Sarah Palin's book

Will you be reading Sarah Palin's book?

Re: Sarah Palin's book

No, but not for the reasons people think.

1) It is mainly ghost written. If a person is going to write an autobiography, they should actually be the one to write it. Having a ghost writer defeats the whole concept of "autobiography" IMO. It's okay if actors use ghost writers, because they are actors and not super important in the flow of history. Also, most of them do not make a living writing. A lawmaker, however, does make a living writing laws and should be competent to write a book about themselves, however boring it might be. John Kenndy's autobiography is also supposedly ghost written. I haven't read it either for the same reason.

2) A good autobiography should reveal hitherto unknown information or clear up a cloudy issue. For example, in James Doogan's autobiography he reveals he lost part of one of his hands as a Canadian pilot in WWII and that the film makers of Star Trek always filmed him so his deformed hand would not be exposed. Palin's book does not appear to do this. She is so famous, there is very little we don't know about her. She is not exactly a private person.

3) I don't care that much for autobiographies. I find them self serving and boring especially those of politicians. I have had to read several in my studies as a historian, but I don't really like them. They rarely give insight into the person, IMO. The obvious exception to this is the James Doogan and Leonard Nimoy autobiographies, I enjoyed both of them. Nimoy's internal struggle with the feeling he was actually becoming the character he played in I am Not Spock was truly insightful into the world of method actors. I generally find actors' autobiographies more interesting than politicians.

There is no special reason for that other than I'm a fan like anyone else. Besides, I find actors are often more honest in this sort of work, because they are not running for any office. Their reasons for writing are also probably self serving, but it's not a type of self serving interest that actually has an impact on my life. Also, their autobiographies are just more interesting. Sorry Obama, I will probably read all the autobiographies of the original Star Trek cast before yours.

Re: Sarah Palin's book

My feeling is politicians are telling us they are competent to write laws and make decisions for our country, state, county, etc, but they can't write a casual, coffee table book about themselves? Any politician that hires a ghost writer, I have to question why even if that person is JFK. These people are supposed to be smart and educated. Most of them have college degrees, so they have received formal writing training. Why shouldn't they possess the ability to write their own story?

I think I've read the George Takai book as well, but I don't remember for sure. One of the interesting points of Jimmy Doogan's book is what he does not reveal. Although, he was very good friends with George, he never mentions the whole gay thing in his book.

Re: Sarah Palin's book

What does "good" have to do with it? I don't think people buy these books because they are good. They buy them because of who they are about and who wrote them or for other reasons outside good writing. Residual sales and future sales may be impacted by the quality of the writing, but advances and initial sales are not.

Fiction writers have to be good writers. Non fiction writers who want to make a living at writing have to be good writers. Sports writers have to be good writers. But famous people just have to be famous to sell books.

For example, Whoopie Goldberg was paid a $2 million advance for her autobiography which I understand was so awful, they nearly had to pay people to cart it away.

For a book to go down in posterity as worth reading, it should be well written, but to make money, that is not required when it comes to the autobiography of a famous person or even a biography. The main people who read autobiographies 50 years after a person died are historians anyway and they aren't a huge subsection of the market. Even a really good autobiography like David Niven's The Moon's A Balloon (which has many exciting parts about his work in the OS during WWII and his very humorous stint in the Highland Light Infantry as a young man) is not a big seller. Maybe if Elvis had written an autobiography...

Former Sec. of State Dean Acheson's autobiography was quite dry. I read almost all of it - all two volumes over 1,000 pages each. I doubt this book made the best seller list even in the 50s, but at least he did it himself. I would just have more respect for autobiographers that also write their own book. That said a lot of autobiographies are written by ghost writers. Ghost writing is a profitable business for those who haven't yet been able to make it into the big leagues on their own name yet. Hopefully, Palin's ghost writer will be able to "break out" with this book.

Re: Sarah Palin's book

If you're looking for a fast read, an entertaining and enlightening story in an autobiography, try The Moon's a Balloon by David Niven. His story is written in his understated, dry humorous style. It's like he's just sitting there telling you about his life. Plus he did write both volumes himself which is a bonus.

This is from someone who doesn't really care for biographies or autobiographies.

Re: Sarah Palin's book

I think anyone hoping for hitherto unknown revelations is going to be disappointed in this book. I imagine this ghost writer can copy Palin's style so well, it will sound exactly like she did write it, because I understand this woman is one of the best in the business. I hope like Kennedy's autobiographer, this is her take off point to success under her own name.

I think anyone with a decent education could write an autobiography and have it turn out well with the help of a good editor. I think a good editor can make anyone sound witty and intelligent just as a talented image maker can make anyone look good as long as that person pays attention to the advice they receive. (IE Lindsey Lohan. Why does she even pay an image maker when she so clearly ignores everything the woman says?)

Political books are not that interesting. I have been reading two on a subject that really interests me written by professional journalists who are specialists in the field. These books were boring. I finally finished one and the other one is even more dry than the first one. These books each received five stars from everyone who really enjoys this type of book.

Profiles in Courage (JFK's "autobiography") is considered a very worthwhile read for those very interested in Kennedy and his service in the Navy. He took a huge hit for not writing it himself though. Supposedly, it does offer a lot of insight into why he admired the people he did and his experiences at sea after the boat he was commanding was literally ripped apart by a Japanese ship. He and some of his some crew members spent several days afloat on a piece of the wreckage. This is where he got that notorious back injury that never healed that caused him so much pain he became a sex and pill addict.

Autobiographies are a lot more interesting (IMO) when the person has lived an unusual or really exciting life (ie being a commando spy or surviving on a piece of drift wood for days with a traumatic injury). But most people, even famous people, don't live those sorts of lives.