5 comments about Diana.

1. Bradford sounds like a fan of the Princess. She gives Diana the benefit of the doubt at every juncture. In a way, this makes for a pleasant and poignant read. Diana is portrayed as misunderstood and misused by "the establishment," the press, her family and most of her lovers. The only ones who didn't let her down were us (her public) and Hasnat Khan, the Pakistani surgeon who loved her dearly but couldn't/wouldn't marry her. Diana's more destructive impulses are portrayed as being the flip side of her strength. The thing of it is, though, very little of this information is new and much of it is hard to believe. Diana did bring much of her heartache onto herself. As Tina Brown's superior book exhibits, Diana's real story -- objectively told -- is just as compelling and heartbreaking as this more rose-colored version.



2. I wasn't sure about "Diana" by Sarha Bradford when I picked it. I thought that it would be a Diana hate fest or love fest. But this book was either. I was a balance book about Princess of Wales. Ms. Bradford should that Diana was just everyone else in the world. She had her up and downs with family and friends and all that she was looking for was her place in world, but unlike the rest of us the whole world was watching her do it.
   If you are a fan of the late Princess of Wales this may be the book for you.



3. If you're like me and just want to know Princess Diana's whole story, this is the book you need to read. It tells her life story in such an intertaining way that i just couldn't stop reading it until the very end. Sarah Bradford's work is remarkable. I highly recommend it.



4. This is probably the closest we will get to an "official" biography of the late Princess of Wales for many years to come. Sarah Bradford (who is also Viscountess Bangor) was able to interview countless friends and servants and other acquaintances of Princess Diana, including apparently several unnamed members of the Royal Family. The result is a book which, while overall sympathetic to the Princess, also acknowledges her darker side.
   
   Lady Diana Spencer broke into the world's consciousness as a shy, smiling young girl in 1981. After her magnificent wedding most people thought the fairy tale would go on forever. There were warning signs from the beginning as Bradford points out: Diana's troubled childhood, her tendencies to overdramatize and manipulate her way out of difficulties, and her sadly neglected education. The Prince of Wales, Bradford also demonstrates, also had more than his share of problems. With hindsight, we can only wonder why any one thought this marriage ever had a chance.
   
   Bradford does a good job of dissecting the numerous contradictions in the life of the Princess, exposing the differences between reality and the facade erected by both the Prince and the Princess. At the end, the reader is left still feeling sympathy for this tragic couple but very aware that they themselves did much to sabotage their lives.



5. I have read several Diana biographies and too much of the time it's a simple rehash of stories and moments already told. Sarah Bradford's bio is a breath of much needed fresh air. I think it's the definitive biography on Princess Diana's life. At times you feel for her and at others you are left in total disbelief at how petty and irrational she could be. The book is a success because the author doesn't try or attempt to side with Diana or any other member of the royal family. There's no line crossing here, Bradford keeps her subject at arms length but at the same time manages to weave a touching and warm biography. Towards the later part of the book that deals with her life from the time she agreed to do the Morton book, reading about how manipulative and out of control she could be I was left wondering why I respected this woman. But because of the author's talent in presenting both sides of a person, I ended up not hating Diana but respecting that she was a complex person, as are all human beings. She was not a saint but a woman trying to find peace, succeeding at times and due to outside circumstances and her own misjudgment failing to find the peace she sought. By the end of the book I found myself tearing up. This is truly a wonderful and well paced biography.

1 comments about Paris Hilton: Life on the Edge.

1. I think paris rocks! I think she learned a big lesson and im proud of her . of course theres nothing worng with partying once and a while though. or thousand of times lol. but my point is about the whole jail thing really made her stronger. and im proud 2 say vote paris for president lol im also proud 2 say im paris 1 fan. oh and support paris and buy her new line of shoes at macys any fans of paris.

5 comments about House of Hilton: From Conrad to Paris: A Drama of Wealth, Power, and Privilege.

1. This book is totally mis-named. It gives very little inside about the 'House of Hilton' as the public and hotel professionals would see it. It seems as if the author was indeed influenced by the powers-that-are, and it appears strongly that he changed course on more than one occasion for reasons known/unknown.
   
