J.P.'s profile

72 ratings | 55 reviews
avg rating: 4.22

J.P.'s bookshelves

read (73)

currently-reading (4)

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J.P. is currently reading

	03/31 J.P. is currently reading: The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker (Hardcover) by Charles Webb bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
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	03/12 J.P. is currently reading: Patrick McGoohan Danger Man or Prisoner (Paperback) by Roger Langley bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
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	11/19 J.P. gave to: Leaves of Grass: The First (1855) Edition by Walt Whitman bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
	J.P. said: "Another title I'm forever dipping into. There are many editions of LEAVES; the 1892 'deathbed' edition (Whitman was knocking on Heaven's door when he was editing it) is one I've never been able to finish, mainly because it's just so. . .volumino...more " 2 comments

J.P.'s recent updates (rss)

May 09

J.P. gave

to:
Comrade Rockstar: The Life and Mystery of Dean Reed, the All-American Boy Who Brought Rock 'N' Roll to the Soviet Union (Paperback)
by Reggie Nadelson

my rating:

recommended for: rock fans, history buffs, biography fans

J.P. said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

"Dean Reed was an American rock singer/actor in the early 1960s. While he was mostly overlooked in the U.S., he became a major star in South America, where his records sold millions of copies.

Seizing opportunity, Reed moved to Chile. There, he ...more Dean Reed was an American rock singer/actor in the early 1960s. While he was mostly overlooked in the U.S., he became a major star in South America, where his records sold millions of copies.

Seizing opportunity, Reed moved to Chile. There, he claimed, he was exposed to the wide chasm between the privileged and the poor classes of society. This experience turned Reed onto radical politics. He became a Socialist, activist and champion of "little people". He also became a harsh critic of the U.S. government, which he felt fed the corrupt governments of South America at the poor's expense.

COMRADE ROCKSTAR traces Dean Reed's life and career, from his days studying acting in Hollywood with Jean Seaberg and the Everly Brothers, through his stint in Italian "spaghetti westerns" and on to his rock concert tours of the Soviet Union, where he was the first American musician to take rock and roll behind the Iron Curtain (he was the only foreigner to ever be given the Lenin Award, Russia's answer to the Pulitzer Prize).

In doing so, author Reggie Nadelson provides readers with insights into the now mostly-vanished Communist world, including (who would've thought!) the Soviet rock scene of the 1960s-1980s. Nadelson has an informative, conversational writing style which makes COMRADE ROCKSTAR a real page-turner.

Eventually, Reed ended up in East Germany, where he continued to record popular records and act in and direct well-received films. In 1986, at age 48, he died there under mysterious circumstances, shortly after making plans to return to America (including an appearance on "60 Minutes"). Many who knew him claim Reed was murdered for political reasons. Nadelson keeps the reader in suspense right up to her book's end---then does a satisfying job of unraveling this mystery, at least to the extent that it can be unraveled.

Dean Reed was a household name from Havana to Moscow. But he was---and remains---almost unknown in his home country. Twenty-two years after his death, he has a wide and loyal following in Europe. While his politics may rub many the wrong way, Reed is a genuinely unique historical figure. Reggie Nadelson tells his story well.

...less "

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J.P. made a comment in the group You Imagine—Welcome! Stop in to introduce yourself topic:

J.P. wrote: "Hello everyone. I'm J.P. Lowe, a small press author. I've published three poetry chapbooks and, mo...more "

J.P. joined the You Imagine group.

New comment on Cats's review of The Other Hollywood: The Uncensored Oral History of the Porn Film Industry

J.P. wrote: "How'd you guess? "

(see all 9 comments)

May 02

J.P. marked as to-read:
Nick Drake: The Biography (Paperback)
by Patrick Humphries
bookshelves: to-read

my rating:

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New comment on Sarah's review of Where the Wild Things Are

J.P. wrote: "The term "classic" was designed for books like this. "

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New comment on Sarah's review of Macbeth

J.P. wrote: "I agree. Methinks this the best of Shakespeare's tragedies. Lady Macbeth is a delicious villian. ...more "

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New comment on Lizzie's review of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

J.P. wrote: "I agree entirely with your review. An example of the novelist's "freshman" home run, not ...more "

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April 28

J.P. read and liked Mark's review of Seneca:

"I was intrigued by Seneca because (a) I knew nothing about him and (b) I noticed his life span overlapped that of Jesus. This short volume was meant as a quick summary of his life and ideas, and it do" ...read more »

April 16

J.P. added:
Horton Hears a Who! (Classic Seuss)
by Dr. Seuss

my rating:

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J.P.'s favorite quotes

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
— Theodore Roosevelt

tags: inspirational

651 people liked it

"I was gratified to be able to answer promptly. I said I don't know."
— Mark Twain

tags: humor, knowledge

252 people liked it

"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.

"
— Henry David Thoreau

14 people liked it

"You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you're working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success - but only if you persist.

"
— Isaac Asimov

tags: writing

10 people liked it

"If you lose the power to laugh, you lose the power to think."
— Clarence Darrow

5 people liked it

see all of J.P.'s favorite quotes »

J.P.'s writing

"A Compromise" (Literature & Fiction)

1 chapters — updated 09/28/2007 10:51AM

description: A father decides the best course of action to take concerning his kids. Sensitive parties, use your best judgment. Everyone else, please leave your preconceptions at the front door.

Green Tea (Literature & Fiction)

1 chapters — updated 09/28/2007 10:45AM

description: A couple, consisting of a Modern Woman and an Old-Fashioned Guy, discuss the nature of fame. Then, it gets interesting.

J.P.'s groups (recent posts)

You Imagine — 321 members — last activity 3 minutes ago
Do you have a book inside you? Have you always wanted to write a book? Are you working on one? Come to discuss how to write not just any book, but a g...more

Goodreads Feedback — 852 members — last activity 10 minutes ago
This is a place to give feedback about Goodreads. Feature ideas, bugs, or any other suggestion for improvement. The Goodreads staff monitors this gr...more

J. R. Ward (BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD series) — 164 members — last activity 1 day ago, 07:06PM
For fans of the BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD series written by J.R. Ward/JR Ward (aka The Warden). If you love Wrath, Zsadist, Rhage, Vishous, Phury and T...more

Press 53 Short Story Group — 43 members — last activity 18 days ago, 06:40AM
For readers of the short story.

Short Story lovers — 73 members — last activity 04/11/2008 07:55AM
For people who especially love short stories, and don't care who knows it!

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J.P.'s friend comments

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from Laura

09/27/2007 04:40AM

Hi, Jack!! Wonderful to see you here. You are going to have so much fun with all these great book-addicts (grin)! I look forward to seeing your ratings and reviews of the books you are reading. Magickal blessings!

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