'Everyone Loves You When You're Dead' by Neil Strauss

I have read one other book by Neil Strauss and was excited to delve into this, a compilation of particularly insightful portions of interviews he has given.

The premise of this collection is in most interviews, after the new cd, the autobiography, or the hype of a celebrity have been handled, the interviewee will give a deeper, more honest, insight into who they are and what they believe. I presume that most, if not all, of these interview portions have never seen the light of day until the publication of this book.

Some artist showed great sadness and an utter inability to cope with the rigors of stardom and all it entails. Others proved to hold onto a greater meaning in their lives and, through it all, maintained a real grounded and appreciative state. Still others prove to be clinically insane. Strauss does a magnificent job of realizing where each interviewee belongs in the design of this book and it reads, remarkably, in a linear manner. One can, certainly, jump around and seek out those that they, in particular, want to learn more about but, in my opinion, a straight through read provides greater depth and comedic value. There are many instances where one artist references the words or actions of another and immediately following their section is the aforementioned artist. In other areas the theses of the artists seem to pony off of the previous interviewee.

Neil has been a journalist for several decades working for such prestigious publishers as The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and other music based magazines. His writing, and most importantly, his interview style make this a must read for anyone intrigued by what makes celebrities and artists tic.