Albuquerque, NM, – ‘Just as talking about sex won’t make you pregnant, talking about funerals won’t make you dead’ – says Gail Rubin, author of A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die (Light Tree Press). Rubin uses gentle humor to convey vital information about funeral arrangements that most people don’t learn until faced with a death in the family.
With chapters named Over My Dead Body, I Got It At Costco, and It’s My Party and I’ll Die If I Want To, Rubin has overcome society’s last taboo with a book like no other – a great resource minus the morbidity! Rubin’s book provides the information, inspiration and tools to plan and implement creative, meaningful and memorable end-of-life rituals for people and pets while taking the fear out of the subject of death.
Given the fact that only 24% of us pre-plan a funeral and less than 46% tell our family our final wishes – it’s evident we plan our finances, families and retirement, but rarely plan our funerals. Without end-of-life planning, all of life’s other plans can come undone. For this reason an annual event, Create a Great Funeral Day (that occurs every October), was started twelve years ago to remind people of the many benefits of planning their own end-of-life event.
Rubin’s new book, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die, goes one step further with resources to help reduce family conflict, avoid stress at a time of grief, prepare directives, obituaries, eulogies, ethical wills, cards and thank-you notes, and save readers thousands of dollars in the process. She also presents background on many religious traditions and creative non-religious rituals – especially helpful for interfaith families.
This Doyenne of Death speaks to groups on funeral planning issues using comedy films to lighten the conversation. A Certified Celebrant and event planner, Rubin has been interviewed on television affiliates of ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, as well as on public radio. Her book was a finalist in the Family & Relationships Category of ForeWord Magazine’s 2010 Book of the Year Award; has been featured in Entrepreneur.com’s article ‘Weird Companies That Work!’ and quoted in a Kiplinger Retirement Report article ‘Selling a burial plot is a grave decision.’
Once a year, like the characters in Harold and Maude, Rubin attends funerals of strangers. During her second annual “30 Funerals in 30 Days Challenge,” she covered each one with a video and wrote about them on The Family Plot Blog. Rubin shares the creative ways people celebrate the lives of those they love and emphasizes that funerals are a life cycle event much like a wedding (and better if planned more than a few days ahead). Rubin sees this as a healthier way of dealing with death – “we know it’s going to happen to all of us some day so let’s make it more comfortable to talk about and plan for.”
Jacqueline Marcell, Author, Speaker, Radio Host: “…an upbeat guide book that brings a light touch to the “icky” subject everyone tries to avoid. Gail is our perky party planner (ok, so it’s for a party no one wants to go to) but hey, her humor will keep you reading and learning what most don’t learn until a crisis or a death–which is a really bad time to find out!… I think it is a must-read for Baby Boomers…and well, any adult still breathin’! Gail was a dynamic guest on my Internet radio program.”
Sylvia Martin, Marriage & Family Therapist: “Rubin approaches a taboo subject in a humorous, sensitive, compassionate manner. She has done her research fully and presents easy to follow, practical steps to take in funeral planning. ..It’s no secret that 67 per cent of American adults are overweight…These bigger bodies need bigger caskets for burial and that has implications for boomers with bad backs who may be pallbearers… This is a very readable book on a difficult subject. I was impressed with her humanism, psychological awareness and empathy.”
Sheryl Inglat, Comfort Keepers: “Rubin has taken a highly emotional subject and turned it into a topic that’s easy to chat about …Her perspective and casualness of the subject of death brings an acceptance most people can’t typically speak of openly. Most valuable to me, as a Gerontologist, were the notes on religious ceremonies – from Hindu to Mormon to Native American and everything in between. What a great resource!”
Boca Raton, FL, – “In Live Like a Fruit Fly, Gabe Berman shares his recipe for living a more joyful, worthwhile, and abundant life in every way. A witty, entertaining, and insightful read.” – Deepak Chopra, Author, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
“Meet the new generation of consciousness-raising. Gabe’s simple, yet profound message can be a life-changer.” – Alan Colmes, Nationally Syndicated Radio Host
What more can one say after hearing the casually existential cliches, carpe diem, “live every moment like it was your last” or ‘live like there’s no tomorrow?” Blogger and Miami Herald columnist, Gabe Berman wants us to “live like a fruit fly.”
