Karen and Richard Carpenter became an amazing success story as they burst unto the 1970's pop music scene. They had 19 Top Ten singles and released 17 albums. Richard learned to play piano at age eleven, and his sister, four years younger, began learning to play drums. The Carpenters are known for their focus on harmonies, overdubbing effects and music arrangements. Between Karen's pleasing contralto and Richard's baritone voices, they produced songs that were wonderful, lyrically sophisticated and were perfect pop songs. They found success with "Without You," "Top of the World," "Hurting Each Other," "Superstar," "Rainy Days & Mondays," "We've Only Just Begun," "There's a Kind of Hush," "Touch Me When We're Dancing," "Sing,: and "Only Yesterday." They focused on perfection and worked tirelessy in the 1970's in the studio and on the concert circuit. Unfortuntately it took its toll on Richard and Karen in 1975. Richard struggle with quaalude addiction and Karen, with a perfectionist and critical German mother, had her struggles with anorexia. In 1981, The Carpenters began their comeback. Their striving had led Richard into rehab and Karen's struggles with perfectionism, her mother, the stress of stardom, troubles trying to get a solo career going, and lack of love relationships in her life led her into anorexia, which took her life and gift from the world in 1983. She was aged 32. The Carpenters created ten Gold Records, nine Gold Albums and one Multi-Platinum Album. They sold over 100 million albums and Karen was named by Rolling Stone as one of the 100 Greatest Singers ever. This book is a proper introducton of their influences, history, discography and achievements for Generation Z. Their impact on American culture cannot be overstated.