The Free Press Summer Reading List

Every summer, the same flood of new books hits the shelves, each one apparently more unmissable than the last. The truth is, most aren’t—but how are you supposed to know which ones are worth your time? To find our favorites for this summer, we turned to some people whose taste we would stake our reputation on. From Arthur Brooks on the mystery of the human mind to Elliot Ackerman on the crime novel he couldn’t put down, we’re certain there’s something here for everyone. We can’t promise these will be light reads, but we can promise they’ll be worth it. —The Editors

Host of Old School and our in-house bibliophile Shilo Brooks chooses a front-row account of 1970’s rock and roll, The Uncool: A Memoir, by Cameron Crowe.

The Uncool is a coming-of-age rock and roll odyssey doubling as an electric teenage dream. Cameron Crowe, best known for writing and directing the films Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, and Vanilla Sky, became a rock journalist in 1971 at age 14. By 16, he was criss-crossing America on smoke-filled tour buses, profiling acts like Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, and David Bowie for Rolling Stone magazine.

(Simon & Schuster)

Crowe’s memoir exposes the creative essence of the ’70s rock gods and goddesses who shaped American culture in a Watergate world of guitar solo protests and Hyatt House hijinks. The awkward journalism nerd who goes everywhere with a tape recorder philosophizes in hotel rooms with Ziggy Stardust, sneaks into bars with Kris Kristofferson, lives with the Eagles off Mulholland Drive, and coaxes Jimmy Page and Gregg Allman into poetic confessionals.