Secrets of a Sparrow [Hardcover]

Diana Ross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 9, 1995

This long awaited memoir reveals the heart and soul of the most private of the megatalents -- upon the occasion of her thirtieth year as a show business great.

If any one performer defines the word "Superstar," it's Diana Ross -- a pop music legend and cultural icon who has been at the top of her profession for three fabulous decades. Secrets of a Sparrow, her inspirational and intimate memoir which takes its title from a favorite spiritual her mother sang to her, focuses on just that: the pain and pleasure of getting to number one and staying there, along with the lessons learned and the lessons taught. Here are Diana Ross' onstage electricity and allure transposed to the spoken word. Whether recounting triumphs or setbacks, togetherness or solitude, Diana is never less than open. These are the thoughtful and lyrically composed reminiscences of one of the most accomplished women of our time, a woman who is a role model in so many ways. Always true to herself, Ross is the ultimate entertainer who aims to please but never compromise -- and she's not about to start now.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Why are people saying such terrible things about Diana Ross? People like fellow ex-Supreme Mary Wilson, who, in her own book, cut Diana into small chunks and roasted her on a skewer. Or all those gossip columnists and former employees who say Queen Elizabeth would have trouble appearing regal next to Miss Ross (as she prefers to be called). Well, Miss Ross has written her memoirs to tell you she's a kind, gracious, loving woman, concerned for all. She loves her family, her husband, her former husband, her associates, and her former associates (even the ones, like Wilson, who've done her dirty). All these revelations are presented, by the way, in very short, heavily illustrated chapters written in an almost laughably affected tone. Sentences such as these appear two or three to the page: "Through the burden of my celebrity, I have learned certain ways to carry myself and my loads. I always try to see the bigger scheme of things and in so doing find a form of grace with which to live my life." Ross seems to want the Miss changed to Saint. To that end, she also describes her spiritual journey through the years, offering hackneyed bits of advice for those less fortunate than her: "Change is an essential part of life." Unfortunately, even with all the aphorisms and all the poetry (yes, we're also treated to Ross' versifying), there's nothing very revealing here, either in terms of personalities or events. Books like this are the reason for unauthorized biographies. Ilene Cooper --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

This long awaited memoir reveals the heart and soul of the most private of the megatalents -- upon the occasion of her thirtieth year as a show business great.

If any one performer defines the word "Superstar," it's Diana Ross -- a pop music legend and cultural icon who has been at the top of her profession for three fabulous decades. Secrets of a Sparrow, her inspirational and intimate memoir which takes its title from a favorite spiritual her mother sang to her, focuses on just that: the pain and pleasure of getting to number one and staying there, along with the lessons learned and the lessons taught. Here are Diana Ross' onstage electricity and allure transposed to the spoken word. Whether recounting triumphs or setbacks, togetherness or solitude, Diana is never less than open. These are the thoughtful and lyrically composed reminiscences of one of the most accomplished women of our time, a woman who is a role model in so many ways. Always true to herself, Ross is the ultimate entertainer who aims to please but never compromise -- and she's not about to start now. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Random House Value Publishing (May 9, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517144239
• ISBN-13: 978-0517144237
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,564,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Shallow, September 22, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Secrets of a Sparrow (Hardcover)

Ms. Ross should have put her ego asided and hired a good ghostwriter like David Ritz to tell her story. One of the most shallow autobiographies I've ever read

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars AND IF YOU BELIEVE THIS, THERE'S A BRIDGE I CAN SELL YOU...., June 18, 1999

By 

Lorrie Irby - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of a Sparrow (Hardcover)

Diana Ross, stung by all of the juicy insider gossip and unauthorized biographies, wanted to sit down and tell her own side of the tale. The only problem with that is, she took the word too literally. While she does give little-known family anecdotes and photographs, she manages to smooth over every negative aspect of anything without seeming to own up to her part in it, or even acknowledging that some fault (or bad judgment, youthful naivete, whatever) of hers even exists. She treats the late Florence Ballard's alcoholism like it was a character flaw, like she and Berry played no part in her eventual destruction. And when she brings up leaving Motown or the Supremes, she waxes rhapsody like it was just a learning experience and not an attempt at (music) world domination. The result is that she paints herself to be a saint and makes her mistakes look even worse, almost as if she thinks that people who followed her career, fans or not, are stupid enough to believe in her "innocence". By attempting to hide the ugly parts, Ms. Ross only magnifies her self-deluding tendencies and she takes absolutely no responsibility for her wrongdoings, something that she should be confident enough to do at this stage in life. But since she isn't, this book is nothing but a fairy tale. If you want the REAL deal, check out "Call Her Miss Ross" and read the quotation from her at the beginning. It sums up her attitude completely. Nice try, Diana.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars WHAT SECRETS?, October 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Secrets of a Sparrow (Hardcover)

Miss Ross has done it again! Total control of a manuscript that should have wound up in the trash. No insight into the friction between her and Florence Ballard, no historical anecdotes of the recording sessions, all this book is about is Miss Ross and her family. That's fine but most people want to read about her history with the Supremes and Motown and RCA records..It has a nice cover and will make your coffee table attractive until she writes something a little more informative keep your coffee mug on top of the book you won't need to buy a coaster.