This book is amazing! Sullivan nails Rocky's life and struggles with passion and brilliance.

Rocky Marciano: The Rock Of His Times by biographer Russell Sullivan, is an insightful and deftly written biographical story of a legendary figure in twentieth-century boxing. The invincible Rocky Marciano, a second-generation Italian-American active in a sport dominated by African-Americans, never lost a single one of his 49 heavyweight bouts up to when he quit the ring in 1956. An in-close study of the man's life which includes his flaws as well as his virtues, Rocky Marciano: The Rock Of His Times is a thoroughly researched, accessibly written, and highly recommended addition to community library Biography and American Sports History collections, and a "must read" for anyone who ever thrilled to a Marciano heavyweight bout.

Rocky's record has long been questioned by boxing enthusiasts, fans and experts. To this day it seems, Rocky continues to fight for respect--it is almost tangible in Sullivan's book. Sullivan's account of Marciano goes well beyond the ring and it was a great read for anyone--sports fan or not.

I rate this book 5 stars. The title of my review is School House Rock: The Official Guide by Tom Yohe and George Newall. I like this book because it is a great book and I like School House Rock and it's still my favorite show. This book is great. I like this book because it reminds me of School House Rock.

If you grew up in the 70's and 80's and were anywhere near Saturday morning cartoons, then you know Schoolhouse Rock. Many of us learned our times tables because of them. I can remember at least twice when the catchy songs about American History were caught in my head and helped me answer test questions. The lyrics may have been replaced by other facts, but I'm sure that the songs are stuck in your head somewhere. This book is a great companion to bring so much of it back with lyrics, pictures and trivia about all the episodes. It will bridge things until the DVD is released. All in all a ton of fun. Pull out the book, sing along and relive those cereal laden mornings in front of the TV. Oh yea!

This is cool- also if you're like me you might like Scripture Rock.

Ruth Farley is a rock. She is stubborn. She is strong. She is self-centered. And she is as undeniably irresistible as the natural stone sculptures in Monument Valley.

Ruth ventures West, determined that she will not yield to society's limited expectations and dull conventions for women. She will live on her own in her beloved canyon. She will build her house where that huge boulder rests, the one two men have told her cannot be moved. She will have sex and enjoy it, thank you very much. She will do it all despite the cost to herself and her loved ones. And Ruth exhibits all this staunch feistiness in 1920s rural, tiny-town America.

In Ruth, novelist Susan Lang has created a character who arrests the reader's interest and refuses to free it. She is far more compelling and believable than another female character untypical of her time, Jane Smiley's Lidie of The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton. And she is as intriguing as Kate Horsley's Sara Franklin, another young woman who travels to the Southwest in Crazy Woman.

The novel's only flaw is that it seems a little rushed toward the end. But perhaps that is only because Ruth is so fascinating that we don't want to let her go.

In 1929, barely 21 years old, Ruth Farley heads west and claims a homestead in an isolated canyon in Southern California, at that time still the land of rough-and-ready miners and cowboys. What is she looking for? She doesn't quite know, but she knows what she doesn't want - a conventional woman's life of settled domesticity. To her this means she must be totally self-sufficient and independent. Ruth is stubborn, brave, strong, and subject to fits of free-ranging lust that she is not always successful at keeping under control, although she makes weak attempts at it. With 21-year-old chutzpah, she has the delusion that she can spit in the eye of conventional norms for women without paying a high price for it, and she protects this delusion with a cavalier disregard for what people think of her.

Part of her delusion is that she can carve out an independent life for herself in an isolated mountain region without the help and support of neighbors, and a major early story line of the book is her stubborn insistence on moving, entirely alone, a boulder that must be removed before she can lay the foundation for her cabin. The boulder could be easily moved with the help of neighbors, or by using a couple of horses and rope to drag it to a new location, but Ruth is determined to do it herself. The story of her struggles with the boulder, and her eventual triumph over it, becomes a metaphor for Everywoman's struggle to achieve independence against overwhelming odds, and any woman who has learned from hard experience that "what doesn't kill us makes us strong" will identify deeply and emotionally with this element of the story.

