{"id":36,"date":"2023-12-21T23:38:27","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T23:38:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cbcampbell.ca\/?page_id=36"},"modified":"2026-02-03T00:49:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T05:49:45","slug":"book-reviews","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cbcampbell.ca\/?page_id=36","title":{"rendered":"Book Reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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My Writing – Book Reviews<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What have I been reading? Would you be interested in reading it? Maybe there is something here for you.<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The Storyteller<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

by Dave Grohl<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Reviewed 25-Dec-2021<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cover<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Bart Simpson isn\u2019t the only boy who grew up in a town called Springfield and struggled with school.  So did Dave Grohl, iconic drummer for Nirvana and leader of the Foo Fighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The liner notes describe Grohl\u2019s autobiographical work as a \u2018collection of moments\u2019 in his life, and that is exactly what this book is.  The book is not exactly linear, with flashbacks and flash forwards in most of the chapters. More structure might be better for readers not already familiar with his work and career.  It may also be that Grohl doesn\u2019t see his life as one built to travel a linear path to some clearly defined pinnacle of stardom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, Grohl gets older and goes from childhood heartbreak to playing at the White House and the Oscars, but this isn\u2019t a \u2018how to succeed\u2019 guide. Instead we are treated to the memories of a man who revels in the experience of being a musician with few expectations.  This book demonstrates Grohl\u2019s deep commitment to giving his fans the best show that he can, whether it is in a small club like the Rivoli in Toronto or a stadium in Sweden with a freshly fractured foot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The narrative is humble and describes a career built on good fortune and a single-minded focus on being the best musician he can be.  Even when he talks about his friend Paul (McCartney), he isn\u2019t bragging.  Grohl is the ultimate fan-boy, seemingly surprised to have been noticed and grateful for having the opportunity to play with greats such as Tom Petty, AC\/DC and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. Even after 30 years in the industry, he is still nervous and excited when he gets the chance to play with Joan Jett .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While his is clearly a talented musician, his super power is staying grounded \u2013 most of the time. He does fly halfway around the planet and back to get to a father-daughter dance while on tour in Australia and introduces a friend\u2019s mother to her musical idol Neil Diamond because Dave\u2019s playing a show with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are looking to understand stardom, why Kurt Cobain overdosed or how to get an album made, this isn\u2019t your book.  Grohl isn\u2019t ready (or interested?) in providing deeper answers to big questions.  Instead this book provides an easy to read and entertaining story of a high school dropout from the suburbs of Washington DC.  A drop-out who finds a career he loves, settles down and builds a family. Maybe there\u2019s hope for Bart Simpson.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My Writing – Book Reviews What have I been reading? Would you be interested in reading it? Maybe there is something here for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":80,"menu_order":10,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-36","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nBook Reviews - CB Campbell welcomes you!<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cbcampbell.ca\/?page_id=36\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Book Reviews - CB Campbell welcomes you!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"My Writing – Book Reviews What have I been reading? Would you be interested in reading it? 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