2 comments about The Richest Girl in the World: Athina Onassis Roussel : The Onassis Family Legacy.

1. This is a great book on the heiress Athina Onassis and the Onassis family.We all wish you well!!



2. I enjoyed reading this book; I think I read it in four, five hours. It was a good book, but since Athina has been shielded from the public for most of her life, there really isn't much to write about her life. The majority of the book is about Aristotle and his empire.

No comments about Don Martin Brain Games For Kids.

5 comments about Jackie After Jack: Portrait of the Lady.

1. This is a very good book, the author seems to bring Jackie O to life right before you. You see all sides of the most famous First Lady in America's history. You see the person behind the famous smile and sunglasses, her grief and depression after JFK's murder, her restless traveling and fascinating and ultimately unsatisfactory marriage to Ari Onassis, her rediscovering herself after Ari's death and her final years with the true love of her life, Maurice Templesman. The author makes you realize that this was a real life person, not some Goddess from Mt. Olympus. She was a flawed human being, but then again, aren't we all? I highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn about this fascinating lady.



2. My favorite part about this book is the fact that it gave such a refreshing look at someone who could, so easily, be idealized. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was human & possessed all the failings of a human being. I don't think she saw herself as anything else, & reportedly, could be very self-deprecating among her friends. The Kennedys & all of their family will forever fascinate our imaginations, but this book was a look at a very real woman, who withstood many challenges. She was able to present herself to the world as almost superhuman, which may have been her greatest failing. As they say, everyone is fascinated by power & strength, but too often rejoice in seeing those who possess those qualities topple from grace.



3. After the tragedy in Dallas, Jackie Kennedy became America's national hero and inspiration. Author Christopher Andersen takes us into a fascinating and often controversial journey into the real Jackie. The book wastes no time in getting to the action. It begins just seconds after John Kennedy has been shot. No story could be more heartbreaking than the the tragic journey back to Washington, DC and the days after Kennedy's death. According to Andersen, both Jackie and John relied heavily on Max Jacobson, also known as Dr. Feelgood, to relieve their pains and stresses. Jackie was kept well sedated during the funeral to become the brave grieving widow who inspired the world. JACKIE AFTER JACK is a surprising revelation. The widowed Jackie has numerous affairs often with married men and is always drawn to wealthier men. She shatters her golden image by marrying the wealthy and much older Aristotle Onassis. Jackie is portrayed as a woman who demanded loyalty and would end friendship over any perceived slight. Her shopping sprees and extravances were a strain to both her husbands. Although the book can weaken one's admiration for Jackie, it doesn't last long. By the end of the book, no one can feel anything but love and respect for a very remarkable woman. It's a fascinated and well-researched book.



4. There was alot of intrigue in Jackie Kennedy's personal life in New York after JFK died. In fact, alot of it was like a soap opera with all its innuendos and intrigue. Jackie had alot of attractive qualities ... and she did things that weren't so attractive .... because she was human. Admiration is complex. One can admire many things about someone but not others. It's fascinating to uncover that underneath it all, she was human.



5. What a fantastic book! One of the best i have ever read.
   I`m very interested in books about Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis and this was great.
   The writer Christopher Andersen seems to be very serious and
   is not just writing gossip, he has done a great job, intervjuing
   a lot of people who knew Jackie.
   I`ts about JFK, politics, her children, friends,drugs, Onassis,
   her work at Doubleday and Viking,her grandchildren, it's fantastic that Christopher A has spoken to so many people.After reading this book you really see Jackie O in a different light. I`m very glad i have this book in my collection.
   There are 62 black and white photos in the book.

3 comments about The Whitney Women and the Museum They Made.

1. "The Whitney Women and the Museum They Made" pays tribute to Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, who founded the museum through sheer force of will and social power, and Flora Whitney Miller, her daughter, who gave us the enduring legacy through charm and persuasion. It is mostly, however, a memoir about the author, Flora Miller Biddle who is Flora Miller's daughter and Gertrude's granddaughter. This is disappointing because Gertrude and Flora (mère) are fascinating people. Flora (fille) is decidedly bourgeois by comparison.