   As the published product comes across, the author picks mostly on Paris Hilton's grandmother (Big Kathy), which is no longer amongst the living, and then on Conrad's oldest son, Nick, which is also amongst the dead. Other than that Nick would be the great-uncle of the current media 'bore', there is no connection whatsoever between these two (2) main characters of the book.
   
   That Conrad Hilton liked the girls has never been a secret at all. He made his pursuits with humor, charm and much class. That he is made out as a cheapscate, which he was not at all, must have come from the line of 'Big Kathy'; but then again, good, old Connie is dead as well...
   
   Erich E.



2. House of Hilton
   By Jerry Oppenheimer
   
   Do you want to know why Paris is the way she is? Then this
   book may be perfect for you because it explain the Hilton history.
   However to be honest, House of Hilton was not my favorite book. I got
   this book because I wanted to learn more about Paris and since the
   cover said from Conrad to Paris, I thought there would be quite a bit
   of information about her in it. I was disappointed they spent so much
   time on other people in the family. This was an unauthorized biography which talked about all of the Hiltons and it spent more time talking about the rest of the family.
   
   Paris is one of my favorite stars and I wanted to learn more about
   her. This book showed that most of her family is wild and it is in her
   blood. Conrad Hilton was the businessman who made the Hiltons what
   they are today - rich hotel people. Her grandmother was a stage mother
   and her grandfather an alcoholic. Her Uncle Nick made Paris look calm
   since he had affairs, used drugs, and got drunk and got into fights.
   Most of the Hiltons married more than once. The book talked about
   other people but it was hard to follow who was who at times.
   
   I did learn Paris went from school to school and was allowed to run
   wild a lot. She got into trouble when she was young and she barely
   got a degree. However she is a good business person and managed to
   make money modeling and singing but she got famous from her sex tape.
   
   Jerry Oppenheimer has written a few biographies about a few famous
   people some authorized, some weren't. In this book Jerry Oppenheimer
   spoke to many people who knew the Hiltons and used a lot of periodical
   resources to research this book.
   
   This book explained a lot about the family but I had wanted to read
   more about Paris and her sister. This book really went into everyone
   else in the family more then them. I did not care about some of the
   extended family and was disappointed because of this.



3. When I first picked up HOUSE OF HILTON to read, I thought it was going to be a juicy tell-all about Paris Hilton and her family, especially her parents and the famous lineage back to her great-grandfather who started the whole Hilton Hotel chain. Though some of that is in the book, there is a lot missing and the stories aren't as interesting as I thought they might be.
   
   The book is divided into two major parts. The first section looks at Paris' family on her maternal side while the second section of the book examines the lives of Paris' great-grandfather Conrad and her great-uncle Nick Hilton. The work is bookend by some stories about Paris and a few anecdotes about her sister Nicky. It then follows the life of Paris' mother Kathy Richards and her grandmother "Big" Kathy Dugan Avanzino Richards Catain Fenton. The second half of the book examines how Conrad Hilton built his hotel empire and his very eccentric lifestyle, including his contrary religious devotion and playboy lifestyle. The last part of the book takes an in-depth look at Conrad's son, Nick who lived a lifestyle that parallels Paris'.
   
   I can understand why the book looks at the Paris Hilton's maternal heritage because by examining the lives of her mother and maternal grandmother one can see where Paris learned her sense of entitlement and her gold-digging ways. I realize that much of this information about Paris Hilton's maternal legacy has never been collected together, but I found much of it to be repetitive and not all that interesting. The second half of the book held my attention better. However, as with the first part of the book there is a great deal lacking. The last fourth of the book is all about Nick Conrad, Paris Hilton's great-uncle. Nick was a flagrant playboy and gained fame much the same way that Paris has, simply by using his wealth to become famous. Nick Hilton lived a very wild and interesting life and it makes for a good read and also serves as an example of the heritage that Paris has been given. However, Nick was Paris' great-uncle. The book hardly mentions Paris grandfather Barron, her other great uncle, or even her father. I don't know if it's because their lives were so much more mundane than the other members of the family or what. However, I would have really enjoyed reading something about them because they are more closely related to Paris than Nick was.
   
   The book includes some pictures that help put faces to many of the people the book talks about including several of family member (such as Big Kathy) that most people have never heard of or seen before.
   
