THE WAY YOU WEAR YOUR HAT:Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art ... (ISBN 069451828X)

Question: "How Do You Know When You've Found A Friend For Life?":
Answer: "You bypass the acquaintanceship stage immediately. Either your currents are different and the chemistry isn't there or else you're hooked and you're a friend immediately - and, in most cases, permanently." ~ Frank Sinatra ~ What makes this book by Bill Zehme "The Way You Wear Your Hat" an interesting read is it is written in questions-and-answers format. It is sub-titled "Frank Sinatra and The Lost Art of Livin'." Mr. Zehme did an excellent job in painting an intimate portrait of the legendary Chairman of the Board as seen by Sinatra's fellow artists such as Tony Bennett, Angie Dickenson, Tony Curtis, Robert Wagner, Joey Bishop, Don Rickles, and his daughters, Nancy and Tina Sinatra. He prepared a set of essential questions for the Entertainer of the Century and the result is amazingly interesting. He pictured Ol' Blue Eyes as the Leader, Voice, Swinger, Fighter, Drinker, Actor, Prankster, Gentleman, Father, Lover and most of all, a Friend. It has been noted that Frank Sinatra was the kind of person that everyone loves to be a friend for life. Zehme said it perfectly - "he was a friend everyone wanted." Sinatra once told Sammy Davis, Jr. and I quote, "Anything I can ever do for you - you've got yourself a friend for life." It has also been noted that Dean Martin was one of Sinatra's friends for life, as Zehme has written, "Dean was his balance, the man he could not be but wished he was. By origins, Italiano, they were opposites: Dean was Abruzzese, stoic in nature; Frank was Sicilian, passionate by birthright. Dean was a complex but fluffy nimbus rolling gently across the azure; Frank was the storm cloud, pouring love (or hate or joy), always in torrents." Here are some of the most interesting questions-and-answers found in this book in which Frank Sinatra's answers were insightful and inspiring. Q: "Can a friend ask too much of another friend?" A: "A friend is never an imposition." Q: "What is the most important thing to look for in a woman?" A: "A sense of humor. It always helps to find a woman who is also looking. Make her feel appreciated, make her feel beautiful. If you practice long enough, you'll know when you get it. And by the way, look, but don't touch. You can't get into trouble window-shopping." Q: "What should a man never do in the presence of a woman?" A: "Yawn." Q: "How should a man respect a woman?" A: "I may sound old-fashioned, but I want all women to be treated like I want my wife, daughters, granddaughters to be treated. I noticed today that good manners - like standing up when a woman enters the room, helping a woman on with a coat, letting her enter an elevator first, taking her arm to cross the street - are sometimes considered unnecessary or a throwback. These are habits I could never break, nor would I want to. I realize today a lot more women are taking care of themselves than in the past. But no woman is offended by politeness." Q: "How do you get over a broken heart?" A: "You don't. It takes a long time to heal a broken heart. It's happened to all of us and never gets any easier. I understand, however, that playing one of my albums can help." Q: "What do you do when a woman cries?" A: "I usually cry with her." Q: "How can a man and a woman survive divorce?" A: "Try to remain friends if you can." Q: "How does one best face failure?" A: "Don't despair. You have to scrape the bottom to appreciate life and start living again." Q: "When should a man consider the happy surrender of marriage?" A: "There are moments when it's too quiet, particularly late at night or early mornings. That's when you know there's something lacking in your life. You just know." Q: "How do you know when a hat looks right on you?" A: "When no one laughs. My favorite was the one I wore on 'Pal Joey.' I was so crazy about that suit from the movie. I didn't want to wear the coat over it - and that's why I put it over my shoulder." This is truly an insightfully interesting book about Frank Sinatra and a must-read to any huge Sinatra fan. Very highly recommended for your reading pleasure. "Once his friend, you're a friend for life." ~ Vincente Minnelli ~

tom:
Great book, fast reading, it had to be a great life. What this book does is it describes what it was like to be a man before the days of sensitivity training, and equality for all...

Loved it...But HELP ME please!:
This is a great book; I echo all those positive reviews that came before. But it left me seriously jonesing for a guide like this for women. I really wish there were a parallel book for us dames. Does anyone know of a biography or a guide that looks at "the lost art of livin' life" for my gender?? **Please** let me know.

Great guide for living life like it should be lived:
This book takes a turn away from Sinatra the Musician, and focuses on Sinatra the Man. Sure, he had a temper. Which one of us doesn't? Sure, he made some mistakes in his life. Which one of us hasn't? The flaws that FS had were overshadowed by the good qualities, with one that stands out in particular - LOYALTY. He stood by his friends just as fiercely as he stood up to his enemies. This book doesn't take the angle of a biography like so many others do. It only gets into biographical details as they relate to how Frank lived his life. It's full of great stories told by his friends and family on how Frank lived his life. It was a different time, and while all the specifics may not apply to today, the ideals are still very relevant. Everybody should take a least a page from Frank's life through this book, and apply it to their own life. A flower's not a flower if it's wilted. A hat's not a hat 'till it's tilted.

Frank had style, like no other before or since:
This is a fun read. It's not really biographical; simply a collection of anecdotes and memories that paint a picture of a man over the years. I get a real sense of Frank Sinatra -- we all knew him, and yet perhaps no one really knew him at all.