Besides being born and dying, the most common human experience is being rejected–dissed, dumped on, or downsized–by lovers, parents, and employers. Now here’s a hilarious collection of rejection stories–and rejected works–by some of today’s most accomplished comic writers and performers (some world famous) sharing their pieces that were ripped to pieces and their own experiences of being handed their hats, heads, and hearts on a platter.• Bob Witfong recalls being hired as a corres...

A revealing new perspective on Bob Dylan's enduring legacy - from one of the foremost experts on the Nobel Peace prize-winning artist.Forget About Today shows a side of Bob Dylan that most people - from fans to skeptics - have never seen. Rather than another gossipy account of his romances, finances, or family, journalist Jon Friedman offers a new perspective on Dylan's revolutionary and enduring legacy through an intimate look at the mystery behind Dylan's success...

The rollicking autobiography of the iconic guitarist who took **thrash metal behemoths Megadeth from the edge of collapse to their highest peak before departing to Japan for the joy of J-Pop.“The story of how he got where he is is fascinating. The Megadeth years have been well documented, but there’s so much more to Marty Friedman’s story and it’s well worth reading about in Dreaming Japanese.” —Decibel Magazine**Marty Friedman’s upbringin...

Marty Friedman's upbringing was as atypical as his career. Growing up in a Jewish household in Maryland, the son of an NSA executive, he lacked motivation until he discovered the guitar. Enjoying a hazy adolescence overflowing with partying, music, and teen antics, he achieved local stardom in Deuce, then burst onto the national scene by pioneering a radically new style of playing, bringing attention to the guitar aficionado label, Shrapnel Records. Friedman moved to California and scored ...

"Max & The Purple Anxiety Monster" is a touching story about a boy named Max as he moves to a new city and grapples with anxiety. His fears, embodied by a purple monster, loom large as he adjusts to his new home. Max learns ways to minimize his anxiety, thereby shrinking the monster's influence, such as writing in a journal and making new friends. Max's story of coping with anxiety is common amongst young children, and the visualization of the Purple Anxiety Monster is a helpful way for ch...

Stew Friedman, founding director of The Wharton School's Work/Life Integration Project, studied two generations of Wharton college students as they graduated: Gen Xers in 1992 and Millennials in 2012. The cross-generational study produced a stark discovery—the rate of graduates who planned to have children had dropped by nearly half over those twenty years. While some might wonder what this privileged group can tell us about broader trends in the United States, Friedman argues that they we...

The long-awaited memoir from the iconic Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Rush bassist, and bestselling author of Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass.Includes two new songs by Geddy Lee, available exclusively in the My Effin’ Life audiobook.Geddy Lee is one of rock and roll's most respected bassists. For nearly five decades, his playing and work as co-writer, vocalist and keyboardist has been an essential part of the success...

The #1 New York Times Bestseller * Named one of Variety's Best Music Books of 2021 * Included in Audible's Best of The Year list * A Business Insider Best Memoirs of 2021 * One of NME's Best Music Books of 2021So, I've written a book.Having entertained the idea for years, and even offered a few questionable opportunities ("It's a piece of cake! Just do 4 hours of...

In his New York Times bestseller, Duff McKagan, founding member of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, shares the story of his rise to fame and fortune, his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, his personal crash and burn, and his life-saving transformation via a unique path to sobriety.In 1984, at the age of twenty, Duff McKagan left his native Seattle—partly to pursue music but mainly to get away from a host of heroin overdoses then decimating hi...

The rock icon and co-founder of KISS recounts his turbulent life behind the face paint in this New York Times bestselling memoir.With his onstage persona, the "Starchild", Paul Stanley made rock & roll history—thrilling countless fans with hard rock anthems and elaborate stage shows. But his famous makeup hid a difficult life. In Face the Music, Stanley shares a gripping blend of personal revelations and gritty war stories about the highs and lows ...

THE MUSIC, THE MAKEUP, THE MADNESS, AND MORE. . . . In December of 1972, a pair of musicians placed an advertisement in the Village Voice: “GUITARIST WANTED WITH FLASH AND ABILITY.” Ace Frehley figured he had both, so he answered the ad. The rest is rock ’n’ roll history.He was just a boy from the Bronx with stars in his eyes. But when he picked up his guitar and painted stars on his face, Ace Frehley transformed into “The Spaceman”—and helped turn KISS into one of the top...