   Overall, HOUSE OF HILTON is an okay read. It is filled with facts and tidbits about the Hilton family. It starts off quite slow, but picks up in the second half. Yet, it's not as juicy as I was led to believe. Recommended for people who have a major or invested interest in the Hilton family or anyone who enjoys reading about families of the rich and famous.



4. The house of hilton does give justice on depicting the characters of Paris' Grandmother and great uncle (Nick Hilton - the one that married Liz Taylor) however it does not shed a lot of light on Paris Hilton and her Parents' life. We see that she gets her "I need to be the center of attention and in the spotlight at all times" demeanor from maternal grandma Big Kathy. All in all, I thought the book was a really easy read. I'm just curious as to how Paris would fill in her occupation on her tax forms. Is there an option for 24/7/365 days party animal socialite. I am fascinated by how she made a marketing brand for herself. The going rates to have Paris make an appearance at your party approx $200K..As to how she got to be so marketable? -- being a victim of a popular sex video that was fuzzy and was a popular download? I'm not sure I'd be proud of that.



5. This book is about Paris Hilton's grandparents, parents, and aunts. It includes the grandparent's ex-wives and husbands as well.If you want to know the history of the Hiltons then you should definately by this book. It mentions Paris in the book, but it definately isn't just about her. This is a good book.

5 comments about The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini (Penguin Classics).

1. This autobiography resembles a popular life in the American wild west (not what one would expect of an iconic Renaissance sculptor/goldsmith), or so it seemed to me when I read this translation in the early 70's.
   
   It's a rare, remarkable work that remains memorable over the years. The saga of a vibrant genius (and the pleasure of reading this work) still remains.



2. If youre a fan of picaresque autobiography, this book is the best. Crimes and misadventures galore. Benvenuto uses his talent to win the patronage of the pope and king of france and then runs the favoritism into the dirt through paranoia, murderous rage, and a viscious slandering tongue. artists, and writers will find much to love in this book.
   
   this is not a history book. but a book from history. a real historian would know the differance and would appreciate it appropriately.



3. Benvenuto Cellini was a leading figure of the Italian Renaissance. He was close to the Florentine court and participated in royal intrigues. He was a major artist in a period of major artists, creating numerous works of beauty that can still be seen today. (His most famous work is the statue of Perseus holding the head of the Medusa, which stands in the piazza outside the Palazzo Vecchio. His description of the making of this work is one of the highlights of the book.) He had numerous love affairs with titled women and numerous feuds with powerful men. He was also a murderer and an unconscious sadist. And he wrote it all in what is one of the great autobiographies of all time. Parts of the book are chilling, such as when he regrets having beaten his beautiful model, not out of guilt or remorse, but because the beating had left her so swollen and bruised that she was no good to him as a model now. Other parts are disgusting, such as when he describes a parasite he vomited. At other times one wonders if he really thought he could get away with such tall tales as swearing that while under the protection of a necromancer he saw the Colosseum full of dancing devils. Cellini was a complex man and a great artist and a great writer. His autobiography is essential reading if one wishes to understand the Renaissance. I consider Cellini's autobiography to be almost as essential as Homer and Shakespeare. Five stars, of course.



4. It's a bit annoying to listen to Cellini talk about himself for 400 pages in such a manner. He's not a literary genius, so it's a bit hard to get through. But, Cellini's life is anything but boring. I also found him very witty and amusing. You have to be into the Renaissance, or history, to enjoy it.



5. This review is for the audio book version of this amazing autobiography. Cellini is an incredibly arrogant individual, but his story is entertaining and gives a fascinating look at the Renaissance and many of its major characters. Even though he is not the most likable man in the world, there were many things to admire about his strength of character. It is easy to see why he had so many enemies, though I'm not sure he understood why. His descriptions of the courts of Italy, France, and the Church give us priceless information on how they functioned. I noticed that historians like Durant referenced this work a lot in their histories. This also affirms to me that human nature has always been the same.
   
   The reader for this audio book is Robert Whitfield, whose characterization is exactly what I would imagine for Cellini. He had that touch of arrogance in his voice one would expect from a major braggart, but it was not too grating and easy to listen to. The translation by John Addington Symonds was also excellent and very easy for a modern ear to understand.
   
