“How to Be a Man (and other illusions)”
Author: Duff McKagan
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars
“How to Be a Man” is the follow-up to bassist Duff McKagan’s critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling memoir “It’s So Easy: (and other lies). From his time with Gun’s N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, to getting sober Duff shares the wisdom he learned while on the road to superstardom.
Told through a series of brief chapters all of which carry humorous titles “How to Be a Man (and other illusions)” documents Duff’s past trials and tribulations while on his way up through the various steps of stardom. From getting sober to raising a family no topic is off limits as McKagan speaks candidly about his experiences while passively attempting to teach the reader a thing or two about the sometimes not so glamorous life on the road. Amidst the scattered life lessons Duff shares little know facts about some of the biggest music stars in the industry to which Duff has the privy of calling friends. We learn about Gene Simmons hidden dance skills, Jane’s Addiction front-man Perry Ferrell’s knack for NFL history along with Duff’s accounts of reuniting recently with Axl Rose to perform a number of shows with Guns N’ Roses while the band was in South America.
Though some of the chapters in the book seemed a bit dry and tended to drone on there was still something about this book that pulled me back in page after page. Duff clearly has lived the rock-star life and those were certainly the elements that stood out for me. I understand Duff not wanting to tell the same old stories that were documented in his first book however those types of stories are what I feel capture the reader’s attention more so than the importance of using sun block while in South America. All in all a fun and quick read that fan’s of Duff and his music will surely enjoy.