Berman reminds us of that cheerful thought; we are all dying. We’ve been dying since the moment we were born–which in the world of fruit flies seems enviable since they only get to enjoy a life span of a few weeks. Berman wants us to stop wasting time, to make peace and happiness our top priority. Sure, we’ve all heard this hundreds of times, but ask yourself: are you really embracing every moment?
Unconventional and endearing, Live Like a Fruit Fly: The Secret You Already Know (HCI Books –$14.95) makes the sage advice “Seize the day” feel like a revolutionary concept . . . a contemporary twist on an age-old maxim.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE LIKE A FRUIT FLY? Fruit flies are born, begin attending to their fruit-fly agendas almost immediately, and then succumb to old age before witnessing a single change of season. Likewise, we live and die in the virtual blink of an eye.
Live Like a Fruit Fly is a call to action. Through anecdotes, insightful musings, candid stories, and hopeful messages, it emphasizes the importance of following your passions as well as being grateful through Active Appreciation, the gentle but concentrated art of meditating on ‘thank you’ for everything that has happened, is happening,
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gabe Berman is a native New Yorker who settled in South Florida after graduating from the University of Miami. An epiphany, a passion, and a trail of breadcrumbs led him out of Corporate America and into a writing career. His columns appear regularly in The Miami Herald and on Alan.com. Visit the author at: www.livelikeafruitfly.com
Available wherever books are sold or to order directly from the publisher, contact: (800) 441-5569 or www.hcibooks.com.
LIVE LIKE A FRUIT FLY The Secret You Already Know $14.95 ISBN: 978-0-7573-1569-5 August 2011
Las Vegas, NV, – Acclaimed author, syndicated columnist, and entrepreneur Farrah Gray offers readers Reallionaire: Nine Steps to Becoming Rich from the Inside Out (HCI) as a tool to help them get ahead – even in our current poor economy. Raised in the projects on the south side of Chicago, Gray defied the odds and became a self-made millionaire by the age of 14.
Gray began his entrepreneurial, personal and civic development as a stellar young citizen at six years old, selling homemade body lotion and his own hand-painted rocks as bookends door-to-door. At age seven, he was carrying business cards reading “21st Century CEO.” He went on to foster companies as diverse as a venture capital fund to food manufacturing.
His rise from poverty to international renown as an entrepreneurial icon and preeminent power speaker has inspired millions around the world and his story is now available to readers in Reallionaire; Get Real, Get Rich; and The Truth Shall Make You Rich. Gray’s books have been translated into Russian, German, Polish, French, Korean, Indonesian, and Vietnamese, with book sales in Africa, Australia and Europe, and in Central and South American countries. Gray’s books have also become required reading in university classrooms at Harvard and Princeton, among others.
Gray has extensive experience advising readers about personal and professional matters. He is a syndicated columnist with the National Newspaper Publishers Association of 200 weekly newspapers reaching more than 15 million readers. As an AOL Money Coach, Gray gives daily leadership, personal and professional development, diversity, strategic planning, creativity, and financial management advice to millions of AOL subscribers.
His sense of social responsibility motivated him to create the non-profit organization The Farrah Gray Foundation, which focuses on inner city community-based entrepreneurship education and provides financial assistance for students from at-risk backgrounds to attend historically black colleges and universities. He donates his speaking engagement honorariums, which can be upwards of $15,000, and the proceeds of his book to his foundation.
At the age of 21, in recognition of his ingenious, economic mind and distinguished commitment to values such as leadership, integrity, and scholarship, Gray received an Honorary Doctorate degree of Humane Letters from Allen University. He holds a Key to the City from Dallas, Shreveport, and Cincinnati. He has also received Proclamations from the governors of Illinois and Nevada, the mayors of Louisville, Kentucky, Chicago, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Wilmington, Delaware, and St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. Dr. Gray’s Awards include The National Urban League Whitney M. Young Jr. Entrepreneurship Award, The Alabama A & M Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) Award, The Davidson College Love of Learning Lifetime Educational Achievement Award, Central State University Award of Appreciation for contributions made in the area of entrepreneurship, NV Magazine Vision Award, and the American Red Cross Award of Appreciation.
Reallionaire is available online and in bookstores everywhere. Learn more about this inspiring figure at: www.Farrahgray.com
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TIP SHEET:
Bill Clinton, (Former) President of the United States of America: “I know Farrah Gray and we have discussed his future. His motivation determines what he will do. His attitude determines how well he will succeed at making a difference.”
