Customer Reviews

Yanni in Words

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Yanni. For as well known as his music is, until now no one has known much about the man. Hes given many interviews over the years but has revealed precious little about the events that have shaped his life and set him on a course to unparalleled success in the instrumental music industry. Lets face it, Yannis success in instrumental music is nothing short of a miracle. There are many other instrumental artists who are just as talented but none have achieved his level of success. Why? Is the music of Constance Demby or David Arkenstone any less moving? Different, yes. But no less moving. Many instrumental artists have the capacity to profoundly affect people in ways that lyrical music cannot. And yet, Yanni is the only one who has reached countless millions around the globe and has even beaten Garth Brooks in concert gross revenue. Whether you love Yanni or find him easy to hate, still you must ask yourself how someone who does primarily instrumental music can reach so many.

Yanni In Words is a very moving and extremely candid autobiography. His honesty about who he is and where he has come from is commendable considering how he has been pigeon-holed as such a gentle soul based on the sound of his music. Has anyone whos seen Yanni perform or heard his uplifting compositions ever pictured him as someone who spent several years in a rock band doing not only original tunes but also ZZ Top cover tunes? Could anyone ever conceive of his having used drugs or of him having been rather promiscuous? Can anyone picture him "bombed", or as a long-time smoker? Ive met several people whove put Yanni on a pedestal to the point of making him a god, less than human. Well, if you read this autobiography, there will be no question in your mind. Hes just another Joe Schmo like the rest of us! His unending drive and determination just happened to thrust him into the spotlight.

Yanni in Words is a fascinating narrative of one mans determination to get his hard-to-classify music heard. He begins with the events of his days in his birthplace, Kalamata, Greece, where he broke the Greek National Freestyle swimming record at the age of 14, without the benefit of professional training. He continues to his immigration to America at the age of 18 to his tinkering with original melodies on a dilapidated piano in a University of Minnesota college dorm where he studied psychology. He elaborates on his struggles with his first record label, Private Music (now owned by BMG), and moves into his coaching from, romantic involvement and eventual break-up with Linda Evans. He goes into detail on the monumental undertakings which were the Live at the Acropolis and Tribute projects. Both of these stories will inspire the most jaded to continue in perseverance of their own dreams no matter the capacity!

This autobiography is a poignant and completely moving account of how success can be achieved against all odds. As I read it, I laughed aloud as Yanni recounts events such as a dinner he attended one night in China in conjunction with his performance at the Forbidden City. There he drank their grappa  that tastes like socks fermented in gasoline. He talks about suspicious dishes revolving past him on a lazy susan which he was urged to try because they were Chinese delicacies  parts of animal bodies that I chose not to examine too closely. About the grappa he says,  Drink one shot of that and you can eat anything. I remember getting pretty bombed that night and thinking perhaps I should have drunk some before the meal.

I felt the intensity of his depressed and burned out state as he spoke of staring at his hands upon waking up the day after the Tribute tour ended. I realized without a shred of emotion that I didnt care if I ever touched a piano again. And he didnt  for an entire year! For a man who lives, eats, breathes and sleeps music, thats pretty amazing - but as he states, he knew he had limits but had never found them. When he did, he crashed and burned!

Some Yanni nay-sayers may call what he has done in writing this autobiography calculated. In other words, hes told his story which has been a relative enigma all these years to capitalize on his success. If thats how some feel, tell me how its a bad idea to keep the public interested. Quite the contrary! If you want to stay in the public consciousness, you reinvent yourself and plaster your face along with your music everywhere you can! The average person has a very short attention span and they need to see as well as hear something more than once to remember it, particularly in the world we live in where were constantly bombarded by advertising. While Yanni will certainly receive monetary gain from book sales, I think he had a story to tell; a story he needed to tell. In a recent interview, he said, A lot of the fans feel they know me through the music, and they do. They can feel the emotions that I deal with in the music, and they connect with it. I did it (wrote the book) to show that if a little boy from Kalamata, Greece, can do what I've done, then anyone can do it.

