What do you think?
Rate this book
Einstein, Michael Jackson & Me: A Search for Soul in the Power Pits of Rock and Roll
Howard Bloom--called "the greatest press agent that rock and roll has ever known" by Derek Sutton, the former manager of Styx, Ten Years After, and Jethro Tull--is a science nerd who knew nothing about popular music. But he founded the biggest PR firm in the music industry and helped build or sustain the careers of our biggest rock-and-roll legends, including Michael Jackson, Prince, Bob Marley, Bette Midler, Billy Joel, Billy Idol, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, David Byrne, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Queen, Kiss, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run DMC, ZZ Top, Joan Jett, Chaka Khan, and one hundred more. What was he after? He was on a hunt for the gods inside of you and me. Einstein, Michael Jackson & Me is Bloom's story--the strange tale of a scientific expedition into the dark underbelly of science and fame where new myths and movements are made.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 15, 2020
6 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Howard Bloom
25 books306 followers"I know a lot of people. A lot. And I ask a lot of prying questions. But I've never run into a more intriguing biography than Howard Bloom's in all my born days. " Paul Solman, Business and Economics Correspondent, PBS NewsHour
Howard Bloom has been called “next in a lineage of seminal thinkers that includes Newton, Darwin, Einstein,[and] Freud,” by Britain's Channel4 TV, "the next Stephen Hawking" by Gear Magazine, and "The Buckminster Fuller and Arthur C. Clarke of the new millennium" by Buckminster Fuller's archivist. Bloom is the author of The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition Into the Forces of History ("mesmerizing"—The Washington Post), Global Brain: The Evolution of Mass Mind from the Big Bang to the 21st Century ("reassuring and sobering"—The New Yorker), The Genius of the Beast: A Radical Re-Vision of Capitalism ("Impressive, stimulating, and tremendously enjoyable." James Fallows, National Correspondent, The Atlantic), and The God Problem: How A Godless Cosmos Creates ("Bloom's argument will rock your world." Barbara Ehrenreich). Bloom has been published in arxiv.org, the leading pre-print site in advanced theoretical physics and math. He was invited to tell an international conference of quantum physicists in Moscow in 2005 why everything they know about quantum physics is wrong. And his book Global Brain was the subject of an Office of the Secretary of Defense symposium in 2010, with participants from the State Department, the Energy Department, DARPA, IBM, and MIT. Bloom has founded three international scientific groups: the Group Selection Squad (1995), which fought to gain acceptance for the concept of group selection in evolutionary biology; The International Paleopsychology Project (1997), which worked to create a new multi-disciplinary synthesis between cosmology, paleontology, evolutionary biology, and history; and The Space Development Steering Committee (2007), an organization that includes astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Edgar Mitchell and members from NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Defense.
Bloom explains that his focus is “mass behavior, from the mass behavior of quarks to the mass behavior of human beings.” In 1968 Bloom turned down four fellowships in psychology and neurobiology and set off on a science project in a field he knew nothing about: popular culture. He was determined to tunnel into the forces of history by entering “the belly of the beast where new myths, new mass passions, and new mass movements are made.” Bloom used simple correlational techniques plus what he calls “tuned empathy” and “saturated intuition” to help build or sustain the careers of figures like Prince, Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Bette Midler, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Billy Idol, Peter Gabriel, David Byrne, John Mellencamp, Queen, Kiss, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, Run DMC, and roughly 100 others. In the process, he generated $28 billion in revenues (more than the gross domestic product of Oman or Luxembourg) for companies like Sony, Disney, Pepsi Cola, Coca Cola, and Warner Brothers. Bloom also helped launch Farm Aid and Amnesty International’s American presence. He worked with the United Negro College Fund,the National Black United Fund, and the NAACP, and he put together the first public service radio campaign for solar power (1981). Today, his focus on group behavior extends to geopolitics. He has debated one-one-one with senior officials from Egypt’s Moslem Brotherhood and Gaza’s Hamas on Iran’s Arab-language international Alalam TV News Network. He has dissected headline issues on Saudi Arabia’s KSA1-TV and on Iran’s global English language Press-TV. And he has appeared fifty two times for up to five hours on 500 radio stations in North America.
