5 comments about Secrets of a Sparrow.

1. 
   I recommend this book for young people because of its "can do" message. Ross talks about working hard and taking responsibility for your own life and your decisions. She also alludes to how hard this can be.
   
   She is a true diva. She's totally gifted and beautiful. Gordy was right to put her name in front billing on the Supremes, her towering voice and style were the reasons people bought their records.
   
   Diana grew with the times from singing where she had to pee in the bushes when there were no rest rooms for Blacks to some of the most prestigeous gigs in the world. She was a key talent in the creation of Motown and her work was influential in mainstreaming Black artists. She has performed with a tremedous range of artists in a variety of media. She not only pioneered a new musical style, but a style for a woman in business.
   
   Compared to her experience the book is too light. It lays out her story and it can be very motivational. I believe she wrote these memoirs too soon. I've seen her more recent coffee table book which features her style and beauty. I hope she writes a third book that is more reflective.



2. This book was somewhat disappointing. It's best described as light and airy. I enjoyed Ross' recollections of her childhood, but she's not very forthcoming about her years as a Supreme. I can understand "taking the high road", but there comes a time when you need to come clean and tell your side of the story. While she mentions her siblings, she never gives insight as to what her relationships are with them. However Ross does give insight as to why her first marriage failed. She is also pretty candid about her relationship with Berry Gordy. I understand Ross is writing another book. Hopefully she will dig deeper and help us understand who she really is.



3. This is a wonderful book of show business legend Diana Ross. She tells her story in her own words being both eloquent and articulate. It is easy to see from reading her memoirs why Diana Ross has reached and sustained the summit of her dreams. Her passion, her personal reasons why, and an unguarded spiritual approach to life are undoubtedly a clue. Diana Ross writes in a way that makes anyone with a dream feel good about themselves as long as they are striving to make that dream a reality. Her lessons are for all people because they are of the human kind. They are the lessons of living a life with grace and dignity. Needless to say, Diana's five children are an admirable testimony, example and reflection to the secrets of this sparrow's soul.



4. Though I am a tail-end baby boomer, I've always been a Supremes fan and there was a time when I thought that one cannot possibly make the Supremes and Diana Ross separable. Now it's at times pretty hard to decide whether to remain a Supremes fan, or a Diana Ross fan for her exclusively. As for the Supremes, what billing? Which girls? There were several, unlike the Beatles who were cohesive from day one to the very last. Motown had to go through several billings for a lot of groups in order to keep the image of the group alive.
   
   For many years I was a fan of both-Diana Ross as well as her billing with the Supremes. Her voice and her legend were enough for me. But when Mary wrote her "Dreamgirls" back in 1986, I read it and I thought, "Oh Diana, how could you?" Then I woke up. Mary's book is strictly HER side of the story and I've concluded it is very biased. For one thing, was Mary's compassion for Florence real? According to Mary it was.....in her book that is. Other souces seem to mention differently. Where was Mary when Florence was destitute later on?
   
   At long last, here is a book written by Diana herself which seems to set the record straight-no gossip from second parties, no unauthorized biographies, and no needless Motown trivia. Just reading it gives the impression that though she made some mistakes in the past, she has matured from the feisty young girl that she was to a well-rounded, family-oriented, spiritual woman. Plus, though she may have made some unscupulous moves in the past to get ahead, still she's only human, plus she chose to manage her money and order her life positively toward her goals. The other two chose not to. We cannot blame Florence's downfall on Diana any more than we can blame the fact that we have kooky people in government on Diana. We may as well then blame, let's say, Paul McCartney for John Lennon's murder.
   
   Lastly, a word to all Supremes: Diana, Mary, Cindy, Flo (R.I.P.), Jean, Linda, Sherry, and Susaye-I possess a collection of vinyl albums entailing a cross-section of all your different billings, and I want to say this: despite challenges and hardships, you all, each in your own way, did a fantastic job in attempting to keep the Supremes image and legacy alive. We love you all.