   I highly recommend this audio book for anyone that loves a good story. It has action, adventure, romance, intrigue, and about anything else one would look for in a good book. The audio book is 15 ½ hours long, and the time went by quickly.

5 comments about Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters.

1. This book gives good insite on the life of Howard Hughes. If you are interested in specific information on business or aviation this may not be the book for you. But Howard Hughes was much more than business and aviation. He was a psychoanalyst dream. A very interesting case study in Obsessive Compulsive disorder also another overlooked aspect of his psyche was the relationship he had with women. He would sometimes keep women all over town on payroll to be on call at all times; these women would be on payroll for years sometimes perhaps outliving their best years (hollywood being youth orientated). Women he pursued who never showed interest were seen as conquest. Such as Ava Gardner who by her own definition could never love him because he smelled. However they remained lifelong friends. Yet interestingly when the women he was interested in were married he made it his personal problem to see that they got divorced to the extent of hiring private investigators and such. Howard could have also been considered a voyuer. He would hire investigators for the women he was interested in (some may not have been mutually interested) and spy on them to the point that bugs were planted in their bedrooms. Those who turned him down like Elizabeth Taylor (who was still a teenager were offered money. What is the saddest is his last years. You work your whole life so that you can enjoy your wealth in your golden years but for Howard his golden years consisted of self imposed imprisonment. This was a detriment because the people who were his true friends such as Dietrich (who was loyal and saved him from economic ruin many times)and his aunt Annette (who was there for him in his early years after his parents death)he kept away. So he was neglected at the end. Surrounded by people who never really cared about him just his money.



2. What a life Hughes Led! The author did a wonderful job of writng so that I couldn't put the book down. Hughes was the ultimate wheeler dealer. I felt sorry for him as a child with his parnoid mother who raised him to fear all illness. But when he grew up he had no excuse for his behavior in treatment of women. He was fortunate in business, always thinking in larger terms. This book was overall as interesting as Tutankhamun by Hoving; it was as thrilling as riding on a roller coaster driven by Hughes.



3. I've read several books on Howard Hughes, but this one by far is the best.
   
   Richard Hack really looks beneath the surface and into the very soul of Hughes, painting a disturbing yet realistic human portrait of him along the way.
   
   Highly recommended!



4. "Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters", by Richard Hack, New Millennium Press, CA 2001. ISBN 1-893224-35-X, HC 444/391 pages includes Prologue 18 pgs., Source Notes etc., 35 pgs., Index 19 pgs., 35 B & W photos, 9 1/4" x 6 1/4".
   
   Hack, an established biographical writer is also a columnist. His profligate "Hughes" is an obvious work of love, having woven an intricately enmeshed & alive chronicled narrative composed of myriads of infinitesimal minutiae which unfold to reveal profound intimate particulars of a legendary uncommunicative man known for privacy, secrecy and excesses.
   
   The book's organization is superb, in some respects resembling that of "Citizen Kane" and beginning with a Prologue entitled "Death by Neglect" and followed by 20 chapters narrating Hughes' life, with a final chapter "And the Winner Is..." detailing his Will, the myriads of ludicrous & bizarre circumstances which ensued thereof, some obviously fraudulent. All in all, many rumors about Hughes are herein shown to have been on target, i.e. his need for absolute control, obsession with Hollywood's stars/starlets underaged or otherwise, secrecies & phobias; -- but the book's inestimable value is its exposition on his early childhood development, erratic education, circumstances behind his wealth & revealing unpropitious events shaping his bizarre lifestyle, including a misguided smothering maternal overprotectionism.
   
   We learn of his STD (Lues), OCD, microphobia, codeine & Valium addiction, recluse behavior and eventual demise. Surprising to everyone, the bulk of his estate per Will, as early as 1925 and again in 1938, provided for the charitable, Howard R. Hughes Medical Research Laboratories. While attending Harvard Medical School, I witnessed on two occasions Hughes' late night limo arrivals to PBBH for medical evaluation, learning only of a kidney ailment (medicinal) and appointment with Dr. G. Thorn then studying "electrocortin" (later renamed cortisone) and who also treated some Hollywood's stars with newly discovered 'cortisone'. This book is a treasure trove of intimacies once privy only to the FBI, CIA and sealed court testimony files. A very good, intimate and stimulating read, but lacking much detailed information on aerodynamics. Even an encounter with Amelia Earhart is noted for one of his speed trial events.