Unfortunately, succeeding at moving the boulder by herself reinforces Ruth's delusion that she doesn't need anybody. The rest of the book is a harrowing account of what she pays for this delusion, coming close to death at the hands of violent men and again at the hands of Nature, and seeing the first true love of her life killed because she is a white woman who has taken an Indian lover. Ultimately, of course, she has to learn to see life, Nature, and people as they really are - complicated, unpredictable, sometimes violent, and sometimes unexplainably compassionate.

If the book has a weakness, it is that even though Ruth is complex and multifaceted, some of the other characters are rather flat - her Indian lover Jim, for example, is unbelievably flawless. But in the context of this compelling story, I wasn't bothered much by that. I was much more impressed by Lang's tackling of reality themes I seldom see novelists deal with: a woman struggling with the paybacks of unrestrained lust, for example.

True "literary" writing expresses the universal through the particular, and in my view this book may well become a classic parable of what we pay, men as well as women, for defying cultural norms, and what we must do to come to terms with those norms without losing our truest Selves in the process.

Susan Lang does the impossible in her book, Small Rocks Rising. The story is as big, bulky, and unwieldy as the boulder her main character, Ruth Farely, encounters in Chapter One, while the writing is frequently as polished as any gemstone.
Amid fast action and female lust, there is the slow revealing of Ruth's background. The complex composition of Ruth's character comes from her half-breed mother, a strong-willed aunt, two years of finishing school, training to be a nurse---and the will to be free of it all.
This novel rings with the authenticity of place, and of a woman's unambiguous sexual longings. In Ruth's insightful self-talk and dreaming, there hangs the reality of a woman alone. She is impatient with life and all the people she encounters in her struggle to forge a place for herself in the wilderness. Ruth is an unconventional woman whose thoughts and actions are well ahead of her time. Her courage is matched only by her desires.
As the novel reveals Ruth's story, it also reveals a parallel to the male myth of passage, initiation into adulthood. Ruth experiences the trials of being alone in the extremes of nature, life-sapping heat to freezing snowstorms. She also encounters the extremes of the nature of men---violent to tender. She loses her way in the wilderness of the mountains and her own desires to discover she has the resources not only to survive, but to overcome all that nature, and man, has to throw at her.
Overall, the novel is a great read. Let's hope there is more.

great Cd and book! It covers all the things that you want to know about the smashing pumpkins. listen up, want to know more about the smashing pumpkins? buy this cd/book. ;-)

This is a great book for SP rookie fans. Loaded with info. Become a bigger fan than me. :) (the cd is great too.)

This book Rocked ! This book answered all of my misterious questions of the band. This book was really worth the money. I respect the pumpkins way more than what I did before. They are my favorite band.( beacuse of the book !) If You're a pumpkins fan, and you didn't read this book. YOU SHOULD, YOU WILL LOVE THEM, ALSO YOU WILL RESPECT THEM AS WELL AS i DO ! ROCK ON MY FELLOW PUMPKIN FANS - - - -

After finishing this book in the wee hours of this morning I've come to the conclusion that Cale must be appreciated for his solitary genius in the fields of art and expression but also must be taken with a grain of salt. The entire book seems to be a thinly veiled attack at Lou Reed whom Cale seems overwhelmingly jealous of (thou others would tend to disgree) Plus it shows him as a very difficult individual to get along with (ie his many wives, his broken colaborative relationships with Reed and Brian Eno) I also found it amusing how he brought it other commentators only to attack Reed and make Cale out to be a saint. Overall this is a very well written book filled with sardonic wit and dry humor with an excellent view into the VU, The Factory days, and the progression of one man's struggles through himself and art. Cale is not blameless in his trangressions but I think he sees this...

I just recently bought this book. I love it. Great stories, and nice pictures. Sometimes it is painfull honest. It is so nice to read about the start of the Velvet Underground.

Also the pictures are wonderful.

