Product Description
By the best selling authors of 'Michael Jackson: For The Record'Janet Jackson was born on 16th May 1966 in Gary, Indiana - she was just three years old when five of her older brothers, as the Jackson 5, scored their first hit: I Want You Back. Janet's first, self-titled, album was released in 1982 when she was 16 years old, but her input to it was minimal. Not until her first marriage, to James DeBarge, was annulled in November 1985 did Janet sit down, to think seriously about her future direction - and, to her surprise, she realised more than anything she wanted to make music. Decision made, Janet bravely took the first big step on the road to taking control of her own destiny. She fired her manager: her father. Instead, against her father's advice, she teamed up with James 'Jimmy Jam' Harris III & Terry Lewis - formerly members of Prince's band The Time - and the rest, as the saying goes, is history. ... Read more

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A biography of Michael Jackson's younger sister, a successful rock singer, dancer, and actress in her own right. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

great book for al JJ fans
this book is great it is real life and some gossip about the wonderful and multi talented artist Ms. janet Jackson ... Read more

Product Description
This work addresses the human and social dynamics of change on organization members. The effects of such changes ultimately influence the success or failure of the organization's change initiatives. Rather than focus on the _process_ or _technology_ of change, as many previous works have done, the premise of this work is to address the human dynamics that are crucial for any change initiative to be effective. In essence, Jackson emphasizes that people do indeed come first for any plan involving organizational change.Other important factors addressed in Organizational Development include: considering the entire organization and understanding that each change affects the entity as a whole; recognizing organizational learning as a key to inspiring members to learn together; and the development of a cadre of leaders who are willing to take the organization forward as opposed to solitary leadership. This work is ideal for students or practitioners of Organization Development (OD), and provides methods and practices that focus on improving the effectiveness of organizations. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

if you love janet, this book will make you love her more
I really love this book there are great pictures of janet and positive reviews of her musical career, all about her family, movies, music, dancing and so forth. Only things that were missing in this book were more pictures from the janet. tour and making the mistake of saying michael is 4 years older than janet when he's really eight years older than her. Overall though I loved the book and it's recommended to every fan of janet jackson. ... Read more

Product Description

Janet and Dick Crawford worked together in their small veterinary practice in Wisconsin for thirty years. They raised five children, grew tons of vegetables, marched for Civil Rights, saw a thousand movies, and traveled to more than fifty countries. The year Dick died was the fifty-sixth year of their marriage- a partnership of opposites, and a honeymoon that lasted through both the rough and smooth years.

Product Description
Janet has really turned up the heat in this new release. It's fresh, appealing, and full of hits. Our album-matching folio includes four pages of color photos. The 14 titles are: You Ain't Right
* All for You
* Come On Get Up
* When We Oooo
* China Love
* Love Scene (Ooh Baby)
* Would You Mind
* Trust a Try
* Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)
* Truth
* Someone to Call My Lover
* Feels So Right
* Doesn't Really Matter
* Better Days. ... Read more

Product Description
Twelve-year-old orphan Rose, sent to live with unknown relatives on a farm in Canada, ventures into her aunt's root cellar and finds herself making friends with people who lived on the farm more than a century earlier. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

Sacrifices for Friendship
THE ROOT CELLAR
Slipping back and forth between the present (1960's Canada) and the past (American Civil War 1860's) may sound exciting, but it offers more challenges and danger, as well as rewards, than the young protagonist ever imagined.Upon the death of her grandmother, twelve-year-old Rose, an orphan in the relative-shuffle, is sent to live on her aunt's farm, where once again she does not fit in.Feeling miserable, knowing she does not belong there and lacking friends her own age, Rose prefers to explore by herself, making her own amusement.

Seeking canned goods in the reliable old root cellar Rose is amazed to find herself in another time, when she emerges from the dark, damp pit.It is the Civil War era--admittedly an American problem, so why should loyal Canadians get involved in Yankee political strife?But Rose makes new friends in the past, Susan and William, who accept her immediately, drawing her into their concerns through repeated trips into the past.Feeling that no one cares about her in the present, she experiences a sense of meaning when she returns to the past, where the characters slowly age, while her own physical maturing continues normally in the present. Does the past offer more attraction for her than her real life? Will she choose to remain in the past, where she is loved and finally accepted?

