Being rather slow and untalented in the reading department, I tend to do little reading at all. In fact, I'll try to do the least amount required. I just say to myself, "I'll wait till the movie comes out." (Sometimes this does happen.) Until recently this was my philosophy on reading.

One day, I bought a book called England's Dreaming by Jan Savage. It's amazing how one book changed my whole opinion on the issue of reading. This book tells the non-fiction story of punk rock, and more specifically, the Sex Pistols. Set in 1976, this book takes you through the beginning of what would be a worldwide movement. As it progresses, Savage shows the reader the influence punk rock had on the English people as well as the government. In the end, he shows how punk slowly turned into a dead issue.

Along with the story is a complete discography featuring the music of the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Iggy and the Stooges, The Damned, the New York Dolls, etc. This is very helpful to serious record collectors and fans alike. With quotations, song lyrics and many pictures, this book takes you right back to the '70s experience, a movement that redefined all of rock music.

To this day, the majority of hard rock and heavy metal groups are heavily influenced by punk. So, pick this one up and learn how music was changed to the point of no return. n