5. I dont understand why this book has gotten trashed by so many people over the years. Its a very good & insightful story of Diana Ross' life right from the horses mouth. There are more unauthorized biographies on this woman than you can shake a stick at. and ive pretty much read them all. & sadly i never bothered to read this one simply because i heard it was so terrible. Well i could kick myself now for waiting 15yrs to finally realize what a good book this is.
   
   Maybe its not the [...]-fest everyone thought it should be but it rang true for me and gave me clearer insight into what its like to constantly be the center of the publics (& press') adoration and their wrath all at once. Her dependant relationship with the slave-driving Berry Gordy was one of worship and loathing "he played favorites and set up an unhealthy internal climate at Motown" pitting performer against performer often using Diana as the bait. The backstage drama of The Supremes takes up much of the bulk of this book & is facsinating reading for Supremes fans. She gives clear insight (the good & the bad) on her relationship with Mary & Flo, the complex personalities btwn them and why things began to unravel at the height of their success. As for her "bashing" Florence Ballard. Please. People love to give Flo sainthood becuz of how her life ended when in reality she was a human being with problems. period. At any rate, Diana's side of who Florence was & her true feelings behind the firing sound much more beleiveable than Mary Wilson's.
   
   She dosent shy away from the rumors and bad press that have dogged her throughout her entire career, racism within life and within the music industry and even a brief bout with stress that led to anorexia during The Supremes. Missing are the relationships with men like Ryan O'Neal and KISS frontman Gene Simmons. But Diana is a class-act, she's not going to go into the gory details of her sex-life. why should she? I went into reading this book not sure what to expect but i was surprised at her candor. I honestly didnt think she would do it.
   
   As much as i liked this book i have to admit things toward the end got a little sappy & contrived w/ the "Dear Mommy" letters from her children and the detailed "dates" btwn her & her husband. Sure, there were things she didn't go into detail about--who's gonna write a autobigraphy trashing themselves? She was as honest as she needed to be. Overall i thought this book was honest & upbeat. Maybe some thought she shouldve ripped everyone apart? I dont know. I liked this book alot and became an even bigger fan because of it. It was definately a pleasent surprise.

No comments about The Memoirs Of William T. Sherman: Atlanta And The March To The Sea Excerpts, 3 Audio Cassettes, Autobiography Narrated By Nelson Runger.

5 comments about Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles.

1. What a dreary, unnecessarily ugly, gloomy, depressing diatribe. Swofford's Jarhead reminded me at times of Vera Britain's Testament of Youth. Everyone coming into contact with Ms. Britain suffered for the rest of their damned lives, and the same holds true of Tony Swofford.
   It's hard not to feel sorry for the star-crossed, snake-bit Swofford but it saps the life right out of you. HIs father is an over-bearing, alcoholic, disciplinarian deeply scarred by the Vietnam War; his mother indifferent; sister - mentally ill, suicidal and institutionalized; his brother, a delusional, congenital liar who dies of cancer; his girlfriend - unfaithful; best friend - killed in an automobile accident and on and on.
   With such a litany of woe readers might anticipate MR. Swofford endured harrowing combat in Iraq and has written the book to work through those experiences - but Gloomy-Tony never fires a shot. After viewing Iraqi corpses he's shaken to the very marrow of his bones - apparently unaware the Marine Corps is about combat, and combatants often die violent deaths. Not the book to read if down - or up for that matter. Gloomy Tony has just enough education to make him dangerous and his book goes nowhere.
   Depsite placing his rifle to the temple of a fellow Marine, Swofford is genuinely dismayed when no-one asks if he OK after narrowly avoiding a live grenade. I agree the Middle Eastern wars are a travesty, but so is Jarhead.



2. personally, i like the fact he admits to not enjoying the corp, he told the truth, instead of writing a book about how much he was toughest guy in the world and he loved everyday of the corp, he admitted to fear and hate.he curses non stop in the book, but it is written by a marine. he's a real man, he told the truth. he dident wright this book for praise, he wrote it cause he loves to wright.



