love notes and tokens--thank Goodness, for otherwise we might never have guessed the lengths to which homophobia and sexual fear drove the love affair of these two celebrities deep underground. In a way it was a perfect pose. Chung nearly built Tucker her own shrine within her lavish apartment, so that whenever Tucker decided to visit San Francisco she would be pampered like a goddess. In one letter she hopes that Tucker wears a special nightgown, and "think of me as that nightgown," getting upclose and personal with the famous Tucker body. Sophie Tucker was then coasting on a formidable heterosexual reputation, having been married and divorced thrice by the time she got involved with Mom Chung. I read a whole biography of this notorious entertainer, and the name of Mom Chung never even made it to the index.

Thank the Lord for brave historians like Tzu-Chun Wu who no longer shy away from the uncomfortable truths about their subjects. How I wish that the bruited movie of Chung's life (starring Barbara Stanwyck in Chinese makeup) had really been made, in the long ago days of Mom Chung's celebrity!

Having had to read this book for a history class I wasn't sure about whether or not I would enjoy it. But once I got an understanding of whom Mom Chung was and her importance I really wanted to read the book. I'm glad I did because Chung's story is inspirational, being the first Chinese American Female Doctor. Also Chung was a lesbian (though not 100% proved one can infer this from the evidence.) At the beginning I was inspired by Chung's strength and guts, her breaking through barriers and fighting to be successful and true to herself.(Also managing to continue fighting after several rejections.) Though by the end of her life it seems as though she lost her spunk and drive and settles into the status quo image.

The author does a great job of explaining Chung's life and actually makes the ready feel her triumphs and loses. So from a biographical point of view this is a 5 star book. From the historical point of view it's not as good. She wanted to"...provide insight into the historical transformation of American norms regarding race, gender and sexuality over the course of her lifetime..." This might have to do with Chung being such a larger than life character it is easy to get lost in her and miss the general trends and changes that happened in her lifetime.

With that being said read the book!!!

Master writer and researcher Jill Jonnes is back, this time teamed with the venerable John C. Ball. Fame At Last is the culmination of an unlikely look at a five-year history of New York Times obituaries. The New York Times obits are a veritable who's who of the recently deceased; only those who've been pioneers in their chosen field earn a coveted spot in these pages. This odd subject matter makes for fascinating reading.

Jonnes and Ball developed a database for the ten thousand or so obits in their study, classifying them by occupation, education, income level, obit length, and more. When massaged, their database reveals interesting patterns about these chosen few and highlights the value of higher education, particularly at renowned ivy league schools. Chapters are broken down by field of expertise--artists, politicians, writers, inventors, criminals, musicians, educators, etc. There's something for everyone.

For each chapter, Jonnes has culled a sampling of the most compelling obits, and devotes a page or two to anecdotal musing on each. In its essence, Fame At Last is a collection of short biographies on some of the world's most creative, intelligent, productive, or infamous personalities, some of whom we're familiar with, some we're not. Surprisingly fun and illustrative. Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

I am very impressed with the time spent to research the subject matter. The authors obviously had the perserverance and energy to devote a significant number of hours to the data collection and analysis phases.

Since I like history, I particularly liked the interesting items about indiviiduals that I have read or heard of in other media. There are some lessons to be learned from the lives of the people included in the book.

Also, the statistics bring out some interesting points regarding education, field of endeavor (Occupational Groups)and differences between the sexes and races. For example, the list of names in Table 1-4, "The Overall Apex of Fame: The Longest Obituarties," remind one of the people that have gone before us and have made a difference.

The authors are to be congratulated for providing a great read of a subject that some people shun. (Personally, I get up each morning, check the local obits and if my name is not included I go to work)

This is a great reference book for when you're in a romatic mood. I can't believe it's out of print!

This compilation of letters is divided by the editor into four major categories: Love Down the Ages, Passionate Love, Star-Crossed Lovers, and Joys & Consolations. It features letters from Goethe, Napoleon, Lord Byron, Frida Kahlo, Catherine of Aragon, Kafka, Mozart, Churchill, and many others. It is filled with pictures and the editor provides at least one page of backstory for each couple. My only complaint about the book is that it contains only one letter per couple and, in several cases, the example used is only an excerpt rather than the letter's full text. The lush illustrations and the history lessons make up for this flaw in the end, but if you are shopping for a truly prolific collection of letters, this book would probably not be the right selection.