5. Very interesting, depressing book. Can't help think about all the women that guy used. To say he got what he deserved is an understatement! Such a sick, manipulative man...Everyone he used, to get ahead, also deserved what they got! Such devotion to this man...and just for money!
   His eccentricities were amazing & made me want to wash my hands every time I put the book down. BUT....Do I have the only copy of this book where pages 325 to 348 were repeated? Then starting again, on page 373?
   Pretty dissapointing, with the Author the Publisher or BOTH! Would like to fine pages 349 to page 372!!!!!!!!!! Can anyone help?

4 comments about Lessons from the Apprentice: Secrets to Success from the Boardroom to the Business World (Official Book).

1. I got into "The Apprentice" about half-way into the first season and have been hooked ever since. There are so many dynamics going on in the show (such as short term goals, i.e. winning the assignment; relating to team members; and of course dealing with The Donald, and his side kicks George and Carolyn), that makes it compelling viewing all around. Don't underestimate the Donald's factor. For proof, check the oh-so-lame new Martha Stewart Apprentice show.... boring!!!
   
   "Lessons from the Apprentice: Secrets to Success from the Boardroom to the Business World" (176 pages) is a high-end, glossy page book that takes you back to the first 3 seasons of "The Apprentice". While the book is structured to offer "lessons", it really is a fun look back of what worked and what went horribly wrong in the teams various assignments. With 20-20 vision, many of the mistakes that the losing teams made were so obvious (Ivana dropping her pants to "sell" chocolate bars? Danny's "Triple Play" act to get people into Burger King? etc.). There are plenty of pictures and quotes from the Donald, George and Carolyn, but also from the various business executives whose company products were on the line, and in that sense, yes, the book offers lessons.
   
   In the end, though, this is an irreverent look back at the first three seasons of "The Apprentice", and a good one at that. In a way, it reminds me of the 3 (so far) Simpsons books that "dissect" the episodes. If you are a fan of "The Apprentice", you will love this book!



2. It's difficult to believe that the first Apprentice "interview" was aired on January 8, 2004. Donald Trump's signature table smack, pointing finger, and "You're fired!" pronouncement seem to have been in our cultural memory far longer. And you don't have to be a fan or avid watcher of the program to be familiar with it.
   
   "Lessons" follows the format of the typical television show commemorative paperback. It's got full-color photos and two episode lists that detail the tasks, project managers, team members, rewards, fatal errors, boardroom callbacks, and firees of the first three "seasons." But of course, it offers much more than a mere superficial episode recap. The bulk of the book is organized by chapters that focus on the various aspects of business that were represented by the tasks: product development, sales techniques, leadership, time management, boardroom survival, etc. Each chapter uses Apprentice examples, both good and bad, to make a point. The pages are liberally decorated with words of advice from Donald, Carolyn Kepcher, and George Ross, as well as Marilyn DeVries, Linda Sawyer, RuthAnn Fry, Gene Simmons, George Steinbrenner, and Alan "Ace" Greenberg. The result is glitzy and not quite as in-depth as the analysis that was posted weekly on the NBC Apprentice web site during the third "season" (analysis that is shamefully missing from the current fourth "season" web page). These examples and recommendations provide interesting food for thought and a trip down memory lane for those of us who have watched every installment.
   
   Copies of this book are destined to show up at yard sales and used book sales in a few years, but "Lessons" provides moderate enjoyment in the meantime. True Trump devotees will want to hang on to and savor their copies a little longer.



3. I gave this book two stars because the book was a little boring and dragged on in some areas. The best information was in the margins and the quotes not really any of the information in the book. I have read: Carolyn, Bill, and Amy's books and I want to give this one a try.
   
   This book is truly for The Apprentice TV lover but if you are looking for business advice this is not the book for you.