Bettina

I devoured this book about my top music hero and pronounce it good! It's not perfect though, I would have liked more background on some of the albums (people involved in the recording, events etc) especially his work with e.g. Nick Drake, and the editing is really sloppy: in one place early in the text, the title of a newspaper has just been left out, and Cale's collaboration with Bob Neuwerth is called Last NIGHT On Earth (it is DAY). It provides valuable insights into his personal life and artistic development, and early reflections on Andy Warhol and The Factory. Great photographs and illustrations too make for a very pleasing design. Certainly worthy of the man and his achievements.

"We were concerned about much more than breathing- we were trying to save our lives- racing from room to room, slamming our windows shut and locking them as fast as we could." Melba Patillo Beals writes the story of her life, and what she had to go through everyday, as a result of her being one of the strong teenagers that integrated Central high in the year 1957. This book, the sequal to Warriors Dont Cry, makes you feel the pain, suffering, and hurt that Melba experienced living as a young african american in Little Rock Arkansa. The book was not all about the tough times she had, but also about the good times that her and her family shared, the things she accomlpished, and how she got to where she is know. In the book, Melba is living with her young brother Conrad, her grandma India, and her mother Loise, where she is trying to graduate high school, and then hopefully leave her small town of Arkansa. The book is very touching and I got emotional reading it, as i did when i read her first book. A quote that made me want to keep reading was in the beggining of the book, when she writes in her diary"Oh, god, please help me find my way. I don't want to disappoint anyone. Don't I deserve to have a senior year? Can't we have intergration but not have me participate? This is such a big problem, only you can figure it out. Thy will be done. Please give me courage." This passage showed her courage, and i wanted to keep on reading to see what she would do.Melba travels to San francisco were she meets with the Santa Rosa NAACP, and realizes that the hatred that she once thought all the whites had, was not true, and that she would begin a new life. She dealt with growing up with a white family, getting married, having children, and having her husband leave her. Overall this was a good book, and i enjoyed it. If it could have been different i wish it would have been a bit shorter, and more descriptive about her life as an adult.I recoment this book to others, and suggest it, for a book to read on a rainy day. Enjoy reading it, and check out her other book.

Melba Pattillo Beals' journey through a time of prejudice shows a woman's courage. After trying, to integrate into an all white high school and being harassed by the K.K.K. Melba Beals is relocated by the NAACP. She starts her new life in California, a much different environment than the one she left behind in Arkansas. Melba hits a turning point in her life as she forgets about her studies and things to try to fit in. This non-fictional story drives your emotions as it talks of how cruel our world can be. It also showed how it only takes one person to make a difference. This truly inspirational piece will leave you screaming for justice.

Words can't express how this book made me feel! For her to recount the horror and pain she underwent in Little Rock, was so touching. Her actual experience was personally felt. Ms. Beals has an extraordinary way of expressing herself. She brought out so many emotions in me. I would love to be able to personally write to her - she has truly brought me to a new level of strength. Reading her book has taught me that keeping your faith in God will ultimately show you that all the blessings he has given you should not be taken for granted.

Fantastic photography in another large book from Versace. This book captures the 'rock chic' glamourama which the late Versace excelled at creating. The association between 'Rock and Roll', and art is full indulged here creating a empirical illusion to the Versace dynasty. The glossy presentation of the images also adds to an overall feeling of luxury. The only reason I have not given this book the top rating is for its inclusion of Elton John - who makes me sick. So what if its expensive, luxuries like this don't come cheap. ciao,

Maureen Farquhar (maureenfarquhar@yahoo.com)

Gianni Versace was a designer who loved to push the envelope. His clothes were a mixture of extremes: sexy, sleazy, colorful, tacky, and elegant. One adjective you'd never find in a sentence with the word Versace is "boring." His clothes commanded--and often got--attention, which is why he was such a favorite among celebrities such as Madonna, Elton John, Liz Hurley, Courtney Love, Prince, Jon Bon Jovi and even Princess Diana. This book is a fabulous, eye-opening collection of vivid photographs of models and rock stars in Versace: from Prince to the members of British boy band Take That. Some outfits are more releaving than others, but they're all unmistakably Versace. Diana herself is also included in the book, along with a few words of praise for the designer. Tragically, Versace was murdered in the summer of 1997, but his spirit and influence live on. This book comes highly recommended. Drop it on your coffeetable, and your guests won't want to put it down.

