Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis is a backseat ride through one of the most exciting lives ever lived. He is the epitome of a genuine badass, and that is where the book gets its theme. It would be rare to come across another person with the same uncanny ability to force copious amounts of drugs into his or her body; or to come across someone who as experienced as many perfect sexual endeavors. With that said, this autobiography is about how to become a rockstar, starting at age 13.

If you have been living under a large stone you probably don’t know that the Red Hot Chili Peppers spent the 80’s and 90’s clashing with mainstream, producing several awesome records. Their record Californication sold over 13 million copies, thats enough to give a hint of the type of fame Mr. Kiedis has achieved.

Everything started in Grand Rapids, Michigan where Anthony was born, but the story doesn’t begin until he moves to Los Angeles, California with his drug dealing father. Being the way it was, Anthony spent the majority of his time growing up in a hectic LA drug scene. He lost his virginity at age 12 to his dads 18 eighteen year old girlfriend, but do not think this hurt the father-son relationship. Anthony merely asked his dad if he minded and his dad set up the escapade.

At age 15 he broke his back jumping the gap between a 5-story apartment building and a pool; his back still bothers him today. Receiving straight-A’s throughout school at Fairfax High School he was accepted into UCLA. That went well until his worsening drug addiction forced him to drop out. He met his band mates Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons at that high school.

Drug addiction takes up a good chunk of the story of Anthony Kiedis’s life. His dad let him smoke his first joint when he was only 13; opening doors that led to harder drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. He was a habitual user of heroin, a drug known to ruin peoples lives. Heroin forced Mr. Kiedis into a rehabilitation center multiple different times, the first after the heroin induced death of band mate Hillel Slovak. Kiedis talked a lot about the things he learned during his drug binges; mainly the things he learned about himself. He wraps up by talking about his life, and the journey that it has been.

The best part of this book would have to be the value that it holds as being a view into the life of a Hollywood star, and the meaning behind it all. It covers the period from mid-eighties to late-nineties. Anybody that reads Scar Tissue would have an idea at the least of what it means to be famous and addicted to heroin, and a perk is that the book does not make heroin seem like something a Red Hot Chili Peppers fan would want to indulge in. Kiedis lets everybody know about the negativity that is can bring down on a person, and all of the people that are connected to that person.

The downfall of this book is that there is absolutely no structure to his writing. Although this comes as no surprise, it is sad that the book plays out as; this happened, then this happened, and when that happened this happened, which made this happen. This issue can be seen as a double edged sword though. Seeing that Anthony Kiedis is a former rock star, this unstructured structure gives the book a realistic and believable style. Had Kiedis worked more into his writing the book could have been much more impressive. Another disappointment is the fact that the drummer of the band, Chad Smith, is practically kept out of the book. He is mentioned only a few times, and only because he was the drummer, and because him and Kiedis nearly got into a fight together in a hotel

On the whole, the book Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis is a very interesting book, and if should be read by those not considered the faint of heart. It is directed towards the younger age group, mostly males. The numerous sexual encounters that Kiedis describes is the perfect balance to the chapters caught up in heroin addiction. If you like reading about extremely interesting people this book is right up your alley, Anthony Kiedis is one of the most interesting people that I have ever had the privilege to read about, so on the final analysis, I would recommend this book to anybody that thinks their somebody, under the age of 30

This book hardly relates to the topic of electronic music. It was too difficult to find a book that connected with what I’m going for, but personally I really enjoyed this book. I found Anthony Kiedis to be an intriguing character. I don’t want to follow his exact life style, but I agree with his views on life and how to be a good person. On the final note, Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis is a worthwhile autobiography to be read.