Tension mounts when Susan begs Rose to travel with her to Washington, D.C. to find William, an MIA Union soldier. Lunn creates even more suspense when a present day meteorological crisis threatens to prevent Rose from returning to her own time
by destroying the root cellar--her vehicle for time travel. Lunn skillfully blends historical fact with her gripping plot. Teenagers can easily relate to the theme of finding and losing important friendships. Excellent Time-Travel fantasy for kids of all ages!

good
i read this book back in elementary school, and i enjoyed reading it at the time.

the story follows this orphan girl named rose who is sent to live with relatives after the death of her grandmother. rose is something of a tomboy and doesn't really have any friends, so doesn't feel like she fits in when she arrives and spends a lot of time by herself. one of the places she likes to spend time in is a root cellar near the house, and one day she goes into it only to find herself transported back in time to the 1800's. there she meets a boy and a girl with whom she becomes friends. at that time the civil war was going on, so the boy goes off to fight in it, and the sister and rose then go off in search of him.

it's a good story about a girl finding a place for herself to be accepeted and needed, and be finding that she gains a little more self-confidence. it's fun and adventerous and even throws a bit of history in there as well.

great book!
I read this book probably 10 years ago or more and can't wait to read it again! Loved it!

Excellent!We couldn't put it down!
I was very surprised with some reviews that appeared to be by adults.This is a book for children and teens, and adults who enjoy light-hearted children's stories; it is not for adult reading groups!It was so enjoyable we couldn't put it down, and read it in 7 1/2 hours.We enjoyed it so much more than Tom's Midnight Garden.We are looking forward to reading more books by this author.

We homeschool, and this book helped recreate the civil war in a more personal manner.But it is not a sad book.It also isn't all about the civil war - in fact, that is only a small portion of the book.It is a slice of life, from two different time periods - 1866 and, since the book was written 1981, the second time period would probably be the 1970's.The ending is neither disappointing nor sad.Enjoy!

Not great.
Janet Lunn has won The Mark of Canadian Best Seller Award, and the CLA Children's Book of the Year for the Root Cellar.

Rose, who is 12 years old, has no mom or dad.Her grandmother who took care of her dies of a heart attack.Soon after her grandmother's death, she moves into her cousins' house where she discovers a secret root cellar.This cellartakes Rose back to the year 1862 where she meets Susan and Will, her new friends. Rose finds out that Will has joined the Civil war with his cousin Steve. During the war, Rose and Susan get worried because Will has stopped sending letters. Thinking that he is hurt, Susan and Rose go on a dangerous journey to find him in New York.Their adventures are filled with passion, companionship,struggle, many hardships, and surprises.

Reading The Root Cellar was exciting, with many interesting cliff hangers, and character struggles. You never know what will happen in the next chapter. Each new chapter brings a brand new twist. However, Janet Lunn's writing is sort of off topic at times. Some times a chapter will give you something that you think is clue. But as you read on, you get to realize it is a completely pointless chapter. This is the reason why I mainly didn't like this book.But I would suggest this book to people who like historical fiction because I learned about the Civil War. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Interesting look atone of the most famous sister and brother relationships: Michael and Janet
I've read just about everything on the Jacksons from The Magic, The Madness to Mark Bego's Michael. The one thing that struck me about this book is how much of a scraper Janet is , she maybe the baby but Janet is the most assertive of the Jacksons after reading this book. You come to understand how Janet went to Ms. Jackson , grew up quickly and the genius of her and her brother, Michael Jackson or Mike as he is called throughout the book. But if your not a Jackson fan the sole excerpts on Brooke Shields , brotherly quarrels between Michael and Jermaine mixed with family politics is quite enough entertainment in its self. READ the sections on BROOKE.

Not much to read
I have read so many books on Michael to the point that I feel like I know him.I can not say the same about Janet.I'm actually surprised that there are virtually no books about Janet and her career, marriages, etc.This book was not very informative or maybe Janet is actually boring.With all the press about Michael Jackson and his estate I'm a little unnerved that Janet hasn't taken a more assertive approach in being more vocal about her brother's death and show support for her mother.What would it have taken for her to sit with her family at the Dancing with the Stars tribute.In the books I read about Michael as well as Latoya's book I really get a sense that Janet so wanted to carve a path for herself that it actually appears she is not a part of her family.Would someone write a more in depth book about this so-called Pop Icon.As of now I don't think she deserves the title.

