Where There's a Will...: Who Inherited What and Why

by Stephen M. Silverman

Reveals what the wills of famous people--Bob Fosse, Judy Garland, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Andrew Carnegie, Lou Gehrig, and others--contained and what the heirs thought of their legacies

Genres: Nonfiction

Paperback

First published April 1, 1991

Reviews

[Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gossipy!

I learned a lot about the group of people located in this book. Artists and entertainers and rich people are who the stories talk about.

Some of the people are familiar to me; others are not really famous, but what they did in their will is interesting.

So you definitely learn who inherits what and why.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed very much

I really enjoy true short stories like these. Having, at least heard the names, of each of these folks from the past it was so interesting to hear how they made and, eventually, gave away their money.
None of it was boring and I liked how the author included how much the inheritance would have been in current, albeit 2018 dollars. I recommend.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like short snippets of history about famous people, you might like this book. Each individual comprises a short chapter which includes some background information, financial status at the time of death, and who were the winners and losers when the will was read.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting little vignettes on famous people's wills, a lot of Hollywood type and others. Their net worths put into 2018 dollars was interesting to compare. The author gives a brief on their lives and how they became who they were.

[Lisa J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly interesting book, learned a lot about the famous people featured, some had very sad lives for all the glamour.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light and enjoyable reading. Interesting insight into how people decide to bequeath their estates.

[Grace Lee Vitsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this a fascinating read.

[grace wiersma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, but had to skip several chapters because of sexual content. It was really interesting reading about all the weird things people leave to their friends and family though.

[Kevin Whitehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

Very interesting reading. People die the way they live - messy lives equal messy death/wills. I enjoyed reading this book.

[Clint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collection of assorted entertainment and other celebrities' wills and what they detail. Each chapter is also somewhat of a mini-biography. Book has a few mistakes, a few typos and author admits he doesn't know how certain assets were divided. Somewhat interesting, though.

[Katharine Holden · Rating 2 out of 5]

More than a bit trashy. Author enjoys moralizing when a celebrity dies and leaves little money. He seems almost disappointed when someone dies without having hit the skids first.