A dishy Michael Jackson biography that makes the exhaustively covered King of Pop fascinating all over again.—People“The first deep-dive narrative by a veteran journalist covering the King of Poprsquo;s convoluted final years on earth . . . [Untouchable] helps cast Jackson in a new light.rdquo;—Los Angeles Times“A tale of family; fame; lost childhood; and startling accusations never heard before.rdquo;—ABC NightlineUntouchable portrays Michael Jacksonrsquo;s life and death in unprecedented depth. Beginning with his last departure from Neverland; Sullivan captures Jacksons final years shuttling around the world; and plans to recapture his wealth and reputation with a comeback album and planned series of fifty mega-concerts. Sullivan delves deep into Jacksonrsquo;s past; depicting a man both naive and deeply cunning; a devoted father whose parenting decisions created international outcry; a shrewd businessman whose failures nearly brought down a megacorporation; and an inveterate narcissist who desperately wanted a quiet; normal life. Sullivan has never-before-reported information about Jacksonrsquo;s business dealings; the pedophilia allegations that besmirched his reputation; and the fate of his billion-dollar-plus estate; and exclusive access to inner-circle figures including Jacksonrsquo;s former attorneys and managers. Untouchable is a remarkable portrait of the man who still reigns as King of Pop.
#825922 in eBooks 2012-04-01 2012-04-01File Name: B008GUENRM
Review
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. A fun and fascinating readBy LoumThere was once a Golden Age of Comedy in this country. No. we are not in it presently. For anyone interested in great comedy. you should read a great book on comedy. and thats David Mischs Funny: The Book--Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Comedy (not to be confused with Funny: The Movie or Funny: the Algebra Equation. neither of which exist).Mischs writing is fall-off-your-chair funny. and Im surprised it doesnt come with a warning to read it only on a futon. But its more: any book that can reference flatulence and Kierkegaard in almost the same breath while providing real scholarly background and a cogent analysis of why humans laugh--along with an Andrew Sarris-like pantheon of comedy greats--is an invaluable contribution to the field. Honestly. I dont know a more literate and hysterically funny resource on the topic.Misch begins his comic sojourn with an overview of the mythic Trickster throughout history. expertly demonstrating how humor has developed in time through the varied cultural connections with that figure and its expressions. Its a kind of Campbellian Hero Journey from the perspective of "Ha." which is appropriately included in the chapter title. Misch returns to the history of Ha repeatedly in his book. chronicling its mirthful twists and turns in culture and philosophy. But for those who anticipate reading such chapters while drooling in a classroom as Ben Stein intones mind-numbing history. fear not. "Ha" is both a subject and a response while reading.Funny: The Book also covers pretty much every field of comedy. centering rightly on the great comic progenitors whose work established the basis from which comedy has evolved (or devolved. as many would argue). He appropriately cites Keaton (Buster. not Diane) as the giant of the silent film era and helps the reader understand the huge talent that went into his archetypal work. He remind us that Woody Allen was as prodigious a talent in his literary masterpieces (perhaps more so) as he was in film. He recounts such landmark figures and works as Aristotle (back when when he headlined the Acropolis). the Marx Brothers. Richard Pryor. Steve Martin. The Front Page. Harvey. A Thousand Clowns. Mork and Mindy (for which Misch wrote). The Office. and a zillion or two other fascinating examples. The only striking omission for me is the absence of one comic icon: Id like to have seen a discussion of Preston Sturges. writer. director. creator of such milestones as Sullivans Travels. The Lady Eve. The Miracle of Morgans Creek. and several others and one of the leading exemplars of screwball comedy. But this is minor when compared with the wealth of historical perspective Misch offers in one convenient and laugh-laden volume.Perhaps the most compelling feature of Funny: The Book is its daring and rewarding exploration of the mystic aspects of humor. In a pair of remarkable chapters. Misch reveals the purpose and theology of humor from a more enlightened and transcendent viewpoint. one which still accommodates flatulence. "A laugh is a miniature ecstatic epiphany." Misch writes. "Every titter is a tiny taste of transcendence; every giggle a glancing glimpse of God." Bold words. especially for many in the contemporary camps of comedy for whom a laugh is a buck or merely a form of self-therapy at the expense of others.I admire Misch for his stand. his research. his comprehensive overview of the sprawling terrain of humor. Be advised that the book does not flinch from language that might be offensive to some. Notwithstanding. Misch has done all who care about laughter and laughing an enormous service.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. I wish it was as good as the other reviewers seemed to think it was...By FredThis book was not nearly as interesting as Id hoped it was. given Mischs background. Im a fan of a lot of shows hes written for and/or produced. but this book just didnt do it for me. It should have just been called "funny people I like." His choice of comics/comedians was great (Groucho. Steve Martin. Richard Pryor. Buster Keaton. Woody Allen) but it wasnt much more than a trip through memory lane. For people below the age of. I dont know. maybe 30. this book might be a good introduction to comedians of the past-- comedians who inspired the comedians of today-- but its very superficial. And surprisingly Misch tries too hard to be funny and ends up failing most of the time (not to say he fails all the time. he does have a few good ones). He also gets some facts and dates wrong. For example. he lists Modern Times as a 1932 release but its actually 1936. Yeah. maybe thats a minor quibble. but when youre talking about how much you like a film. dont you get things like that right? And while it was nice that he liked the house facade falling on Buster Keaton. he could have mentioned that it had been in many films before. And on the subject of Keaton. it was his neck that he fractured. not his collar bone. Thats a pretty odd thing to get wrong when its important enough to be the title of a chapter.My first impulse was to give the book less stars. maybe 1 or 2. but Im giving it 3 because the book (hopefully) will inspire younger people. (or older people who havent been exposed to the folks discussed in the book) to go out and watch those films. Its not a "bad" book. its just that it could have been 1/4 as long and covered just as much.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Smart. sharp. serious. sophisticated analysis of comedy and humorBy John Lee Grogan Jr.I enjoyed reading this book. quite a deep examination of what is humor and comedy. Misch is a scholar and creator of comedy and has a comic mind. I enjoyed reading about the history of comedy. wasnt that familiar with the older forms or comics. This book gets into the physiological. psychological.philosophical and even spiritual aspects of comedy. in addition to personal experience and stories from the author. Some other serious analysis of comedy can be found in "Only Joking: Whats So Funny About Making People Laugh?" by Jimmy Carr and Lucy Greeves as well as "The Legacy of The Wisecrack: Stand-Up Comedy as the Great American Literary Form" by Eddie Tafoya. These book delve into what comedy and humor are. what their purpose is. and their origins and history. Comedy is serious business folks and these books give comedy the attention and respect it deserves!