A must have book for all Versace fans.

This book is so trashy! I loved it! It was written by a good friend of the band, so you KNOW he's not totally honest, but it's still an exemplary biography of a wonderful band. The two Gallagher brothers are arrogant beyond belief, and their characterizations make "Take Me There" all the more fascinating. I particularly liked the stories of Evan Dando, their celebrity tag-along, as well as Noel's admissions of which songs he ripped off. Overall, this book serves as a fine introduction to a band who CLEARLY think they're better than they are (which is admittedly great anyhow!).

This highly entertaining book captures not only the spirit of one of the most influential rock bands of the 1990's, but also gives an insightful look into the emotional conflict among the band members. Intelligently written by one who has had close, personal contact with the group from their emergence on the musical scene.

At last a book about Oasis where the author knows what he's talking about! Paul Mathurs has been with the band from the start and they trust him which lays the solid foundation for the best book about Oasis to date.

This book is a must for anyone interested in Oasis and highly recommended for anyone who merely has a passing interest. It charts the band from their beginning to the release of Be Here Now (the interesting years!). It is a thorough and amusing account of the band's rise to fame and the downners along the way, especially with some of the tales form America.

Mathurs writes with a knowing, chatty and humourous edge which makes this book extremely addictive and you will no doubt be shocked and amazed by some of the antics covered! The sections where Robbie Williams pops up are simply unbelievable considering recent events. The constant banter of the Gallaghers highlighted in the book is great for the comic element and the comments on the bands music (always the most important thing with Oasis) are honest and truly meant.

A great read with highlights in every chapter. Buy it.

Filled with intriguing facts--from the origin of Bono's name (a hearing aid store called Bonovox, which means "good voice" in Latin) to the story of how the band got its start (a notice posted by Larry while all the members of the band were still in high school)--Mark Chatterton has compiled an extensive guide to one of the greatest bands of all time. With a fresh and entertaining writing style, this encyclopedia is highly recommended for both casual and fanatical U2 fans.

Its about time someone truly wrote an authentic "Encyclopedia" about U2. I bought it for the soul reason that it's about my favorite group (yes i am a fanatic). My opinion might be a little biased but I think if you've ever wanted to know anything, and quite possibly everything, about U2 then this is the book. Its not to be read like a normal book, but to flip through it. Come across a concert you might have attended, find out some tidbit about the members or the band as a whole that you didn't know, or just as a refrence for the fellow fanatic.

This is my U2 Bible. It has everything you ever dreamed of knowing about U2, and it answers questions you've never even wondered about the band. It lists every single song ever recorded by the band and all the facts on them, the book has bios on all the band members, the stories of the tours, specific incidents in U2's career, and gives a wonderful history of their musical career. There is also a lot of facts about the band before they came together to form U2. I mean, how many people know all there is to know about U2? Well, read this book cover to cover, and you'll know probably more about U2 than they can remember for themselves! I used this book for a research paper on the band and used a good 50% of it as my main source! It's a must for any die-hard U2 fan. THE GOAL IS SOUL!

This well researched book explores a possible political component to the 1980 murder of John Lennon. Outspoken and involved in political causes, the late former Beatle had a dossier by the FBI. He was considered an insurgent rebel by many politicos of the day.

Bresler's book does an excellent job of following the man who killed John Lennon. He accurately chronicles the assassin's movements during the latter part of 1980 and his boyhood overidentification with the former Beatle. Bresler does not skip a beat, his work takes his readers along that sad, psychotic trail Lennon's killer took in late 1980.

