Well, this is a book that i wanted to read; one i wanted to read and absorb, but not one that i wanted to pay for. That might sound a bit contrary…but, this book was written by Madonna’s brother Christopher Ciccone. It is sort of a memoir, or an unofficial biography; one i am sure that Madonna was not overly thrilled to learn about before it was published.
The reason that i didn’t want to purchase the book is because of a little something that i have tagged, called an unwritten sibling rule. That is a rule that is just understood between family members that no matter what…family is family and supports one another; no one picks on your siblings…unless it is you of course, at home. It sort of goes against the grain to know that Madonna’s brother would write a sort of tell-all about his sister, for money.
Of course, no one knows a person like their own family and therefore there is much interest in who Madonna is and what makes her tick. The thing of it is…in reading this book…i think that we discover as much about her brother Christopher as we do about Madonna herself. 
It becomes a two for one book!
I do think that he makes an attempt to explain how Madonna thinks and therefore why she does some of the things that she does. In trying to explain her to us…often, he makes excuses for her. There is, at least to me, some real boundary issues in their relationship…or former relationship. They mix business and family; it appears to work for short bursts of time and then it doesn’t. There is a strange mixture of maverick behaviors, ambition,music,artistry,design, dance, relationship issues and religious issues; those are mixed with issues related to the loss of their mother. It makes for a very complicated relationship.
It is as if, Madonna is the sun and Christopher and others, in her life, are planets who are drawn into her orbit. Nonetheless, it is an interesting read if you are into the psychology of family dynamics.
This book was copyrighted in 2008 and published by Simon Spotlight Entertainment. You can view their site at: www.SimonSaysTheSPOT.com
Audition A Memoir, written by Barbara Walters, is a book filled with a fascinating look at a life that spans many cultural changes. Of course, there is the usual personal reflections and hints at the private person behind the public personna that we each have come to know; however, much of the public person is a carefully, trained personality that is politically correct in it’s presentation. There is more to learn about between the 977 pages of this book.
There is the fiercely loyal daughter, and seemingly embarassed sister, the supportive wife, schedule wised disconnected wife, friend, ambitious reporter, skilled writer, talented interviewer, supporter of the arts, mother, trailblaizer, and entrepeneur.
There is a lot of name tossing…however, someone with a career like Barbara Walters has had, is based on the names and the celebrity status from the interviews of people and places that have a place in history.
There are wonderful pictures to give a glimpse into the private life of Ms. Walters. There are revelations that will endear you, will touch you, repel you, and intrique you based on your own personal values. But this book will not be boring, to most people, because of the wide variety of subjects Barbara has interviewed and interacted with over the years.
The book does make you feel like an insider at times; which i think was the point of the whole book. If it feels a bit self centered, in spots, i guess one has to assume that to have a long lived career like Ms. Walters has had, for as long as she has had; one must understand that to accomplish what she has accomplished…one must stay focussed on that very same career with intensity. If she has lost or lacked for anything, then, I think she considers that the cost of achieving her goals. Whether she feels that those things balanced out in the end she doesn’t really say. On the other hand, she seems to attribute much of her success to being lucky; rather than attributing her success to a determinedly chosen and executed plan.
Like her or not…you have to admit that Ms. Walters has had a significant impact on our culture and our history. She is at times inspirational and complex…as well as reflective, which is what most writers of a memoir hope to be able to achieve.
This book was published by Randomhouse and was copyrighted in 2008. You can view their site at: www.randomhouse.com/
Rainy’s Recommendations
