;)
Regular readers will know I'm a big fan of "Sound Opinions," the weekly public radio show devoted to popular music.
One of the two hosts is Greg Kot, the longtime music critic of the Chicago Tribune. Kot is much more likable than his grumpy co-host Jim DeRogatis because he's open-minded, embraces risk-taking and rewards failure.
It's that kind of spirit that fuels his 2009 book "Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music,"
The book is three years old but remains relevant in detailing the dramatic upheaval in the music industry over the last decade. It's a breezy read but loaded with great stories on failed record-company strategies, geeks cooking up earthshaking technologies and industrious artists capitalizing on these new opportunities to control their own destiny.
"Ripped" is an energizing read, whether you find it in the cutout bin or pay full price.