Okay, moral of the story in Manson? Charles Manson was always going to be a f-ed up psychopath, and sympathy for him is really wasted. Guinn does a fabulous job of taking you through all the stages of Charlie's life, and it reads more like a novel than a biography at times. He weaves in entertainment history along with drug use history and other fascinating tangents into Charlie's story seamlessly, immersing you in the time period. It is a little tough to read emotionally, and I had to put it down once or twice. The actual murders aren't described too graphically so don't worry about being freaked out by them. In fact, the scariest thing about this book is the actual psychology of Charles Manson and the total manipulation and brainwashing he implemented on his "Family". Definitely a great read if you are interested in head cases and serial killers. Just be warned that you will need a nice really light novel to read afterward to clear your head.