4. For me, this book is the best of the lot. I've browsed Amy and Bill's books, read Carolyn's, and Trump: The Way to the Top...skipped Donald's real estate primers because...I'm not interested in real estate. And I have to say--this "workbook" taught me A TON about business basics, and plane old personal success. I think some of us need to hear "Grab life by the horns and give it everything you've got"... and, HOW exactly to go about doing that. This book hits the spot.
   It's all about examples from the show, and I don't know about you, but I learn from examples best. It's not nostalgic, it's just basic business lessons...ones that I am surprised most business people don't follow.
   Like, for example, Why it's important--and How to be a good listener during--brainstorming sessions. "Notice the body language and look on Bill's face when Katrina came up with dumbass ideas in season 1"...Well, ok, it doesn't exactly say that, but...you know what I'm saying. I actually used this in my department and was shocked at the good it did. My CFO has no idea The Apprentice is part of the reason our production budget is slashed by a third now.
   As corny as it sounds, my recent promotion from mail room to management is, in part, due to this corny workbook. --I say corny because, um, there's an entire page dedicated to a color photo of George's face. That's just creepy.
   --Funny. But creepy.
   
   I think this book is for people who like emotional attachment to what they're doing, examples spelled out for them, and lots of pep talks.
   
   I also reccommend Carolyn 101.

1 comments about Santa's Secret : A Story of Hope (The True Story of America's Secret Santa).

1. This book rekindles your faith in man and humanity and how each person makes or can make a difference for others. It is full of stories about rendering a kindness to a stranger in need. All of the acts are offered to people who did not ask for help but clearly needed it. They are carefully given to enable the reciepient to maintain their dignity.
   
   I did not give it 5 stars because I wanted more information on Mr. Stewart's life in Mississippi and his business rise to be in a position where he could do such fine things.
   
   It will be a seasonal favorite at my home. We are giving copies to our friends. It is appropriate for all ages. If you like the concept of 'Pay It Forward' or the idea of random acts of kindness, then you will really enjoy this captivating and inspiring read.

5 comments about Disney: The First 100 Years.

1. I really enjoyed this book. It is packed with lots of great photographs and artwork from Walt Disney and the Disney Company. It also has a really nice overview of the life of Walt Disney and the work of the Disney Company in text.

   I appreciated the organization of the book. The book is arranged chronologically, which helped me to understand the flow of events better. This book has a very upbeat, positive tone and paints a very bright and exciting future for the Disney Company.

   This book does not contain nearly as much information about Walt Disney as some of the biographies that I have read, but I don't think that was the goal of this book. This book does a very nice job of chronicling the art and the work of this great American icon and then continues the chronology with the work of the Disney Company in the post Walt era.

   This book starts with very early Disney and takes the reader all the way through to Fantasia 2000. This is an excellent coffee table book. I highly recommended it to anyone that loves Walt, his work and the continuing work of the Disney Company.




2. This book was excellent! It had terrific pictures and it told from 1901 when Walt was born until 2001. It is a great keepsake. I purchased mine at Walt Disney World during the 100 Years of Magic celebration.



3. This is a great book about Disney Company. It goes chronologically from 1901 to 1999 and beyond. Every event in the company's history is put in the book, but without much detail.
   Since he maintains Disney Archives, Dave Smith could have done a litle better, like he did with Disney's Encyclopedia.



4. This 213 page book is just full of an endless supply of full color photos of everything Disney for the past 100 years. You'll learn all about Walt's early life and how his ideas created worldwide Disney worlds. Each chapter covers a decade from 1901 to 2001 !! Many of these pictures are archival and never made available before. The book provides many memories for "children" of all ages. It's a keeper. Enjoy !



5. Catch up on your knowledge, or review what you know. Fun series of all that's Disney.

5 comments about Cybill Disobedience.

1. Some interesting comments about show business, and about some of the people she worked with, and went to bed with. The last part, about her TV show, "Cybill," would only interest a BIG fan of the show. (Who did what and who said what about the show's individual episodes isn't exactly gripping reading.) (I'm glad it's a short book.)



2. Cybill Disobedience : How I Survived Beauty Pageants, Elvis, Sex, Bruce Willis, Lies, Marriage, Motherhood, Hollywood, and the Irrepressible Urge to Say What I Think
   by Cybill Shepherd
   
   This was an interesting read and useful as a resource since it is a first person description of the kind of life one can lead as a liberated (using the pill) female. Not only was Cybill successful, but as she says, she was "a very, very, bad girl." Cybill did what she wanted to do.
   
   Regardless of whether or not this sort of life should be recommended, it is certainly a resource that can be referred to as an example.