O: The Oprah Magazine dubbed Farrah Gray an “all-star” with “priceless advice.”
Suze Orman, New York Times Bestselling Author: “You are just the best and the real thing.”
Good Morning America: “Farrah Gray is the ultimate American success story.”
ABC 20/20: “America’s Reallionaire.”
CNN: “Farrah Gray, the youngest African American of his generation to make his mark on Wall Street and to become a millionaire.”
MSN.com placed Farrah Gray on its 2010 Young Tycoons List along with Mark Zuckerberg.
New York, NY, – For anyone who loves Hollywood memorabilia, is an entertainment junkie, and loves to eat and cook – they will treasure Frank DeCaro’s The Dead Celebrity Cookbook: A Resurrection of Recipes from More Than 145 Stars of Stage and Screen (HCI Books). Frank compiled favorite recipes from some of Hollywood’s biggest names; including Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Taylor, Sonny Bono, Liberace, Michael Jackson, John Denver, Frank Sinatra, Rock Hudson, Humphrey Bogart, and Peter Falk, just to name a few.
“I love these dead celebrities! They’re the stars I grew up watching, and they deserve to be remembered even if they were more talented on screen than they were in the kitchen. Frank clearly worships them as much as I do, and after reading The Dead Celebrity Cookbook you will, too.” -Rosie O’Donnell
“Celebrities die–eventually–but their recipes live on, thanks to Frank DeCaro’s thorough and thoroughly delicious book. DeCaro’s dry wit is tasty, and judging from these yummy concoctions, most of these celebs died really happy!” –Michael Musto, Village Voice
Inspired by a “Dead Celebrity Party” during his college years, DeCaro thought the one thing missing from the event was the food of the dead. Since then, he’s been collecting recipes of the stars and lucky for us, he’s put them together in, THE DEAD CELEBRITY COOKBOOK: A Resurrection of Recipes from More Than 145 Stars of Stage and Screen (HCI Books – October 2011- $19.95).
DeCaro, who is best known for his nearly 7-year stint as the movie critic on The Daily Show with John Stewart, and now heard weekdays on his own call-in radio show, gives us a giggle while feeding us treats from Tinsel Town like: Liberace’s Sticky Buns, Mae West’s Fruit Compote, John Ritter’s Favorite Fudge and Bea Arthur’s Vegetarian Breakfast.
THE DEAD CELEBRITY COOKBOOK is here to remind you that before there were celebrity chefs, there were celebrities who fancied themselves as chefs. They were whipping up culinary delights, and sometimes sharing them with us on shows like Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas or even Johnny Carson. DeCaro gives us some entertaining and informative commentary before each section of recipes in chapters that include: “Talk Show Chow,” “An All-Night Oscar Buff,” and “I Lunch Lucy,” a whole section dedicated to the red-haired TV goddess.
Says DeCaro, “I miss those days when celebrities still had mystery about them, and a glimpse inside their radar ranges seemed, for any fan, like a window into the world of glamour and excitement, which is why I put together this book.” This book delivers recipes that the stars are dying for you to make.
Best known for his years as the flamboyant movie critic on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Frank DeCaro is heard each weekday morning on his live national call-in program The Frank DeCaro Show on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. A writer and performer, DeCaro pens the “Icons” column for CBS Watch magazine. The author of the pioneering memoir A Boy Named Phyllis, DeCaro previously wrote the “Style Over Substance” column for The New York Times. Visit the author at frankdecaro.com and on Facebook, and follow him at twitter.com/frankdecaroshow.
Available online or at bookstores or to order directly from the publisher, contact: (800) 441-5569 or www.hcibooks.com. THE DEAD CELEBRITY COOKBOOK: A Resurrection of Recipes from More Than 145 Stars of Stage and Screen Frank Decaro ISBN: 978-9-7573-1596-1– $19.95 — October 2011
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TIP SHEET:
Brini Maxwell, author of Brini Maxwell’s Guide to Gracious Living and creator of felixpopuli.com: “I adore this book so much I find myself on the horns of a dilemma–make the recipes or kill myself so I can be in the sequel.”
Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough,, bestselling authors of more than twenty cookbooks including Lobsters Scream When You Boil Them and 100 Other Myths About Food and Cooking: “Hankering for star-powered recipes? With this laugh-out-loud encyclopedia of Hollywood culinaria, Frank DeCaro brings out the real ‘celebrity chefs’ in spades. Or with a spade.”
