Brown Sugar: Eighty Years of America's Black Female Superstars (A Da Capo Paperback)

Customer Reviews:

Bogle writes from a white's perspective of Blacks!.......2002-07-15

Brown Sugar is the best title he has given to any of his books, the other titles for his books are bigoted and racist. The title is deceiving, he doesn't applaud Black females achievements much.

Here's a long but informative review.
Naturally since Bogle is the only one writing about early Black film stars people believe everything he says. He plays it safe by always talking about the same ole' stars that he talked about in his last books. Never does he introduce the public to unsung talents we never heard of. He spends most of the time talking about how mulatto, how light or how dark such and such is and how such and such couldn't do this or that because of this or that. When whites write on their stars they don't write about how blonde, how brunette or how red head someone was and how Irish or Italian one looked. Which proves how stuck on skin color Blacks really are! Why do Blacks feel they always have to spend time talking about race instead of giving these stars their recognition and due, forgetting how they look and telling of their life and versatile careers, who they really were, where they come from, making one reading feel like they knew the person all their lives, make one feel the happiness and sadness.
Bogle spends more time on what they didn't do then what they did do. Which is sad, the public is missing out on a lot. So again, do for yourself the research and don't' depend on others all the time.

Bogle loves talking about how white Fredi Washington looked instead of writing about her extensive, incredible career, she done more in her life then most of us could dream about it, she didn't let others prejudices hold her back. She was no tragic mulatto, another stupid name, minus well call Stepin Fetchit a tragic ni**er which he wasn't, he was the first black millionaire and no more of a stereotype then Black pimps, gangsters of today who are getting rich off of it like Step got rich off of his stereotype. Fredi will be the first to say she had a great life and career. She wasn't sad or confused but a strong black woman. Bogle is no better than a white writer who puts down a black but thinks its okay to coin a book Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies and Bucks because he's black, I'm sure if a white titled a book that we be yelling racism, don't Black talents deserve a better title?

Bogle also plays it safe by always talking about Lena Horne and Dorothy Dandridge, never telling the stories and never giving recognition to other black actresses like Nina Mae McKinney, Mildred Washington, Theresa Harris, Fredi Washington, Edna Mae Harris, Florence O'Brien, Louise Franklin, Daisy Bufford, Jeni LeGon Evelyn Preer, Suzette Harbin, Hilda Simms, Francine Everett, Shirley Haven and countless of others who had a chance to display their talents on the screen in Hollywood and helped fight discrimination and help in the enhancement and betterment of blacks on screen but he gives all the credit to Horne and Dandridge, who didn't do as much as others if you want to get down to the truth, but I'm glad he don't talk about them in a way because he'll butcher up their life stories, I'll give them their due though. Many aren't remembered because maybe they didn't do as much, who cares about who has done more, were suppose to be remembering them for accomplishments and talents, right? White film historians sure remember all their stars, little or big. Someone like Louise Brooks, considered a early Hollywood icon is highly regarded as a great actress despite she only had a few good films and wasnt a big movie star. The woman is more remembered for one good film and a bobbed hairstyle but white historians will make sure you know her, her achievements and what she DID DO for the film industry. Why can't Bogle be like that instead of criticizing everyone and judging them by white people's standards of what success and beauty is? I guess it's true that you gotta work twice as hard as whites to be someone in this world, whites can be remembered for little things, few successes, Blacks gotta have many successes to get rememberance and recognition even for other Blacks to remember them. Bogle is one of the few black film historians, you would think he would write more positively of blacks in Hollywood but he treats many worse then whites treated them when they were alive. Bogle never mentions Willie Covan and Marie Bryant (and appeared in movies also and was a good friend of Lena Horne's too) who choreograhed many white stars, they were behind the scenes but contributed to Hollywood. He suppose to be giving credit not taking away. Either Bogle is too lazy or likes to show favoritism because he sure won't tell other unsung talents stories. If he does he clutter it up with talking about their looks especially if he doesn't know how to write about them. Bogle knows nothing about the great career of Nina Mae McKinney, the first movie star of Hollywood and Europe, who done more films then any other black actress of her time, the first to appear on many magazines, she had so many achievements, yet he gives her one little page, if you don't know about a person, I rather you not write about them at all then to write lies. He never talks about the Black Cinema independent movie stars or the industry who was apart of American cinema, I guess their too hard for him to research, so he takes the easy path in writing about stars he already wrote about a million times. He never writes about Ethel Moses, Francine Everett, Dorothy Van Engle, Edna Mae Harris, Margaret Whitten, Tomiwitta Moore, Bee Freeman, Lorenzo Tucker, Monte Hawley, Ralph Cooper (created the first black studio in Hollywood), Oscar Micheaux, Spencer Williams and countless other black movie stars who appeared in films for blacks made by blacks in the 30's and 40's, I guess that's too mediocre for him but they done more for the enhancement of Blacks in movies by creating their own images, own roles, own portrayals, playing people from all walks of life unlike ones in Hollywood who were stuck playing the same types of roles and being the same images he always complaining about well I feel give due to ones who at least tried to do for themselves and become what they wanted but see they weren't cross-overs so their looked at as non-important by some which kind of dictated by whites who we should remembered and who's important. It's hard researching Black Cinema stars but boy it's worth it plus studying them, watching them perform gives you a good idea of who they were even if you can't find info on them. I still find the time to give them due and I'm no professional or anything but Bogle is a high class guy who only likes to write about Hollywood and his favorite gals Horne and Dandridge.

