Dave Bidini

I gave this a three-star rating because there was interesting stories in there about writers. But really, through the short 120 pages of this book, I kept asking myself, who exactly is this book for? It seemed, at times, far too simplistic for the teen writer, and at other times, way too complicated. Then, for the last third, it seemed to turn more into a biography-lite of Bidini.

There was precious little advice, and he didn't really seem to attack the central topics of the subtitle, How I show more learned to love books and why I had to write them. So, really, I'm still left asking the question...who is this book for and more importantly, what was Bidini's goal?

I sometimes wish Goodreads had a meh rating. I really do. show less

An intriguing collection of erotically tinged short stories. The prose is tacit and clear, moving seamlessly from moment to moment-- page to page. Additionally, the characterization is sharp, biting, and filled with honesty in its portrayals. I was quite surprised by this collection and believe it is thoroughly worth reading, even if you're not overtly interested in sports.

4 stars.

An interesting book. Not as good as [b:On a Cold Road: Tales of Adventure in Canadian Rock|147353|On a Cold Road Tales of Adventure in Canadian Rock|Dave Bidini|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1333579289s/147353.jpg|142209], but not bad. Bidini has great observances of the various locales, both exotic and mundane, as well as the people. However, I find myself frequently irritated by his snobbery of some music, which is interesting, because he's similar in age and, for the most show more part, in musical taste to me. Yet I find it grating that he makes fun of some record exec who refers to the album Oranges & Lemons by XTC as Lemons & Oranges, yet later on, Bidini himself refers to the Joe Jackson song On Your Radio as coming from his first album. Sorry Dave, you made as stupid a mistake as that record exec did. That song's from Jackson's second album, I'm The Man. So, if Bidini can't take that guy seriously, how am I supposed to take the author seriously?

It's stuff like that that makes me put the book down for a few days.

Still, overall, Bidini's a good storyteller, and in the long run, the book is a good read. show less

On a Cold Road is partly an autobiography of Dave Bidini's life as part of the Rheostatics and partly a history of Canada's rock scene. Not being a rock fan, I didn't recognise many of the artists quoted in the book, so I enjoyed the author's personal story best. However, I found the book thoroughly entertaining on both counts.

Dave Bidini gives us a glimpse into a world that is unknown to most of us. His writing style is very engaging. As he talks about his early experiences as a teen, he show more conveys the sense of wonder and excitement a young person experiences. As he talks about some of the challenges on the road, he conveys a more mature perspective on the life he's chosen.

Mr. Bidini has supplemented his autobiography with quotes from other Canadian artists about their own experiences -- the first big break, playing in isolated areas, not getting paid, etc. This provides the reader with a short history of the development of some of Canada's rock stars and the Canadian music industry.

Easy to read, engaging, interesting....worth a look even if you aren't a rock fan. show less