Book Description
He was, for decades, one of the most recognizable figures in the cultural landscape, his image epitomizing a golden age of American show business. His career spanned a lifetime, but for years he has remained hidden behind the persona he so vigorously generated, and so fiercely protected. Now, in this surprising, illuminating, and compulsively readable biography, we are taken beyond the icon, into the extraordinary, singular life of Sammy Davis, Jr.
In scrupulous detail and with stunning powers of evocation, Wil Haygood takes us back to the era of vaudeville, where it all began for four-year-old Sammy who ran out onstage one night and stole the show. From then on it was a motherless childhood on the road, singing and dancing his way across a segregated America with his father and the formidable showman Will Mastin, struggling together to survive the Depression and the demise of vaudeville itself.
With an ambition honed by poverty and an obsessive need for applause, Sammy drove his way into the nightclub circuit of the 1940s and 1950s, when, his father and Mastin aging and out of style, he slowly began to make a name for himself, hustling his way to top billing and eventually to recording contracts. From there, he was to stake his claim on Broadway, in Hollywood, and, of course, in Las Vegas.
Haygood brings Sammy’s showbiz life into full relief against the backdrop of an America in the throes of racial change. Sammy grew up trapped between the worlds of blacks and whites, with so much invested in both. He made his living entertaining white people but was often denied service in the very venues he played. Drafted into a newly integrated U.S. Army in the 1940s, he saw up close the fierce tensions that seethed below the surface. Dragged into the civil rights movement, he witnessed a hatred that often erupted into violence. In his broad and varied friendships and alliances (with Frank Sinatra; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Richard Nixon; Sidney Poitier; Marilyn Monroe, to name just a few), not to mention his romances (his relationship with Kim Novak and his marriage to the blond beauty May Britt drew death threats), he forged uncharted paths across racial lines. Admired and reviled by both blacks and whites, he was tormented all his life by raging insecurities, and never quite came to terms with his own skin. Ultimately, his only true sense of his identity was as a performer.
Based on painstaking research and more than 250 interviews, Wil Haygood brings us a sweeping and vivid cultural history of the twentieth century, chronicling black entertainment from its beginnings and the birth of popular culture as we know it.
In Black and White transcends simple biography to become an important record, both celebratory and elegiacal, of a vanished America and its greatest entertainer.
Customer Reviews:
Not A Definitive Biography.......2007-05-18
Maybe the definitive biography of Sammy Davis Jr. can never be written. Or maybe it simply hasn't been done. This book is a mixed bag.
The book filters the story of Sammy Davis Jr. through race, everything is either black or white. As a result, you do get some interesting concepts, that Davis did not want to "be" black, as if all blacks (or for that matter, all whites) had something in common.
You do get extensive thoughts about his love for blonde women, and his affairs with Kim Novak is given a prominent amount of space.
You also have a wonderful portrait of Will Mastin, a man who is ignored in every other book about Davis.
But other things are glossed over, his drug and alcohol abuse, his Rat Pack days, even his marriage to May Britt.
Oh, do not expect anything about his music in here, absolutely nothing about any of his records.
A Biography filled with Historical Landscapes.......2007-05-09
A must read! Wil Haygood's book, In Black and White, The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr. not only captures the mesmerizing and oftentimes daunting physical movement of the man- Sammy- in the seemingly separate worlds of black and white but unapologetically captivates the reader with Sammy's human quest for love and approval.
The author skillfully provides the reader with a historical landscape to navigate the multidimensional aspects of the making of "Sammy" from his vaudeville childhood days to the inscription on the headstone of his final resting place--
Sammy Davis Jr. "The Entertainer" He Did It All...and indeed he did.
After reading the book, I can't wait to see Sammy "in living color" thanks to Denzel Washington's insight to purchase the screen rights.
Written by Deleso Alford Washington, J.D., LL.M.
