Trying to disentangle myth from fact and rumor from the real is a difficult challenge when dealing with a personality as multi-faceted and chameleon-like as Madonna. Here the author has undergone extensive research, conducted scores of her own personal interviews with acquaintances, business partners, friends, even lovers (though it may be difficult to draw the line between the latter two categories at times).

The book follows the famous one from her immigrant-styled beginnings as an Italian being raised in a northern Detroit suburb; her slow rise to fame as a dancer in '70s-era New York; her first album; and her ultimate breakthrough with "Like A Virgin."

Typically, there are no interviews with the subject herself, but O'Brien has plumbed the depths of available material to cushion her own perceptions with the singer's own words.

Madonna, indeed, is a true icon. She of the single name has remained a vital artistic presence while her imitators fall by the wayside. This book will help to explain the dynamics of what makes her such a consistent force.