Not as I expect
The cover of the book shows that the author is Bart Andrews with J Randy Taraborelli, author of a MJ's book Magic and Madness. This book is actually a blending of Magic and Madness, and the other half on Janet. If you have read the Magic and Madness, then you will definitely felt boring. This is a problem of same writer writing books for two singers from the same family. I think this situation should be avoided.

Janet is surely a person to whom I have great interest. According to the writer, she is almost the only one that escaped from the madness of the family. How could she manage to do that? Only a book fully for her, not this one, can serve the purpose.

3 1/2, Pretty Good Biography
It is vital that this be said: This book is not entirely about Janet Jackson. It focuses heavily on Michael and the Jackson family.In fact, this book is probably 40 percent about Janet, and 60 percent about the Jackson clan.I feel that a fan of Janet or her family would enjoy this book more so than someone who just wants to read a book.
I learned quite a few new facts about Janet that I wasn't cognizant of.Bart Andrews (the author of this publication) tells the reader in detail why La Toya and Janet aren't close, and how La Toya enraged almost her entire family by revealing furtive issues about them.The Jacksons' always wanted to appear innocent to the public, but when La Toya came clean about an array of issues, she tarnished her relationship with members of her family, Michael included.
After reading this, the reader finds that Janet was in competition with Michael when her album "Control" was released.It tells us that she wanted her album to be more successful than "Thriller".This caused conflict between Janet and her brother.
Joe is portrayed as a villain throughout the book, while Katherine is seen as the peacemaking mother who tries to keep her family together.
I am a huge Janet Jackson fan, and I see her as a calm, level-headed woman.However, this book tries to make Janet much more edgy than she probably is.There are situations where Janet would fight, curse people out, have affairs, and break the hearts of celebrities.I am not saying that these things are not true, but I feel like the author sensationalized some of Janet's doings.
Would I recommend this book to a Janet Jackson fan?Maybe. There are a few things that everyone is sure to learn about one of music's most renowned artists.

Somewhat perfect story, but it seems to be more about Michael
Well this is a very good book, I learned some new things about her that I really like because I'm such a big fan of hers the only problem is when I buy a book about Janet Jackson, I dont really care what Michael was doing on every page, but other than that it's a good book. ... Read more

Product Description
An account of life with the Jacksons singing family. ... Read more

Product Description
Janet Jackson was born into a musically gifted family. Five of her brothers, Tito, Jackie, Jermaine, Michael, and Marlon became wildly popular as the Jackson Five in the 1960s and 70s. Her brother Michael went on to have a long solo career. Even her sister LaToya enjoyed moderate success as a singer. For the first twenty years of her life, the accomplishments of Janet’s siblings overshadowed her own. Even though she starred on TV in Good Times and Diff’rent Strokes and released her first album in 1982 at the age of 15, she was always following in someone else’s shadow. The youngest of nine children, Janet has worked hard over the years to distinguish her career. She has finally met with much success due solely to her talent, hard work, and persistence. ... Read more

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A biography of the two youngest children of the performing Jackson family. ... Read more

Product Description
Titles are: Anything
* Empty
* Everytime
* Free Zone
* Go Deep
* Got 'Til It's Gone
* I Get Lonely
* My Need
* Rope Burn
* Special
* Together Again
* Tonight's the Night
* Velvet Rope
* What About
* You. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Album Great Music Book : )
I consider this to be Janet's best album, and I was finally able to afford the music book that mirrors the cd (jobs are great). Anyway, some of the songs seem very difficult (tons of 5 note chords with flats/sharps/naturals all over the place), and some are easier. I think the ones best suited for piano playing in this book are Everytime (fairly simple, lots of broken chords, and it sounds a lot like the original recording), Empty (beautiful broken chords on the left hand and the melody an octave higher on the right), Tonight's The Night (more broken chords, fairly simple, and very warm sounding), and Special (a little repetative sounding, but still pretty easy to get the hang of once you figure out the rhythm). But if you love the CD and you play a bit of piano, don't hesitate to buy the book : ).

