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The first and only definitive biography of legendary Motown group, the Temptations

The Temptations are an incomparable soul group, with dozens of chart-topping hits such as My Girl and Papa Was a Rollin Stone. From the sharp suits, stylish choreography, and distinctive vocals that epitomized their onstage triumphs to the personal failings and psycho-dramas that played out behind the scenes, Ain't Too Proud to Beg tells the complete story of this most popular—and tragic—of all Motown super groups.

Based on in-depth research and interviews with founding Temptations member Otis Williams and many others, the book reveals the highly individual, even mutually antagonistic, nature of the group's members. Venturing beyond the money and the fame, it shares the compelling tale of these sometime allies, sometime rivals and reveals the unique dynamic of push and pull and give and take that resulted in musical genius.

• The first book to tell the whole story of Motown's greatest group, with all-new interviews and previously undiscovered sources and photographs
• Gives the last word on enduring Motown mysteries, including the deaths of Paul Williams and David Ruffin and the truth behind Ruffin's tumultuous romance with Tammi Terrell
• Reveals the secret "can't miss" formula behind the Temptations' thirty-seven chart hits
• Draws on more than one hundred interviews with the group's associates, industry figures, family members, and most importantly, founding Temptation Otis Williams

Ain't Too Proud to Beg takes a cohesive and penetrating look at the life and enduring legacy of one of the greatest groups in popular music. It is essential reading for fans of the Temptations, music lovers, and anyone interested in the history of American popular culture over the last fifty years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

The Book was Awesome!!!
I really enjoyed reading the book, Ain't To Proud to Beg; The Troubled Lives and Enduring Soul of the Temptations.It was a great read.I am not saying that everything in it was true, but I surely got some new insight into the lives of the Temptations(my favorite group of all time).The book was not the least bit predjudice to one person's side of the story.It gave information from all sides, and that is what I liked about it the most. It did not make me change my mind about any of the guys, but I do think that I understand them a little better.It is up to the individual to decide if the are going to believe the story or not.I couldn't put the book down once I started reading it.I think that if you are interested in the Temptation story(notice I said story and not history), you will enjoy reading this book.

Good read
I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read with more details and perspectives than Otis Williams' book! My only grief is it left me wanting to know more details of such a dynamic group, riddled with greed, power, and misfortunes. I hope this opens the door for more research into each individual member, leading toadditional books!

David Ruffin bio with a side of Tempations
There are some anecdotal stories in this book that heretofore were unknown by the general public like Ruffin's father being a "pervert" or Melvin Franklin's tendency to prevaricate.This book is not unlike the Otis Williams' book on the Temptations. I got tired of reading Williams' name as a reference though I will admit that being the sole survivor of the famed quintet made that necessary.We really learn very little from Ribowsky about most of the other original Tempts with the notable exception of David Ruffin. I was disappointed in the lack of real, detailed insight into Eddie Kendricks or Melvin Franklin. The information about Ruffin's relationship with Tammi Terrell was information that was suprising and shocking. Ruffin's entry into the Temptations, his rivalry with is brother, his ego, drug addled absences from shows, etc., took of the vast majority of the book, in my estimation.The most truly tragic Temptation was Paul Williams who died too early, a frustrated performer, eclisped by Ruffin, stifled by illness and alcoholism. This book offered no more clarity on Paul's suicide than has been offered for the past 30 plus years. Suspicious relatives, angry criminally involved brothers and lingering doubts do not a conspiriacy theory make. Suicide it is.

This book gives us more insight into how the music was made and the group's reactions to it than insight into the characters of the original group. I suppose that is what other fans of the group wanted. I didn't. I wanted to know about the men who sang the music; much more than what was offered.

This authors' unecessary snipes at Diana Ross and Berry Gordy were tasteless. His vulgar reference to a full length white mink coat upon which they allegedly were intimate was so out of place. In fact little snipes at Ross throughout the book are ill placed and seem to reveal an agenda that should be fulfilled in another forum.
I will keep the book as part of my Motown cadre of biographies but I doubt that I'll re-enter the pages again. Buy it used.