Not the real story..........2007-02-03
This book does not reflect the spirit of the life of Sammy Davis, Jr. I'm afraid that it relects the spirit of the life that the author, Wil Haygood, unfortunately must have led.
I am very familiar with the details of Sam's life, I have heard it in his own words. Sam was a very pragmatic optimist who imagined the world in a very color-blind way. This is where Mr. Haygood leads the un-informed reader very far away from Sam's actual beliefs.
Sam didn't want to be white, he wanted to be the best. That is what he constantly strived for. Sam stood up to racism so many times, in so many ways. How many times was his nose broken in race baited fights from his hitch in the Army ? Sam experienced the ignorance of racism many, many times, from many different people. But for every racist he had to battle, he also saw many more people who he loved, trusted & repected, and who he knew felt the same way towards him.
Almost all of the material in this book is 'lifted' from the books co-written by Sam and Jane & Burt Boyar. These works are the true story. These people were there when these events happened, they witnessed them first hand. Not only has Mr. Haygood taken what actually transpired and twisted it to fit his agenda, he berates the people who daily lived through these experiences with Sam.
excellent.......2005-11-06
This is well written, thorough, entertaining, and really a superb history lesson. Great Job Mr. Haygood.
Impressive and entertaining biography of Sammy Davis jr........2005-05-10
Wil Haywood, staff writer for the Washington Post, won the 2004 Hurston-Wright Legacy Award in Nonfiction, plus a host of other awards for In Black And White: The Life Of Sammy Davis Jr., so it's only fitting his impressive and entertaining biography of the life of Sammy Davis Jr. be reprinted in paperback to reach new generations of audiences with his award-winning life of one of America's most popular and versatile performers and entertainers of the 20th Century.
Product Description
Ready for a dramatic lifestyle change? If mankind continues to deplete Earth's bounteous resources at an accelerating pace, drastic changes are inevitable. Exploring the links between politics and economics, globalization, peak oil, global warming, and disastrous weather, the author shows how human values and human activity have set us on a course to calamity and calls for a profound change in how we exploit the earth s resources.
Infinite as Earth's resources have always seemed to be, the author presents evidence showing that mankind is rapidly using up many of the most necessary resources, and he draws a dire conclusion about the consequences for everything from our future food supply to global political stability. He argues that the failure of the US and other nations political systems to deal with these issues has driven the planet s ecology to the brink of collapse.
This book provides an integrated assessment of current problems involving climate, ecology, energy, politics and economics. Systems theory is used in a non-technical manner to explain these linkages and the causes and consequences of human actions upon them. In addition, the author gives a detailed, clear analysis of how humans process information in order to learn to deal with the world around them and in particular how to deal with crisis situations.
The book describes how and why these problems have arisen from mankind s values and actions, and serves as a call to action for radical change to set civilization on a more promising path to long-term survival.
The book places particular emphasis upon the role of multinational corporations in contributing both to our ongoing political failure to respond effectively to these challenges and, also, to causing global warming and hydrocarbon resource depletion. The effects of the legal doctrine of corporate personhood upon the ability of these artificial persons ability to capture control over human political systems are carefully analyzed. The consequences of the resultant failures of corporate-subordinated political systems are shown to be both inevitable and foreseeable so long as the doctrine of corporate personhood operates.
He further observes that corporatism could not have gained so much political control without the support of the public, especially the religious right, and Dispensationalists in particular who believe that we have entered into the final period of history during which the Bible s prophecies will be carried out literally. The sooner we see the destruction of our earthly paradise, the sooner they hope to get to heaven. Such beliefs are neatly exploited by those who have a more venal interest in promoting slash-and-burn technologies.