Ive done more research on unsung, forgotten stars then he has and it has been pleasurable teaching others on the net about blacks who contributed to stage and screen, stars who were just as important as Dandridge and Horne. I'm glad there are other people who are taking it upon themselves to tell the true stories of many unsung black legends and don't write in the same fashion as Bogle. Anyone who is hung up on skin color and don't want to think outside the box and like to hear the same stories then Bogle is for you but someone like me who researched many early black stars of stage and screen on my own and found out the real deal, found how they really were, found how they were really looked at, and found the true stories wouldn't appreciate Bogle's work much. I've talked with some legendary Blacks of the early years, some of their relatives also and they gave a completely different view then how Bogle describes them which shows he just goes by hearsay and documents and don't do accurate interviewing and researching.

I would think Bogle would spend more time on talking about the beauty of black women from dark to light and their wonderful achievements to the world. Black women are quite unique but instead Bogle tells the story of black women from white people's perspective it seems, he tells how black women were looked at from whites perspective not from a true black person's perspective that has pride for his race, maybe Bogle has a white person's way of thinking who is partial. Because I would commend these women, embrace and make the world embrace their beauty, courage, and talents; their many gifts to the world isn't as nearly written about as their skin tones are.
He loves spending time writing about how light, dark or mulatto someone looks. Again, he makes it seem like such and such suffered because she was mulatto, light or dark, come on man, if she had a tragic life it was her own fault if she suffered. He makes it seem like color and race was the problem for everything which is false, actually many of these women profited from the race sometimes and plus women in general face discrimination, no matter what race or color. Don't you think these women went through enough being judged by skin tone or looks, they wished in their life for being to judge their talent, at least give them that now, Bogle doesn't. Who isn't discriminated against in this world? Bogle makes it look like Black is a curse when these female performers change the world and introduce the world to their greatness and the greatness of the race. He loves talking about whether someone should of passed for white or not like when he's talking about the great Fredi Washington. He misses out on showcasing other great talents like Valaida Snow, Blanche Calloway, Una Mae Carlisle, Eunice Wilson, Adelaide Hall and others but that's okay because they have been written beautifully about by other writers. Well, many are dead so they cant stick up for themselves and Bogle takes advantage of that, he hasn't even interviewed or actually talked to ones who he writes about, he just goes by hearsay. Have your favorites but when you write a book, you can't show favoritism which he does all through which hurts others who has a story to tell but he only give honor to his faves. It seems no black can make him happy, he always has something to criticize. In his words every Black woman is a tragic, confused mulatto and every black man is a coon, or some other stereotype, he wouldn't say that to the young black guys or gals in entertainment today though, he takes advantage of the dead who can't stick up for themselves.

There is a website on unsung black talents of stage and screen, you all will enjoy.
http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/ninamaemckinney/

It must for all..........2001-04-28

I have had this book since I saw the PBS special several years ago. This is an outstanding book filled with wonderful beautiful pictures. Many of the stories are sad, because many black entertainers did not get their just "due" for all of the contributions they made. By reading this book, you can see what music and entertainment was, and what it really needs to be again! Great Book!

