Dan Kennedy, Rock On: An Office Power Ballad (Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin, 2008)

I probably would never have picked up this book if it hadn’t been for the frequent mentions of the web site for the book on NPR. As a fan of Public Radio, I know the name Dan Kennedy and one day decided to order the book just for the fun of trying to figure out what kinds of thoughts go through the head of creative people. Had I read the title, looked at the cover or even picked up the book in a bookstore, I might have not bothered to buying it.

The book is a fun story of what it might be like to have a short-lived mid-level career in the recording industry after the glory days of the industry have passed. It is also a credible commentary on the excesses of the industry and how mis-management can accelerate in the failure to recognize emerging trends. The world is changing and we all are changing with it whether or not we want to.

For anyone who has listened to albums and dreamed of being a rock star - then grown up knowing that that particular dream is never going to come true - this book is a joy and will stir some pleasant memories. And it is very funny. Who but Dan Kennedy can make you laugh out loud at the description of a middle aged guy getting laid off with no prospects for the next stage of his career?

Rock on!