RHINESTONE COWBOY

An inherent problem with conversion narratives, whether written by a saint like Augustine or a costumed crooner like Campbell, is that most people would much rather have spent time with the unenlightened sinner than with the born-again. Like many performers, Campbell -- Grammy winner and Vegas headliner -- grew too friendly with the bottle, with cocaine, and with women who were not any of his three wives. He got religion and is now happily married to his fourth wife. He still performs, often in churches, and at the end of the book he offers some family-values bromides about the state of America. God bless him, but people are generally more interesting when carousing than when offering testimonials.