At Last!!!!!!!
I was excited to hear about "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" being published. After receiving the book I was not disappointed. As a die hard Temptations fan I find the book to be an honest and unbiased tale of the group's history.I feel that Mr. Mark Ribowsky has given us a rare and long awaited look into the inner dynamics of the group.It is an emotional and compelling tale of one of the greatest groups of all time. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA++++++++

I like it
even though it rehashed some of the things I read in other books, it still gave me a fresh perspective about the group and a different voice to listen to. ... Read more

Product Description
Eddie's Secret is a story about fear and courage. Accused of being a 'chicken' by his friends, Eddie must prove them wrong. In the process he falls foul of local criminals, faces the school's most feared bully, and discovers a secret, he wishes he never had. It is a story of crazy stunts, danger, suspense, and real courage.The character of Mr. Corleone is marvelous, first introduced with all the frightening contradictions children see in adults, only to be revealed as an elderly man as eager for adventure as are the young protagonists. All the fears and joys, triumphs and tragedies boys experience, are wrapped up in these delightfully realistic characters. Qualities of loyalty, honesty and compassion reverberate throughout the story and underlie even the most madcap adventure. Eddie's Secret is a true boys' book, replete with hilarious hare-brained adventures and a minimum of interference from tiresome adults.Lynn Wytenbroek, Professor of English Literature, Canada ... Read more

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Reporter Eddie Bourque chases stories for the Lowell Empire, a second-class rag in a Massachusetts city of first‑generation immigrants and bare‑knuckled politicians. The talented and ambitious Eddie has one eye on finding a better job. However,when the dead junkie found floating in a mill canal is identified as his beat partner, he gives the story his full attention. Before long he finds himself stonewalled by powerbrokers in Lowell law enforcement—and at his own newspaper.
Bent on finding his partner’s killer, Eddie disobeys orders and follows a mysterious Cambodian woman into the city’s poorest neighborhood—with violent results. Battered, dumped in a canal and left for dead, Eddie survives an encounter with an invisible underworld, only to find himself entangled in an international plot of murder and revenge.
It’s do or die for Eddie as he struggles to stay one step ahead of ruthless hitmen, the city’s self-serving power elite, and the curious police detective who always shows up when Eddie wishes she wouldn’t. The story of a lifetime beckons, but the closer he comes to the truth, the greater the chance that the story—and Eddie—will be spiked. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Terrific Debut
Eddie Bourque, a reporter for the Lowell Empire in Massachusetts,finds himself involved in a mystery that for him is personal...Eddie's beat partner has been found dead in a mill canal. Blocked at every step of the way Eddie is determined to find his partner's killer. Eddie struggles to stay ahead of ruthless hitmen, the city's power elite and the curious police
detective who always shows up when Eddie wishes she wouldn't. I found the story a little slow in the begining but towards the second half it really picked up the pace and I found myself liking Eddie Bourque and waiting with baited breath for the solution to this involved mystery. Mark Arsenault really knows his stuff about the inside world ofthe newspaper business and
local politics and conveys this with great writing, interesting characters and a great story.And wait until you meet General VonKatz...he's quite the character!

Fantastic Ride
A fantastic ride.The city of Lowell comes to live in this superlative novel from Mark Arsenault.

A guaranteed great read with plenty of action, humor and mystery.The character development was strong.The book was laugh out loud funny.And the mystery remained a mystery in the end.

He's an automatic buy for me now on.

Great and brilliant expolration of a journalist's soul
Getting thrown in a Massachusetts canal after chasing a Cambodian woman with red mittens to a slum triple-decker that explodes in fire helps to clarify priorities for small-time-newspaper Lowell Empire reporter Eddie Bourque. Somehow, chasing down politicians fighting to rule a dying industrial town, fretting over your ex getting married, being reminded by a TV rival that you've taken a step down in your career, and having to deal with an officious editor pale in comparison to discovering the truth behind the death of your competitor, who could have been your friend if you weren't busy watching the byline.An interesting commentary on professional ego especially in the wake of the New York Times and CBS scandals.

