Don't Try This At Home

Rating:
Summary: Waste of Money
Review: Exactly what kind of book was Dave aiming for? Certainly not any kind of real story, biography or interesting ride. This was just a form of therapy for him, that's on the reader's tab. Yes, it was only 'a year in the life' of Dave Navarro, but come on - this is all he could come up with? And though it has been mentioned that there are great snapshots - not one comes with any kind of caption that would have felt like the book was overall more connected. Save your money.

Rating:
Summary: I Liked It
Review: I enjoyed this book. If you have been touched by drug addiction in any way, you want to read this book. Gives the non-addict a new perspective on what goes through the mind of a drug addict. I wish Dave many many years of sobriety.

Rating:
Summary: Insightful
Review: I flew through this book the first day I had it. It is a rough and honest view on the addictions of a celebrity. I loved it!

Rating:
Summary: It was worth the wait!
Review: I have been a fan of Dave Navarros for a while now. I think he is a musical genius with a humble heart (he keeps in touch with people online for example, which I find applaudable). It does help that he has a great sense of humour aswell!

As many people might know, this book has been re-scheduled for release about fifty-eleven times. Instead of getting disappointed and annoyed, I was just happy to see it finally released, despite the fact that I know that it has been somewhat edited compared to the original version.

The book captured my inner being and I read it like a maniac. It took me about a month to find it here in the UK, but when I did, I did not put it down once. You get to live Dave's life with him for a full year, feeling all of his paranoia- attacks, all of his frustrations and everything in between.
Neil Strauss does an amazing job documenting it all, and it's just hard to explain how captivating the book is without telling how things eventually will work out.

I definitely think anyone who is the least bit interested in Dave, Jane's Addiction, RHCP or any kind of celebrity- life that the media has describes as 'glamourous' should read this book, as it has revelations in it that will probably shock you or at least make you think. It's not only serious, it has humour in it as well, because as I said- Dave has a great sense of humour!

I cannot wait to see Dave release a new record, and I'm really glad that he is working on it with his new band (The Panic Channel. Also, I believe he will release something with Camp Freddy in the near future.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: I read this book in 2 days and I have to say it was one of the best book I've read lately. It was shockingly interesting and I couldn't put it down. I would absolutely recommend this book!

Rating:
Summary: Deceptively well-written
Review: I use that phrase, "deceptively well-written", because it is an apt description, in my view. To judge a book by it's cover, one might assume that this is nothing more than another celebrity tell-all, complete with the eye roll as the words are uttered.

Therein lies the rub as the only thing "celebrity" about this book are some of the pictures contained within.

For me, I'm used to reading books with organized little paragraphs -- a "normal" book, if you will. In flipping through the pages, my first thoughts were that the book was designed for the stereotypical MTV reader, or someone with a short attention span. The combination of pictures and transcripts interspersed with "normal" writing had me, initially, thinking that the contents would be more on the "fluff" side.

This review is humble proof of how wrong I was.

What I assumed as nothing more than a gimmicky writing style was quickly revealed as the perfect format to force the reader to pay attention to not only the words on the page; but, the story they told.

Neil Strauss has your attention with the first twelve words, which are akin to a hand reaching up from the pages, grabbing you by the face, and pulling you in; and, that hand? It doesn't let go.

Somewhere in this book, the reader WILL be struck with the realization that this isn't some ode to rock stars and the decadent life that goes along with it; but is, instead, the story of a flesh-and-bone man clinging to the smallest kernel of hope and love while he crawled through the filth of hell.

... and lived to tell about it.

It is a story of loneliness, pain, anger, fear, sorrow, relief, joy; and, this book will make you feel all that and more. One doesn't merely read about this year in Dave's life. You experience it right along with him.

'Don't Try This At Home' shows you more than the dangers of drug addiction. In your reactions to it, it will show you who you are, the depth of your compassion, the measure of your own character.

I defy anyone who reads this book to claim that he/she was not affected by it in some way because this book WILL have an affect.

Buy it. Read it. Read it again. You will not be sorry you did.

Rating:
Summary: A must read for anyone
Review: This book is a must read for anyone dealing with any sort of addiction. Though choppy in parts, I think it needed to be. Drug addiction isn't clear in thought and organized. In putting together this book Dave let the reader into his life and he got to know himself better in the process

Rating:
Summary: Nothing You Expect
Review: This book is the most personal autobiography I've ever read. It's actually more then an autobiography, it's an experience. I guess that Dave Navarro almost didn't publish this book because he didn't want to glamorize drugs. I'm so grateful he decided to go through with it because it doesn't in any way glamorize them. It puts in perspective what drug addiction can do and how it affects the person addicted and all the people in their life. After reading this book, I was moved. I highly recommend this book to everyone. It is worth every penny.

Rating:
Summary: In A Word....WOW
Review: This is an amazing book, full of details you would never, ever expect. It is candid, open and extremely honest-to a fault. It is an extremely personal autobiography.
Also recommending: Nightmares Echo, If I Knew Then and My Fractured Life

Rating:
Summary: A Totally Different View
Review: You know those photo booths where you sit down, put in a few coins and get four pictures in a few minutes. Dave Navarro, rock and roll guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction put one of these booths in his Hollywood mansion. Everyone who came to the house had to sit in the photo booth and pose for pictures.

The quality of photographs those machines take is absolutely horrible pictures so here is a good view of a bunch of people at their worst. It's sort of like looking at your neighbor's wife first thing int he morning when she goes out to get the paper on a very bad hair day. Combine this with people knowing that they are getting their picture taken and they are posing for the camera, not trying to look their best. It's an amazing set of photographs.

Combine these pictures with a series of essay's (I'd guess you'd call them) and you get a view of life that's certainly different. He had a series of visitors you'd only expect on Halloween. He had a life, of drugs, depression and other troubles that you wouldn't wish on anyone.

It's the story of one hell of a year.