   In the preface, Mrs. Biddle reminds us "...this memoir does what all memoirs do; it tells only part of the story. Don't memoirs allow writers to keep from revealing all they know?" The sad truth is a reader can learn much more about Gertrude by reading "Little Gloria, Happy at Last". Mrs. Biddle admits she barely knew her grandmother, but surely this doesn't mean there is little to know or tell about her.

   The Whitney was a family institution. Gertrude built it and dared New York to defy her taste in art. Flora (mère) had the grace, the connections, and the remnants of the inheritance to ensure its place in history. They may have been rich and from one of the most socially important families in New York, but this is an astonishing accomplishment for that time. Women simply didn't do these things. Oddly enough, the book takes this achievement for granted.

   Mrs. Biddle has seen - not steered - the museum through its most difficult times, albeit in a role less grand than her mother's and grandmother's. At the same time, Flora, like Flora (mere), has not lost focus of Gertrude's mission to serve the living American artist; not simply be a repository for early to mid twentieth century American art. We are all richer for this achievement.

   It is quite an insight into a museum I have visited since I was a child. Who would have though how disorganized it was? How desperate at times! It is a tribute to the author and her family that they had the vision to recognize the Whitney could not survive as a family institution.

   The relationship the author has had with so many of the artists is awe-inspiring. It is a gift so great she doesn't seem to realize it and these characters, which should fascinate, seem cardboard. The book is a strange combination of chronography and reminiscence; its structure is hard to follow. The author is constantly lamenting that her family is no longer fabulously wealthy (for the museum's sake, of course) which is tiresome. Mrs. Biddle makes quite a show of her rebellion against her parents' society lives and her strive towards `normalcy'. Sadly, this does not seem to have made her happy.

   I love the museum and learned much of the concealed history of an old friend. This got me through the book. If you're genuinely interested in the Whitney Museum of American Art you should read it. If you're looking for the story of four generations of women, for the drive and energy it took them to build and maintain this remarkable institution you may be disappointed.




2. While I certainly enjoyed the Vanderbilt and Whitney family backgrounds, I found nothing worth noting in this book regarding the early days of the Whitney Museum. I purchased the book because I am writing a research paper on the founding of the Whitney Museum. Alas, the book focuses much on the fate of the Museum after Gertrude Whitney's death. There is very little detail or specifics concerning her role in the Museum, nor that of the main catalyst, Julianna Force.

   I will say that the book is a good, juicy look into the aristocratic Vanderbilt family, but that's about it.

   There is focus on later years, but very few details concerning the early days of the Museum.

   I'll shelve it for now and save it for a rainy day!




3. Although I like this book for what it is, it isn't exactly what I expected it to be when I bought it. I expected the book to give much more insight into the actual creation of the Museum by Gertrude, but for the most part that aspect is just gleemed over. Also, as another reviewer has pointed out, the contributions of Julianna Force are barely even mentioned in the book. If you didn't know better, you'd think Julianna did next to nothing the whole time she worked there, which is more than a little untrue.

   However, it must be noted that Ms. Biddle says first and foremost that her book is a "memoir," and as such certain factual omissions might be expected. Consequently, the book is filled from nearly beginning to end with quite a bit of gossip that those interested in the Vanderbilt or Whitney families or in museum politics will find terribly interesting.

   What I got most from the book though is the wonderful sense of supreme devotion that Flora Whitney Miller must have had to the Museum and to her mother Gertrude's memory. This was illustrated time and time again when Flora donated more of her money and capital to keep the Museum functioning in a way that befitted her mother's name. As other members of the Whitney family have shown in recent times, a single painting of the calibur that Flora Miller sold for the Museum's sake could have set her heirs up for life, had she chosen not to sell it and had passed it on.

