The Michael Jackson Tapes: A Tragic Icon Reveals His Soul in Intimate Conversation

by Shmuley Boteach

In 2000 and 2001, Michael Jackson sat down with his friend and spiritual confidant Shmuley Boteach to record a series of intimate and revealing conversations. The resulting 30 hours of tape present... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1593156022
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Vanguard Press
• Length: 299 Pages
• Weight: 1.24 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.0" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Michael Jackson Tapes

IF YOU LET IT.....I say this book can change your life!!! It was TOTALLY NOT what I expected but SOOOOOOO much more! I have to thank the Rabbi for writing this book first of all. I laughed, I cried, I reflected, I disagreed(at time with the Rabbi;) ) , I learned and saw things in my own life in such a different way after reading this book. Keep an open mind and I TRULY believe it CAN change your life. It will have you looking at all aspects of your life in a new, fresh way. It WILL INSPIRE you for sure. Michael , with all of his flaws, just like all of us...was a phenomenal man. His flaws were just magnified under a spotlight and more well known because he was more well known. VERY INSPIRING! AND renewed areas of my relationship with God! Just a beautiful book in my opinion!!!!!!!!

The Rabbi is right, even though his thoughts unwanted by many

I read this book and found it to be extremely interesting. While most of the reviews say that the Rabbi's opinions are unwanted, its hard to argue that he is off the mark. I too am a big fan of Michael, but he should've listened to some truly good people around him like the Rabbi and he could be alive today. The Rabbi is right on target in his view of celebrity in general and that we live in a society where celebrity seems to be the ultimate goal. We see it everywhere we look with kids, from youth sports, to baby pageants, to young people being trained to be dancers, actors, etc. Instead of just being raised as kids, many parents see their kids as a future ballplayer, or whatever. He is also on the mark by stating that Michael was the first and best ever REALITY TV star. As for the transcripts of MJ himself, he is the man. We know who he was, but don't be too dismissive of the Rabbis comments. He freely admits multiple times that he was as wrapped up in MJ's celebrity as anyone else. I found his writing to be very genuine.

great history, but an unfortunately bully pulpit for a right wing thinker

** may contain spoilers ** This book has historical significance and is definitely a must read for any MJ fans. This is why I have given it a high rating. On the other hand, unfortunately, the author has tried to use MJ's life as a justification for the author's religious and cultural beliefs in a manner that is totally irrational and wholly disappointing. The first and most important issue that needs to be raised is the good Rabbi's total ignorance of how addiction needs to be treated. He seems to believe that he can cure MJ of addiction - a hopeless condition of mind and body - simply by telling him to stop. What sort of training do they give rabbis anyway? The first and still most popular cure for addiction is to be found the "Big Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous. ("BB"). BB makes clear that the cure for addiction is spiritual, as the Rabbi seems to intuit, in particular that the addict needs to experience a "vital spiritual experience," in order to be freed of his addiction. But what the Rabbi fails to appreciate is that this experience must be with the God of the addict's understanding, not the God of the person who is trying to treat the addict. MJ tells the Rabbi that his most important spiritual experiences were when performing, that he went into a trance where he felt connected both with God and with the audience, that he could measure the strength of this spiritual connection by looking at the audience's reaction. In fact, MJ publicly stated that he thought he was an instrument of nature and that the audience's reaction was a manifestation of love - one that he found supernatural. The Rabbi dismisses this as "being a celebrity" or having some kind of Messiah complex and apparently tried to pressure MJ to go back to the Jehovah's Witness church that tried to suppress MJ's art. Michael's impression that he was uniquely positioned to bring unity to the world through song and dance was not delusional or non-spiritual. He was the greatest celebrity who has ever existed. He made audiences all over the world sing and dance to the same music. Anyone who doubts the significance of this should watch the Estonian movie "The Singing Revolution." This movie clearly shows the power that music has to unite and to divide peoples. The world is in desperate need of music that all people can sing together - and MJ was positioned to give us that. The Rabbi, as the spiritual adviser in MJ's life at that time, by denying MJ's experience, significantly reduced the chances that MJ could have the vital spiritual experience that might have cured him of his addiction. It is sad that, given this opportunity to help MJ, instead the Rabbi seems to have bumblingly made things worse. The Rabbi also seems disappointingly ignorant of gay people. This is surprising, given that he states that his own brother is gay. MJ tells the Rabbi that he is straight, and the Rabbi sees no reason to question that, even though he quotes MJ extensively as being phobic

Read slowly and grieve.

I first read this book very quickly when it was just released. I was so shocked and sad when MJ die, that I needed some insight in his personal thoughts to get some kind of comfort. I have read this book a second time and I can actually remember more and now I am in the grieving process. I am at the anger stage. Angry that the world misjudged him and created such unnessecary hell for him to bear. No one could live through his reality and Rabbi Schmuley did try to help him but unfortunatley, he tried to put a square peg into a round hole and misjudged MJ's reality; be it fantasy or denial.

love the book, not shmuleys comments

I love this book reading how Michael felt in his own words was refreshing,if you are a fan read the book, the type of women he liked and didnt like, religion, everything,on how singing in those clubs when he was young and seeing what he saw shaped the type of women he liked and why he wasnt sleeping with everyone he met and he could have, if he did they would of talk about him for that instead of praising him for keeping his virginty they made fun of him, shmuleys contradicted himself quite a bit in this book, when asking Micheal if he thought God gave him the gift of healing and Michael said yes childern follow me whereever I go,when i visit the sick they feel better, then Shmuley says he has the Messia syndrum, Michael didnt say yes I am God He sd answered the question yes I think God gave me a gift which he did, Michael was always praising and thanking God for the gifts that were giving to him he didnt take advantage, Michael was a people pleaser and that came from trying to please his father who didnt know how to show love, yes Michael wanted to be the biggest star ever and he was he asked for love not for all the women and men falling out, crying screaming he didnt ask for that it just happen and Shmuley once again turn everything around stating Michael wanted idolatry the man just wanted to be loved and wanted to give love back and help anyone who needed it, and it was the very people who he tried to help that broke his spirit, Shmuley stated Michael gave up his will to live I disagree totally, yes Michael might of needed the money that is why he was going to do the this is it concert but if you watch the preview he was smiling and so happy that he was doing what he loved to do and that we his fans still loved him that is why tickets sold out so quickly, Shmuley being a Rabbi should know better than anyone when someone is addicted to anything they have to be the ones to want help they can not do it for anyone else not there kids,family no one but themselves, Shmuley also said Michael wanted to died totally untrue, if you can read the book and take it for what it is and why you bought the book to begin with Michaels thoughts then this is a excellent book if you can not take what Shmuley says with a grain of salt then its not for you, Shmuley is very judgemental concerning Michael in this book it didnt sound like he was trying to help Michael but to do as i say or I cant be your friend anymore...and that is a shame,Shmuley you will be judge in the end for being so judgemental....