A wonderful treasury on Black American women!.......1999-10-25

I purchased this book during the mid-80's, in hardback. I still have the original edition. It remains one of my keepsakes along with my family photo album! Every black woman should have this book. Whenever you think you are having a hard time, this book shows each lady's up and down. The Black woman tries to distinguish herself and positively represent other Black Americans under the evil Hollywood eye of racism in the entertainment industry from the 1920's to present.

This book really enlightened me about early performers such as Ethel Waters, Lena Horne, Moms Mabley, Bessie Smith and many others. Thank you so much Donald Bogle for tackling a tough and inspiring subject with excellent journalism and research.

Customer Reviews:

Hot, Smoky Jazz in a Basement.......2001-11-15

Max Gordon is a name that will be familiar to lovers of jazz. Anyone who goes to New York City and loves jazz will almost inevitably wind up seeing someone perform live at the Village Vanguard. Many great artists like John Coltrane have recorded live performances there.

Gordon was the founder of this legendary club. He found a little basement in Greenwich Village and then proceeded to make jazz history. All the greats like Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker et al played there at one time or another. Lenny Bruce and Woody Allen also performed comedy at the Vanguard.

Max Gordon proves to be a very competent author in this book that recounts the history of the club. Gordon discusses the early struggles with getting liquor licenses or dealing with racial segregation. He includes a lot of great antecdotes of his meetings with many of these legends.

Average customer rating:

Haddock is introduced in the Golden Claws

A little disappointing

Tintin on his adventures!

A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage

The Adventures of Tintin: The Crab With the Golden Claws / The Shooting Star / The Secret of the Unicorn (3 Complete Adventures

The Adventures of Tintin: The Crab With the Golden Claws / The Shooting Star / The Secret of the Unicorn (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 3)
Herge
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Adventures of Tintin: The Broken Ear / The Black Island / King Ottokar's Sceptre (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 2)

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ASIN: 0316359440

Customer Reviews:

Haddock is introduced in the Golden Claws.......2007-08-23

Thundering Typhoons!! Had been trying to get my hands on this issue as it introduces my fave. character!! It compliments the package well because the issues are in a sequence and one ends up getting more of blistering barnacles! I would recommend this to Haddock's admiration club and otherwise as well!

A little disappointing.......2007-02-07

The quality of the printing is far from perfect. It smooches on several pages.Also, I read the French version first and the English one is, in my opinion, rather lame. A lot of work would need to be done to improve it.

Tintin on his adventures!.......2007-01-21

I have read many Tintin adventures and love them all. Herge can make very funny adventure stories.
In the book, The Crab with the Golden Claws, Tintin meets Captain Haddock. Captain Haddok loves whisky. Professor Calculus is not here. He comes in Red Rackham's treasure.
Reviewed by my child, C.B. Patras

A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage.......2006-09-09

Volume 3: The Crab With the Golden Claws (1942), The Shooting Star (1942), The Secret of the Unicorn (1943). This is the third instalment of my reviews of each of the seven volumes.

As I mentioned in my review for Volume 1, as a child I read these stories in no particular order. So, when reading The Crab With the Golden Claws, I was surprised to see Captain Haddock in such a pitiable state, having made his acquaintance in later adventures...

But this is where he is introduced, and the friendship that develops between Haddock and Tintin not only allows the alcoholic captain to bloom, it lifts the curtain on one of the most entertaining, impulsive (Haddock = ad hoc, get it? In French, the pronunciation of the two is exactly the same...), flawed, and in essence loyal, good hearted and lovable characters in all comicdom. His irascible nature will be abundantly prodded with insufferable foils (Wagg, Abdullah, Castafiore, the Thom(p)sons, and sundry villains) throughout the series. We also meet the sinister Allan for the first time. The story takes place in Morocco, and the child sees yet more of our planet's vistas, while the adult continues to revel in Hergé's textured adventures and detailed settings, as well as a terrifying dream sequence.