   The book also seems to give insight into the recent controversies at the Whitney involving the display of Hans Haacke's controversial art display, with different members of the Whitney family taking different sides. After reading this book, it's obvious that certain ill feelings by some members of the family for others go back many, many years.

   In summary, if you like gossip, then this book is for you. If not, there are other books about the Whitneys that might be of more interest to you.

No comments about Imelda: Steel Butterfly of the Philippines.

No comments about "Not Meant to Be".

2 comments about Requiem for Torchy: The Life of a Gambler.

1. The most striking aspect of Tripodi's book is the love he has for his brother and the family's love for a member who was nontraditional. The book discusses the unconditional love that existed in a strong Italian family. Tripodi gives insight into the mind and behavior of a professional gambler and individuals who straddle the line between lawful and unlawful behaviors. Beside discussing the love and admiration he has for his brother, Tripodi discusses other family members and the uniqueness of each. Tripodi's book reminds a reader somewhat of another professional gambler, Arnold Rothstein, who reportedly was killed while holding a royal flush. Torchy did not die during a poker game, but his life as a professional gambler played a likely role in his death. Requiem for Torchy is good reading and well worth the price.



2. Tony Tripodi achieves his goal: his book is a requiem for his brother, Joe. For many of us, the world of a professional gambler is fascinating and when that gambler can accurately be described as "Damon Runyan-like," is is enought to hold our attention. But Tripodi goes far beyond that, and helps us to begin to know the man who was his older brother, and who, I would conjecture, he wants to help put to rest as more than just another police cold case file. We learn about Joe, and about the family, and they become people who come to life for the reader and whose lives we want to know about. Tripodi tells his story in context and we learn, or re-live, the times and world of the 1940's, 50's and 60's. It's a story well worth experiencing.

No comments about Feeding the Fame: Celebrities Tell Their Real-Life Stories of Eating Disorders and Recovery.

No comments about Tales of a Theatrical Guru (Music in American Life).

5 comments about Christine Jorgensen: A Personal Autobiography.

1. I had read Jorgensen's book and this is a great reissue of her very polite autobiography originally published in 1967. Susan Stryker's introduction adds a great deal of insight into Christine as she truly was: ambitious,tough,witty, and truly talented. Jorgensen was not a successful nightclub performer because of her sex change, she had taste and talent. She strived for more such as films and theatre. She was successful in the latter a few times. This new edition has great photographs never seen before. Jorgensen had written, at least in part, a new auto-biography that did not hold back intimate information which she felt the audience of the 1960s were not ready for. Why Christine Jorgensen has been largely forgotten (she made TV appearances into the 1980s and died far too young in 1989)is something that I don't understand. She was constantly in the newspapers throughout the 1950s and when this book was originally released, she was on several talk shows. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand transsexualism. Christine was not the first, but she was the first major celebrity sex change. The lady had class, dignity, intelligence, and a great wit. It is an intriguing read of a shy lad who was troubled and catapulted into a celebrity status and become very comfortable with herself. One cannot help but to admire her courage. If the reader wants to find out about her love life,back issues of such periodicals as The Advocate will have to be perused.Details of her three surgeries are not described indepth. Nevertheless,she was a phenomenon who is often left out of books on the 1950s. The reissue of her book will enlighten many, bring back memories to others. It will also cause several to wish someone would do a biography on Christine Jorgensen.Susan Stryker's introduction evokes great intrigue and I wish it had been much longer and filled in the many gaps which Jorgensen's publishers persuaded her to leave out. A very worthy read of an all but forgotten lady of history! I highly recommend it. Christine Jorgensen unintentionally moved the sexual revolution along. She caused society to re-evaluate what gender is during a politically conservative climate. If you have never heard of her, it is a must. If you heard of her but forgot her, revisit her. It is worth the time to get to know Ms.Jorgensen.



