A review by russellarbenfox
My Effin' Life by Geddy Lee

3.0

Geddy Lee's autobiography--which is as much a detailed history of the band Rush, at least from his perspective--is a charming book. Lee was, at the time he wrote the book, 69 years old, and Rush's musical journey had come to an end after more than 40 years, and through all that, Lee spends time considering the technical details and general feel of each album and each tour, which eventually ends up a little much. The best parts of the book are the first parts, as he talks about his Jewish upbringing (both his parents were Holocaust survivors from Poland and immigrants to Canada) and his development as a musician; throughout the rest, the really good moments are when he spends time talking about the ups and downs in his relationships with his bandmates, his wife Nancy, the fans, and much more. There are lots of fine and revealing anecdotes in the book, some funny and some sad (especially when he turns to their final tour and Neil Peart's death). Overall, I wish the book had been less encyclopedic, but then, I'm not a truly massive Rush fan.