by Jann Wenner
First published 2022
Jann Wenner built Rolling Stone magazine into the voice of a generation. His personal account reveals how he worked alongside Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Bono, and Bruce Springsteen during rock's most influential decades. Wenner guided the careers of Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Wolfe, and Annie Leibovitz while the magazine became a cultural force. He conducted historic interviews with Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, securing Rolling Stone's political influence. The memoir traces Wenner's path from music journalism to cultural kingmaker, showing how he chose which voices would shape American values. From Jerry Garcia to the Dalai Lama, from Aretha Franklin to Greta Thunberg, the figures who appeared in Rolling Stone's pages sought to transform society. Wenner writes with journalistic precision about the music, politics, and lifestyle that defined an era of sweeping cultural change. This New York Times bestseller captures both one man's remarkable journey and the broader story of how rock and roll became a force for social transformation.
Genres: 20th-century, american, politics, non-fiction, biography-memoir, music, 21st-century, journalism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: cultural-kingmaker, memoir
Period: Rock's Most Influential Decades
592 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown and Company