Yannis honesty in past indiscretions reveals a human being that has learned the lessons of life. His powerful views on creativity and his belief that anyone can not only exercise it, but become successful in it, are proven by his forceful will, unyielding drive and the immense level of success that resulted.

Even if you are not a Yanni fan, I recommend this book. The reason is simple. If you are interested in studying what leads to the achievement of a dream, then here in plain English, is the story of an average flesh and blood man, flaws and all, talking about how he achieved the impossible. It wasnt easy. In fact, some of what he ran up against would seem insurmountable to most people. Is Yanni unique in achieving success against all odds? Certainly not. But his story is inspiring and he is yet another person to study if you have a dream that seems impossible. We all have them and we all need inspiration.

I wonder why MARY from Long Island have it 2 stars...

I've read many biographies, but this one is by far the best. This isn't one of those "I wish this was shorter" or "*Yawn*" type books. In this book, Yanni is very articulate about his emotions, but even more, it's exciting. It covers everything from his childhood in a picturesque seaside village to his historic concerts at the Taj Mahal to his insights on creativity. Words aren't quite my medium either, i'm an introvert, but I feel that people need to know about this book. Even if you're not a Yanni fan, this book teaches many valuable lessons, which has begun to make my life better believe it or not. And more than often, I've laughed my head off at some wonderfully hilarious moments.

This truly is the man behind the music, or even more the spirit behind mankind.

Yanni is a genius and you should listen to his "Yanni- Live at Acroplis", "In my time" and "If I could tell you" to believe this.

The chapter on creativity is so powerful and revealing. He shows you how he creates music by 'going into the black and surrendering to the unknown' and how you can do the same too. He says you can use the same process to create the life you want. The chapter itself reads like a poem. The author has done a great job understanding Yanni's life and philosophy and putting that into words.

This is a book that Yanni fans should enjoy, assuming they are capable of remembering that Yanni is a human being. (Which means that...pause for a shudder...he actually did some not nice things in younger times.) Sheesh, people, get real. Is it really a shock?

What are really amazing, though, are the stories of the travails that Yanni experienced while getting his music out to the many millions who now listen to it. It wasn't easy. The story behind the Acropolis concert, and then the tales from the Taj Mahal and Forbidden City concerts is worth the price of admission. Both the good and the bad!

But you also have the story of Yanni discovering true, deep, and sadly rare love, and losing it. You have the driven nature, the obsession with making the music perfect, and giving the gift of his wonderful music to the masses, and the ensuing breakdown. You easily understand and appreciate the ties that bind, the family love and support, and the friendships that Yanni has formed over the years.

This is an inspirational book. It does not come close to a masterpiece--you should listen to the music for masterpieces. But it is a good book for those fans that want to know more, or even those who don't much like the music but enjoy stories of hardship, perseverance and success.

I've been a fan of Yanni for a while now. I absolutely love his music. So when I heard about this book I had to get it. It's obvious Yanni gives his music 110% and after reading this book I realize Yanni gives everything 110%. The book is very interesting, starting with Yanni has a young boy and progressing through his rock band years, his relationship with Linda Evans, and his struggles putting on the Acropolis and Taj Mahal shows. The book was never boring. If you wonder how he got to where he is today this book is for you. If you think Yanni is "gay" (literal or figurative) and just for women, you'll be pleasantly suprised. If you think he got to be so successful because he was a born natural, you'll be suprised again. So how did he do it? You'll have to read the book to find out but basically it was tons of hard work and lots of passion. And that's what I enjoyed the most about this book, it's very inspirational. After reading it I really felt motivated to work harder at my goals and not to give up. That's why I think this book would appeal to non-fans as well. Everyone can make their dream come true.

A few reviewers refer to Yanni as arrogant and an ego maniac, so while I read the book, I was looking for those qualities in him. They're just not there. He actually has a lot of humility and at the same time a gratitude for and belief in his own power to create.
He's very likeable and I found myself smiling at how he put things. He's actually very funny. I'm glad to have read it.

I was fortunate to receive a copy of Yanni's book, "Yanni in Words". I have always enjoyed his music and now I was able to read his story.