Lisa Lampanelli, comedienne: “Frank DeCaro has the most delectable treats I’ve ever tasted — and the recipes aren’t bad, either! My dying wish is to have one of my recipes in The Dead Celebrity Cookbook II. Anyone for the Queen of Mean’s ‘So-Good-You’ll-Slap-Yo-Mama Chicken ’n Waffles’?”
Bob Smith, author of Remembrance of Things I Forgot: “Frank DeCaro’s two obsessions–food and the famous–have been hilariously united in The Dead Celebrity Cookbook. Reading Frank is like breaking your diet with your funniest best friend.”
SAMPLE RECIPE FROM THE DEAD CELEBRITY COOKBOOK Peter Falk 1927-2011 He was one of the great ones–appearing in films as disparate as The Princess Bride and Wings of Desire in the same year, 1987. But no matter what Peter Falk did (and he did a lot), he will always be remembered as the police detective in the rumpled raincoat on the mystery series Columbo. The character, one he played for more than thirty years beginning in 1971, is one of TV’s most indelible portraits. Among Falk’s most beloved films were the cult hit The In-Laws, the one-two Neil Simon punch of Murder by Death and The Cheap Detective, and six pictures with his buddy, the director/actor John Cassavetes, including the 1974 classic A Woman Under the Influence. The Emmy- and Oscar-nominated actor published his memoir Just One More Thing in 2006, and it wasn’t a moment too soon. Falk was diagnosed with dementia two years later. Just one more thing: His pork chops are as toothsome as he was.
Peter Falk’s Pork Chops 6 pork chops 1 medium onion, finely chopped ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup white vinegar Salt and pepper, to taste 1 teaspoon thyme 1 cup water ½ cup liquid from jarred vinegar peppers 1 cup (or more) vinegar peppers 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Preheat oven to 350°. Brown pork chops in olive oil in a heavy frying pan and remove to a casserole. Cook onions until translucent in same oil and add to casserole. Deglaze pan by adding white vinegar and stirring up all brown bits. Add to casserole along with all remaining ingredients except vinegar peppers. Bake for 1½ hours. Add vinegar peppers and cook 15 minutes more. Remove pork chops and peppers to a warm serving plate. Add 2 teaspoons corn starch to pan drippings to make gravy. Pour over pork chops and peppers and serve.
Cutting Room Floor (sidebar): You wouldn’t know it to look at him, but Idris Elba, the hulking British actor best known as Stringer Bell on HBO’s The Wire, has said that his edgy detective character on Luther owes a debt to Falk. Luther, a childhood fan of Columbo and creator Neil Cross, explains that both the classic American mystery show and the smoking hot BBC crime series are “howcatchems” not whodunits, and no one did that better than Lt. Frank Columbo.
Dallas, TX, – Terror on the Border (Unrivaled Books) by novelist Ernie Hunt is a riveting story so steeped in realism of the devastation wreaked by Mexican drug cartels that it is hard to believe it’s fiction!
Dave Cunningham, author of Travel Within: The 7 Steps to Wisdom and Inner Peace says it all with: “Terror on the Border is a gripping story. The last 120 pages will take you on a breathless ride.”
Hunt’s lead character is Jack Cassidy, a fearless ex-sniper who wants justice! And he wants it for the oppressed citizens of San Miguel, Mexico, a town ravaged by violence inflicted by a malicious cartel, headed up by an egotistical madman and his evil enforcer. Married to a woman who was herself a victim of human trafficking, Cassidy and his bride Juanita set out to do all they can to help this seemingly forgotten town.
Juanita is kidnapped along with her cousin, an American Border Patrol Officer, by the notorious Lobos gang and held for ransom in hopes of making their rich uncle pay for their release. After a daring escape from their torture chamber, they reunite with Jack and two private detectives from Dallas and set out to warn their uncle of the impending danger from the cartel.
Hunt’s compelling and inimitable style of story-telling will have readers gripped by fear but unable to put the book down as the action intensifies in bloody confrontations near the border, and the shocking twists and turns will hold readers’ attention all the way to the explosive ending!
Ernie Hunt’s novel draws attention to the $20 billion a year human slave trade that exists in Mexico and to one cartel in particular that is born of Mexican Army Special Forces deserters whose members include corrupt former federal, state and local police officers.
For more information on this prolific writer, please visit his website at wwww.eehunt.com.