Customer Reviews:
This is not a neutral book........2007-07-21
This book came to me with my ongoing research and study of Environmental Engineering. I believe this book has profound interpretation on the status of our planet and the people in charge of "ruling" over it. All of his facts are backed with relevant research that becomes his source of opinions that are easily understood. This is not a book that will explain every detail on the science of Climate Change; and I do not recommend this book to people unsure whether Global Warming is happening. Instead this book is more in tune to deal with the change of society towards the issue and its politics. I do agree that this might be a book with extreme leftist and it sometimes seems overbearing, with that it is still a very well written and incisive read. It definitely makes you want to question the governments in charge instead of questioning whether global warming is actually happening.
leftist paranoia.......2007-05-07
This will not be the last text on global warming. Byron takes it as a given that global warming is happening. But he also looks at other, related trends, in an attempt to tie these together into a projection of the what the future may hold for us.
One such idea is that of peak oil. This suggests that global oil production will peak soon, in about 10 years. After which, there may be a plateau of uncertain duration, followed by an inexorable decline. The problem is that if this eventuates, oil prices will climb steeply. One prediction is ever deepening recessions, on a global scale. Another is a prediction that the US might use its status as the sole superpower to capture the oil reserves of the Middle East. This is the most striking commentary in the book. To believe this, you have to believe that Bush and Cheney are incorrigble warmongers. Leftist paranoia.
At this point, some readers will digustedly toss away the book, thinking that the author is ostentatiously bloviating. Let's hope the latter is true.
A Critical Call To Action We Must Respond To.......2006-11-21
There is a lovely picture of a rainbow on the cover of Michael P. Byron's book, "Infinity's Rainbow," but pictures can be deceptive, because this powerful call to action tells us that there will be no pot of gold at the end of that rainbow unless we change our values, behaviors and actions, and make them more aligned with the global good.
As the human population explodes, the earth suffers more and more under the weight of global resource depletion, economic hardship, climate change caused by human greed, and political corruption and denial. This book is filled with detailed research and studies of the drastic changes this planet is undergoing, many at the hands of people who simply consume without thinking, and corporations and politicians who benefit when we do so. Byron, who holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Sociocybernetics, has published many important papers on the subject matter covered in this book. He even ran for Congress. But this may be his most critical work yet, as he documents the damages done to planet and people by pollution, overconsumption of fossil fuels, religious fundamentalism and extremism, corporate personhood, fascist governments and failed politics that refuse to face the coming global changes that could lead to mass starvation, water shortages and war and terrorism fought to simply survive the catastrophic results of ignorance.
This is not an easy book to read, or digest. There is a lot of very technical reportage as well as historical fact, which makes it a comprehensive analysis of how the unholy union between corporations and politics, with religion thrown in to boot, is making it harder and harder for the average citizen to cope with hardship. And it looks like there is plenty more hardship to come, for Byron pulls no punches in detailing the frightening results of both an ecological and economical meltdown headed our way. Byron also shows how the public is a part of the problem, allowing either voluntarily or involuntarily for the policies of destruction to be accepted, even welcomed as they were after 9/11 struck fear into the hearts of everyone, bringing we the people into a collective submission before a governing body eager to spread control through fraudulent elections and a corrupted media, and morph into the pseudo-fascist dictatorship we now call American Democracy.
If you care about the future, yours or that of your children, you must read this book. It is not all hopeless, for Byron gives us actions and ideas we can take to reclaim our planet before it is too late. The coming changes are big, maybe even massive, but taking those steps today can perhaps make then survivable, and even turn things around so that maybe there will indeed be a pot of gold at the end of "Infinity's Rainbow." Byron tells us at the end of his book, "This is our one and only chance. Let's not blow it!" Will we heed that call to action?
MARIE D. JONES - Vice President - Progressive Democrats of America, San Diego
A wake-up call for the human race.......2006-10-08
You will be amazed at this intensively-researched and extensively-documented book. In his easily readable but stunningly comprehensive work, Mike Byron carefully explains the links between the seemingly disparate problems of corporate personhood, failed politics, peak oil, endless war, religious fundamentalism, creeping global fascism, global warming, and increasingly vicious hurricanes and tornadoes. You will literally feel the scales falling from your eyes.
Infinity's Rainbow is a wake-up call for the human race.