Bloom is a former visiting scholar in the Graduate School of Psychology at NYU and a former core faculty member at the Graduate Institute in Meriden, Connecticut. He has written for Th
Howard Bloom has been called “next in a lineage of seminal thinkers that includes Newton, Darwin, Einstein,[and] Freud,” by Britain's Channel4 TV, "the next Stephen Hawking" by Gear Magazine, and "The Buckminster Fuller and Arthur C. Clarke of the new millennium" by Buckminster Fuller's archivist. Bloom is the author of The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition Into the Forces of History ("mesmerizing"—The Washington Post), Global Brain: The Evolution of Mass Mind from the Big Bang to the 21st Century ("reassuring and sobering"—The New Yorker), The Genius of the Beast: A Radical Re-Vision of Capitalism ("Impressive, stimulating, and tremendously enjoyable." James Fallows, National Correspondent, The Atlantic), and The God Problem: How A Godless Cosmos Creates ("Bloom's argument will rock your world." Barbara Ehrenreich). Bloom has been published in arxiv.org, the leading pre-print site in advanced theoretical physics and math. He was invited to tell an international conference of quantum physicists in Moscow in 2005 why everything they know about quantum physics is wrong. And his book Global Brain was the subject of an Office of the Secretary of Defense symposium in 2010, with participants from the State Department, the Energy Department, DARPA, IBM, and MIT. Bloom has founded three international scientific groups: the Group Selection Squad (1995), which fought to gain acceptance for the concept of group selection in evolutionary biology; The International Paleopsychology Project (1997), which worked to create a new multi-disciplinary synthesis between cosmology, paleontology, evolutionary biology, and history; and The Space Development Steering Committee (2007), an organization that includes astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Edgar Mitchell and members from NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Defense.
Bloom explains that his focus is “mass behavior, from the mass behavior of quarks to the mass behavior of human beings.” In 1968 Bloom turned down four fellowships in psychology and neurobiology and set off on a science project in a field he knew nothing about: popular culture. He was determined to tunnel into the forces of history by entering “the belly of the beast where new myths, new mass passions, and new mass movements are made.” Bloom used simple correlational techniques plus what he calls “tuned empathy” and “saturated intuition” to help build or sustain the careers of figures like Prince, Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Bette Midler, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Billy Idol, Peter Gabriel, David Byrne, John Mellencamp, Queen, Kiss, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, Run DMC, and roughly 100 others. In the process, he generated $28 billion in revenues (more than the gross domestic product of Oman or Luxembourg) for companies like Sony, Disney, Pepsi Cola, Coca Cola, and Warner Brothers. Bloom also helped launch Farm Aid and Amnesty International’s American presence. He worked with the United Negro College Fund,the National Black United Fund, and the NAACP, and he put together the first public service radio campaign for solar power (1981). Today, his focus on group behavior extends to geopolitics. He has debated one-one-one with senior officials from Egypt’s Moslem Brotherhood and Gaza’s Hamas on Iran’s Arab-language international Alalam TV News Network. He has dissected headline issues on Saudi Arabia’s KSA1-TV and on Iran’s global English language Press-TV. And he has appeared fifty two times for up to five hours on 500 radio stations in North America.
Bloom is a former visiting scholar in the Graduate School of Psychology at NYU and a former core faculty member at the Graduate Institute in Meriden, Connecticut. He has written for Th
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 13, 2020
I enjoy reading about celebrities, so this book intrigued me when I saw it. However, I was disappointed because it is not an enjoyable read at all. The author writes as if he is the most important thing, which was annoying. I cannot stand reading books by arrogant authors. The scientific data was also boring. Do yourself a favor and skip this one!
February 8, 2020
I wanted to like this book. I’m typically fascinated by unheard stories of Hollywood. Especially in the 60s-80s. So this book should, by all accounts, be my cup of tea. But it wasn’t.