When Eddie's fellow reporter Danny Nowlin is found in the local canal, it's only a matter of time before Eddie's refusal to let sleeping dogs lie lands him in the same canal. It also introduces him to two "Trainspotting"-like junkies, Leo and Gabrielle, who rescue him and remind him why he became a reporter. Unfortunately, the officious Franklin Keyes "spikes" the story Eddie lands, when he's not busy burying any coverage of Danny Nowlin's death and other stories that might cause voters to lose faith in the incumbents for the upcoming city elections. The Lowell Empire has a vested interest in keeping the status quo. Did someone say media bias?

Arsenault's Eddie emerges as a muckraker, scorning the scribes and Pharisees in favor of the Cambodian warrior woman and survivor of the Khmer Rouge Chanthay, Leo and Gabrielle, and two New York City hit men assigned to kill Chanthay and Eddie.A great expose a la "Network."

Gripping and Fast-Paced
Mr. Arsenault brings an enticing blend of memorable characters, witty humor and a well-crafted plot.I thought I had the mystery solved more than once only to find myself lured deeper into the tale as unsuspectd twists in the book kept me guessing as to the killer.An enjoyable mystery that will keep you turning the pages till the surprise ending.

Good plot, fine writing
You won't find many books like this among those from first-time mystery writers. Arsenault's use of language, humor and description is first-rate, as are the tightly interlocking story strands he weaves into a plot. A fun mystery I gobbled up in a single rainy weekend. ... Read more

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Lyric by Eddie Leonard. Music by Eddie Munson. With Ukulel Arrangement. Photos of Eddie Leonard The Minstrel on the cover. Recorded by Benny Goodman. ... Read more

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Venom: Lethal Protector #1. Special Gold Edition. Limited Edition of only 11,000 ever made. Distributed to dealers only. Features Bonus Pin-Ups that the regular edition doesn't have. ... Read more

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Chapters: Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Dave Keon, Larry Mavety, Pat Stapleton, Blair Macdonald, Ken Block, Eddie Mio, Blaine Stoughton, Murray Heatley, Barry Wilkins, Don Larway, Michel Dion, List of Indianapolis Racers Players, Bobby Sheehan, Dave Fortier, Frank Spring, Peter Mcduffe, Gilles Marotte, Steve Andrascik, Bob Woytowich, Peter Driscoll, Andy Brown, Jim Johnson, Reg Thomas, Brian Mcdonald, Michel Parizeau, Hugh Harris, Gary Inness, Gary Macgregor, Bryan Campbell, Kim Clackson, Bob Ash, Jim Hargreaves, Rosaire Paiement, Glen Irwin, Nick Harbaruk, Dave Inkpen, Jocelyn Hardy, Charles Constantin, Ted Scharf, Randy Wyrozub, Leif Holmqvist, Mike Zuke, Dick Proceviat, Ron Buchanan, John Hughes, Paul Hoganson, Claude Larose, Bryon Baltimore, Brian Coates, Ed Dyck, Dale Smedsmo, Kevin Morrison, Lynn Powis, Jacques Locas, Larry Sacharuk, Darryl Maggs, Claude St. Sauveur, Al Mcleod, Bob Jones, Gene Peacosh, Al Karlander, Gary Bredin, Gordon Kannegiesser, Kevin Nugent, Bob Whitlock, Bill Prentice, Rich Leduc, Rene Leclerc, Bob Fitchner, Kevin Devine, Angie Moretto, John French, Ray Adduono, Ken Desjardine, Frank Rochon, Roger Côté, Ron Walters, Don Burgess, Mark Lomenda, Brian Mckenzie, Ed Patenaude, Rich Pumple, Dean Magee, Murray Kennett, Bob Sicinski. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 248. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC LLD (hc) (pronounced ; born January 26, 1961) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Nicknamed "The Great One", Gretzky was called "the greatest player of all time" in Total Hockey: The Official Encyclopedia of the NHL. He is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the NHL, and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters, players, and coaches. Upon his retirement on April 18, 1999...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=33422 ... Read more

