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The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin'
Bill Zehme, © 1997
biography; 245 pages

My expectations were high when a friend loaned this book to me. Based on the fawning review I received, I naturally assumed it would be great. Inevitably, of course, I was let down.

The premise of the book is to let readers in on the way Frank lived his life through intimate stories and quotes. While many biographies hunt up endless minutiae to flesh out a man's life, this particular book opted for scattered relations instead of a chronological account. In many ways it was interesting and somewhat enlightening, but one a whole I found it a disappointment. Though it was by no means the intent of the author, I ended up feeling sorry for Frank Sinatra. Instead of eliciting envy and awe, there was pity. His supposed "art of livin" appeared empty and callow. While I am by no means a teetotaler, the reliance on booze for a good time made his (and by association so many others) life look sad.

Unless you are a die-hard Sinatra lover, SKIP IT.