Rating: 
Summary: American Scream
Review: Just thank you Cynthia True for giving us the Bill Hicks between the gigs and giving us the people and places that lead him to be the man and comic he was.
Rating: 
Summary: The Perfect Child of God Revealed
Review: Listen and understand: Bill Hicks was, and is, a prophet for a generation that allowed none of us to rest replete in our own hypocrisy.
Cynthia True's book helps all of us understand those in-between moments and origin epiphanies that resulted in the Bill Hicks we still love.
Rating:
Summary: One of those bios you can't put down
Review: Occasionally I get one of those books that make me ignore everything else in my life, take a day off work and shut everyone out until it's finished. "American Scream; The Bill Hicks Story" does the memory of Hicks great honor. The book takes a surprisingly unbiased viewpoint to the lifestyle and material of Hicks, establishing very significant links from the emotional voids in his childhood to the contempt for group mentality and consumerism that radiated from his material. While it's easy to agree or disagree with the topics and viewpoints of Bill Hicks, it's most difficult to report them impartially. "American Scream" remains impartial, and is a rare class of books that holds consistently to that measure. Like Hicks once asked his mother, who was disturbed by his constant onstage cursing: "Focus on the message, not on the words". It indulges in his selfish and personal co-dependencies, along with his almost anarchic outlook on choices and possessions. Bill Hicks was a determined man, and the book follows him through his triumphs over alcohol, drugs and unhealthy relationships to color in the character that so many of us only know from masterpieces like "Rant in E-Minor". Enjoy the book. We miss you Bill.
Rating: 
Summary: Cynthia True needs an editor
Review: Seriously, the book covers a lot of interesting things in Hicks' life but the editing is non-existant (misspellings, grammar problems, incorrect product names, strange terms - Bill was a baseball player with "...a great right pitch."). The story is quick and dry and really adds no insight. But if you're interested in a quick read about Bill Hicks life and the chronology of things this will surely do the trick.
Rating: 
Summary: No One Here Gets Out Without A Two Drink Minimum...
Review: should have been the title of this inept hagiography. Its obvious model is Sugerman and Hopkins mashnote to Jimbo Lizard King, but I don't think that Ms True's bank account will grow like those of the two Morrison apostles. Much to True's chagrin, I'm sure.
I have to confess, that I have always found Hicks over-rated and True's book fails to disabuse me of that opinion. He was good, but not that good. His contemporary Sam Kinison got there first with far more verve, sharper lines, and better timing. Hicks "borrowed" far more of his act from Kinison, than Denis Leary lifted from Hicks. I don't fault Hicks himself for comparing his "persecution" to that suffered by Lenny Bruce-people in show business are expected to hype their acts- but True continues this canard. Bruce was truly hounded by the legal authorities, and what was done to him was indeed tragic. Despite Hicks (and True's) claims, NBC and CBS Standards and Practices hardly constitute "The Man"
I am truly sorry for Hicks' death from such a horrible disease and the last several pages are truly moving. But this is due more to Hicks' admirable stoicism than True's descriptive powers.
I recommend the biography of comic genius Michael O'Donoghue instead of this waste of time.
Okay, everyone can now start gathering firewood for the burning of this heretic.
Rating:
Summary: The importance of being Bill.
Review: So once again America is telling us that we are 'Free to do as we are told.' Television is keeping most people stupid while an illiterate fool keeps residence in the White House. Bill must be rolling in his grave. Read this book now; absorb all Bill wanted us to and let him teach you. The most important comedian of the last century. Buy this now.
Rating:
Summary: Unfortunately, not funny!
Review: The parts of this book treating of Bill Hicks's childhood are densest and most well-researched; the biography dries out in his adulthood, mostly giving accounts of who Hicks did certain things with, &c., with patches and spans of time (perhaps when Hicks was on his Flying Saucer Tours?) quickly summarised or seeming to be missing. Maybe Hicks as an adult is harder to keep track of, but I was eager to read of those dark patches when he was on the road, not just the times he was in Los Angeles or New York or Chicago! And I will say with regret that this book is not very funny. One unfortunate effect of transcribing spoken-word humour is the humour's flattening-out in between the quotation marks on the page, and losing inflection. I found myself _not_ laughing at segments of Hicks's act that have always made me laugh in past. There are some laughs here, but they are fewer and farther between than many people might hope, so don't expect a laugh riot. Eventually I would like to read a biography of Hicks that goes deeper into his intellectual/spiritual development (tracking his reading list was great fun). Maybe his friends are saving their best "material" for such an effort? However many small quibbles I have, of course I miss the man, and anything that for a few moments helps me forget that he is no longer among us makes me happy. If you are a Bill Hicks fan, absolutely get this book for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: BOOOOOOORING
Review: This book if awful. If you have horrible insomnia, and can't get ANY sleep-this book is for you. In a nutshell-...
Rating:
Summary: terrible author
Review: This book is pretty much a waste of time for anybody that is fimiliar with Hicks work. Anybody who is a fan of Bill could have written a better book than this. Shame on the author for writing such a terrible biography on such an interesting subject. She didn't even bother to get different pictures than his albums feature. As a huge Bill Hicks fan I hope somebody will come around and write a biography that does his life Justice.
Rating:
Summary: Impressive story about an impressive comedian
Review: This book tells the story about the one comedian who's voice is being heard more now that he's dead than when he was alive. Like most good artist, Bill Hicks was about ten years ahead of his time.
This book goes into detail about Hick's upbringing, his rise as a comedian, and his death. Along the way, you can't help but feel that all he really wanted was to evolve peoples perceptions.
Cynthia True did an excellent job of presenting both the good and bad about Hick's while still showing that Hicks was a man of moral's and principle.
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