. Barbra Streisand has been called the “most successful...talented performer of her generation” by Vanity Fair, and her voice, said pianist Glenn Gould, is “one of the natural wonders of the age.” Streisand scaled the heights of entertainment—from a popular vocalist, to a first-rank Broadway star in Funny Girl, to an Oscar-winning actress, to a producer, and director. She has also become a cultural icon who has transcended show business.
To achieve her success, Brooklyn-born Streisand had to overcome tremendous odds, not the least of which was her Jewishness. Dismissed, insulted, even reviled when she embarked on a show business career for acting too Jewish and looking too Jewish, she brilliantly converted her Jewishness into a metaphor for outsiderness that would eventually make her the avenger for anyone who felt marginalized and powerless.
Rachel Shukert, in the Wall Street Journal wrote “In this fascinating and insightful exploration of what it means to be Barbra Streisand, and what it took to become her, Mr. Gabler writes with the heart of a fan and the mind of a Freudian. He delves into Ms. Streisand’s tragic childhood and her anguish at the hand of neighborhood bullies, who taunted her for her big nose and relative poverty, and shows how they engendered in her an implacable—and stupefyingly correct—belief in the singular power of her talent as a performer.”
Neal Gabler is one of the leading historians of film and popular culture and he has depicted a fascinating account of Streisand’s life.

As I have posted in previous celebrity biographies I am a sucker for them. While Streisand is not my favorite celeb I do admit that she has a fantastic voice as this biography makes clear. I had the opportunity to see her in Funny Girl at the very beginning of her career. This book will take you on a ride from the boroughs to Manhattan and eventually to Hollywood. This bio will convince you that she has been a great success should you ever doubt it. Now if she would only stay out of politics. ( )