3. Boring, laced with profanity, raunchiness, whiny, so I find it difficult to relate to this author. He seems like a cry baby to me, and not very intelligent. The book is written to make it seem more than it is, which isn't very much at all. And the constant attempt to make everything poetic is very annoying and an obvious filler technique. This book just sucks! The worst personal perspective war book I think exist. I have no idea how this became a movie, but then there are plenty of stupid movies made all the time.



4. Text Review: Jarhead
   Reviewer: Jessica
   
   This historical fiction novel, Jarhead by Anthony Swofford, is in part historically accurate but also embellished in the detail for story sake. The recollection of the events of the war in the story, when the main character Anthony told them, mentioned Saddam Hussein's overrun of Kuwait and their oil, mentioned the massive international deployment to the Arabian Peninsula and the air raid against Iraq. Anthony chronologically reiterated these historical events, but at the same time detailed aspects of his life. Jarhead is more of the story about Anthony in the war as a soldier than about the war itself.
   
   This novel is written from the perspective of a marine. From start to finish the reader follows Anthony on his journey through boot camp to the frontline and back home. As a reader we connect with his emotions and understand the emotional and physical pressure subdued to these men that sign over their lives to fight for US safety. By having this perspective the historical event of the Gulf War is brought down to a level that is more understandable to the mass public. The public can connect with the chain of events through Anthony's character. The only down fall is that there is a biased on how to view the war. To Anthony he was very apprehensive about going to war a felt he was obligated to enlist; through a historians perspective we are only given the facts and not personal feelings.
   
   A historical fiction novel gives a reader a very basic understanding of history. Unlike that of a text book, in novels the focus is on the characters and their reactions and their emotion struggles. Usually these types of novels are about specific moments in history and cover very brief time frames and specific events. Jarhead is one of those novels; we obtain the basic idea of the gulf war and its reasoning behind it, but mainly are focused on Anthony's life and his adventure through the desert. The reader will connect with the situation and understand more what a marine feels and thinks as they walk through the harsh desert, withstand the brutally cold nights and push through the open fire dodging bullets. If the reader does not know about the war prior to reading this novel the most they will be educated on is what and when the war happened. Historically the events are accurate but not a main focus.
   
   This book is highly acclaimed and gratefully appreciated. The connection with Anthony develops throughout the story and the reader grows to love and care for this marine. I would recommend this book to those who have been through what Anthony has and to those who want to further understand the life of a marine. On a scale of 1-5, I would rate this book a 3 for the detail and the emotional bond built while reading.



5. Jarhead by Anthony Swofford, is the memoir of a former U.S. Marine sniper during the first Gulf War in 1991. It's a very intelligent and humorous look at military life for a new generation. Swofford was stationed in Saudi Arabia, at the northern most area right behind Kuwait for more than six months before the short-lived combat started. This was called "Operation Desert Shield", as to shield the massive oil wells of Saudi Arabia from the Iraqi Republic Guard. As you know, the actual combat, "Operation Desert Storm" started in January and was over in late February.

No comments about Voices & Visions.

No comments about Cesar Chavez: Fighter in the Fields (High Five Reading).

5 comments about Every Second Counts.

1. I liked this book even more than "It's Not About the Bike", and I loved that book. I enjoyed learning about the incredible team work involved in something as crueling as the Tour de France. As a woman, I wasn't raised participating in team sports and I never thought of a bike race as anything but an individual performance. I really felt as if I was riding along with the guys up those massive peaks...Good writing in my opinion...Insightful



2. This picks up where "It's Not About the Bike" left off. This is a more mundane read than About the Bike, but it was still a very good read. Lance lets you into his head a bit more to see what makes him tick and what his beliefs are. Well worth the read.



3. Lance Armstrong is a unique athlete unparalleled in the world of cycling. This book gives you a look inside his head to find a very focused driven person with an indominatable spirit. You will find it enlightening and sometimes not very pretty, but no one can argue with his willingness to train ruthlessly to win. How many of us would be willing to climb a steep mountain on a bike and then come down and do it again to get it right. He shows us what it takes to win the greatest bike race in the world - multiple times. Lance is a champion among champions and we can all learn something from his drive and will to win!



