A Book A Week - Week 4: Willie Nelson

This week's book:
   Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die   by Willie Nelson

Grade:
    A    if you're a Willie Nelson fan
    C    if you actually want to know something insightful about Willie Nelson

The subtitle of this book is 'Musings From On The Road' which tells you right there what you're getting into.  I expected more of an autobiography - and there is some of that in these pages - but mostly what you get is kind of an extended conversation, a dialogue with Willie as if you were riding in his tour bus with him, or sitting on his front stoop listening to him play Trigger and indulge in a 'bit of the herb.'

I think people will believe that this kind of collection of short anecdotes provides some insight into the man, a look at what makes him tick.  Not so much.  It's amusing, and there are spots, very short lines, where you get the tiniest glimpse into what makes a person like Willie Nelson successful.  When he was a struggling musician, for instance, he sold all sorts of things door to door, including encyclopedias.  Right there that lets you know about his never-say-quit attitude, selling door-to-door is an impossible job.  But those glimpses are few and far between, mostly there are toss-off lines that leave you wanting much, much more.  For instance:  "I've been beaten up a few times and I never learned to like it.'   And...?  I want to know who beat you up, when, why, and what you learned from it, Willie.  You can't just write stuff like that and not elaborate.

For all its shortcomings as an actual autobiography, though, this book does an absolutely fabulous job of making you feel like you've met Willie Nelson in person.  The thing is chock full of dirty jokes, and his musings on pot, and stories about people in his band and his friends in the music business.  Reading this I felt like I might have if I were the guest of one of his friends or children, taken into his home and showed a good time.

If you like Willie Nelson, I recommend this book.  If you like autobiographies about Willie Nelson, give it a pass, it's not an autobiography.
    Here's a dirty joke from the book to tide you over:
    A couple was making out on the second floor of a house of ill repute.
    They got a little too close to the window and fell out on the sidewalk, and just kept going.  A drunk knocked on the door of the house of ill repute and the madam came to the door.  The drunk said 'Excuse me, ma'am, but your sign fell down.' 
 

Next week:
   Good To Great   by Jim Collins
    In which I take on this management book from a small business perspective.