Most academics can't write--and this proves it. Charles Bukowski was right. These guys are usually out there "teaching" others how to write, not unlike Kosinski himself. Basically the man, "Kosinski," was illiterate--and yet, for a while there, he was teaching at a coupleof first rate universities. You figure it out. The whole thing is a scam, bogus--with the literary, East Coast set. In the beginning he was published because he hung out with the "elite," and he was a great B.S. artist. In the final analysis, this was Kosinski's greatest talent: lies and ... The man couldn't even write a decent letter...this explains why, years ago, when I attempted to read a couple of his novels I simply could not get through them...and I could not pinpoint exactly what it was that these books were lacking. Of course, now we know: too many chefs had had a hand in Jerzy's stew.

As far as this Sloan guy goes: he tried, but this isn't the definitive book on Kosinski (a worthwhile subject for a biography by someone who can write, even if his books are unreadable).

I grew up in Poland in the 70s and 80s and was unaware of Kosinski of that time. I was, however, aware of how the population felt towards the "collaborators", for example students who went on exchange programs to the Soviet Union.
I personally was punished for refusing the obligatory field trips to the USSR throughout high school.

While some people may see something good in collaborating with the enemy or doing anything to get ahead in life, I see 1 major flaw in this book: misspelling of Polish names, newspaper titles, names of towns. This may not bother Americans, but is annoying to a Polish speaker. This book should have been proof-read by a native Pole.

I paid ... for the hardcover, and I consider it was a decent investment.

Sloan, while not the most gripping writer, provides a digestible account of Kosinski's life and works. Much of the mythos accorded to Kosinski is addressed, if not fully explained. The largest benefit this book can bring to the reader is a refutation of the oftentimes confused early history of the author. Kosinski allowed and encouraged the public's belief that The Painted Bird was mostly autobiographical in a literal sense. This belief gained popularity to the extent that it has appeared as fact in "about the author" blurbs and websites devoted to Kosinski. Sloan disabuses the reader of this notion and places a much closer version of the reality in the reader's vision. However, he makes many mistakes. As noted by another review, "Sloan Should Have Proof-Read The Manuscripts," he makes several factual errors. He dispells some myths but clings to others despite facts to the contrary. Sloan interviewed Kiki (Kosinski's widow), as well as many others. Kiki told him that the story of Kosinski's arrival, in Poland, at his publisher's buisness in a limo with American flags was not true. In reality, Kosinski had come downstairs from a meeting. No car was involved, yet Sloan kept the myth. Such disregard for his sources and perpetration of myth makes me wonder what else Sloan did not accurately explain.
For the reader casually interested in Kosinski, I encourage reading Sloan's work as it does explore Kosinski's life quite in depth. For the scholar of Kosinski, it's a useful addition to the library, but not the first one to be turned to for understanding.