Michael Shnayerson

Singer, actor, activist does a great job in his autobiography. I had not been aware that his initial goal was to be an actor and he just drifted into singing by doing a part in a play. The book had some good humor but also details his activism in working with Martin Luther King Jr and others for equal rights. This is the work he should be most remembered for. His support - financially and otherwise - to the King family and various causes in the US and Africa cannot be overstated. I do wish he had included a filmography and discography.… (altro)

I really enjoy modern art. Canvasses painted one single solid color, or a painting of a single stripe. I don't know why, but I enjoy it. It makes me feel something, so why try to analyze it? But I realize as a member of the 99% that my art enjoyment will take place in museums. That's OK with me.

This book is an interesting, albeit exhaustive, look at the inner world of contemporary art. Dealers, buyers, artists, the whole nine yards. There are definitely a lot of names to keep up with, and a lot of the "art" made me roll my eyes and wish I could make millions of dollars by throwing garbage into a room (hey... now that I think about it... my kitchen is totally an art gallery right now!)...

What I would have liked to know about more is about how many artists "make it" vs. those that don't, and more of a look at those who don't. That was maybe given two or three sentences in the 400 page book. Obviously this book was going to be more about the successful artists but I felt the lopsided approach to just feel misleading.

Honestly, I found a lot of the conspicuous consumption in this book to be nauseating. I'm not sure if the author wrote about it as something to aspire to or as a way to expose the subtle interplay of art for art's sake or art for money... but I don't think it came across in any really meaningful way.

I think this book would have been a lot more awesome as a criticism, but instead is just a narrative. Not that it isn't interesting, it just didn't really live up to its potential.… (altro)