Rating: 
Summary: bloody amazing
Review: the sex pistols are my favorite punk band, and rotten is my favorite punk, but if all of that weren't true, i would still love this book. john lydon's depiction of the original english punk rock scene and his early home life, his friends (particularly sid vicious) are both funny and sad. you have to be amazed that this little irish kid, who struggled with a near-fatal illness at an early age, with extremely poor parents, who now has every reason to go on about how bad life was, simply says words to the effect of, "yeah, it [was hard], but life's hard for everyone. moving on..." i told my mom to read this book, and she doesn't like the sex pistols or punk, but she loved the book, and became a devoted johnny fan.
you don't have to like punk or the pistols to enjoy this book as long as you appreciate the genius behind it all.
before i end, i'd like to bring up the hilariousness of the autobiography. lydon has a true way with words. he can make almost everything (even being arrested in ireland for fighting with policemen ['apparently i attacked their fists with my face several times']) have you (the reader) falling off your bed laughing. buy it, read it, and then read it again. trust me, you'll want to.
Rating: 
Summary: A repulsive charisma
Review: There's a lot of denial and acceptance, boasting and modesty going on here, but these are the contradictions we should expect from John Lydon. But, frankly, this is a very enjoyable book, no matter how much of this narrative is tongue-in-cheek, and no matter how much he tries to repulse us. Personally, I enjoyed the earlier chapters much more than the later ones. The story of his early childhood rings more of the truth. He may be embellishing the hardship he endured, trying to make himself sound more like a Dickensian poorboy, but I don't think the embellishment is necessarily exaggeration. Growing up Irish where he grew up could not have been easy. Who would brag about such suffering? The later chapters have a more defensive ring to them. Maybe he has a right to such a stance, if he is speaking is truth. But you never know with Mr. Lydon. And by this time, the whole story of the disintegration of the Pistols, and of Mr. Vicious, have entered into rock 'n' roll mythology/legend/hype. Nonetheless, this book reads so much differently than most rock autobiographies, biographies, and histories. First of all, there is no presence of a ghostwriter behind the scenes. This is John, no doubt, and his caustic wit. Also, there is no holier-than-thou or rockier-than-thou or druggier-than-thou tone. Lastly, he allows some other people to speak, although the quotes seem highly selective at times. In any event, he is not hogging the microphone; he's screaming at it, as usual, as he should. I would expect nothing less than that.
Rating:
Summary: real fame begins with the truth
Review: This book is from my point of view written real clear and it seems as though john is talking to you one on one, veryinlightening,
Rating:
Summary: Fan-Tastic!
Review: This book tells it like it was and is! Very informative, if you want to know just how the whole punk thing started from A to Z, as far as the Sex Pistols are concerned, check in here. There are many others mentioned and lots of interesting things that were surrounding the "Pistols". The fact that Chrissy Hinde was in so tight with the "Pistols" was news to me.
It was great to actually get all the facts, good, bad and indifferent, from everyone including quotes from Chrissy Hinde, John Lydon, Paul Cook and Steve Jones and many others.
Couldn't put it down. It reads quite smooth.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous
Review: This book was incredible!! John Lydon is a wonderful story teller. You can get a better view on his uniqueness from where he was born and raised.
Rating:
Summary: open up
Review: This is a very unique look at a very unique time in history. This is a raw look inside an intelligent, passionate yet egomaniacal mind. I was an infant during this period so to me this is like being able to hear first hand accounts of a period I wish I saw for myself.
The only downer is that the book pays almost no attention to the 20 years after the breakup. I wanted to learn more about PiL and how Lydon survived the 80's! The best part of the book, other than his brutal honesty, is that a good part is written by other contributors who offer a fresh (and sometimes different) view of the situation.
I have no idea what truly happened back then but I do think that I a vague idea what No Future was all about. I'm very greatful to have read this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Picture
Review: This is the story of John Lydon, an opinionated and intelligent man who fronted The Sex Pistols. Along with a cast of contributers that ranges from Billy Idol and Chrissie Hynde to John's own wife, Nora, and father, John Christopher Lydon, we are painted a very real image of the world that the Sex Pistols created, and the emotions they stirred in even the most boring of people. We also get to see a lot fo the differences between Johnny Rotten, the stage personality, and John Lydon, the real thing. He shares with us his views on all the stereotypes and categories of the age, and on several the other punk groups that existed back then, and that exist now. And finally, we get clear views on Sid Vicious, Paul Cook, Glen Matlock, and Malcolm McLaren, all of whom had much to do with the development of the Sex Pistols. However, if you are looking for a book that will glorify Sid Vicious, look elsewhere. In fact, though Sid was a figurehead, he was only that. If you want to know the real influence on the scene, look to Johnny Rotten.
This book was enlightening, amusing, philosophical, critical, comical, and above all, highly interesting. I recommend this book to any fan of the Sex Pistols, or the punk rock era.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining, but pass a grain of salt
Review: This memoir is much better than I would have expected from the former Sex Pistol. I had been reading his interviews and listening to his music since the late seventies, and he was never one for accurate introspection. I loved the music and the interviews, and I enjoyed this story immensely. Most of it really is a story, though, and while I'm ready to accept that Lydon honestly believes he is remembering things accurately, long-time fans will notice otherwise. For instance, his supposed inspiration for the 'Johnny Rotten' character--a blend of Richard III and Pinky from "Brighton Rock"--seems taken straight from the (very literary) pop weeklies of the time. There are other distortions and evasions. The most galling flaw, however, is his constant tendency to conradict himself. Make up your mind, Johnny; is rudeness a refreshingly spiky assault on British blandness (when practiced by you) or an unforgiveable outrage (when practiced by others)? Were you disconsolate at Punk's failure to unite all social classes, or do you truly feel your oft-expressed contempt for every class but your own? The inconsistencies go on and on.... Overall I liked this book, I think the prose truly captured Lydon's character, and the anecdotes he tells are illuminating. But some real insight into his own motivations, and a little more candor and less repackaging would have made it a classic.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best rock autobiographies
Review: This ranks with Miles Davis' and Iggy Pop's autobiographies as one of the most informative, creative and entertaining stories ever told. Lydon has a wicked sense of humor, a well thought out plan for chaos (oxymoron?), and behind his cold shell lies a heart. Also, the inclusion of interviews with key players such as Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Chrissie Hynde, Billy Idol and Julien Temple give the book a balance/another view to the tales Lydon tells. Lydon manages to condemn many things along the way: England, Ireland, the Clash, Nancy Spungen, punk fashion--and it's his brashness and willingness to stick to his side of the tale that makes this book such a fun and informative read.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: This was more interesting than I thought it would be. There is a bit of cruelty on Johnny's part that was hard to stomach, but what can you expect from a punk rocker (heck, he probably didn't do any worse than John Lennon ever did), but he generally comes across as a reasonable and very intelligent bloke. It flushed out some of the info about the Sex Pisols for me. Perhaps I'm the audience it's best for. I don't know much about the Pistols (though I love their music), and from this I learned about them. The negative reviews below seem largely by those who know a lot about the Pistols already, up to every obsessive detail, and wanted to know stuff besides them. But I wanted to know about them, and about Johnny, and I got what I wanted.
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