His story, a truly motivational one:

He was born and raised in Greece. His upbringing was a simple one, to quote Yanni, "though our family life was simple, I wasn't aware that we were poor. Maybe we didn't have many possessions, but we never went hungry, were cold, or lacked love."

At age 14 he set a national record for breaking the fifty-meter freestyle swim. However, you should be aware that he never had a coach nor did he have any formal personal training. He beat swimmers that had coaches and trained every day for many years. How did he do it? In his book he states, "I believed that anything was possible, or at least because I didn't put together everyone else's 'facts' and believe that winning was impossible."

His parents wanted their children to receive an education in the United States. They sold their house and moved into a rental apartment in order to come up with the money to send their children to get a better education. So at 18 years old, Yanni found himself on a plane to the United States. He arrived speaking very little English. He got a part time job as a dishwasher. In university he struggled as he states in his book, "Every fifth word was unfamiliar. I'd never been so frustrated, but as they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I studied with the book, a notebook, and a Greek/English dictionary". He persevered and graduated with a psychology diploma in 1976.

But he then his passion for music took over. While he had his ups and downs, worked with different bands, he had a desire to create his own music. But it was a music that was unlike others. Throughout the book you will read about the challenges he faced. But you will also see his determination. He put it all on the line. One of my favorite quotes from the book is, "We are all capable if we have faith and passion." While he did have faith and passion he had many challenges to overcome. It was not an easy ride to success, but his through his faith and a passion he did make it.

A happy ending, not exactly! When he reached success, he had a setback. One, which he overcame, but one which made him look at life and all he had accomplished and made him realize he had to take care of himself.

The story of Yanni and his success is one, which is motivational and inspiring. Thank you Yanni for putting your experiences "in words" so many of us can learn and be motivated by your experiences!

This is "can't put down" reading! How enormous a task it must be to bare your soul like Yanni has done! He has exposed himself for the human being that he is, warts and all. I find that very refreshing. Anyone who has a spark of creativity, whether it be music, art, writing, etc. will find inspiration in Yanni's words. This book is so loaded with powerful thoughts on how to pursue a dream that it not only serves as an autobiography of Yanni, but a thought provoking textbook for "you can do." I feel I could really use a hi-lighter and red pen to mark areas to read again and again. Yanni went to college to become a psychologist but instead entered the world of music. While reading his words, one realizes he has immense talent in both areas. If you love Yanni's music, but want him to remain a Greek god on a pedestal, this book may disappoint you. If you want to know how he attained his goals in life and be inspired by this talented, but also very human man, this is a must read!

With my busy everyday life I never find a minute to read the many books I have purchased. For the first time I dropped everything and read "YANNI IN WORDS" in just a short time!
I really wanted to know about the man behind the fabulous music we are all lucky to have now in our lifetime.
I was very interested to read about his childhood in Greece, his teen years and his success in music. I feel, his biggest daring challenge as a teenager was to leave his parents and hometown that he loved so much, to come to a great new country, America!
He went through hard, lonely, sad and happy times, all which were expiriences that helped make him the man he is today. This book is very inspiring for all ages who have a goal and want to succeed.He brings out how difficult it is and how it IS possible! A challenge and a dream for anyone! Now he is also great writer with a wonderful personality!

As a newcoming listener to Yanni's compositions, I wanted to know more about the talented mind and philosophical greek that is Yanni Chryssomalis. Reading this book not only helped me to see him more as a person rather than just an artist with smouldering good looks, but it also motivated me. I found it to be very open, and humble in a sense. It's not your formal typical autobiography; it's graphic, and moving. I can only say that I think it's very bold of an artist of Yanni's caliber to be so honest and open with readers. Yanni is indeed an over-achiever, but he has come so far because he has "worked hard" for it. One thing that we should always hold present is that the media's portrayal of "Yanni" is one thing, whereas Yanni Chryssomallis is a whole different story. Once we realize that Yanni is not infallible and that he is human just like the rest of us, we will be able to digest this book without the unnecessary criticism and judgement.