Dallas, TX, – Diane Pomerance will be the first to tell you that she and her husband didn’t set out to save or rescue dogs but the dogs ‘found’ them. In her latest book, Our Rescue Dog Family Album (Polaire Entertainment Group, Inc.), the love she has for these neglected, injured or abandoned animals is conveyed through every heartwarming story of 45 rescued dogs that were given the chance to replace pain and despair with joy, hope and contentment.
The author of seven books about all aspects of living with and caring for animals and for sharing life with a special pet, Dr. Pomerance’s most recent book Our Rescue Dog Family Album is a memorable tribute and collection of heartwarming stories and beautiful color photographs of the lives of 45 dogs they had rescued and adopted over the past several decades.
In addition to this wonderful compilation of stories, Dr. Pomerance previously wrote six books in The Animal Companion Series that cover the gamut for every imaginable scenario for pet owners; from adopting the right animal companion and caring for aging animals, to helping cope with the loss of a beloved pet. She is also the narrator of her books on audio CD’s and a description of all of her books and CDs can be viewed. They can be purchased on her website at www.aimalcompanionsandtheirpeople.com, amazon.com, etc.
These books are a must read for animal lovers and anyone who owns or is contemplating getting one. They belong in any pet lover’s library and have great appeal to readers of all ages. In fact, these books make a wonderful Holiday gift for any animal lovers in your life. They illustrate how pets interact in every part of our daily lives and how they are not only our best friends, but they provide us with limitless emotional and spiritual benefits. In fact, the calming and soothing effect they have on people is just one reason they are used in nursing homes, in children’s hospitals, helping with autistic children – and even in prisons.
Where else but from our pets can we get such unconditional love and loyalty? They let us just be ourselves without pretense or affectation and don’t even care if we have brushed our teeth or if we’re clean or dirty – they love us just because we’re us!
Dr. Pomerance and her books have been featured on CNN Headline News, Fox News, Lifetime TV, Montel Williams and The Daily Buzz, as well as in countless radio interviews and numerous newspaper and magazine articles. Diane Pomerance has a Ph.D. in Communications and is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist who counsels those grieving from any loss, but particularly those mourning the loss of a beloved pet.
This benevolent husband and wife team admit there is often a great deal of pain, hard work and sadness involved with these animals, nonetheless, they feel it’s always a privilege to be a part of their journey by providing the necessary love and care to give these wonderful dogs a chance at a new life.
In Our Rescue Dog Family Album, the Pomerances’ pay homage to the many dogs who have shared their lives over the past decade; some who have stayed to become cherished members of their own ever-expanding family, as well as those who have moved on to find new families. They believe the gifts these dogs brought them are beyond measure and the life lessons they have taught are invaluable. The gratitude, innate wisdom and unconditional love from these animals brings profound joy to every life they touch.
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TIP SHEET:
Seattlepi books: “If ever a book was appropriately named, Our Rescue Dog Family Album is the book. Details of over forty dogs that were rescued … are shared, along with scores of pictures of these lucky canines. What Pomerance – and anyone who has ever rescued a dog — knows is that once you rescue an animal, you have a devoted friend, ‘til death do you part. (Her) …books for dog owners and prospective owners, covering topics that include the death of a pet, adopting the right companion, older animals, and the roles companion animals play in the lives of the humans with whom they live. People who read (it)…will be charmed by the histories of these dogs that no one wanted…from puppy mills (boo! hiss!), others were abused and abandoned, and still others share unknown backgrounds… (she) draws the reader in with her obvious respect for her furry family. Filled with irresistible photos and enchanting stories of improved lives… (It) makes a lovely gift for any dog lover or wannabe-dog-owner, and should be found in the waiting rooms of veterinarians across the world. Maybe it will inspire others to adopt a shelter dog…or two…or three…”
DogTipper.com: “Our family has included a number of rescue dogs over the years…all but one came to us from shelters or by being dumped near our country home. We …were immediately impressed by Dr. Pomerance’s Our Rescue Dog Family Album…being a nationally-recognized pet expert who works with several organizations including the SPCA of Texas, K-9 Friends Visiting Therapy Dogs of GTDOG, and Alaskan Malamute Assistance League. (It)… documents some of the many dogs who have been adopted into her loving home…is an entertaining book, enhanced with color photos of her pets and details of…day-by-day efforts to save as many distressed dogs as possible. Their gradual introduction and integration into the lives of abandoned and mistreated pets is an inspiring journey. The Pomerances’ inspiring story is a quick read but will long linger in the hearts of all dog lovers.”
