Last week I was really excited to attend a book event for author Jeff Kaliss who “scored the first face-to-face interview with the reclusive superstar in over 20 years.” hosted by Powell’s in Portland.

Here are my pictures, videos and a short unsolicited commentary on the book, event, and the author.

November 2008 Powell’s Books in Porland OR. Author Jeff Kaliss- I Want To Take You Higher, an inside look at Sly Stone

As a publicist, I have worked with numerous authors in various settings, set up and attended these book events so I am not the most objective attendee on the planet. The author, book, and event get my full FIVE STARS!

Highly entertaining and well executed I was more than pleasantly surprised. Jeff did a great job reading from the book, setting up the background and answering all of our probing questions. He managed to speak freely about his encounters with Sly Stone, the fun, the good, and the odd… without ever showing signs of any conjecture or personal slant. A true objective journalistic endeavor by a true professional that clearly did an enormous amount of research to write this book and took very seriously the assignment of presenting all of the people places and things that brings each to life in decade relevant detail.

I eagerly purchased I Want To Take You Higher: The Life and Times of Sly and The Family Stone and am only about half way through it (my personal reading ALWAYS takes a back seat to my professional reading!) but I can tell you that was even further impressed by the book itself. I will post my full review online as soon as I finish the book.
Synopsis: Great book, great event, great author, diverse, cool and large crowd. I anticipate Jeff making a few of the best seller lists in the next few months! Check he and the book out if you are even slightly interested in the subject matter. ~ Laura