great music from janet jackson
a beautiful r&b/soul album can be played by you too through this wonderful book ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of Janet Jackson, "baby" in a famous family, who is not only Michael Jackson's sister, but a strong singing talent who has also worked in television. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the rock star describing her life as a member of the well-known Jackson family and her career in television. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Ike Turner, James Brown, Barry White, Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé Knowles, Marvin Gaye, Donna Summer, Brandy Norwood, Stevie Wonder, Macy Gray, Blu Cantrell, Curtis Mayfield, Elliott Yamin, Christina Milian, Hikaru Utada, Kelly Rowland, Toni Braxton, Jojo, Mary J. Blige, Mýa, Nina Simone, Vanessa L. Williams, Pink, Raven-Symoné, Thelma Houston, Luther Vandross, Syleena Johnson, Patti Labelle, Faith Evans, Kelis, Jill Scott, Angie Stone, Amerie, India.arie, Minnie Riperton, Lil' Mo, Erykah Badu, Bettye Lavette, Amel Larrieux, Anthony Hamilton, Anita Baker, Patrice Rushen, Tweet, Terence Trent D'arby, Jon B., Yummy Bingham, Roger Troutman, Jazmine Sullivan, Chrisette Michele, William Bell, Anye Elite, Deniece Williams, Joe Tex, Meshell Ndegeocello, Babyface, Betty Wright, Christopher Williams, Evie Sands, Wynter Gordon, Shuggie Otis, Gwen Guthrie, Marilyn Marshall, Sunshine Anderson, Al B. Sure!, Lina, Vivian Green, Celeste Scalone, Leela James, Joi Cardwell, Tracie Spencer, Támar, Tameka Cottle, Stephanie Mckay, Shanice, El Debarge, Canela Cox, Geri King, Donell Jones, Shorty Long, Sable Winters, Teedra Moses, Kimo Kaulani, Gene Mcdaniels, Eric Friedl, Bettye Swann, Monica Dillon, Keni Burke, Rosco Gordon, Gary U.s. Bonds, Calvin Richardson, Jermaine Paul, Michel'le, Conya Doss, Tony Rich, Barbara Lynn, Carl Carlton, Kendra Ross, Kenny Greene, Arthur "T-Boy" Ross, Kaci Brown, Algebra, Antoine "T.c.d." Lundy, Maiysha, Ronald White, Frederick Knight, Mila J, Lorenzo Smith, Joe Jones, Barbara George, Miss Issa, Elgie Stover, Fil Ge, Sharissa. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 828. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American recording artist and actress. Born in Gary, Indiana, and raised in Enc...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=60070 ... Read more

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Orange level. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Greate Service
This book was better than expected and at a great price.The vendor ships to Puerto Rico, which is perfect because most of the vendors don't ship to PR.Excellent service and fast delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
Most incidents of violent crime occur between people who know each other, but in other cases (fortunately much less frequent) there are no obvious ties between the victim and the criminal, and these cases cause a great deal of social fear and uncertainty. They also result in large-scale, costly investigations and, increasingly, police are collaborating with other professionals in a process of offender profiling which might help their investigation. This book is a substantial, unique and critical account of the scope and practice of offender profiling, and its limitations. Professionals worldwide, from psychiatry, psychology, criminology and policing, have contributed accounts of their experience and knowledge across a range of approaches to offender profiling. Some use a clinical approach, based on the application of established theories of personality and psychopathy. Others argue for the effectiveness of the objective analysis of offence records to predict future offending. Some of the police contributions provide a frank description of their methods, others address the difficult issues relating to the use of offender profiling. This is a controversial subject, full of potent myth, and the object of this book is to provide a cool overview of the related scientific knowledge, now spread over many journals and reports, as well as accounts of the process and difficulties of offender profiling. It will be useful and interesting to most scientists and professionals in the field of criminal justice. This book is in the Wiley Series in the Psychology of Crime, Policing and Law. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

VERY BAD<AND SAD< FAKE REVIEW
Is there a reason for making it so obvious there is no "Bill T"

Correction
In response to the below comment to my book review - I did not have an "out of print" of older edition of the book.

Generally, the book presents an average overview of offender profiling. However, theEditors give credit to the FBI in several passages for the rape model,power assertive, anger retaliatory, etc, but it was in fact Prentky andKnight who first developed this type of rape classification scheme. Also,the book claims to represent researchers' opinions from all around theworld on 'profiling,' however, the fact is, there is not one Americanauthor in the book.