We stand at the brink of a precipice. A follow-up book will be coming to tell us what to do about all of this (it was too much to include in this book, said the publisher), how to save ourselves from the now-inevitable cataclysm, and how to piece civilization back together afterward. The first step is to understand how we got to this point.
This is the most important book that I have ever read. It scares the hell out of me, but it's better to know than not know. Ignorance is not "blissful" -- it is stupid, irresponsible, and possibly suicidal. "Blissful ignorance" is no longer an affordable option. Understanding is what we need now, and Infinity's Rainbow gives it to us.
Buy this book. Infinity's Rainbow and its sequels will be the cheapest and best investments that you have ever made in your own future, and the future of your children and family.
Ramona Byron
Customer Reviews:
Great.......2002-11-12
This is a terrific book. Lipsitz at his best - smart, innovative, readable.
Book Description
The purpose of this book is to bridge the gap between the theory and practice of project management by presenting proven and practical guidelines that can be immediately applied for successful management. This book is organized as a series of essays on the “what and how” of successful Project Management, each one dealing with a specific and practical aspect of Project Management. The essays serve as windows into the world of Project Management and present an integrated panoramic view of challenges and best practices. It is my sincere hope that professionals at all levels and in various functions of management including executives, engineers, project managers, systems analysts, client representatives, team members and students of Project Management will find this book useful. Avoid the rat holes and catch the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow with the ideas described in this book.
Customer Reviews:
Finally---a book that explains what Project Managers do!.......2006-09-24
This book is absolutely a must-read for any Project Manager! More importantly, this book can easily apply to so many other fields. It is simply written, easy to follow, and the analogies are great! The whole concept of Project Management can be projected onto any other sector for people other than IT engineers (Like Me!!!). I love that anyone (ex orchestra conductor/physician/attorney/chef/pilot etc) can pick up this book and apply it to their profession. I think this novella is a great read for the small business owner for ideas and inspiration! I finally understand what Project Management entails!
As an aside, I also like the catchy front cover...
Book Description
500 of the best quotes, maxims and anecdotes of business. It's a "must-have" for all corporate leaders and a definite primary source for business speechwriters.
Average customer rating:
- Good
- interesting read
- A musicians instruction manual
- A book for aspiring musicians.
- Awesome
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The Platinum Rainbow: How to Succeed in the Music Business Without Selling Your Soul
Bob Monaco , and
James Riordan
Manufacturer: Contemporary Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
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Business
| Music
| Entertainment
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General
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Sociology
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ASIN: 0809248131 |
Customer Reviews:
Good.......2006-05-20
The title might seem as a joke to some people but selling your soul is just about the last thing you need to do to succeed in the music industry. Many actions and events in the music industry seem like playing Russian roulette with fait and in many occasions it's jus a matter of time before someone gets "shot" down. A cruel world doesn't accept weak people but this book teaches you exactly how to be the strong man in the equation. With interesting structure and ease of access this tile is one of the best guides to stardom that you'll ever see
interesting read.......2006-05-17
This book is a good insight to the music business, just as its title claims. Everyone should read it, even if your interest in music is only slight, and you're not ready to take it to a career. This book is inspiring and informational. I also suggest "The Music Business: How YOU can make $500,000 "or more" a year in the music industry by Doing it Yourself!" by Ty Cohen.
A musicians instruction manual.......2000-04-07
I read the book in the Mid 80's while living in California and saw all of the myths that I thought were just that myths come to light out of the dark. This book is slimmer that the most of them but contains everything you need. "A musicians instruction manual."
A book for aspiring musicians........1999-10-28
Absolutely fantastic. Gives the honest truth about the business today. Any person in the music business should read this.
Awesome.......1998-10-28
This book is a God-send to all aspiring musicians. Gives you insight on everything from getting small-time gigs to recording to making it big.
