This book is a collection of social criticism and observation. Included alongside the lyrics are the songwriter's interviews with Vaclav Havel and Hubert Selby, author of Last Exit to Brooklyn. The interviews reveal as much about Reed himself as about his subjects. Lou Reed's lyrics have established themselves in the memory of music fans in a way which is only exceeded by Bob Dylan's. This is Reed's own selection, from Velvet Underground classics to his recent solo triumph New York and his collaboration with John Cale on the Warhol-inspired songs for Drella.