Rating: 
Summary: A Caring Friend - An Honest Employee
Review: Having grown up with the Kennedy clan's dramatic stories ( I was in Washington when JFK died) I feel this young man did what he needed to do to help himself and others know more about the work he and John did on George. He also felt compelled to let others know that John was an average type person who handled his celebrity with grace. Those looking for slease will not find it in this book. Rather it is a good account of the professional experience of the author and others who helped JFK, Jr. succeed in a dream of publishing a successful magazine. He also helps us ( the public) understand why we feel so close to this family.
Their losses are ours. When each of the family members have passed,we have each felt our own loss, as if we were part of the family. We don't feel a loss as if they were royalty, but we feel a genuine loss. I feel that the author did a wonderful job at expressing this emotion for all of us.
He shared enough positive and yet negative to make the story genuine and sincere.
The title is a bit sensational, but hey, we're all in business for profit, so why not him?
I say, thank you to a bright young writer who deserves credit for sharing his relationship with an icon non of us will soon forget.
Rating: 
Summary: A Surprisingly Good Book
Review: I basically picked up this book because I was looking for something "non-fiction" to read, and I wanted to learn more about the life of JFK, Jr. I was also a fan (I majored in Political Science in college) of George Magazine, and could never really understand why the magazine didn't catch on with the public better than it did. I was somewhat hesitant to pick up this book because of the bad press that some critics had given it when it first came out. What I found, was a non-sensatinalized account of what it was like to work with JFK, Jr. and to know him as a high level employee. When the author talks about his own personal life, it adds context to the story of Mr. Kennedy, rather than getting in the way, or distorting his role in his life. He does not try to portray himself as a confidente or best friend, but only as an employee, who shared a work bond. This gives the book a great deal of credibility. The author gives a good insight on what Mr. Kennedy was like, and what it must be to live the life of a celebrity and an historical icon. I think those individuals who have criticized this book in professional book reviews were either jealous, or in some misguided way trying to preserve their version of the Kennedy legend. There is no "dirt" dished in this book, but it does give a well rounded picture of the subject from one point of view. If anything, it is less critical of the subject than I would have expected. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about the latter part of Mr. Kennedy's life or an insider's look at some of the politics within George Magazine.
Rating:
Summary: A Surprising Portrait
Review: I bought this book because I was in the mood for something that I thought would amount to lots of juicy gossip and would be a guilty pleasure, but was quite surprised to find that Mr. Blow's account of his tenure at George magazine and his relationship with JFK Jr. to be very insightful. I think he does an excellent job of showing us an individual weighed down by the enormous weight of a virtual family of icons but who, nevertheless, strived to make a place for himself in the world. John comes off as an imperfect human being who nevertheless showed grace under pressure more often than not. It is also easy to see the admiration the author had for his subject. An engrossing reading experience.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Idea for a Book
Review: I thought the idea of a book about John Kennedy, Jr.'s tenure at George magazine was a good one. Instead of a slick and glossy tome about "America's Prince" or "The Most Beautiful Man in America," his former associate, Richard Blow, has fashioned a interesting account of the beginnings and ultimate ending of a man's search for identity and purpose.
That JFK, Jr. was able to put together a political magazine as he saw that world, does indeed make for fascinating reading. The inner workings, in-fighting and eventual ending of a publishing phenomenom is a nice change from the usual tabloid fare that we are used to seeing about members of the prolific Kennedy family.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: I wrote this book down in my to-read list when I saw it mentioned in the Washington Post. I was waiting for some insights into the life of Caroline and JFK. But after I began reading it, I almost felt a guilty pleasure for doing so. Blow kept mentioning that everyone wanted to get to know JFK and be around him while he was alive but to do that you needed to keep his life under wraps. So by JFK dying and Blow writing this book made me feel like I was dishonoring JFK and his legacy.
Rating:
Summary: the best JFK Jr. book
Review: I'm sure all the controversy helped sales of this book, but it definitely gave me a misleading impresson of both the book and its author. I didn't read American Son for a while after it came out because I was turned off by the controversy. But eventually I broke down and bought it and I'm glad I did. In retrospect, some of the people who trashed the book didn't even seem like they'd read it, but were just reacting to the hype about it, or had some personal ax to grind. (You can definitely tell that some of the reviews on Amazon were written by people with a hidden agenda.) Anyway, American Son is well-written and easy to read, and feels a lot more honest than most of the Kennedy books out there. You really get a sense of what JFK Jr. was like-funny, warm, likeable, but surpringly vulnerable and unsure about his future. Also, I enjoyed reading about what it was like to work at George magazine. I was a charter subscriber, and I always thought it was an underrated magazine. So the book's not just about JFK Jr., but about the magazine business, politics, and New York in the 1990s. I've read all the books about John Jr., and this is definitely the best.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: If you want to learn anything new about JFK jr. do NOT read this book. The book is basically one long whine-fest about why the magazine "George" failed (hint to Blow: because it was stupid!). Richard Blow apparently saw in the death of Kennedy his one shot at fame--nothing else had worked. Don't waste your money on this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Who's this book about?
Review: Is this book about JFK, Jr. or is it about Richard Blow? After reading this book, it appeared to me that the author just wanted to make sure that in remembering JFK, Jr., that we all remembered that Blow worked with JFK, Jr. It's sad that someone like Blow, who is obviously talented in his own right, would decide to cash in so openly on his association with Kennedy.
Rating:
Summary: the best JFK Jr. book
Review: The book was an easy read. It was only ok. I got some insight
of JFK BUT I had already read most of what he wrote. Not the
best book I have ever read.....
Rating:
Summary: Delightful book
Review: This book was delightful. Blow is a fantastic writer. Reading through this book was like lazily drifting down the Delaware River in Northern New Jersey in a kayak: just effortless, total pleasure.The book does not really let you know any deep dark inner secrets about John F. Kennedy, Jr., though there are hints of things through his actions and statements. The book is more about what was it was like for Blow to work with JFK, Jr. That was fine with me, because that's what I usually wonder, what it would be like to be around JFK, Jr. I had one frustration with the book. It wasn't too detailed about observations of John's facial expressions and tones of voice. I got the impression of Blow as a person who was trying to look away from John rather than at John. Blow even says as much, that he was trying to avoid getting in too close to John, because doing so seemed to get people in trouble. That reminded me of a movie I once saw about George III of England, which showed that the king ultimately valued employees who knew how to keep a certain distance rather than those who got up too close and personal, even if the latter were very nice. Be sure to check out the photo of the author. He is surprisingly good-looking himself -- and has amazing eyes.
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