LifeLife
Score Modern
What it's about
Keith Richards, guitarist and founding member of the Rolling Stones, tells his story: obsessively listening to Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters, forming a band with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones, the Stones' fame, the drug busts that made him an outlaw folk hero, and the riffs that became immortal.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 2 weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and 38 weeks on the lists. It's one of the great rock memoirs.
You'll love it if you liked
Born to Run
Just Kids
Chronicles: Volume OneGood to know
It was written with James Fox. It's candid about drugs and feuds.
By the numbers
- Readers48 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #200 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #800 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1492 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
If you like this, read next
Between the World and Me
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Educated: A Memoir
When Breath Becomes Air
The Passage of Power
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert OppenheimerExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Life worth reading?
Yes. It spent 2 weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and 38 weeks on the lists. It ranks #1,492 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 68.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Life about?
Keith Richards, guitarist and founding member of the Rolling Stones, tells his story: obsessively listening to Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters, forming a band with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones, the Stones' fame, the drug busts that made him an outlaw folk hero, and the riffs that became immortal.
How long does it take to read Life?
About 21 hours (856 pages), or about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Life?
If you liked it, try Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, Just Kids by Patti Smith or Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylan.