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Beastie Boys Book

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Arrives Mar 13 – Mar 20
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Description

THE 1 NEW YORK TIMES, GRAMMY-NOMINATED BESTSELLER A SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN, OBSERVER, ROLLING STONE, AND ROUGH TRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR A panoramic experience that tells the story of Beastie Boys, a book as unique as the band itself―by band members AD-ROCK and Mike D, with contributions from Amy Poehler, Colson Whitehead, Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, Luc Sante, and more. THE INSPIRATION FOR THE 5-TIME EMMY NOMINATED, SPIKE JONZE-DIRECTED BEASTIE BOYS STORY ‘One of the greatest music books ever published.’ MAX PORTER Formed as a New York City hardcore band in 1981, Beastie Boys struck an unlikely path to global hip hop superstardom. Here is their story, told for the first time in the words of the band. Adam “AD-ROCK” Horovitz and Michael “Mike D” Diamond offer revealing and very funny accounts of their transition from teenage punks to budding rappers; their early collaboration with Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin; the almost impossible-to-fathom overnight success of their debut studio album Licensed to Ill; that album’s messy fallout; their break with Def Jam, move to Los Angeles, and rebirth as musicians and social activists, with the genre-defying masterpiece Paul’s Boutique. For more than twenty years, this band has had a wide-ranging and lasting influence on popular culture. With a style as distinctive and eclectic as a Beastie Boys album, Beastie Boys Book upends the typical music memoir. Alongside the band narrative you will find rare photos, original illustrations, a cookbook by chef Roy Choi, a graphic novel, a map of Beastie Boys’ New York, mixtape playlists, pieces by guest contributors, and many more surprises. ''Memoir, graphic novel, cookbook, photo-journal, love letter, elegy: this vast, unwieldy, marvellous book, narrated, like the band’s songs, scatter-gun style by the two surviving Beastie Boys, is as original, uncategorisable and attention-grabbing as their music.'' SUNDAY TIMES (BOOK OF THE YEAR) ''Wide-ranging and unorthodox . . . [a] treat . . . insightful about the group’s shifting music and are expert yarn-spinners, homing in on telling vignettes rather than doling out a straightforward history . . . shot through with yearning and melanchonly.'' GUARDIAN (BOOK OF THE YEAR) ''Here is their story, told for the first time in the words of the ban With a style as distinctive and eclectic as a Beastie Boys album, Beastie Boys Book upends the typical music memoir . . . Our clear winner for Book of the Year.'' ROUGH TRADE (BOOK OF THE YEAR) ''The Beasties didn’t play by the rules during their career, and this memoir by surviving members Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz doesn’t either . . . hiliarious, at times heartwarming.'' ROLLING STONE (BOOK OF THE YEAR) Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Faber Social


Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 1, 2018


Edition ‏ : ‎ Main


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 592 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 057130804X


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 40


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.5 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.77 x 1.77 x 9.69 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #4,712,366 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #8,036 in Music History & Criticism (Books)


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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Mar 13 – Mar 20

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Top Amazon Reviews


  • More Than 5 Stars – A Must for Beastie Boys Fans
If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would! This book is amazing. It makes me want to go back to New York and visit some of the places they talk about. Adam H, my biggest crush, writes so much! Very well written. I love all the pictures and the level of detail. I can’t wait to finish reading it. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2026 by diana diana

  • A behind the scenes journey with the groundbreaking, one of a kind, genres defining band.
"Beastie Boys Book" is a captivating journey through the iconic band's legacy, told with an irresistible blend of humor, nostalgia, and raw honesty. Packed with rare photos, personal anecdotes, and exclusive interviews, this book offers fans an intimate look into the evolution of the Beastie Boys—from their humble beginnings in New York City to their groundbreaking influence on music and culture. With its eclectic mix of storytelling and visual imagery, "Beastie Boys Book" is a must-have for both die-hard fans and newcomers alike, celebrating the band's indelible mark on the world of music and beyond. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2024 by Josh