2. This is a must read book for those interested in gender identity issues, as well as for those who enjoy memoirs. Ms. Jorgensen was the first American to have a sex change operation and undergo such public scrutiny. Though she never intended to have her transformation become public knowledge, it was leaked to the press, and from then on, her life was never the same. In the cultural milieu of the nineteen fifties, Ms. Jorgensen's sex change was big news.
   
   Starting her life out as George Jorgensen, she never quite felt that she fit in and became a loner by inclination. One striking issue in the book, however, is that she came from an extremely loving and supportive family who always unconditionally accepted her as she was, both before and after her metamorphosis. Not every transgendered individual is as lucky as Ms. Jorgensen appears to have been with respect to familial relationships. Perhaps it was because her parents were of Danish descent, and Scandinavian people tend to be more accepting of these issues.
   
   Relentlessly upbeat, the book is a flattering and politely idealized memoir, as if anything too dark were exorcised from its pages. The chapters which cover Ms. Jorgensen's time in Denmark, where her change took place, are somewhat superficial and non-clinical. There is no real indication of any personal struggle or self-doubt with respect to her decision to undergo a life changing transformation. One has to remember, however, that this book was originally published approximately thirty five years ago, when the public's sensibilities on such issues were far more delicate.
   
   What does come across in this autobiography is that Ms. Jorgensen had the courage to make a decision that for the time was somewhat unique and cutting edge, as there was virtually no literature available for the general public on transsexualism, and gender identity studies were still in their nascent stage. Ms. Jorgensen essentially paved the way for others by bringing to the public consciousness issues that had not before been the subject of public discussion. In bringing these issues into the public domain, she was subject to a torrent of abuse, as well as discriminatory practices, and seemed to be the endless butt of jokes. She took these problems in stride, however, and always managed to have the last laugh. Laughter, indeed, appears to have been the best medicine.
   
   Ms. Jorgensen, an attractive natural blonde, who personified the stereotypic feminine ideal of the time, became an entertainer. Given her notoriety, her career options were limited, as she gathered a crowd whenever her identity became known. Playing the hand that was dealt her, she parlayed her notoriety into a successful club act, digressing into acting. She managed to make a success of herself, living a life that was interesting, but hardly scandalous. While this is an intriguing memoir, it is not an in depth profile of Ms. Jorgensen. The reader comes away knowing about Ms. Jorgensen, rather than knowing her. Still, all in all, it is a worthwhile read.



3. I had read this book before. I am a gay male, 48, and i first read it about 15 years ago. I now have a trans-gendered friend. I never understood transexuals until I read Christine Jorgensen's story. Then, I did. She is candid, very forthright, and a good example for everyone. I recommend that anyone who is inquisitive about the subject, first read this book. It is excellent. She was a pioneer, perhaps and American heroine.



4. Equal parts Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, the Christine Jorgensen story, as cheerfully recounted in her 1967 autobiography, demonstrates the ideological attractiveness of the passive reinvention of the persona. There's no shortage of 1950s Prince Charmings in shining armour here: Jorgensen's primary doctor informs her "No, I would not charge you anything" for HRT or SRS. In gratitude, she names herself after him. Later, another Father-Knows-Best magic man sweeps Jorgensen off her feet - a talent agent who grooms her for a lucrative show business career. Presto - Sleeping Beauty awakens upon the American Idol stage. This is the fairy godmother of all TS memoirs - the loveliest, silkiest read ever.
   
   [This edition has a solid preface by Susan Stryker and updated, occasionally 'naughty,' photos.]



5. EXCELLENT BIOGRAPHY, EASY READING, THOUGH INFORMATIVE AND FUNNY AT TIMES. I HIGHLY RECCOMEND THIS BOOK ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PEOPLE. THIS CASE ILLUSTRATES THE IDEA THAT EVEN THOUGHT FACED WITH ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES ONE CAN OVERCOME ALL ODDS IF ONE IS HONOST WITH ONE'S SELF AND DETERMINED. THIS STORY IS AMAZING.