The writing is lacking. It fell flat and did not evoke enough imagery to keep you engaged. In some chapters, it felt like Bloom had an inflated sense of self importance and was trying to convince the reader of his “closeness” to celebrities. It didn’t feel genuine.
You might pick up some interesting tidbits here and there, but overall, this book was far from my new favorite.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.
The writing is lacking. It fell flat and did not evoke enough imagery to keep you engaged. In some chapters, it felt like Bloom had an inflated sense of self importance and was trying to convince the reader of his “closeness” to celebrities. It didn’t feel genuine.
You might pick up some interesting tidbits here and there, but overall, this book was far from my new favorite.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read
July 1, 2021 Reading EINSTEIN, MICHAEL JACKSON AND ME, it becomes like a who’s who of musical superstars. You would be hard-pressed to find the biggest names in music not being mentioned here. Howard Bloom is regarded as one of the greatest press agents that ever walked the face of the earth.
If one were to list all the major acts that were part of his publicity making machine, there would be little space for this review. A handful of stars include: Billy Joel, Bette Midler, Paul Simon, Styx, Michael Jackson, ZZ Top, Bob Marley, Prince, and many others. It would be hard not to be humble when one has such an impressive resume, but Bloom offers a down-to-earth assessment of the music world and those part of his vast publicity universe.
There are over fifty chapters in the book, dedicated to various performers, and what he meant to their world and what they meant to his. He has lived a remarkable life, and the experiences are reflected in the book.
His take on many superstars whether they are Supertramp, REO Speedwagon, Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett or Alice Cooper, gives us a deeper appreciation for the stars, and how they benefited from Bloom’s insight and vision.
He tells us little known facts about Michael Jackson and Prince, setting the record straight on many performers. He debunks myths, giving the straight truth on the stars. Anyone who grew up with the vast musical talent emerging from the 1970’s onward, should read this book. Einstein was a scientific genius, but Bloom was a masterful music maestro.
If one were to list all the major acts that were part of his publicity making machine, there would be little space for this review. A handful of stars include: Billy Joel, Bette Midler, Paul Simon, Styx, Michael Jackson, ZZ Top, Bob Marley, Prince, and many others. It would be hard not to be humble when one has such an impressive resume, but Bloom offers a down-to-earth assessment of the music world and those part of his vast publicity universe.
There are over fifty chapters in the book, dedicated to various performers, and what he meant to their world and what they meant to his. He has lived a remarkable life, and the experiences are reflected in the book.
His take on many superstars whether they are Supertramp, REO Speedwagon, Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett or Alice Cooper, gives us a deeper appreciation for the stars, and how they benefited from Bloom’s insight and vision.
He tells us little known facts about Michael Jackson and Prince, setting the record straight on many performers. He debunks myths, giving the straight truth on the stars. Anyone who grew up with the vast musical talent emerging from the 1970’s onward, should read this book. Einstein was a scientific genius, but Bloom was a masterful music maestro.
August 9, 2022
For a writer, a person who (apparently) excels at telling stories, Bloom’s book is a big letdown.
The gist of the book is this: Music is viscerally felt. The great people he worked with uncontrollably “felt” the music. And there are some very good stories about meeting new clients and learning to conduct one on one interviews with each band member to learn about them, to be able to tell their story. About the sheep in Music critic circles nationally who followed blindly the lead of Cristgau and others from Rolling Stone, and Blooms efforts to break through to them. I’d have liked a bit more detail about the Black press in the 1970s and 80s, and how courting them was obvious but no one was doing it.
The first half of the book is filled with so many “but I’ll get to that later” and “more on that later” and “but that’s a story for another book” that it became laughable. Easily he says it 10-15 times. After the first few times it became frustrating, and then just something to laugh about. He directly references another book he wrote at least 5 times.
