HOW TO BE A MAN (AND OTHER ILLUSIONS)

Duff McKagan is one of the most respected survivors in hard rock. In How to Be a Man, he shares the wisdom he gained on the path to superstardom—from his time with Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver to getting sober after a life of hard living to achieving his personal American Dream of marrying a supermodel, raising a family, and experiencing what it’s like to be winked at by Prince.

Some smart ideas learned on the road: Like the people you work with. Or at least use the animosity within your band, office or team as a springboard for great fucking art (or commerce). Turn problems into opportunity. If your guitar breaks, jump into the crowd and say hello to your peeps. If your van goes tits-up, become a better V-8 engine mechanic. If a promoter is being a dumb-dumb, make that a time for enlightening said prick to the better side of humanity. Walk away, and thank the gods of rock and roll that you are not a dick. And, really … Don’t be a dick. This is the most important step to having a positive experience in any business (especially rock and roll). Don’t climb up onto a speaker cabinet unless you are really going to jump. Have you ever seen that gig where the performer gets all the way up to the top of a cabinet and then realizes it is just too damn high? The awkward climb down is one of the most embarrassing moves in rock and roll (and every other profession). Remember why you're there: You’re doing what you love. You’re feeding your family. Go kick some ass. An interviewer’s favorite, McKagan’s wisdom has been sought out on everything from financial planning and relationships to surviving the summer festival circuit and escaping a military coup. Expanding on his popular weekly columns in Seattle Weekly, Playboy.com, and ESPN.com, McKagan equips readers with the knowledge they need to rock fatherhood, manage their money, and remain a good dude in spite of it all. Duff McKagan is the co-founder of hard rock groups Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver and is the author of the New York Times bestseller It’s So Easy (and Other Lies). He lives with his family in Seattle and Los Angeles. Chris Kornelis has written for the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times, TheAtlantic.com, the Seattle Times, and RollingStone.com. He was also an editor at Seattle Weekly, where he edited Duff McKagan’s weekly column for five years, and he taught digital journalism at Seattle University. He lives in Seattle, Washington.