Sticky Fingers: The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone Magazine

Entertaining, informative, and well written. It gives insight into a difficult individual, while painting a picture of the times and the characters who helped define an era. I looked at the negative reviews and wondered if we had read different books, or if they were friends of Wenner, who was not happy with this book or the author (Wenner's autobiography doesn't even acknowledge this book's existence, which he asked Hagan to write). If you want a feel for Rock & Roll royalty, get this and enjoy.

Joe Hagan’s biography of Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner is a no-holds barred, warts and all, examination of the man who, more than any other, has defined the story of Rock in the 20th century. Wenner is a narcissist, a social climber, an ingratiating fanboy, but he also proved to have a nose for great talent, and a penchant for tapping into the hidden desires of the Baby Boomer generation. As a person, the stories told reveal an ultra-sensitive jerk whose appetites for food, drugs, and alcohol consumed him, but as an editor he was somehow able to craft one of the most important publications of the last 50 years. His story is rife with contradictions, interesting anecdotes, and lots of dirt, which makes for one helluva entertaining read.

Very well researched, detailed and a fairly easy read. Jann Wenner is a huge part of the story of rock n roll and the creation of celebrity culture. Major narcissism apart, Jann’s story is a compelling trip to take, and the book is a great guide.

I am rather amazed that I managed to chug my way through this. My one regret is that by buying this Jann Wenner will be adding to his coffers. Never really knew much about him nor really cared as I had a 1 year subscription to Rolling Stone in the early 70's which I did not renew. I felt that it was a very smug and pretentious magazine and as comes out in the book, a reflection of Jann. The only positive from my subscription was the purchase of 3 LP's that I purchased based upon the reviews and that I still enjoy - Ian Mathews "Valley Hi", Linda Ronstadt "Heart Like a Wheel", and a little known group "Borderline". The book does not present Jann as a very sympathetic individual and it got very repetitive with all of the drug and sex references but after all "Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll" did seem to be the mantra of the 70's. I decided to read the book out of curiosity because it is my era and my generation and Rolling Stone was ever-present although little read by myself. My reaction after finishing was what a waste of ink, this is not an individual who rates having a biography written about them. After browsing the afterword I acknowledge that this is a vanity book driven by a narcissist who believes he does deserve to have a book written about themselves. It is nice to know that he is not pleased with the result.

It kept my interest. Pretty much what I expected, but written in a nonjudgmental way.

Very informative and enlightening! How sad that money, success and hangin with the stars compromised the reviews and stories of some incredibly classic music and legendary artists. Reviews were dispatched based on the artist's relationship with Wenner! That is disgusting. I held Rolling Stone is such high regard until I read this. Like all media, the dollar always ends up taking the wheel. Arrogance and disregard for other people seem to go hand and hand with success in this world. Great book...although my collection of original copies of Rolling Stone seem to have lost their luster!

Hagan does a fine job of finding a journalistic tone here, the book manages to make a case for Wenner's importance while undercutting much of what we typically think Wenner did with Rolling Stone. The details of the rise of Rolling Stone do Wenner no favors, he stumbles his way into publishing a magazine that was for about a decade or so actually important, though he often didn't seem to fully understand what he had and a lot of the fine work done in the magazine was done in spite of Wenner. Let's just say you are not on Wenner's side by the end of the book, he's arrogant, entitled, vindictive, no intellectual, and a sycophant of the first order. And Hagan makes a case that this is the real importance of Wenner, he was out in front of a me first culture that eventually transformed into a celebrity sycophantic culture that still reigns today. Wenner was always that way, he changed negative reviews of his rock star friends to please them, he begged and lied and cheated. And while he certainly suffered as a closeted man, he was no friend of gay culture and still isn't. The book does a fine job covering the central years of the magazine (think Hunter Thompson and Annie Leibowitz) and if you're interested in the magazine, there is plenty of dirt.

the most entertaining book of the year- for people of the rock n roll generation its a trip -its a gas- and its groovy- as well as far out !- joe hagan has carved a scrimshaw out of the life of a publisher and founder of a magazine that was a stand out in a age of many great magazines. jann wenner in all the pretense-flaws - and idealism of his generation- bravo ! joe hagan !

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Instructif

Great copy

Hagan's talent and work ethic, coupled with Wenner's perverse cooperation, make this an essential reference in studies of the commodification of 60s counter culture, the lionisation of Manson, Lennon, Jagger and other proto type celebritarians and the fin de siècle of printed collective experience. It also partly explains why Paul Simon was so underated for so long. So long.

would be nice if was original but still haven't played and have had it a few years now lol