This was an enjoyable read. Some funny, interesting stories. I recommend it!

This book was fun and easy to read. Jim Chenoweth has a great sense of humor, and I really enjoyed reading about his relationships with the stars. The golfing tips are great!!

I don't much like Gore Vidal, but when I ppicked up this book Altman converted me: he makes Vidal seem far more interesting, important and lively than the old cumudgeon we see on television. A wonderful introduction to the US of the twentieth cnetury!!!--and quite witty to read

this book in revealing the weaknesses of Vudal also points to the strengths, and Altman becomes himself an important author, like Edmund White writing on Genet. To be read

With Celebrity Roast, the follow-up to the Hey, Mister Afterschool Special, Creator Pete Sickman-Garner gets a little more introspective, while still managing to deliver big laughs.

Celebrity Roast gives us the Death of Sting (Yes, THAT Sting...); The first meeting of Mister & Young Tim, wherein Mister rescues Young Tim from a couple of WEIRD guys who think Young Tim is a dog; Mister's first meeting with Aunt Mary, and Mister falling in lust.....with Young Tim...("He's so....pink...").

Despite the big laughs, Sickman-Garner also manages to be touching- try NOT to be moved by the end of "Mister meets Aunt Mary"...I dare ya!!!

Note to Pete Sickman-Garner: More, please! (And FAST!!! I miss Young Tim already!)

What can I say? Pete Sickman-Garner is probably one of the funniest cartoonists out there. There's something refreshing about reading a book where the characters kill and then eat Sting. HEY MISTER shows no remorse as it makes fun of everyone, and does so in a particularly evil manner. Highly recommended.

Title says everything about this book and pictures inside. There is also 40 pages containg biography of Horst P. Horst.

Horst P. Horst was at the top of his game as a photographer for a career that spanned 60 years. The key to his appeal lies in a sound foundation in portraiture composition of the sort that the great painting masters used. To this, he added echoes of form, sensuous light and shadow, and a frequent ability to catch people at their best. While I find his faces often over or under lit for my taste, this book contains dozens of virtually flawless images that you will cherish. One of the nice elements of the book is that Mr. Horst was adept at color photography, as well as black-and-white. The book contains 130 duotone images and 20 in full color. His subjects are usually actors, models, fashion designers, and artists. The three Vogues (American, British, and French) were his most frequent employers. The volume is greatly improved by an introduction that explains how his career developed and his relationship with other photographers and magazine editors. I thought the detailed captions for the photographs were very interesting and impressive, giving the volume a depth that most fine photography books lack. The quality of the book, paper, reproduction, and design are all superb. This show will open in Boston in mid-October, and I plan to see it then!

Here are a few of my favorite images: Noel Coward, 1933; Coco Chanel, 1937; Deanna Durbin, 1936; Ethel Waters, 1939; Lud, 1938; Janet Gaynor and her husband Adrian, 1940; Merle Oberon, 1942; Salvador Dali, 1943; Muriel Maxwell, 1940; Loretta Young, 1943; Lisa Foussagrives, 1940; Gloria Vanderbilt, 1941; Carmen Dell'Orefice, 1947; Lady Diana Cooper, 1946; Rita Hayworth, 1947; Tallulah Bankhead, 1940s; Carlos Chavez, 1946; Irving Penn, 1951; Lucie Bose, 1952; Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and her sister Lee Radziwell, 1955; Maria Callas, 1952; Franco Zeffirelli, 1964; W.H. Auden, 1970; Diana Vreeland, 1979; Kerry Harper, 1980; Duran Duran, 1986; and Catherine Bailey, 1989.

After you examine these thoughtful portraits, ask yourself what you want to learn from a portrait. Personality? Occupation? Habits? Relationships? Beliefs? Soul?

Exude your desire to connect and help others . . . so they will turn to you for aid!