I was never much of a fan of Artie Shaw - preferring instead Glenn Miller, Harry James, and Tommy Dorsey. It appears that Shaw hated Glenn Miller and didn't have much to say either way about James and Dorsey. However, I also heard a talk from Evelyn Keyes about how difficult he was to live with. This book certainly details this. It portrays a perfectionist who was never satisfied with himself or with those around him. However, since he could not accept these flaws in either himself or others, he seemed like a really cranky person. The book itself is well written - numerous interviews with Shaw himself as well as others with those who lived or worked with him. Because Shaw was so full of himself, it is hard to believe anything he has to say, especially about himself and his place in music. The other interviews attempted to provide a balance but there should have been more of them. It would also have been interesting to know what folks like Michael Feinstein or Wynton Marsalis think of where Shaw fits in music history. However, due to reading this book, I have purchased a cd of some of Shaw's recordings as, after reading about them, I want to hear the music. Additionally, I would have liked to have examined more as to why Shaw thought being a writer was more worthwhile than being a musician - for myself, I would think either would be noteworthy. I do think the book could have used more photos and could have provided a discography. ( )