Journalist Strauss, who has coauthored books with the band members of Mötley Crüe (The Dirt) and porn superstar Jenna Jameson (How to Make Love Like a Porn Star) now offers a terrific look at the dysfunctional livelihoods of stardom, a theme based on his many interviews for various publications. Strauss went back to his original interview tapes and notes in search of moments—mostly unpublished—that reveal "the truth or essence of each person, story, or experience." He liberally and ingeniously cuts back and forth between scenes, such as pairing the youthful, arrogant claims of Oasis that the band could have been the Beatles in the 1960s with the tortured feeling of the Who's aging leader Pete Townshend ("All we can do in the future is look back"). In other instances, he shows the self-doubt shared by Soul Asylum's Dave Pirner and actor Orlando Bloom. But the best moments come when Strauss has earned such trust of his subjects that he becomes part of some very weird scenes, all of which are presented in all their often hilarious detail: shooting guns with Ludacris, getting kidnapped by Courtney Love, making Lady Gaga cry, and shopping for Pampers with Snoop Dogg. (Mar.)
We might as well have had sex now.” — Lady Gaga
“If you were a girl, I’d f*ck you.” — Bo Diddley
“We could do fifteen minutes in Vegas.” — Chuck Berry
“One of the longest and greatest interviews I’ve ever had.” — Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys
“The best interview of my life.” — Britney Spears
“Well Neil, f*ck you.” — Phil Collins, Angry Letter to Neil Strauss
“The best and most honest daily newspaper reporter rock has ever seen.” — Dave Marsh, Author
“This excellent bathroom read is boiled down like little rocks of crack.” — Library Journal
“Gonzo interviewing at its best.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A terrific look at the dysfunctional livelihoods of stardom.” — Publishers Weekly
“God bless the demons—and Neil Strauss too.” — Nikki Sixx, Mötley Crüe
The best interview of my life.
Well Neil, f*ck you.
If you were a girl, I’d f*ck you.
We could do fifteen minutes in Vegas.
One of the longest and greatest interviews I’ve ever had.
The best and most honest daily newspaper reporter rock has ever seen.
We might as well have had sex now.
God bless the demons—and Neil Strauss too.
"We might as well have had sex now."
This book contains unpublished tidbits from 227 interviews that rock critic Strauss—who's coauthored books with Mötley Crüe, Jenna Jameson, and Marilyn Manson—has conducted over his career writing for the New York Times and Rolling Stone, among other publications. Each snippet is only a few pages long, with a brief introductory paragraph, and the book rarely lists interview dates. Most pieces emphasize the celebrated subjects' more controversial moments or disturbing attributes but reveal little about them that is not already common knowledge. The majority of the interviewees are musicians—e.g., Snoop Dogg, Pink, Rick James, Patti Smith, Jerry Lee Lewis, Brian Wilson, Lady Gaga—with a smattering of other cultural icons, including Timothy Leary, Jackie Chan, and Ben Stiller. VERDICT Celebrity gossip can be addictive. This excellent bathroom read is boiled down like little rocks of crack.—Lani Smith, Ohlone Coll. Lib., Fremont, CA
