The Soulful Divas: Personal Portraits of over a Dozen Divine Divas, from Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, & Diana Ross to Patti Labelle, Whitney Houston, & Janet Jackson

Amazon.com

David Nathan's life changed as an English teenager in the '60s. The agent of that shift? Records by black American singers such as Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, and Nina Simone. Soon he was the head of Simone's British fan club, and in short order, became a journalist with growing access to his heroines. Over the ensuing years, Amazon.com and Billboard contributor Nathan has had Franklin bake him a peach cobbler, stood under the thrown shade of everyone from Esther Phillips to Anita Baker, and even had Miss Ross ask him to call her "Diana." The Soulful Divas captures Nathan's obsession with his favorites, providing two-layered narratives that meld career rundowns with interviews and other personal meetings with his subjects. Most of the 14 single-artist chapters are successful portraits, with the exception of Nathan's profile of Natalie Cole, whose drug problems and career resurrection in the shadow of her late father are little more than the stuff of a legend-in-her-own-mind. A dearth of material weakens a closing chapter on young divas Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and Toni Braxton. But Nathan also provides many invaluable, eye-opening moments, such as the story of a baseball-bat-wielding Phillips threatening to smash up the offices of a record company slow to pay royalties. Finally, he fills out the received wisdom on "X-rated" Millie Jackson, who says, "When I'm home, it's crossword puzzles, television, and the kids." Kids who no doubt, like Nathan, picked up their share of tips on life and love from Jackson and her sisters. --Rickey Wright

Book 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.

Customer Reviews:

Soulful Singing Divas.......2007-04-12

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.......2003-11-19

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.......2003-07-08

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)".......2003-01-02

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.......2002-07-11

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.

Customer Reviews:

whitney Houston.......2001-05-03

I like this book because it was about one of the most famous singer in the world whitney houston she been at singing for a long time from early days to my days whiteny has been there. this book is about whitney and when she start at singing and about her family,friends, and great accomplishments and not only about being a singing but... she tells you about how she fells and how much she loves her family and friends.So this is a great book to me and if you read it I think you think it is a good book to.

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Just when you think you know it all
Just when you thought you knew it all
Whitney Houston: the Biography By James Robert Parish

Whitney Houston: The Biography
James Robert Parish
Manufacturer: Aurum Press, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1854109219

Book Description

The unauthorized biography of the mercurial diva and her public fall from grace.

Customer Reviews:

Just when you think you know it all.......2003-10-30

Whitney Houston is rarely out of the tabloids, so it is tempting to think one knows all there is to know about her. Leave it to Mr. Parish to get beyond the headlines with a fascinating look at this major talent. It is a well-researched look at Whitney Houston, her family (esp mother Cissy) and an era of pop music in which she came of age. From the projects to mansions we follow every step of her rise to the top (including set-backs along the way). This is also a well-rounded look at her marriage to Bobby Brown, a marriage that has continued to defy predictions of doom. Whether a fan or not this is a highly readable book.

Just when you thought you knew it all.......2003-10-30

Whitney Houston is rarely out of the tabloids,so you may think you know all about her. Leave it to Mr. Parish to get beyond the headlines and give us a well-rounded look at this diva. This is not the just the story of Whitney Houston, but of her family, esp. mother Cissy and of the era of pop in which she came of age. From the projects to mansions, from ups and downs, it is a fascinating look at a great talent. It gives an in-depth look at her marriage to Bobby Brown, a marriage that continues to defy predictions of doom. Whether a fan or not this is a very enjoyable book.

Whitney Houston: the Biography By James Robert Parish.......2003-10-29

This was one I could not put down untill I finished it. Completely up to date, covers her life,rise to fame,and ends on trip to Israel. Mr. Parish has walked the tightrope of keeping his feelings out the book, but still gives warts and all. Has a couple of pictures I never saw before, and is very quick moving as books of this type go. Learned some new things about my favorite DIVA!

Good Girl, Bad Girl: An Insider's Biography of Whitney Houston

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The Greatest Disappointment of All
What a joke?
I enjoyed this book
Exploitation of a star for a quick buck
A well written book on Whitney Houston .

Good Girl, Bad Girl: An Insider's Biography of Whitney Houston
Kevin Ammons , and Nancy Bacon
Manufacturer: Citadel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1559723793

Customer Reviews:

The Greatest Disappointment of All.......2003-04-30

Oh please, read the book, wasn't thrilled. It had it's amusing points, but I think that Mr. Ammons has a vendetta against Whitney and this is the payback. I am no where near a Whitney houston fan and I read this with the intention of having more fuel to add to my fire- but this was no kerosene. I often got the impression that though this was supposed to be a "tell-all", Mr. Ammons was reluctant to diverge a lot of information he could have told. Maybe he's saving that for a follow-up, who knows? who cares? This book is best left in the store.

What a joke?.......2001-09-04

Sounds to me like Kevin wrote this book to make a quick buck and to get back at Regina. And Kevin was just as scanless as Regina he had a wife and children, however, was having an affair with Regina because of the promise of a record deal. Most of the things that were written about Whitney was not original. I could have wrote this book myself based on gathering information from previous articles written on Whitney. He should have wrote a novel about him and Regina and their scanless ways. I am glad that I waited for this book to come out in paper.

I enjoyed this book.......2001-01-28

I enjoyed this book on Whitney Houston and I know personally that a lot of what Kevin Ammons says in the book is true. I took away one star, as the latter part of the book sounds like research and not first hand knowledge.

Exploitation of a star for a quick buck.......1999-11-30

I wanted to read a biography on one of my favorite singers that will give a realistic, yet, smart look on her life. Good Girl, Bad Girl is nothing but a piece of trash written by a man who either wanted to get back on Whitney for something, or was looking to make a quick buck at her expense. I am aware that celebrity lives behind the spotlight might not be wonderful---but I still feel that they are entitled to their privacy. I am so glad I didn't buy this book, I returned it to my friend the very next day, I didn't bother to finish it.

A well written book on Whitney Houston ........1999-03-22

Good girl, Bad girl was a well written book on Whitney Houston, but unfortunately the book was unauthorized and none of us know if any of the information was true. I will say that many of his comments were true, I know because I am a true Whitney Houston fan. Getting to the contents of the rest of the book I liked it,Ammons words seemed truely sincere he seemed to know information only some one close to Whitney would know. I gave this book 2 stars, because it is an unauthorized, so for that I took I took away some stars.

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Whitney Houston: One Moment in Time
R. Seal
Manufacturer: Britannia Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Diva: The Totally Unauthorized Biography of Whitney Houston

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Diva: The Totally Unauthorized Biography of Whitney Houston
Jeffrey Bowman
Manufacturer: Harpercollins (Mm)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Whitney Houston: The Biography

ASIN: 0061008532

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Whitney's the best!

Picture Life of Whitney Houston
Gene Busnar
Manufacturer: Franklin Watts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

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ASIN: 0531104982

Customer Reviews:

Whitney's the best!.......2001-07-08

This is a great book and Whitney Houston is the best singer of all time with the best voice of all time! I think any book about Whitney is great,allthough I havn't actually read this one. I am sure it's great.

Superstar Series: Pop : Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine (Easy ABC Music for All Keyboards Series, No 378)

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Superstar Series: Pop : Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine (Easy ABC Music for All Keyboards Series, No 378)

Manufacturer: Alfred Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0793502179

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Whitney Houston (Entertainment World)
Keith Elliot Greenberg
Manufacturer: Lerner Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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Whitney Houston (Reaching for the Stars)

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THE BEST!

Whitney Houston (Reaching for the Stars)
Rosemary Wallner , Shelly Nielsen , Julie Bach , and Bob Italia
Manufacturer: Abdo Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 1562393375

Customer Reviews:

THE BEST!.......2000-06-12

This book shows the insights on Ms.Houstons life what she did and her singing and acting career this books shows behind the scenes of whitney's life what really goes on and her wonderful marrige to R&B singer Bobby Brown. I rate this book five(5) stars because this book is the best and Whitney is the best!

Customer Reviews:

Too Easy!.......2004-10-31

I like puzzles with a little challenge to them...somehow even the more challenging Jumbles that were supposed to be toward the back were too easy for me! I hate solving the main puzzle before I get the words unscrambled!

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A new slant on the Endurance expedition

Leadership and Teamwork from the past

Uncommon common knowledge

Armstrong

Useful (and suspense-filled) management guide

Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer
Margot Morrell , and Stephanie Capparell
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Leading at the Edge : Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition

Shackleton - The Greatest Survival Story of All Time (3-Disc Collector's Edition)

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The Endurance - Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

ASIN: 0142002364

Amazon.com

The explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton has recently become the legendary character at the center of a renewed fascination with the early days of Antarctic exploration. Though not the most renowned explorer of his day, nor even the most successful in terms of stated goals, Shackleton's story of adventurous ambition, incredible endurance, and heroic survival against all odds is indeed the stuff of legend. And now, thanks to the detailed research and helpful insights of Morrell and Capparell, his story is also the meaty material of lessons on how to lead with authority, integrity, humor, and compassion.

A British explorer once summarized the feats of the great Antarctic explorer like this: "For a joint scientific and geographical piece of organization, give me Scott; for a winter journey, give me Wilson, for a dash to the Pole and nothing else, Amundsen; and if I am in the devil of a hole and want to get out of it, give me Shackleton every time." His words set the tone for Shackleton's Way, at once both a travel narrative and a handbook of the skills required for effective leadership of diverse groups, especially in times of change and crisis. Shackleton's attempts to reach the South Pole and his two-year fight for the survival of his crew, when their ship is stranded in ice and then sunk, makes for exciting reading. Using this story as the centerpiece of their book, the authors have woven in their interpretation of his success using interviews with exceptional modern leaders such as Mike Dale, Jaguar's former chief of North American operations, and Apollo 13 Commander James Lovell, and by offering useful advice points at the end of each chapter. For example, in the chapter entitled "The Path to Leadership," Shackleton is shown to have been a well-read man, eager to learn and able to mix with varied company. The authors support this by noting that broadening one's horizons and learning to see things from different perspectives will allow for greater flexibility in problem solving. U.S. Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig agrees that a level of well roundedness is vital in leaders, acknowledging that "one of my prime aims in distributing books is to get people to think outside themselves and to think broadly."

