Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story [Paperback]

If you want to learn about Michael Jackson's personal life, this is not for you. This book is about his career and professional life.

This book can be divided into two sections - pre-1990: "The Dysfunctional Jackson Family", and post-1990: worthless rubbish.

The first half is interesting for what happened behind the scenes in Jackson's career. Taraborrelli was a young entertainment reporter who had access to Jackson in the 70's and 80's. He managed to interview Jackson's family members, managers, lawyers and record company people. However, as the Washington Post review says, these are "exclusive interviews that provide no real insight." Taraborrelli calls himself a "Jackson family friend of 30 years" when in fact he merely knew the Jacksons 30 years AGO.

Much of this book reads like a connect the dots picture. Where the dots are too far away, he fills in the space with his own imagination. Many times, the author writes like he was in the room when he clearly wasn't. Sometimes he attributes thoughts and feelings to people that are clearly a product of his own thinking, not theirs.

Towards the late 80's-early 90's, Taraborrelli's contact with the Jackson camp lessened as Jackson no longer gave interviews. With no more insider info, he draws most of his material from the media. Most of the people he interviewed are also those who have been kicked out from Jackson's circle, so you have to wonder if what they say is true.

Post-1990, almost all the insider info he has comes from Lisa Marie Presley and her girlfriend/s. Is this third-hand information accurate?

To make up for the lack of info, Taraborrelli fills the book with his own opinions instead. The 90's consists of recaps of who said what on the Oprah, Sawyer and Bashir interviews. Then he adds his opinion of what should've been said instead.

This is present throughout the entire book. Never content to let the facts speak for themselves or let the reader draw their own conclusions, he always has to tack on his own judgemental interpretations.

It was clear he had grown disenchanted with Jackson after the 1993 accusation which was never resolved to his satisfaction, despite an abundance of evidence available. GQ's article, "Was Michael Jackson Framed?" was an infinitely better investigation than Taraborrelli's, which was cursory at best because he had already made up his mind that Jackson was guilty.

Far from being the objective reporter of events, the "biography" then degenerated into rants, judgements, negative reviews and vile comments about Jackson the man. Sure, he's entitled to his opinion, but that's not what I paid to read! From then on, everything he wrote about Jackson was negative and one-sided. (Not that he was entirely objective before.) Unbiased reporting? What's that?

It gets worse in the 2000's. Jackson's tussle with Sony was relegated to a mere three pages, compared to his problems with Motown which took up several chapters before. There is a big story behind Sony, which is not widely reported. As Taraborrelli was relying exclusively on the mainstream media, nothing was written that we haven't already heard. Fan sites have better information than the drivel in this book! No mention of other major events either, and there were many. It would seem that the author had lost interest in Jackson long ago and quickly slapped on this empty section just to issue a new edition. (Something he continues to do.)

He then sat in on the 2005 trial and that was the last he saw of Jackson. He had no qualms about expressing his disenchantment with Jackson. He was even unashamed enough to admit being chastised by his editor to remain impartial. But he blithely ignores that and gives himself carte blanche to snipe at Jackson. With "family friends" like these... He has clearly forgotten that this is a biography, not a review. His judgemental and vitriolic post-trial rant was not so much a reflection of how pathetic a person he thought Jackson was (in his mind), but a reflection of how pathetic he himself is. It is laughable to see someone who claims to know Jackson so well, demonstrate just how little he knows about Jackson the man. To judge Jackson with Taraborrelli's capacity is akin to using a thimble to measure an ocean. He even went as far as to apply his dime-store psychology on Jackson, which is terribly laughable to anyone with even a modicum of knowledge in psychology.

It was not until after Jackson's death that he realised what a sanctimonious fool he had been. Hello!

So... after reading this book, was I any closer to understanding Michael Jackson the man? Nope. The only people who can possibly understand him are those who have walked two moons in his moccasins, and how many can claim to have lived a life as difficult as his? Taraborrelli did not even begin to scratch the surface of who Michael Jackson is. Fair enough that he only covered Jackson's career and public life. So, exactly what gives him the basis to judge Jackson's character?

If you really want to know Michael Jackson the person, read Dancing the Dream: Poems and Reflections, or La Toya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family (Signet) which gives good insight into his growing-up years and personal life.

This book does contain some facts but the rest is nothing but conjecture, hateful opinions and sanctimonious judgements which renders the book completely unreadable. I was so sick and disgusted, I felt like tearing up and burning this piece of trash. A colossal waste of money.

If there's one thing I learned from this book, it is how everyone around Jackson only wanted to profit off him. Add to that list the disgusting J. Randy Taraborrelli, who continues to use Michael Jackson's name to hawk his vitriol, a.k.a. "biography". Ugh!

If you must read this crud, buy a used pre-1991 edition, or borrow it from the library or read it online. Don't give Taraborrelli another penny!