Author: Richard Hack
Genre: Biography
Pages (words): 444 (N/A)
Readability: N/A
Rating (out of 5 stars): ***
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: Howard Hughes was an aviator, movie maker, business man, and complete lunatic. This book uses his private correspondence to examine the kind of man that he was: what he cared about, how he spent his time, and what concerned him.
Thoughts: Howard Hughes has got to be one of the most eccentric characters of American history. He ranged from constantly seeking the public spotlight early on in his career, to hiding inside his hotel with all light blocked out for the last 35 years of his life. While he had major psychological problems, he was also a brilliant business man (becoming one of the wealthiest people in the world) and daring aviator. This particular book was well written and had tons of interesting insights into his life. There are lots of other Hughes biographies out there that likely give more details on the major events of his life--how he made his money, the details of him flying across the U.S. in record time, etc. Instead, this book delved a bit more into his personal life, focusing on his hopes and frustrations, his relationships with others, and his eventual seclusion from the world. While I found this quite interesting, I probably would have preferred to read a more standard biography first just to get more information on the main details of his life. Still, it was really interesting to get a glimpse into the onset of his insanity. It was especially interesting to consider how this insane man with essentially unlimited money likely ruined himself, as he was able to simply purchase anything he desired including drugs, entire hotels (to enhance his seclusion), and endless amounts of tissues (for "insulation"). If he had been forced to actually go to a psychologist, I think it's likely that he could have enjoyed much better years before his death. Anyway, it was an interesting book.
Disclaimer: Not much bad here at all. Maybe a couple of swear words.
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