Michael Farr's "Tintin: The Complete Companion" (highly recommended), gives a glimpse at why Tintin did not take in the USA as it did in the rest of the world, and that has to do with a couple of panels from The Shooting Star. Though with some brilliant sequences, such as the cinematic seasickness scene, it is not as captivating as the usual Tintin standard, but again, one does not want to miss a single adventure.

The Secret of the Unicorn has a number of threads, one of which develops into the sequel, Red Rackham's Treasure.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Crab With the Golden Claws / The Shooting Star / The Secret of the Unicorn (3 Complete Adventures .......2006-08-31

Good book for kids and aldult as well

Secrets of the Crab (Legend of the Five Rings)

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Secrets of the Crab (Legend of the Five Rings)
Aeg
Manufacturer: Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1887953809

The Secret World of Crabs (Greenaway, Theresa, Secret World of.)

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Pretty Good

The Secret World of Crabs (Greenaway, Theresa, Secret World of.)
Theresa Greenaway
Manufacturer: Raintree
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Pretty Good.......2004-03-10

A pretty good book, if you are 10 years old. Not reccomended for older students, however some good information

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The Secrets of Crab Island
James P. Millard
Manufacturer: America's Historic Lakes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0974985406

Product Description

Crab Island in Lake Champlain's Cumberland Bay was the site of a War of 1812 Army Field Hospital, a cemetary for 150 British and American sailors who died in the Battle of Plattsburgh, September 11, 1814.

Time Management Secrets For Your Hermit Crab Cages Online Business

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Time Management Secrets For Your Hermit Crab Cages Online Business
James Orr and Jassen Bowman
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The Adventures of Tintin/3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume (The Crab With the Golden Claws/the Shooting Star/the Secret of the U

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The Adventures of Tintin/3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume (The Crab With the Golden Claws/the Shooting Star/the Secret of the U
Herge
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
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Of the Crab's Secret (ZOOLOGY, CRUSTACEANS)

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Of the Crab's Secret (ZOOLOGY, CRUSTACEANS)
Frederic Wood Jones
Manufacturer: AREPRINT SERVICE
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The Secret Earn More Money, Inner Game and Godfather Principles for Hermit Crab Cages Internet Businesses 3 CD Power Pack

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The Secret Earn More Money, Inner Game and Godfather Principles for Hermit Crab Cages Internet Businesses 3 CD Power Pack
Trey Z Taylor
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The Secret Earn More Money, Sales Models and eCommerce for Hermit Crab Cages Internet Businesses 3 CD Power Pack

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The Secret Earn More Money, Sales Models and eCommerce for Hermit Crab Cages Internet Businesses 3 CD Power Pack
Jason Z Taylor
Manufacturer: LTBR, Inc
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Time Management Secrets For Your Hermit Crab Cages Online Business
James Orr and Jassen Bowman
Manufacturer: LearnToBeRich.com, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000OJ108S

Book Description

This volume provides a uniquely rich set of arguments and data for prioritizing our responses to some of the most serious problems facing the world today, such as climate change, communicable diseases, conflicts, education, financial instability, corruption, migration, malnutrition and hunger, trade barriers, and water access. Leading economists evaluate the evidence for costs and benefits of various programs to help gauge how we can achieve the most good with our money. Each problem is introduced by a world-renowned expert analyzing the scale of the problem and describing the costs and benefits of a range of policy options to improve the situation. Shorter pieces from experts offering alternative positions are also included; all ten challenges are evaluated by a panel of economists from North America, Europe, and China who rank the most promising policy options. Global Crises, Global Solutions provides a serious, yet accessible, springboard for debate and discussion and will be required reading for government employees, NGOs, scholars and students of public policy and applied economics, and anyone with a serious professional or personal interest in global development issues. Bjørn Lomborg is Associate Professor of Statistics at the University of Aarhus and the director of the Danish Environmental Assessment Institute. He is also the author of the controversial bestseller, The Skeptical Environmentalist (Cambridge, 2001).