Bonita Springs, FL, – Deirdre Marie Capone lived in the house of the infamous Al Capone, her uncle. He taught her to swim, ride a bike, and play the mandolin. In her tell-all memoir, Uncle Al Capone…The Untold Story From Inside His Family (Recap Publishing LLC), Deirdre, the last member of the family born with the name Capone, shares what it was really like growing up a Capone – definitely not the way most people would have imagined it to be. It is the only book ever written about America’s most notorious mobster by someone who knew him well.
Already a best-seller on Amazon, Deirdre’s fascinating memoir tells what really happened in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, what the ‘outfit’ was really all about, and what the ‘family’ were really like, especially the one person she confided in more than anyone – her Aunt Maffie (short for Mafalda – the Italian princess she was named after); a strong woman with whom she shared a close bond as one of the only two girls in the Capone family.
Uncle Al Capone is packed with absorbing stories about Al and his family, along with never-before-published photos and authentic Capone family recipes for the food that Al and his family enjoyed. Simply stated, there is no one else left who could ever share this piece of history with the world.
Deirdre relates what life was like growing up the grand niece of Public Enemy #1, Al Capone. Her own life had been saddened by the fact that her father, who had tried to live a more legitimate lifestyle than the rest of the family, couldn’t shake the shame of the Capone name and ended up taking his own life when Deirdre was just ten years-old. For most of her life she too had made every effort to hide the fact that she was a Capone and in 1972, in her early thirties, she left Chicago and her family history behind to reinvent herself in Minnesota, making sure that no one other than her husband knew her ancestry. She succeeded.
That is, until her past caught up with her on the day her nine year-old son came home from school and announced they were studying Al Capone in a class project. She and her husband agreed it was time to tell the kids but she was afraid for them – she had not wanted them growing up shunned by others or not having other kids to play with once they knew her name. She need not have worried – her kids thought it was totally ‘cool.’ So, at age 34, she finally accepted herself as Deirdre Marie Capone and today her 14 grandchildren are proud to tell the story of their ancestry.
Uncle Al Capone grabs the reader’s attention right from the start with its true life dialogue of the Capone family – from their ancestral roots in Angri, Italy to Brooklyn, New York, and later to Chicago. Deirdre offers a true portrait of an American family and gives a decidedly different look at her favorite uncle, endlessly depicted as the iconic mastermind behind some of the century’s most brutal killings.
For all the dissension, for all the pain, there comes a moment in our lives where we have to stand up and say: This – the good and the bad – is who I am, says Deirdre Marie Capone. For more information on this intriguing book, please visit: www.unclealcapone.com.
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TIP SHEET:
Jonathon Eig, author of Get Capone: The Secret Plot That Captured America’s Most Wanted Gangster: “A lot of people think Al Capone was a psychopath. A lot of people think Robert De Niro captured the true nature of America’s most notorious gangster. A lot of people seem hell bent on clinging to a bunch of mythology that plain and simple makes no sense. A lot of people are fools. Deirdre Marie Capone is not one of them. With this lovely, personal, heartfelt story, she takes a stand. She’s not nominating Capone for sainthood. She’s not asking you to pardon him his crimes. She’s simply and honestly telling the story she knows best–the story of her family. Do yourself a favor: read it. You’ll be glad you did. And when you’re done, you can judge Al Capone for yourself.”
Katerie Prior, ForeWord Reviews: “…Throughout the book, Capone tries to reconcile what she knows about her family with recorded history. Early in the book she writes, “I will not pretend to be able to paint a rosy picture of my uncle Al. I cannot make him out to be a perfect man, or even a good man. But what I want people to know is that he was a complex man. He was human and he had a heart.” Capone succeeds, balancing both the public history of Al, from the Valentine’s Day Massacre to his incarceration at Alcatraz, with personal photos, family recipes, and her own memories…It’s not always an easy task as the author recounts losing friends, jobs, and other opportunities, once people learned she was a descendant of the notorious Al Capone… (it is) a memoir that is as complex and human as the man that it’s about. It brings a fresh perspective to the other Al Capone biographies, and finally gives the larger-than-life gangster the one thing that may have eluded him in life: to be seen as simply a human being.”