4. 
   Lance's first book, It's Not About the Bike, is a great book weaving together the author's fight to overcome cancer and his remarkable first win of the Tour de France in 1999.
   
   Every Second Counts continues the story, including action up to and including the 2003 Tour. But it falls far short of the standard set in the original work.
   
   Much of the material dealing with Lance's values as a family man and a cancer survivor is repetitive; having established himself as multi dimensional in Not About the Bike, Armstrong should have gone deeper into the racing action this time around.
   
   Nevertheless I didn't regret reading this. Lance's achievements are astonishing and every bit of insight adds something. The description of the epic moment in the 2001 Tour when, after bluffing, Armstrong stared down Jan Ulrich and blasted past him up the Alpe d'Huez is worth it in and of itself.



5. This book is a very insighful look into Lance's life, and how it changed after being diagnosed with cancer. It describes his battle with cancer in detail, including lengthy descriptions of chemotherapy treatments. If you want to learn about cancer and chemotherapy, this is a good book to pick up!

No comments about A Positively Final Appearance: A Journal, 1996-1998.

5 comments about Growing Up Cuban in Decatur, Georgia.

1. I love this tape! Have listened to it over and over again. I must say that this lady is the best story teller I have every heard! Every time I hear the part about when her Cuban Mother (who, of COURSE, is driving her crazy) says "When I'm gone you're gonna missss meeee", it makes me cry. What love, compassion and emotion she puts in her story telling. Excellent! I always laugh at the "little Carmen" who insists her name is "Carmen!...not Caaarrrrmeeeen (long drawled out southern style). A MUST have!!



2. The only thing better is seeing her live, and my only complaint is that it wasn't longer. She's wonderful to listen to.



3. I wish I could introduce everyone to Carmen Agra Deedy. My daughter and granddaughters have talked about her for years. On my vacation, it was my great pleasure to attend a story telling session at a Borders in Georgia. What a wonderful story teller Ms Deedy is. I bought several of her books for children while at the store, charming stories, beautifully illustrated. When we returned to my daughter's home, my daughter handed me an audio tape of Ms. Deedy narrating her stories of Growing up Cuban in Decatur, Georgia. I listened, I smiled and I had a great urge to have everyone I know enjoy the same happy experience. With no trouble at all, I was able to sit at my daughter's computer, ask Amazon.com to send me three copies of the tapes. They arrived at my home before I did, and have given some happy, peaceful moments to my dear ones here in Rhode Island. I highly recommend her books and her tapes.



4. Carmen Deedy tells hilarious stories of her family, her home, and growing up in Decatur, Ga. Definately worth listening to over and over!



5. Carmen Deedy is a wonderful storyteller and author! My daughter and I have worn out the tape version listening over and over again! The stories are heartfelt, funny and so real- you will feel as though they are told just for you!
   Her stories (books & CD) are so well written and told, young and old will laugh out loud - although it may be for two different reasons! She is a favorite at our house (and in our car!)You won't be dissapointed!
   I have had the amazing opportunity to see Ms. Deedy present her stories to an elementary school and everyone (kids and grownups) loved every minute of her storytelling! I was able to visit with her for a short while and she is such a nice, down to earth person and it was truely a joy and honor to have this opportunity.

No comments about To War With Whitaker: The Wartime Diaries of the Countess of Ranfurly 1939-45.

5 comments about Hello, He Lied: And Other Truths from the Hollywood Trenches.