3. Truly the title sums up the whole of this autobiography. I wonder if Ms. Shepherd hadn't believed so deeply in her ephemeral outer beauty, maybe others wouldn't have assumed that that's all she had going for her.
   
   Conspicuously absent from her story were her relationships with her siblings, which were touched on ever-so-briefly toward the end, tellingly admitting that they had a tenuous connection at best, their sibling bonds having been sacrificed at the alter of Shepherd's career.
   
   Cybill Shepherd spent her life being promiscuous, including involvment with married men, and lays it all out for the record, no matter how it makes her look. It's amazing to me that she never came away from fling after short-term fling not feeling used or taken advantage of.
   
   The comment that rings the loudest to me, out of everything she crammed furiously into this book, was the fact that she tried to make '5 minutes feel like 5 hours' with her kids, as if that were possible. Although she does go on to admit that it is simply not possible to do it all.
   
   Contradictory to me is the fact that Ms. Shepherd found lurid tabloid stories to be embarassing and insulting to herself and her children, but she voluntarily lays bare all her personal laundry.
   
   I picked up this book because I fondly remember Moonlighting as must-see TV of my teenage years, Maddie Hayes and David Addison being the best on-screen couple of my generation. Although that was just one small part of Cybill's story, I did find the Hollywood insider stuff a fun guilty pleasure.
   
   One last criticism - the subtitle is far too long and completely unnecessary, bordering on downright silly.



4. I don't know what compelled me to check this out from the library since I didn't really know who Cybill Shepherd was, but she kept me reading with her honesty and `dang-it-it's-true' breed of self-flattery. In this autobiography, the star of the '80's TV hit Moonlighting (when she mentioned Moonlighting, I was finally like, "Oh, I know who she is...") candidly talks about the cut-throat world of Hollywood, tells about how Hef, of Playboy fame, stole images from her nude scene and improperly published them, talks about an affair with Elvis (who "charmed" her by telling her in one of his pill-popping hazes about the time a doctor gave him an injection directly into the pupil of his eye!!!!!) and throws caution to the wind and dodges claims of skankhood by talking about a seemingly unending series of affairs with scores of married and unmarried men, from her beauty queen teen years in Memphis, well into her fifties. Shepherd name-drops and that's the making of this book since it's most interesting when the focus is not on her. She tells about having Orson Welles as a long-term house guest, about how she introduced Elvis to certain amorous technique, tells of clashes with Bruce Willis, whose ego was a match for her own, and provides tell-all revelations about some of the biggest stars in the movie business during the 1970's. Shepherd is also doggedly committed to certain feminist causes and gives ink to her views on them. This book is definitely a celebrity stroking her ego, but it's not dull or preachy and since it can be read in about two hours, it's not a bad way to spend a free afternoon.



5. I wanted to read this book mainly to see what Cybill would say about Bruce Willis and Moonlighting, one of my all-time favorite shows, and although I was left wanting more, she does give a few interesting tidbits about them. But even if she hadn't this would still be a page turner.
   
   Most references to Cybill Shepherd by the media over the years have been negative. I just wanted to hear her side of her story for a change and I have no problem with this so-called 'B-list' actor making a few bucks in the process.
   
   While I don't approve of or agree with everything Cybill says she's done or believes in, this little book is a small interesting slice of history and a record of how things work behind the scenes of the modeling and acting professions. The message I got is 'proceed with extreme caution - or better yet choose another career.'
   
   Also, my belief that Hollywood culture is depraved in general remains unshaken after reading this. And you certainly can't blame it all on Cybill Shepherd.
   
   Even so, I appreciate what I believe is Cybill's candor about herself, the people she's met and her experiences which is written with a witty humor and a verbal style I appreciate.

5 comments about Dancing with the Devil: The Windsors and Jimmy Donahue.

1. 3Dancing With the Devil : The Windsors and Jimmy Donahue2 is a sweeping adventure of scandal and euphoria among glitzy cafe society, adeptly brought to life by biographer Christopher Wilson.