The assassin, caught in a love-hate obsession concerning John Lennon appears to be confused about his own identity. A former Beatles fan, the killer would, by 1966 turn against them because of John Lennon's comment that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. Irate and confused, the killer appeared to try to suppress his natural love for their music while justifying his hatred of John.

It is indeed the killer's behavior that calls attention to his desire to emulate the late Beatle. The assassin marries a woman who is Japanese; he expresses an enjoyment for the same types of art and music that Lennon publicly endorsed. By late 1980 the lines between reality and fantasy blurred; on his last day of work, the killer signed out of his company log book as "John Lennon." He then left Hawaii where he was then living for New York. An extremely confused man, he overidentifies with Holden Caulfield, the young protagonist of "Catcher in the Rye" infamy. He, like Holden declares a moratorium against "phonies" and in his mind, John Lennon is one of those phonies His fantasies ultimately consume him and the results are...devastating.

Bresler does an excellent job of chronicling the series of events that took place when and after John Lennon was murdered; he also does an excellent job of debunking many of the tabloid biographies of the day, e.g. Goldman and Guiliano's biographies of the late Beatle. John's youngest son, Sean, for example comes down hard on the Goldman book which portrays John as punitive and uncomfortable around children as a "total lie." He said that John did indeed enjoy being kissed by Sean and his older half brother Julian and that Goldman's statement otherwise was untrue.

I was impressed with the accuracy and objectivity of this work. It will certainly hold a reader's interest and is an invaluable source of information. I'm lucky to have this. It would be nice to see this back in print.

John Lennon's death never DID make sense to me outside of the context of some kind of conspiracy. When he died, I was 27 years old. I had lived through the trauma of JFK's, RFK's and MLK's assassinations. I did not believe they were lone nut killings either, they were too important, and the question "who benefits?" usually leads to an obvious motive and an obvious suspect, even if it can't be proven. Once he was dead, I understood that John Lennon was the last hope of a dying spirit, the spirit of the 60s, the hope of a generation that had dreamed of creating a world of freedom, love and non-violence. That, to me, was the motive of a generation unwilling to pass the torch of life onto the next generation, the very baby boom they had created at the end of WWII to expand their own egos, yet were unwilling to acknowledge as having minds of their own and perhaps valid resentments having grown up with the values of a war torn parentage. This book dovetails nicely with the other books I have read and reviewed (see more about me) and the evidence is startling and massive to validate Bresler's theory that Chapman was, indeed, a mind controlled killer. The fact is, the CIA's shenanigans go far beyond MK-ULTRA, and have not stopped yet. They are gathering power as you read this, and looking the other way will not stop them. I'm not sure what will, but letting anyone else do your thinking for you won't. Learn as much as you can and know your own mind. Question authority, as the mantra from the 60s challenged, and do not allow the dreams and visions of the flower children to be silenced. They are not dead. They did take root. The toxic poison that surrounds us all is a deadly threat, but as long as we are open to learning and knowing and speaking truth to power, there is hope.

A fascinating case~(was Lennon bumped off by Mark Chapman via someone else?, higher up who wanted to put the nozzle on a politically out-spoken singer-songwriter with an army of adoring young fans?)~Fenton Bresler tracked it for 8 years,conducting unprecedented interviews & extracting a ream of previously unreleased government documents. Though the paper trail to support the theory is still thin,the best one is an airline ticket found in Mark Chapman's hotel room; a Hawaii-New York connection departing December 5. But Chapman had actually purchased a Hawaii-Chicago ticket to depart December 2,with no connecting flight. The ticket found after his arrest had apparently been altered. None of his friends knew that he traveled on to New York. They thought he went to Chicago for a 3-day stay.

Arthur O'Connor,the detective who spent more time with Mark Chapman immediately following the murder than anyone else,saw things another way. He said "It is definately illogical to say that Mark committed the murder to make himself famous. He didn't want to talk to the press from the very start...It's possible Mark could have been used by somebody. I saw him the night of the murder. I studied him intensely. He looked as if he could of been programmed."

An alternative insight into bewildering history. I hope it comes back in-print someday.