What Happened to Their Kids?: Children of the Rich and Famous

This eclectic collection of mini-biographies of children born to the rich and famous is strangely and strikingly without a central thesis. In capsule form the progeny of John Quincy Adams, Pope Alexander VI, Josephine Baker, Babe Ruth and Beverly Sills are among the 60 presented by Forbes, notoriously wealthy editor of Forbes magazine, and freelance writer Bloch. Although they tell us what became of the children the book follows--some led conventional lives, but most became alcoholic (e.g. Prohibitionist Carry Nation's daughter), eccentric, disabled or profligate--the authors fail to investigate the causes of such developments, or why, in fact, these were tragic lives. In alphabetical sequence under family names, the stories cover a vast chronology, replete with piquant and titillating incidents not to be construed as a guide to parenting. Major ad/promo. (Apr.)