Maurice Godwin PhD --This text refers to an out ofprint or unavailable edition of this title.

A general overview of profiling, but has its weaknesses
Generally, the book presents an average overview of offender profiling. However, the Editors give credit to the FBI in several passages for the rape model, power assertive, anger retaliatory, etc, but it was in factPrentky and Knight who first developed this type of rape classification scheme. Also, the book claims to represent researchers' opinions from all around the world on 'profiling,' however, the fact is, there is not one American author in the book.

Maurice Godwin PhD

A wonderful scholarly work on behavioral profiling.
An excellent read for anyone who is interested in the science of profiling.Contains techniques and approaches that are unique to the field. ... Read more

Product Description
This collection of essays addresses various aspects of Peter Jackson's film adaptations of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings including scriptwriting and the creative process, the place of the films in cinematic history, gender roles in the films and the books, wisdom and councils, hobbits and heroism, fan culture and fanfic, the use of Tolkien's languages in the films, and other issues. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The best book on the book/film contrasts
I found this book enormously helpful in figuring out what I had seen and how the material had been adapted for the screen. The authors of this book have a deep knowledge of the Tolkien texts and they have also viewed the films and DVDs very carefully. The assessments are balanced, well informed, and not likely to be surpassed as a commentary on the transformation.

Brilliant and balanced
This highly recommended title explores Tolkien's Lord of the Rings vs. Peter Jackson's film adaptation of it.The several essays chosen by the editors are all very convincing and well-researched.They're also immensely enjoyable to read for those who've read Tolkien and seen the film (or vice versa) and love to compare the two.The editors were also careful in presenting a balanced view, for both pros and cons are represented (sometimes even within the same essay.)And there are even some essays on Tolkienian fan-fiction (and slash) that's proliferated on the net.Truly an engrossing study of Tolkien's work and Jackson's successes and failures in adapting it!I hope a second volume is being considered...

very useful
Very interesting read, well written and witty.Recommend especially for people studying Lord of the Rings. ... Read more

Product Description
The best-selling guide to the lives and work of the R&B divas, now in paperback! In The Soulful Divas, author David Nathan profiles the greatest female rhythm and blues vocalists of the past 30 years as never before with an unforgettable collection of fascinating, personal biographies. He celebrates such legendary performers as Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Whitney Houston, and others in provocative, behind-the-scenes portraits based on his long-standing personal relationships with these legendary women. The result is a hugely entertaining, candid look at the ups and downs of each performer's career-as well as an intriguing view of how these unforgettable women made a powerful mark on an essentially white, male-dominated industry.Amazon.com Review
David Nathan's life changed as an English teenager in the'60s. The agent of that shift? Records by black American singers suchas ArethaFranklin, Dionne Warwick,and NinaSimone. Soon he was the head of Simone's British fan club, and inshort order, became a journalist with growing access to hisheroines. Over the ensuing years, Amazon.com and Billboardcontributor Nathan has had Franklin bake him a peach cobbler, stoodunder the thrown shade of everyone from Esther Phillips toAnita Baker,and even had MissRoss ask him to call her "Diana."The Soulful Divas captures Nathan's obsession with hisfavorites, providing two-layered narratives that meld career rundownswith interviews and other personal meetings with his subjects. Most ofthe 14 single-artist chapters are successful portraits, with theexception of Nathan's profile of Natalie Cole,whose drug problems and career resurrection in the shadow of her latefather are little more than the stuff of a legend-in-her-own-mind. Adearth of material weakens a closing chapter on young divas Whitney Houston,Janet Jackson,and ToniBraxton. But Nathan also provides many invaluable, eye-openingmoments, such as the story of a baseball-bat-wielding Phillipsthreatening to smash up the offices of a record company slow to payroyalties. Finally, he fills out the received wisdom on "X-rated" Millie Jackson,who says, "When I'm home, it's crossword puzzles, television, and thekids." Kids who no doubt, like Nathan, picked up their share of tipson life and love from Jackson and her sisters. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Soulful Singing Divas
I enjoyed reading some of my favorite soulful singers such as Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, etc. Although I was surprised that the Diva of all Divas, the late great Miss Dinah Washington wasn't included. I hope that Mr. Nathan will write a follow-up edition and include Miss Washington, along with Mariah Carey, Jennifer Holiday, the late Minnie Riperton, and the late Mary Wells.

