A rock and roll legend who really needs no introduction has penned his memoir. Keith Richards’ “Life” details his life story, work ethic, songwriting and touring with the World’s Greatest Rock And Roll Band The Rolling Stones.

What I Liked

• Amusing anecdotes, and some genuinely sweet family photos that reveal the personal side of the legendary guitarist
• Detailed description of his discovery of open G tuning using only five strings. What this means is that his guitar is not tuned to a standard concert tuning of six string E-A-D-G-B-E arrangement, and the result unlocks a powerful palette of richer sounds. It’s the reason even the very best cover bands don’t quite get his sound right. His description is absolutely poetic.
• The “inside story” behind some of his exploits from the source, particularly the fall from the tree in Fiji. The story was carried by the media as a goofy escapade, but is a well-told tale of head injuries and the importance of immediate medical attention.

What I Didn’t Like

• It is completely his prerogative to openly disclose his heroin addiction,  and it’s disappointing that the only thing I learned besides open G tuning is how his addiction was ingested.

Best LOL Jokes (Spoilers!)

When Mick Jagger was getting out of control (considering himself the leader) he called Charlie Watts wondering where “his drummer” was. This resulted in Charlie punching out Mick, who was wearing one of Keith’s jackets. When Keith grabbed Mick who was reeling towards a balcony and certain death, Keith grabbed him. Charlie shouts “Why did you grab him?” to which Keith replies “He’s wearing MY jacket!”.

Overall Grade: A-

It’s an interesting read if you are a fan of the Stones and reading about the excesses and privileges of one of the world’s living rock legends. I’ve used the word legendary as sparingly as possible, but when I saw the Stones live for the Bigger Bang Tour in 2006 that’s the single word I came away with.

Up next, I’ve downloaded my first eBook to Kindle. Not sure if finishing an eBook is as rewarding as putting Keith’s book on the top shelf of “finished” books.