Customer Reviews:
Caps for Sale is Timeless.......2005-05-02
This is a book I loved as a child. It was originally written and illustrated by Esphyr Slobodkina before WWII and obviously takes place in a European village. It tells the story of a peddler who sells caps, so instead of carrying his wares on his back, he wears them on his head, hats pilled as tall as he is. Our peddler has to walk very straight (we tell Devon to walk straight like the hat man all the time) so he won't spill his hats.
One morning the peddler couldn't sell any caps, so he went for a walk in the country and fell asleep under a tree, caps piled high on his head. When he woke all the caps were gone but one. The poor peddler had fallen asleep under a tree full of monkeys and each one was high in the tree, wearing one of the peddler's new hats. The peddler gets angry and shakes his finger at the monkeys, they shake their fingers back. He shakes both his hands at them, they shake their hands back. He stamps his feet, they stamp theirs. And you guessed it, he throws his hat on the ground and they throw their hats on the ground too and the peddler gets his hats back.
This story is timeless. Devon likes it and I'm sure years from now, his children will like it as well. Reading books like this is much better for toddlers than television. Sara and I think so anyway and we hope you do to.
Jack Priest, Dad in Training
Customer Reviews:
Build your own Rainbow - create your personal future.......2000-04-04
The book is a personal strategic planning guide complete with a toolbox to help the individual create a desired personal future.
Some 40 exercises are contained in the workbook to enable systematic enquiry into current reality for the individual rainbow-builder. Six basic questions are addressed in the book; Who am I?, Where am I now?, How satisfied am I?, What changes do I want?, How do I make changes happen?, What if my plan doesn't work out? The methodology in the workbook does have the potential to help develop multiple pathways to a personal future and tools are provided to help with making choices.
However, I think that somewhat more emphasis could have been placed in the book on development of substance and character to the personal "rainbow" or vision - what does the point of arrival really look like?. There is perhaps a need for more exercises to answer the question "Why do I exist?" and connected to the development of the rainbow-builder's core purpose in life. I would have enjoyed work assignments to surface the passions that energise me and drive me from the heart. My experience in working with the workbook is that the concept of a strategic gap between current reality and desired future is not strongly articulated and emphasised.
The book makes use of cut-out cards, located at the end of the book. The cards are used in several exercises. An advantage of this approach is that tools can be deployed right way - the downside is that one is left with a card storage challenge to ensure integrity of the book for subsequent use. The feature may make the book less attractive for library collections.
The book is strong on useful analytical techniques that serve as mirrors to reflect interrelated dimensions of life. A good companion book is "Work Miracles - transform yourself and your organization" (S Hacker, M Wison) - the latter being strong on passionate personal leadership.
Book Description
Identifies the most common issues that face child actors and their families and offers a real-life overview for parents of what they are getting into, what to watch out for, and how to handle challenges when they come.
Average customer rating:
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After the Crash the Emergence of the Rainbow
Sky Dauncey
Manufacturer: Bootstrap Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Economic Conditions
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ASIN: 0942850211 |
Average customer rating:
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After the Crash: The Emergence of the Rainbow Economy
Guy Dauncey
Manufacturer: Green Print
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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General
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Investing
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| Bonds
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| Introduction
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Natural Resources
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Environmental Science
| Earth Sciences
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Environmental Science
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ASIN: 1854250876 |
Books:
- In Search of The Third Man
- Indecent Exposure: A True Story of Hollywood and Wall Street (Collins Business Essentials)
- Ingrid: Ingrid Bergman, A Personal Biography
- Introduction to Linear Algebra (5th Edition)
- IRON MAIDEN -A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (Guitar Recorded Versions)
- James Dean in Death: A Popular Encyclopedia of a Celebrity Phenomenon
- Lillian Gish: Her Legend, Her Life
- Lon Chaney, Jr.: Horror Film Star, 1906-1973
- Lorna Simpson
- Magill's Cinema Annual 2006: A survey of the Films of 2005 (Magill's Cinema Annual)
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Sammy Davis Jr.: My Father