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4 pages. ... Read more

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Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : Eddie O'sullivan, Jeremy Davidson, Sidney Millar, Declan Kidney, Noël Murphy, Willie Anderson, Mark Mccall, Roly Meates. Non illustré. Mises à jour gratuites en ligne. Extrait : Eddie O'Sullivan, né le 21 novembre 1958, est l'ancien entraîneur de rugby à XV de l'équipe d'Irlande. O'Sullivan est né à Youghal, dans le Comté de Cork, dans la République d'Irlande. O'Sullivan jouait au rugby à XV pour le fameux Garryowen Football Club pendant les années 1970 et 1980, tout en enseignant l' éducation physique, les maths, et la science à Mountbellow, dans le Comté de Galway. Il devint entraîneur dans un petit club de Galway avant d'être engagé comme technicien pour le développement du rugby par la Irish Rugby Football Union. Il assume cette mission technique tout en entraînant Blackrock College, (d'abord comme entraîneur adjoint, ensuite comme entraîneur principal de l'équipe) Connacht et l'Équipe d'Irlande de rugby à XV des moins de 21 ans. Cette dernière gagne en 1996 la triple couronne, l'emportant sur l'Angleterre de Clive Woodward. Il n'obtient pas de poste plus important en Irlande, aussi O'Sullivan part pour les États-Unis pour diriger l'Équipe des États-Unis de rugby à XV. Il est ensuite engagé comme entraîneur adjoint de l'équipe d'Irlande en 1999, et en 2001 après le départ de Warren Gatland, il devient l'entraîneur principal de l'équipe. Après avoir terminé troisième du tournoi des six nations en 2002, l'Irlande d'Eddie O'Sullivan obtient la deuxième place en 2003, en perdant seulement le Grand Chelem lors du dernier match contre l'Angleterre. Lors de la Coupe du monde de rugby 2003 son équipe est défaite contre la France en quart de finale. L'Irlande obtient encore la deuxième place lors du Tournoi 2004 perdant le...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

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Chapters: Eddie Fatu, Dj Screw, Gino Hernandez, Bobby Duncum, Jr., Chloe Jones, Big Moe, Mark Tuinei, Wes Berggren. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 49. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu (March 28, 1973 December 4, 2009) was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga. He was best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment, where he was a two-time Intercontinental Champion. He was a member of the Anoa'i wrestling family and frequently worked as a part of a tag team variously named The Island Boyz, the Samoan Gangstas, and 3-Minute Warning with his cousin Matt Anoa'i. During Fatu's first stint with WWE, he was known as Jamal and Matt was billed as Rosey. In late 2005, Fatu returned to WWE. Repackaged under the ring name "Umaga", Fatu went undefeated for many months on WWE's Raw brand throughout much of 2006, before suffering his first defeat under the Umaga name in January 2007. Fatu was born in San Francisco, California, a member of the famous Anoa'i wrestling family. His mother, Vera, was the sister of Afa and Sika of the Wild Samoans, and his later Umaga gimmick would be compared to their "wildness". His two older brothers, Sam (better known as Tonga Kid and Tama) and Solofa Jr. (better known as Rikishi), are also professional wrestlers who have achieved success of their own. Dwayne Johnson, known in wrestling as The Rock, was his cousin. Fatu trained to become a professional wrestler at the "Wild Samoan Pro Wrestling Training Center" operated by his Uncles, Afa and Sika. In 1995, with his training complete, he started wrestling for Afa's World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW). The next year, both Fatu and his cousin Matt were brought into the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to take part in an angle with Solafa Fatu, Jr., F...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=946041 ... Read more

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Over 150 AAs showed up for this popular annual Anniversary meeting at the Holy Infant Church in Orange, CT on September 17, 2005. A delightful event, be sure to add it to your collection! Features sharing from Katie W., Cheshire, CT (Sobriety Date: October 4, 1991) and Eddie R. of New Haven, CT (Sobriety Date: April 30, 1990) ... a great recording! ... Read more

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23 pages Based on Ameraba Records Album AM2501 ... Read more