Customer Reviews:

Bjorn Lomborg: GlobalCrises, Glbal Solutions.......2007-05-07

This book appears at the first look about economy. It is not. Its starting premise is the question: if you have limited resources and have to prioritize, what would you do in our global warming situation. It is a hard
headed treatment of the subject matter by a multitude of subject experts. Their complete set of policy proposals then evaluated by eight of the world top economists.
It is interesting, how fast the discussion veers off after discussing the economics into the very conditions enabling or blocking the desirable economic developments, such as conflicts, communicable diseases, sanitation and trade barriers just to mention a few.
The book can be read on two different level.For casual reader and policy maker most the numbers are avoidable and still be a very readable and very thoughtful and interesting material. For those, who want hard numbers and hard details, that is provided too, but not necessary for understanding.
This is the multicolored, multifaceted work of many dedicated individuals who - by the work they are dedicated to perform - are forced to set priorities in expending limited resources. I was surprised by their reasoning, and I trust, so will you be.

if you care about the world.......2007-03-08

why arn't global politics based on these arguments? it's a pleasure to read the scientific arguments that lomborg uses to validate his claims. it's a shame that we cannot organise the solutions to make this world a better place for a lot of people at no expense to our own prosperity. all the hard (econometrical) stuff is almost easy to read.
next year i'll read it again and see how far we are...

Raising the Level of Debate About Global Problems.......2006-08-09

Most people never think about the unavoidable tradeoffs involved in ameliorating social problems. With opportunity costs in mind, may we must dedicate ourselves to a better world.

I have two respectful criticisms:

1. If people focused only on the problems that we could do most to solve then that would reduce the pressure to solve problems. However rational it might seem to shift all foreign aid from funding education to funding AIDS prevention, the result would probably be less total aid. The way politics works, one big problem is sometimes treated less seriously than two problems that are half as big.

2. It is difficult to quantify any of these problems, but some of them, like global warming, are much harder to quantify. The "worst case scenario," unlikely as it may be, has the potential to do such incredible damage, that we need to act on it. Reducing global warming might be conceived of as an insurance policy, whereas preventing AIDS is more likely an investment in mutual funds.

Global Crises, Global Solutions.......2006-07-20

I enjoyed Bjorn Lomborg's latest work as a thought provoking alternative to conventional wisdom on different aspects of globalisation. Unfortunately, much of the scientific and political community have become prisoners to theories which have dubious merit. They are followed more out of political correctness and the prevailing winds of public opinion, than research and testing.

By including other experts who provide alternative opinions and challenge each other, Lomborg has followed the true spirit of scientific method - development of a theory and testing it through falsification. It is a shame that some purported scientists have tried to silence him in a similar way to Galileo. Poor science leads to inadequate policy.

The book is a worthy successor to the Environmental Sceptic and reflects a growing concern in the scientific community about the need for more rigorous research and debate on key issues. It's content is well laid out.

Clearly, the amount of material is not designed for reading in one session. However, it is a valuable resource book suited to those interested in entering into the debate on key global issues. You can pick an individual topic and obtain a good grounding in it.

I look forward to Bjorn Lomborg's next offering.

Highly Recommended!.......2005-07-27

This report is an excellent, controversial and refreshing approach to global problems. Daily, the news media and politicians declare that another crisis is urgent. Often, loud, public resolutions accompany these pronouncements. Political blocs form to push through agendas based on those resolutions. The only thing missing from the process is a dispassionate analysis of whether the solutions make economic sense and, if so, which ones make the most economic sense. This book of compiled essays from the Copenhagen Consensus - as documented in The Economist - provides that missing element. The conference drew from United Nations documents to assemble a list of the most urgent problems facing the world and identified those that presented opportunities for solutions. Then it set the task of identifying solutions that would provide the biggest benefit for the cost, examining 38 proposals for spending $50 billion over four years. Surprisingly, some of the most economically rational projects never make headlines and never turn up in public exhortations. When was the last time you saw someone climbing onto a platform to demand mosquito nets to prevent malaria in Africa? That may not come up nearly as often as adherence to the Kyoto Protocol, which provides a far weaker cost vs. benefit scenario. According to the analysts from Copenhagen, the former seems to be a very sound use of the world's problem-solving resources, but the latter costs a lot and seems to deliver relatively few benefits. We highly recommend this intriguing, sweeping conversation.

The New Global Goals: 45 Solutions to U.S. And World Crises

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The New Global Goals: 45 Solutions to U.S. And World Crises
Global Goals Institute
Manufacturer: Global Goals Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KDL65K

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GLOBAL CRISES GLOBAL SOLUTIONS
Bjorn Lomborg
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N6QN66

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