Not for You: Pearl Jam and the Present Tense Hardcover – 29 Oct. 2020

A rare, honestly-written book. The author's love affair with Pearl Jam echoed mine in so many ways - the wonderful early days, when they were so productive and everything they touched turn to gold, and the later years, when the writing took a dive but the live experience became so much more part of who they are. Loved it.

As much a study of a particular period in history as of the band itself. The author is a self declared superfan but still manages to examine Pearl Jam objectively - warts and all - with a great writing style. You don't need to be a fan to really enjoy this.

Pearl Jam were undoubtedly one of the pioneers of the grunge and alternative rock scene around Seattle, Washington, so I was excited to read their first-ever comprehensive biography. Not For You: Pearl Jam and the Present Tense is, however, very different to most biographies and charts the band's substantial milestones alongside the political, social, economic and environmental climate across the globe at the time, and for that very reason I found it captivating from start to finish.Right from the beginning of their career in 1990 and through to 2019, the year's are punctuated by ruminations on about time, rebellion, fame, disenchantment, civil discourse, the idea of the mainstream, the desire of a fan, and what a band can do to answer it. It sets the gigs, appearances and music into context creating an original and fascinatingly unique read at once about a much-loved band and the wider world. Many thanks to Bloomsbury Academic for an ARC.

Excellent book. Great stories and a good read.

Not For You is an excellent biography of Pearl Jam, one of my favourite bands. It's told by a fan and someone who isn't afraid to point out the band's failings as well as revel in their wonderful music. The book is full of anecdotes from their unlikely beginnings to their runaway success and the activism that has shaped some of their later work.

I must confess that I'm only a short way through this book. Whether or not I finish it is yet to be decided. I love Pearl Jam and I'm hopimg there will be enough interesting tidbits to me going. The biggest issue is the author. As others have said, he treats the band with real disdain. The kicker for me though was his dismissal of Mudhoney, Green River, Mother Love Bone et al. Fine if you don't like them, but he is so disrespectful!

The author seems to show more disdain for Pearl Jam than fondness. No Code being the only album he speaks fondly of. He starts listing songs than are worthy and others you would be a fool to like. Whilst I found some tidbit interesting the book was a slog to finish due to how much the author hated the band's later career.

This is one of the worst biographies I've ever read. The author quite obviously dislikes the band he is making money on, and clearly has a real issue with Eddie. His writing is in no way impartial, and instead reads like a magazine article rather than a biography. Describing himself as a "superfan", while calling the band a "guilty pleasure", makes for a confusing experience. Never have I heard a Pearl Jam 'fan' be embarrassed at liking them. Why he even wrote this book is beyond me. There are far better books on the band than this.