“This book is about the rock and roll era in the age of reckoning. This book is also about my own nine lives and about my failure to observe the posted speed limits. Our readers often referred to Rolling Stone as a letter from home. This is my last letter to you.”

Thus begins the one-sided, overly manly reckoning by one powerful media magnate and his inner demons, or whatever you choose to call his favorite hedonistic declarations. In LIKE A ROLLING STONE, Jann Wenner --- the man behind Rolling Stone magazine, the co-founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a father of six, a formerly closeted gay man, and a friend to countless stars --- gives us a peek into the rich, luxurious life he has created.

"Jann Wenner is a true American original. After living through disastrous biographies published about him, he has taken to setting at least part of the record straight, moving forward just like a rolling stone should."

It is no surprise to find Wenner strutting about in this book with as little humility as possible. Never considered to be a gentle man, he is nevertheless bright and brilliant --- starting his own magazine, which became the voice of several generations, and championing the biggest musical events of the ’60s and ’70s without actually being there (including Woodstock, Monterey and Altamont). He shepherded Ben Fong-Torres, Cameron Crowe and (with most difficulty) Hunter S. Thompson onto the media main stage. He was a hippie who raised the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles into prominence. He assembled the youngest staff of politically knowledgeable pundits and provided his audience with the truth as he saw it.

Wenner was rewarded for his work and became a wealthy man. He married and had three children with the woman who helped him keep Rolling Stone under control. He then came out of the closet in the ’90s to marry his true love, with whom he also had three kids. The man has lived a life…and he’s not done yet.

LIKE A ROLLING STONE can feel like a list --- a list of very famous people doing illegal things, being musical and creative, making history and commenting on it as it happens. Rolling Stone had a front row seat to decades of American scandals, from Watergate to Irangate and all the gates to come. Wenner was smart enough to hire a young Matt Taibbi and helped shape perhaps our greatest chronicler of this tumultuous 21st century.

Wenner’s devotion to legalizing marijuana started ages ago, and it’s just one of the great social experiments with which he aligned himself. He helped the candidates he supported meet the deep, wide-open pockets of his famous friends. Bruce Springsteen wrote songs to honor him at his wondrously Gatsby-like events on Long Island. His tone about these gatherings are all matter-of-fact and have a slight whiff of entitlement to them. But he came from a family of visionaries and forever will be remembered as one, so the tone fits. After all, if your entrée into New York society is guided by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, what else can you do?

There is still a sense that Wenner is telling his history without revealing too much about his very personal life. LIKE A ROLLING STONE is a fun read, but don’t think that you now know what makes him tick (aside from a massive ego, ambition, talent and chutzpah). Jann Wenner is a true American original. After living through disastrous biographies published about him, he has taken to setting at least part of the record straight, moving forward just like a rolling stone should.