  • I went from liking the Beastie Boys to becoming a super fan!
When this book came out I already knew that I was going to own it. I am a huge fan of music biographies and I am willing to read just about any of them. I knew this book in particular was going to be special as I wasn't the biggest fan of the Beastie Boys, I respected them as a truly creative force that stood out among the hip hop groups of the early 1980's. I originally picked this up on Audible while I was travelling for work but I went ahead and bought the book as well. Let me say that the audio format is really cool. They have a slew of musicians, actors, friends and the surviving members of the group reading this book. Like their music the book took it's self serious while maintaining the sense of humor that the Beastie Boys were known to have. As biographies go this is just one of the best. It starts at their childhood and takes you on the journey of their ups and downs as musicians. What comes out of this book is an honest reflection of their careers, mistake and creative process. You get stories of them being forced into the party band persona when they were young and their disdain of having that image. How they broke free from that and started to reform their image to become the pioneers of hip hop, social justice and equality. Learning their start as a band to their love of music and their time in the studio had me in awe of the Beastie Boys. My respect for their craft tripled and after I finished the book I sat down with their albums that I blew off years ago and listened with a new found appreciation. This is a great read for the casual to the hardcore fan. It's thoughtful, funny and just an all around engaging read. I see myself revisiting this book later on down the road. This is a great way to close out the career of the Hip-Hop legends! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2019 by Caligula Strange

  • Check Ch Check Check Check Ch Check it out!
Great Book for all Beastie Boys fans and music buffs in general! Fantastic!
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2025 by Christos Bekiaris

  • “And you know he weighs in pretty hefty…”
UPDATE: I take back my disappointment with Amazon. They refunded my $5.00 extra I had paid when I pre-ordered it without me even asking. Good job Amazon. “And you know he weighs in pretty hefty…” Hefty is a perfect word for this book. More Chicago style pizza than NY. I’ve not read the book except a few pages I’ve skimmed since I got it a couple of hours ago. So my review is on the Book structure and printing…and unfortunately Amazon’s declining care of products it sells. The Book. As said above it’s huge. Not tall or wide but thick. “Ah, like a thick-ass book that's filled with wack rhymes”. Unlike most biographies where there are about 20 pages in the middle devoted to photos, this book has the photos and illustrations are throughout it’s entirety. It resembles a Fanzine more than a book. Plus there are tons of little extras throughout that only Beastie Fans will appreciate. The binding is quality and seems like it will stand the test of time. From what I can tell it has smyth sewn binding which make it lay fairly flat when opened on a table. This is nice because you can actually see the middle parts of this gigantic book. The paper and printing are quality as well. The paper is a non-coated stock (matte) which allows the ink to absorb into the page creating rich deep colors in the photographs. Plus the paper has a nice nostalgic smell. There are a few glossy sections but only used when appropriate, or to break up the pace of the book. Now onto the Amazon not so Prime deal I got on this book. Note: This is just me being picky. But needs to be noted in case others got the same damage on their book and paid more for it. I pre-ordered my book months ago for $35 through Amazon Prime. I now see it’s $30. “Knucklehead deli tried to gyp me on the price” I get it, prices change blah blah blah. I wouldn’t be so upset except that although my book was on my doorstep at 8am this morning which was sofa king Rad to wake up to, it is damage. The top right corner all the way through the pages to the back cover (see photos). I’ve tried to mend it myself the best I can. I’ll probably keep because it’s a waste of natural resources to ship this back because of a bent corner. I know I sound like I’m being silly about this but when it’s delivered damaged (no way this happened in shipping, the box was in perfect shape) and then you see that you could have waited and saved $5…it just gets under the skin. Anyways, if you love the Beasties and have been with them since the 80s like me, or even if you are a newer fan of this millennium…get this book. R.I.P. MCA. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2018 by In love with Binary In love with Binary

  • Fascinating from beginning to end
This is one of the best music bios to come out in recent years. It not only details the history of the Beastie Boys, but also reflects the age of New York hardcore, the early days of hip-hop, the business of the labels in the '80s and explains a creative age in the music industry we're likely never to see again. The stories shared in the book are entertaining, funny, interesting, and sometimes heartbreaking. The way they describe MCA as a friend, collaborator, and as a person is remarkable. The Beastie Boys started out parodying the people they despised and admit they became part of that scene and worked to evolve as people and musicians, and this book is a fantastic retrospective of their time together. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2020 by Brian Blueskye

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