The Book of Drugs: A Memoir [Paperback]

Mike Doughty first came to prominence as the leader of the band Soul Coughing then did an abrupt sonic left turn, much to the surprise of his audience, transforming into a solo performer of stark, dusky, but strangely hopeful tunes. He battled addiction, gave up fame when his old band was at the height of its popularity, drove thousands of miles, alone, across America, with just an acoustic guitar. His candid, hilarious, self-lacerating memoir,The Book of Drugs—featuring cameos by Redman, Ani DiFranco, the late Jeff Buckley, and others—is the story of his band's rise and bitter collapse, the haunted and darkly comical life of addiction, and the perhaps even weirder world of recovery.

Mike Doughtyis a musician and prolific blogger. Among other publications, he has written articles for theNew York Press,Paper, andVillage Voice. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

“The Book of Drugspulls the curtain back on this enigmatic songwriting gem and reveals a Doughty many people may not recognize. It's an often uncomfortable though delightful read…Doughty is open about everything…It's not a juicy, gossip-laden tell-all, but rather a simple account of one man's coming to terms with a perfectly imperfect life.”

 

“A very candid, personal work.”

 

“[A] scathing new memoir.”

 

“Written with self-deprecating nakedness…A page-turner.”

 

 “The arc may be a familiar one, but as Doughty’s followers already know, his idiosyncratic verve and eloquence go a long way in making old things sound new.”