The Carpenters: The Untold Story : An Authorized Biography

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But a good, no-holds-barred insight into the wreckage of two lives post-fame - the damaging downward spirals of anoxeria and drug addiction, leading to the loss of one of the loveliest voices the world has ever known and probably doesn't deserve. Tour dates, television appearances, chart positions, and other major events are laid out in immense detail.

Now, for the very first time in over 30 years, the voice that melted a thousand romantic hearts lives again through Toni Lee, in this remarkable live show. Any Carpenters fan would be thrilled with a new exploration of the band, but one in which Richard participates is even more satisfying.

The brother and sister team of Karen and Richard Carpenter rank as one of the most successful acts in pop music history. A week into their daily sessions, Karen admitted to Levenkron she was taking a large number of laxative tablets – 80-90 Dulcolax a night. Although the group's career was brought to a tragic and premature end by the untimely death of Karen Carpenter in 1983, they remain a much-loved band that continue to attract new fans. Karen's quest to be thin seems to have begun innocently enough just after high school graduation when she started the Stillman water diet. Richard was the musical driving force but it was Karen's effortless voice that lay behind the Carpenters' hits.

According to Levenkron's 1982 book, Treating and Overcoming Anorexia Nervosa, the patient must become totally dependent upon the therapist.This book does exactly what it aimed to do: we really get a clear and vivid idea of how they were hard-working and how intricate and complex their music was from the lyrics, instrumentation, melodies, etc. No personal problems, no scandal, no negativity, just a straight forward detailing of the history and accomplishments of a vastly underrated pair of superb musicians. The hyperalimentation process completely replaced all of her nutritional needs, and a precise daily calorie intake was dispensed through the catheter. You can feel the love in every page, in how everyone involved in this wanted to give Carpenters the respect that they deserve. Because it's Richard-approved, this is one pretty detailed, elaborate, and extensive book NOT on his personal life or his sister's personal life and their "demons," it's a book about their career, their albums, and their music, all of which that were and even still are often under looked and haven't received as much careful attention or appreciation, until now.