This was a book club choice that taught me a lot about James Brown and helped me appreciate his genius in the face of numerous challenges. The author does a good job focusing on James Brown the musician and touching on the complexities that surrounding him. The book leaves you with a sense of the level of courage and grit that James Brown used to elevate his music to the national stage and beyond. It also shows you how lonely it was for James Brown as he found success and the paranoia that made it hard for him to enjoy the fruits of his succes. It also highlighted how little of the money that is a part of the music business makes it way to the musicians as well as how little we as a people care about musicians after they leave the top levels. Several standout passages:

1. "You see those towers, Mr. Bobbit? The government's listening to me. They can hear everything I say. They're listening through my teeth."
2. (after the death of his son) Keep it tight, Terry. Keep it proper. You gotta work. Smile. Show your best face.
3. (advice to Al Sharpton) Never let them see you sweat. Come important. Leave important.
4. "Lemme tell you something, Rev. When you kill 'em, Rev, you leave. You kill 'em and leave. You understand that, son? Kill 'em and leave."

The saddest part of this book is learning how James Brown's legacy is being squandered in South Carolina.