   In this case, the name 3Donahue,2 is directly related to a very famous name: Woolworth. When 35 & 102 chainstore mogul Frank Winfield Woolworth died in 1919, he left as part of his substantial legacy great hopes for his cherubic grandchildren. He visualized his heirs evolving into hardworking, benefic, God-fearing, and rational adults. But alas, if he did happen to look down from the heavens years later, I know that several of his descendants would have provoked a disgruntled sigh; including the spendthrift, serial divorcee Barbara Hutton...

   But the mischievous, downright extraordinary exploits of his grandson Jimmy Donahue would have sent Woolworth longing for Divine intervention. The fact is that, the only thing Frank Woolworth and his grandson Jimmy shared (other than a notable gene pool) was a compulsion for the spotlight.

   That compulsion, along with a host of others (some advantageous, most unsavory) are unveiled in this wonderful, fast-paced book. In Dancing With the Devil, we meet dashing Jimmy Donahue, a man who had entirely too much free time on his hands, and entirely too much money at his disposal. We learn that Jimmy1s access to money, along with his excessive adoration for luxury, his psychological baggage (he even witnessed the suicide of his manic depressive and bisexual father) and the questionable role model Jimmy found in his jetsetting mother --all combined to create an intriguing, complex and colorful personality. Wilson depicts an international playboy who defied reigning sexual taboos and balked at authority, yet was sometimes ridden by deep guilt. Donahue exhibited such random amounts of innocent rakishness and sensual greed; of hearfelt generosity and rash wastefulness-- that even his closest contemporaries were not sure what to think of him.

   Wilson expertly peppers his historical accounts with authentic detail, smoothly leading us into post WWII Paris, then sweeping us back to the United States to the playgrounds of Palm Beach and Long Island. Clearly, Wilson did a great deal of research on this book, conducting scores of interviews and tracking down hard to find information.

   Of course, Wilson1s readers are also treated to little known details about the odd triangle between Jimmy Donahue and the Windsors, thus providing an interesting account of the last untold episode in their lives.

   As in Jimmy Donahue1s life, there is nary a dull moment in Dancing With the Devil. (Do check out the 3Acknowledgments2 which reads like a Who1s Who in and of itself). Definitely recommended!




2. You'd think an author couldn't go wrong with this cast of characters, ultra chic jet set locations, and deliciously lewd sex play. But Christopher Wilson took all this potential and and threw it away with the writing style of a schoolboy whose book report was carelessly dashed off before class. Repetitive adjectives, lackluster prose, and unintelligible chapter beginnings and ends - I was hollering for the editor the entire read. I kept saying aloud "OK, that's a start, but now let's unearth some real dish, and show me the proof!" Gossip CAN be transformed into history with proper scholarship. This promising biography of three fascinatingly spoiled and twisted people disappointed me.



3. This book doesn't do much more than re-hash rumor, gossip and innuendo--and some facts--that I've already read in better-written, more thorough and scholarly biographies of the Windsors. I didn't notice any glaring inaccuracies; on the other hand, I didn't notice that the author broke any new ground. He seems to have relied heavily on previously published biographies of the Duke, the Duchess, and the British Royal Family in general, all of which a serious Windsorite will have already read. Also--let's face it--we read books like this one to be titillated, and the author fails utterly to titillate us. Save your money.



4. OK, so the author isn't going to win the Nobel Prize for Literature for this book. But why should he? It's a book about an affair. A tawdry affair at that.

   Initially, I payed attention to the other reviewers and didn't buy the book. But I have a fascination with Wallis and Edward (as vapid as they might have been...)and wanted to know more about Wallis' relationship with Jimmy Donohue. I must have read at least 10 to 15 books about the couple, and despite what the one of the reviewers said, I've only come across a few rare references to him. This book fills in the gaps.

   So is it great literature? No. Is it an interesting book? Yes, if you like the subject matter, and know something about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to begin with. I enjoyed the book.




5. But, the story is so tawdry & Jimmy Donahue so scurvy, it's a hard read. The author presents information about his upbringing that tries to make you feel a little sympathy for Donahue but it's hard to feel sympathy for such a loser. The Duke & Duchess of Windsor were wastes of human beings, too. The more you read about them the more discouraged you get. What wasted opportunities! They could have done so much good but were such selfish, self-centered & STUPID people. No wonder the Royal Family can't stand to hear their names mentioned. The book reads kind of like a prolonged Dominick Dunne article in Vanity Fair.