1. Lynda Obst uses her experience as an accomplished film producer to explain to new people how to make it in Hollywood. She hits every topic right on the head. I have experienced the same things in getting my films made, particularly The Indie Pendant. All of her info can used by anyone wanting to become a filmmaker. The chapter on figuring out which way the horse is headed was probably the best chapter I have ever read on getting things done in Hollywood. Look for all of this info and more during The Indie Film Hour on World Talk Radio. Hosted by myself. www.vdefilms.com



2. HELLO HE LIED is written by Lynda Obst one of the top female producers in Hollywood. (I only say female because she does talk about the challenges of being a woman in Hollywood). Her films include such classics as THE FISHER KING, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE and CONTACT. She lives in Los Angeles and Texas -- which should give you a hint already that it's important to get some distance now and then (and maybe more) from TWINKLETOWN -- I MEAN TINSELTOWN. Her advice to NEVER GO TO A MEETING WITHOUT A STRATEGY is one we all should remember. All too often we worry about our powerpoint or our clothes or our car-- and not the strategy and outcome we want. IT's this good common sense business stuff that makes Lynda's book different from so many schmoozerama books -- how to schmooze and meet and network with Moguls in Hollywood. All too often MAGIC is associated with Hollywood movies and dealmakings and Lynda lets you know that it's not magic but good hard work and a thick SKIN. She also mentions Yoga and has a bit of a zen approach to all of this that makes us realize it ain't brain surgery! Her chapter on the TAO of Power and her description of how the film THE HOT ZONE did/didn't get made is fascinating....what a smart lady this is. If you are a woman you'll like the section called CHIX IN FLIX...oh you don't need any more recommenation-- just buy it - used or new-- I don't know why it took me so long to read it....BUT DO IT -- all of life is Hollywood in some way now -- ie American Idol etc.



3. Ms. Obst has written a delightful book filled with many lessons about how to get complicated projects completed, something she's expert at accomplishing. This book has applications for most complex business projects, and also for building a career. Obst knows how to get over hurdles, deal with interference, hang in for the long haul, and keep the project moving along despite all the difficulties that come with big dollar, competitive deals.
   
   It's one of the few excellent business books I've ever read (including the ones I had to read in business school). Even though it's centered on the movie business, the author has shared many nuggets that are relevant to all kinds of endeavors. Very high recommendation! Plus it's quite entertaining from start to finish.
   
   P.S. The negative comments of some reviewers are a mystery to me. Complaints about "Hollywood movies" (whatever that stereotype means), and unsettling business practices are common enough feelings, but these feelings are not sufficient as critiques of Hello He Lied. If you truly want to learn more about how big deals are done, read this book.



4. Sorry guys, but I was unfortunate enough to have bought this book years ago from some hollywood bookclub I can't even remeber anymore, but this is THE MOST SUCK UP book, on how to make it in Hollywood that I ever had the time to waste reading. Do yourself a HUGE FAVOR and take her advice with CAUTION--PLEASE!
   
   
   
   For the most part I simply felt her advice was outright--dishonest in a way...Tip-toe here...Compromise there...For what?
   
   
   
   Talking about sucking up, she mentioned a pitch session she had with David Geffen, who wasn't even listening to her. After she was done he simply said to her, "You know, you'd be more attractive if you had some collogen shots." Obst's response? "What did he mean?" IT WAS OBVIOUS THIS MAN WAS BEING RUDE! Obst wasn't even honest enough to admitt that!
   
   
   
   You want to learn the business and how to break in with at least half a chance on developing enough clout to call a shot? Consult with the INDUSRY HERETICS and PROFESSIONAL MAVERICKS! Obst is doing nothing but rehashing COMMON WISDOM a zillion different ways. The answer is not in COMMON HOLLYWOOD WISDOM.
   
   You learn the RULES then BREAK THEM!



5. "Hello, He Lied" is a Hollywood book that bridges the gap to become a mainstream read. I originally picked it up to learn more about the reality of life in Hollywood, for women and otherwise, but I got an easy-to-read Hollywood book that tackles general business and life issues in an amusing way.
   
   Obst tone is that of a Hollywood outsider with insider information. She has a sense of humor about the nature of her work, her business, and her industry associates. When she tells stories of her experience, she has a sarcastic wit that gives people hope that not everyone in Hollywood has lost touch with reality. In fact, her family life remains one of her utmost priorities.
   
   In sum, her book was what I wanted it to be: A light-hearted, insightful look at producer's role with life and business gems a long the way.