Mildly Entertaining
It is obvious that David Nathan truly idolizes his subjects which probably accounts for the calculated design at the end of each chapter to make sure in no uncertain terms that he has shown that subject in her best light.I can certainly empathize because many of the divas profiled are true favorites of mine.That said, soul diva aficionados will readily recognize this as a collection of all-too-familiar press clippings even the most casual follower has at least heard of.To his credit, it is indeed refreshing to hear about lesser publicized divas like Esther Phillips, Millie Jackson, Nina Simone, Doris Troy or Phylllis Hyman.And ultimately, the final chapter sketching younger divas appeared entirely too hastily thrown together with the end result being little more than an unsatisfying epilogue.

Quite honestly, if you are in to black female vocalists, this, of course, was an easy, flattering read.However, the finished product is little more than an indulgent scrapbook by a journalist who, apparently, could have shed infinitely more light on the personalities he featured, but declined or refused out of either fierce loyalty or abject fear.Not only do the subjects deserve more than this, but so does the author.

The greatest book I read in months
Great book Mr. Nathan. I loved all the subjects picked in this book(I'm sorry that I don't know Doris Troy)and thought he did a fantastic job of painting a realistic portrait of the ladies using their own words and his personal experiences with them. I never knew Chaka Khan had such a turbulent past. Oh, and Esther Phillips- that temper! I laughed so hard. Diana Ross seems pretty nice (I love her) and I do love Dionne and Nina- they are such proud women. I hope the divas in the makings can successfully carry forth the diva achievements as their foremothers have done. If there is a sequel to this, Mr. Nathan, you must include Cissy Houston, Melba Moore and Donna Summer.

'Could be subtitled "The Lord of the sing(-ers)"
David Nathan KNOWS his R & B. For close to four decades, the book's author has been a contributor, in some way or another, to the production of over 500 albums of soul music. He has done countless interviews, provided liner notes for recordings, served as producer on several, and even done a little background singing. It is obvious that if anyone knows what a "diva" truly is, David Nathan is that man.

"The Soulful Divas" covers the recording careers of the ladies profiled with little snippets of their non-professional beginnings, as well as individual highs and lows. However, it's these little "peeks" into the artists' characters that make the book such a fascinating read.

Not meaning to reveal much of the text, there are many little known facts reported in each profile. Each of the women has experienced her share of failed romantic relationships, legal battles with recording companies, perceived public opinions, peaks and valleys in album sales, and personal tragedies.

Most tragic of all showcased within the pages of the expose is the late Phyllis Hyman, a diva in every sense of the word. Like Nathan, I am a fan of hers, also, and her untimely demise still brings a lump in my throat.

But, the chapter on Millie Jackson is a welcome find. Jackson is the only diva profiled that is not represented in my musical library, save for a duet album with Isaac Hayes. However, after reading about the singer's body of work, as well as her down-to-earth and honest demeanor, I think that this is about to change.

I am curious about a certain "expletive deleted" symphony that she composed.

Note for the author: The next time around, include Patti Austin in volume two.

Interesting trip to the land of soul
Great concept, terrifc subjects.I particularly appreciated the inclusion of such greats as Esther Phillips (whom is so seldom mentioned these days), Nina Simone, and Chaka Khan, in which gave me some insight to her early years with Rufus.The section on Millie, a truly under-rated singer, and the late Phyllis Hyman were also informative and worth the read.I really appreciated Nathan's straight forward and honest, yet dignified, portrayal of the all the divas, until I got to the chapter's on Aretha, Diana, and Doris Troy whom Nathan, in my opinion, showed favoritism towards. While he did an excellent job of exposing the other divas, these three he seems to take pity- Aretha the most.Adoration is understandable, but you hinted in other chapters about Aretha's less than royal behaviors, while in her chapter she was almost hailed as a saint! Same goes for Miss Ross. Friend or not, Doris Troy could and should have been replaced with the likes of Candi Staton or Mavis Staples.

Overall, the book is a delightful read and I would look forward to a part two, highlighting the likes of soulful artists like, Stephanie Mills, Minnie Riperton, Melba Moore, Candi and Mavis to name a few.... ... Read more