Morrell and Capparell's excellent use of archival material (especially crew diaries) and their intelligent interpretation of what Shackleton's story implies about good leaders makes this book both pleasurable and educational. Throughout the story of the explorer's exploits, the authors have inserted summarizing subtitles that succinctly capture Shackleton's leadership style. Occasionally, this seems a little strained; while the explorer's progressive attitudes and actions deserve praise as leadership lessons par excellence, even some of his misjudgments are referred to with something approaching reverence. For the most part, however, the authors employ a subtle and effective hand in translating the actions of a man at the helm of a dangerous adventure into advice beneficial to leaders in all areas of life. --S. Ketchum

Book Description

Sir Ernest Shackleton has been called "the greatest leader that ever came on God's earth, bar none" for saving the lives of the twenty-seven men stranded with him in the Antarctic for almost two years. Today the public can't get enough of this once-forgotten explorer, and his actions have made him a model for great leadership and masterful crisis management. Now, through anecdotes, the diaries of the men in his crew, and Shackleton's own writing, Shackleton's leadership style and time-honored principles are translated for the modern business world. Written by two veteran business observers and illustrated with ship photographer Frank Hurley's masterpieces and other rarely seen photos, this practical book helps today's leaders follow Shackleton's triumphant example.

Download Description

Preface by Andrea Shackleton.

Customer Reviews:

A new slant on the Endurance expedition.......2007-08-15

I've read a lot of books on Antarctic exploration, but this is the first one that's intended as a text for leadership skills: apparently the intended audience is MBA students and other budding executives. This is an interesting slant on the story, and the authors do seem to have a lot of insight into what made Shackleton a model for leadership. One oddity is that they don't say a word about his controversial decision to site the Nimrod expedition's home base at McMurdo, giving rise to much bitterness in his relations with Scott and the British Antarctic "establishment"; I'd have been interested in the authors' judgment on this.

Does a book like this really give useful guidance to executives? Beats me! The aphorisms they provide seem oversimplified, but I can't claim any expertise here. It was, however, most interesting to contrast Shackleton's leadership principles with those of the current occupant of the White House!

Leadership and Teamwork from the past.......2007-04-08

For those familiar with the story of Shackleton and the Endurance, this is a great book. Actually anyone not familiar with the story can learn it with a lesson in leadership and teamwork. Shackleton took his men and kept them alive thru 9 months trapped on a ship in the ice then 6 months living on the ice after the ship broke up and finally depositing them on Elephant island and leaving on an 800 hundred mile open boat trip to South Georgia island. After nearly 3 years of survival in the Antarctic, Shackleton brought all 27 men home. None died. That is an amazing feat.
Shackleton's Way by Margot Morrell and Stephanie Capparell, breaks this amazing odyssey down into chapters with short notes on leadership method's and then adds in a view or perspective of a business or leader in today's world who applies some of Shackleton's methods. The story starts Sir Ernest Shackleton's method of selecting his men for the voyage. Then the initial voyage and how he made sure each man could do the others job and everyone understood they were a team united. This allowed the survival of all. Shackleton knew men and how to keep them organized, hopeful and strong. This is a great book to add to your bookshelf of leadership, teamwork and people management in crisis.

Uncommon common knowledge.......2007-02-27

I have heard it said many times that management is common knowledge and this book reaffirms those sentiments. But common knowledge is often forgotten when adversity happens or when things become too busy. This book takes the effort of reaffirming all those things that are important to leadership in adverse times. It covers many of the things Sir Ernest Shackleton faced in many of his polar expeditions and how he learned from past mistakes. It talks of his planning, expenditures, morale focus, and other things he felt were to make for a successful trip. It also talks about how one can set what success is, where sometimes reaching the South Pole is not the best idea when you focus on bringing everyone through to the end with you.

I recommend this book just for an inspirational aspect. It is well written if occasionally hokey when they pull out leadership bullet points, but still a good read.

Armstrong.......2007-02-17

This is just an excellent book. Anyone in a leadership position would be well served to read this book. How great leadership can overcome trials of life and death proportions with applications to most leadership circumstances.

Useful (and suspense-filled) management guide.......2007-01-12

This compelling volume accomplishes the unlikely feat of being both a useful management guide and a suspense-filled page-turner. That's because the book enjoys an unusually rich source of material: a near-deadly Antarctic voyage that everyone survived by dint of the leader's formidable management skills. Margot Morrell and Stephanie Capparrell present a strong case that Sir Ernest Shackleton was indeed a great leader. They mine the journey for the telling details of Shackleton's management style, and include short accounts from modern business leaders who look to Shackleton as an inspiration. We recommend this guide to leaders and would-be leaders who love adventure tales and seek an inspiring take on management from a true master.

Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer

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Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer
Tom Lambert , and Ken Shelton
Manufacturer: Nicholas Brealey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1857882113

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Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer
Margot; Capparell, Stephanie; Shackleton, Alexandra Morrell
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ71N6

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