Tonight is the season finale of American Idol so it seems to the perfect time to review this book. And the winner will be? who cares anymore. Alas when Simon left he seemed to take the magical buzz that was Idol with him. This book is a look back when Idol was THE show everyone was talking about. The start was a little slow for me with it's extensive background of how Pop Idol in the UK morphed into American Idol here. Once we got to the states is when the book really took off for me. The best part was the chapter where the author got Brian Dunkleman to talk about his departure after season 1. It must go down as the single most bone headed move ever in the history of the entertainment industry. He knows it too. Still it was interesting to hear his side of the story. He really felt bad for the contestants when they were cut down by Simon and he had no idea what a juggernaut Idol would become. It was likely that he was going to be fired anyway but he jumped the gun by quitting. Even so he probably should not plan on having a career in the spotlight until Idol is a long burned out star though according to him the backlash seems to thawing at long last. A chapter is also devoted to the vote for the worst web movement. The rest of the book covers the Idols themselves. If you are a true fan of the show you will know most of what is revealed anyway. It was still an enjoyable stroll done memory lane. As for me I am enjoying The Voice and looking forward to this fall's X Factor, two shows which may have stolen Idol's crown. ( )

A light read about the behind-the-scenes world of American Idol. This book gives a brief history of how the show came to be and how things have changed throughout the seasons. The focus is heavier on the judges (especially Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul) than on the contestants, so those expecting or wanting insider info or details about individual performers will not find much. Even the details about the nine winners are skimpy with almost nothing on recent champs Kris Allen and Lee DeWyze. Too, if you are an avid watcher of Idol throughout the years, none of the scandals revealed in the book will be any surprise. Entertaining but not uber-revealing. ( )