What Would Keith Richards Do?: Daily Affirmations from a Rock 'n' Roll Survivor

by Jessica Pallington West

Book Overview

What is a wiseman? What is a prophet?

Someone with a strange, unflappable demeanor. Someone who speaks in cryptic koans, words whose meanings take years to unravel. Someone who has confronted death, God, sin, and the immortal soul. Someone unfit for this world, but too brilliant to depart it. Someone--in short--like Keith Richards.

Here, at last, the wisdom of this indefatigable man is recorded and set forth. These are his visionary...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1596916141
• ISBN13: 9781596916142
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

The Book of Keef

Wow this girl did her research. If you're a die hard Keith Richards or Stones fan pick this up! Fun and interesting read...It's essentially a Keith Richards Bible :)

Keithism!

This is a very loyal book to a very controversial figure and his personal philosophy: Keithism. The lifestyle of Keith Richards is self-destructive but at the same time powerfully preservative. This superb insight sheds light onto the dark depths of the human being, and how even in the muck and slime of humanity, beautiful things may shine. Just as the great Nazi philosopher Heidegger said that we must be held out into nothingness to comprehend our own meaning, Keith Richards says, "At our best, we master the art of going just over the edge of the abyss, then pulling back.". By the way, Richards once lived in a secret Gestapo hideaway. Mrs. West riffs with a vivid verve on a remarkable man and his unique personal philosophy. After all, the man who outlived his heroin addiction, outrageous lifestyle, and trepanned brain surgery might have a thing or two to say about that muddled thing we called life.

Recommended

On concept alone, this one gets high marks. The writing is great-- and the author goes into all sort of creative avenues in bringing the story and philosophy of Keith Richards to life. It's not meant to be a super-serious book, but fun and informative, and on that level it delivers. Good gift for mothers day, fathers day, and graduates! Very unique book. Haven't seen one like this before.

Go Keith! Loved it!

Not only is the most comprehensive book of Keith quotes and his wit and wisdom, it's also funny. The Keith information is pretty comprehensive-- it's a novel concept of how to tell the Keith Richards story outside of a traditional biography. Plus- you have this format of a making-fun-of-self help books that actually has a lot of pretty good self-help advice. Living life the Keith Richards way, while a humorous concept, actually makes a lot of sense, because so much of what he has to say is surprisingly smart and wise-- and you get it why he survived this long. Especially liked the Keith timeline that put forth the full biography of Keith in a way not seen before. There's some not-often seen facts about his childhood (his first gig as a teen where he got stranded at a bus stop over night, his early job demonstrating refrigerators), the run-down of his fight with "Brenda" Jagger, and the timeline of his arrests, car-crashes, and Ron Wood-related disasters. A lot of these quotes will be familiar to the rock n roll fan, and some of them will be surprising and new. And- you get Keith's mum's recipe for Shepherd's Pie. An original concept, fun, and recommended-- especially for a Stones fan.

LOVE this book!

I love how this book pokes fun at self help books, but at the same time is the best self help book you'll ever need. It's funny, witty, and thought provoking. All the wisdom you ever need can come from Keith Richards. I have this book out on the kitchen table and read a few pages or a few lines every day. It offers me just the right amount of wisdom and advice when I need it. It is well written and full of facts, too. It is a must for any Stones fan, but even those who are remotely familiar with Keith and the Stones would appreciate it, too. Get this book, you'll love it!