Recommended by Peter Rost. Berger, who is now a psychologist, delves into the lure of fame, the limitations of artistic ego, and the mysteries of the recording and mixing rooms. He survived with a lot of stories to tell, a measure of regret and a dose of self-analysis. Makes "never meet your heroes" a slogan to knit on your heart.

Despite the cheesy title, this is actually a fascinating and well-written look back at the New York recording scene of the 1970s. I developed a love-hate relationship with the author. On the one hand, I really appreciated his insightful, thoughtful perspectives and his ability to tell a compelling story in the context of a life. On the other hand, he really was a self-absorbed jerk during the peak of his recording career, and as a reader it was difficult to like him during that part of the story. I do cut him some slack for recognizing this (in hindsight, anyway), but despite all of his later introspection, he still writes of Paul Simon and a few others with unapologetic disdain. Regardless, there were two layers woven throughout the book: one was the amazing stories from the studio - my favorite sections being Mick Jagger, Bette Midler, and Frank Sinatra - and the other was the life reflection and introspection, which I very much enjoyed (perhaps because I am about the same age as the author when we wrote this). I'm just sad for Ivy. I wish there was a book about her. :)