There is nothing new in the Michael Jackson section. He worked with them during the chaos of the Victory tour, just after Thriller, but there’s nothing here we haven’t heard before. His defense of MJ regarding the child abuse allegations is nothing more than speculation with very little evidence, like if you or I wrote that section.
I don’t regret reading it, but I think I can only recommend it if you have a stack of other music industry books on your shelf. It’s a good addition, but not that spectacular as a standalone.
The gist of the book is this: Music is viscerally felt. The great people he worked with uncontrollably “felt” the music. And there are some very good stories about meeting new clients and learning to conduct one on one interviews with each band member to learn about them, to be able to tell their story. About the sheep in Music critic circles nationally who followed blindly the lead of Cristgau and others from Rolling Stone, and Blooms efforts to break through to them. I’d have liked a bit more detail about the Black press in the 1970s and 80s, and how courting them was obvious but no one was doing it.
The first half of the book is filled with so many “but I’ll get to that later” and “more on that later” and “but that’s a story for another book” that it became laughable. Easily he says it 10-15 times. After the first few times it became frustrating, and then just something to laugh about. He directly references another book he wrote at least 5 times.
There is nothing new in the Michael Jackson section. He worked with them during the chaos of the Victory tour, just after Thriller, but there’s nothing here we haven’t heard before. His defense of MJ regarding the child abuse allegations is nothing more than speculation with very little evidence, like if you or I wrote that section.
I don’t regret reading it, but I think I can only recommend it if you have a stack of other music industry books on your shelf. It’s a good addition, but not that spectacular as a standalone.
March 9, 2022
I wanted to like this book. I’m typically fascinated by unheard stories of Hollywood. Especially in the 60s-80s. So this book should, by all accounts, be my cup of tea. But it wasn’t.
The writing is lacking. It fell flat and did not evoke enough imagery to keep you engaged. In some chapters, it felt like Bloom had an inflated sense of self importance and was trying to convince the reader of his “closeness” to celebrities. It didn’t feel genuine.
You might pick up some interesting tidbits here and there, but overall, this book was far from my new favorite.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.
The writing is lacking. It fell flat and did not evoke enough imagery to keep you engaged. In some chapters, it felt like Bloom had an inflated sense of self importance and was trying to convince the reader of his “closeness” to celebrities. It didn’t feel genuine.
You might pick up some interesting tidbits here and there, but overall, this book was far from my new favorite.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 10, 2020
Howard Bloom delivers not only an incredibly diverse and unique perspective in this book, but he provides some much needed humanity to megastars and their very nature. For example, his words on Michael Jackson and how Michael influenced him make compelling and, at times, touching reading.
Howard finds a way to connect the Sciences, Art, the Media and Life in this memoir. What makes the book most impressive is the omnipresent angle in which it is written. Some may remark that Howard is arrogant, but I found many times in the book he is humble, warm and contemplative. Perhaps his brilliance is wasted on some, but I can’t stress enough how impressive this book is. Highly recommended.
Howard finds a way to connect the Sciences, Art, the Media and Life in this memoir. What makes the book most impressive is the omnipresent angle in which it is written. Some may remark that Howard is arrogant, but I found many times in the book he is humble, warm and contemplative. Perhaps his brilliance is wasted on some, but I can’t stress enough how impressive this book is. Highly recommended.
February 26, 2023
I am so sorry that I read this book. I knew the author only as a scientist/futurist. Three of those books adorned my shelves. Now that I know his pop culture bona fides, I am beginning to think his audacity of thought may be the same stuff of bluster as this effort. The entirety of the book has a ‘cock taking credit for the dawn’ vibe.
The great takeaway from this book is the idea of secular shamanism. If he writes a book on that, I’ll be happy to put it on my shelf next to “Global Brain,” “Lucifer Principle,” and “Genius of the Beast.”
The great takeaway from this book is the idea of secular shamanism. If he writes a book on that, I’ll be happy to put it on my shelf next to “Global Brain,” “Lucifer Principle,” and “Genius of the Beast.”
