Clay Aiken: From Second Place to the Top of the Charts

Rating:
Summary: Hmmmmm a pop star with depth.
Review: Clay's platinum and then some success has warmed my heart. He seems so deserving. I thought this book was thoughtfully written and lovingly edited. I'm admittedly not a really big Clay Aiken fan by die-hard standards. I have diverse musical tastes but I perused this book and recognize that Clay's ability to reach out and connect with people is not by accident. His ability to reach audiences and create a bond with him through the AI series was not a fluke.

According to this book - Clay has the patience and depth it requires every day to want to work with kids who don't respond as quickly as some of the geniuses most teachers enjoy teaching. His success reaching autistic children is the heart of his success with audiences everywhere. His appreciation of the smallest reward and genuine graititude is at the core of his fame. He would have to know how to relate with people on a very real and genuine level if he can relate as well as he did with autistic children. It's always such a great thrill to see someone so nice who by some accounts finished second, finish first.

I think Diana DeGarmo might have a similar outcome. It'll be fun to see how each future "Idol" shakes out.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful trip down memory lane!
Review: I don't remember when I've enjoyed a book so much! As an 'extreme' Clay Aiken fan, it was so much fun reliving the entire season of American Idol 2 with him once again, and also the tour after and beyond. And the authershows him the total respect he deserves. She also does a wonderful job crediting the sources of articles quoted. I had read somewhere that it was mostly quotes from sources us Claymates have already seen, while this may be true to an extent, lots of those quotes I haven't seen in over a year and a half. To have it all compiled in this wonderful journey that had me tranfixed for over 4 hours tonight was incredible! And there really were lots of insights into behind the scenes things I hadn't read. I would really recommend this to everyone, and will do so on the message boards I belong to.
And the 16 pages of pictures are quite a bonus!
I was extremely happy to read that some of the proceeds will go to the Bubel/Aiken Foundation. Thank you for that.


Rating:
Summary: Well done, Kathleen
Review: Of all the biographies I've read lately about Clay, this is by far the best of the bunch (with the obvious exception of "Learning to Sing"). It's informative, well written and researched. I enjoyed it very much.

Good job, Kathleen.

Rating:
Summary: This is the Fan Book You Have Been Waiting To Read
Review: This book is filled with interesting information about Clay Aiken packed into 160 pages of fun reading. In addition there is a 16 page color insert with page after page of wonderful photographs of Clay. The book is a real fan book that will not disappoint anyone who wants everything about Clay in one book. I'll bet that even the most devoted Clay fan will learn new things about Clay.