Grateful Dead

Phil Lesh Searching for the Sound My Life with the Grateful dead.... gonna start it now :)

is an excellent collection of poems by Robert Hunter I also dig Skeleten Key "The Grateful Dead Outback" ( or so Jerry called it) PEACE

One of the best books I've ever read and certainly one of the best biographies of a musician ever written, imo. My mom gave it to me for Christmas (2002 if I remember correctly) along with the DVD, "Anthem of Beauty" (grate Christmas!). For me, the book brought Jerry to life again, in a strange (how else could it?) and beautiful way. As I read the book, I redefined my definition of a "hero". I still have heroes, but now I can be one, myself. I think that's what Jerry tried to tell me himself. No one person is perfect but that fact makes life not only bearable but immensely beautiful, "if you look at it right". The book also deals with several subjects of being a deadhead that I thought were too intangible for publication but Blair Jackson did a marvelous job of getting it ALL down on paper. I'll never forget the feeling I got from reading that book - Grateful. "I tell you Max, I don't know why I ever leave this place. I've got all the company I need right here." - The Grinch

I'd put in a vote for Max Ludington's Tiger in a Trance. A very well-constructed and well-written work of fiction that takes place on Dead tour, with very specific references that are historically accurate. GD Hour blog Station list

... to Leadbelly27 for the kind words about Conversations with the Dead. You have the original edition, published in 1991 by Citadel Undergound. A new edition was published by Da Capo a few years ago, with a lengthy interview with Ned Lagin ("Seastones") bolted on at the end. GD Hour blog Station list

By Jerilyn Lee Brandelius. Very interesting,full of alot of fun stuff :)

David Dodd has been known to show up around here now and then...

I have and have read dead head forever, this is a cool book to flip through when listening to tunes I usually put on later dead since the book is a scrap book and most the stories and ticket stubbs are from after 1980. Ive also read Phil Lesh book and Steve Parish's book. Both were great. Lately I just bought a book called complete annotated grateful dead lyrics. This book is great its another one thats good to flip through when listening to tunes.

I have to second (third?) the comments by Oroboros and Cactuswax: "Dead to the Core: An Almanack of the Grateful Dead" by Eric Wybenga is a consistent favorite Dead-related book of mine. A mixture of great show reviews, "best version" lists, essays, and generally cool trivia. Last I checked it was out of print, which is too bad. Well worth looking for a used copy... And Cactuswax is so right about Wybenga's turn of phrase. For example, Wybenga says of 9/28/75 "There's a live-wire energy attendant on this show..." -- I still find myself using that phrase to describe the show (one of my favorite shows too). Another book that I'd recommend: A novel by Deadhead tour veteran Max Ludington called "Tiger in a Trance" which is a fictionalized account of life on the road following the Dead. I used to frequent the Dick's Picks discussion board in the old Deadbase site, and a regular poster there recommended this book - he was good friends with Ludington. I didn't know what to expect, but boy was I surprised. One of the most engrossing novels I've read in the past decade.

The latest one I've read is Deadhead Forever. It was pretty cool. It's written by this dude Haze. It is his scrapbook from touring with The Dead. Really neat. It took me back.