January 16, 2024
I enjoyed this book. Some of the celebrity stories were ones I hadn't heard before. My favorite bits were when Bloom wrote about his thought processes. Learning of any sort can be valuable, and Bloom excelled at applying scientific ideas to completely unrelated subjects in order to achieve success. Yes, Bloom is a bit full of himself, but he would not have been the power player he was if he didn't have an ego.
November 12, 2021
You have to take this book with a grain of salt. Bloom's accomplishments speak for themselves, but some of his claims are exaggerated or taken out of context. Nevertheless, a fascinating book on promotion and popular culture.
October 14, 2022
If name dropping and bragging had a baby it would be this book… Nevertheless, I did enjoy it and liked the anecdotes.
March 2, 2023
I don't care about music much but this book is exceptionally good. Funny, smart, inspirational, scientific- ot has it all!
May 17, 2020
Summary
Howard Bloom shares the ins and outs of the entertainment world through Einstein, Michael Jackson & Me, a memoir of his journey throughout the history of music. The book is comprised of his experiences in the recording, publishing, radio, and film industry.
Known as the “greatest press agent” of rock and roll, as Derek Stutton has called him, Howard tells his massive contribution to legendary music artists like Michael Jackson, Prince, Billy Idol, Joan Jett, Chaka Khan, and many more.
Review
This is the first non-fiction book I’ve encountered with journalistic writing. The book felt more like a compilation of newspaper articles from three sections: The Editorial Page, the Entertainment Section, and the Society Page. The vivid and very detailed description of Howard’s experience with the biggest and most popular artists that spanned many generations was impressive. He is in no doubt a good philosopher and writer with expertise on science. I loved “The Einstein Imperative,” and the reason he was inspired to learn about the theory of relativity was amusing. I also found it quite funny that he had described himself as someone who didn’t grow up around human beings and didn’t know basic human rituals like having a cup of coffee.
Overall, I’m giving this 4 out of 5 stars. I think that people who love to read newspapers and get all bubbly at celebrity scoops about legendary artists would find this very interesting. It has a deeper level of music insights and stories that only a full-blooded music enthusiast would appreciate. Also, a little warning that the book doesn’t live up to its title. Don’t expect that this book is actually about Einstein or Michael Jackson because it’s not - they were only a part of Howard’s story. I thought it’d be best to spill this out now so that readers wouldn’t have expectations.
Howard Bloom shares the ins and outs of the entertainment world through Einstein, Michael Jackson & Me, a memoir of his journey throughout the history of music. The book is comprised of his experiences in the recording, publishing, radio, and film industry.
Known as the “greatest press agent” of rock and roll, as Derek Stutton has called him, Howard tells his massive contribution to legendary music artists like Michael Jackson, Prince, Billy Idol, Joan Jett, Chaka Khan, and many more.
Review
This is the first non-fiction book I’ve encountered with journalistic writing. The book felt more like a compilation of newspaper articles from three sections: The Editorial Page, the Entertainment Section, and the Society Page. The vivid and very detailed description of Howard’s experience with the biggest and most popular artists that spanned many generations was impressive. He is in no doubt a good philosopher and writer with expertise on science. I loved “The Einstein Imperative,” and the reason he was inspired to learn about the theory of relativity was amusing. I also found it quite funny that he had described himself as someone who didn’t grow up around human beings and didn’t know basic human rituals like having a cup of coffee.
Overall, I’m giving this 4 out of 5 stars. I think that people who love to read newspapers and get all bubbly at celebrity scoops about legendary artists would find this very interesting. It has a deeper level of music insights and stories that only a full-blooded music enthusiast would appreciate. Also, a little warning that the book doesn’t live up to its title. Don’t expect that this book is actually about Einstein or Michael Jackson because it’s not - they were only a part of Howard’s story. I thought it’d be best to spill this out now so that readers wouldn’t have expectations.
January 26, 2020
I selected this book because I thought it would talk about Michael jackson. I couldn't follow it because there was alot of scientific terms in it along with alot of errors. i want to thank netgalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me a chance to read this book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews