Alice Cooper, Golf Monster

April 30, 2007
With his first book, Cooper, the original shock rocker, attempts to combine autobiography and golf manual in one snappy narrative; that both parts are equally half-baked hardly matters, as Cooper's simple, frank account of his 40-plus years in the rock and roll biz is great entertainment. Cooper started playing golf in the early 1980s-as many as 36 holes a day-to fill his post-rehab days and keep him from the destructive spiral of alcoholism. Thus, golf plays a vital role in this memoir; indeed, without golf, Cooper might no longer be alive-and not incidentally, the rock legend has since become one of the best players on the pro-am tournament circuit. Cooper devotes 12 sections to his "steps of golf addiction" ("Be a Good Imitator," "Let the Adreneline Flow," "Play with Those who Inspire You"), interspersed between short chapters that present a Cliff's Notes version of his life. Revelations include the truth behind the infamous 1969 incident in which Cooper threw a live chicken into a rabid Detroit audience, an unexpected backstage encounter with Liberace and Cooper's late-life conversion to Christianity. While there's more here for fans of Alice Cooper's music than his fellow golfing nuts, the man deserves credit for finding a way to tell his life story that's as unconventional as the life itself.

May 15, 2007
Let's get real; this is not the book to buy this summer to improve your golf game. Cooper's tips are helpful, but who can live up to his seventh step, "Play with Those Who Inspire You"? This comes from a guy who played golf with Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Hope, and Dean Martin and who considered Groucho Marx one of his best friends. Part golf book, part rock 'n' roll fairy tale, and part Alcoholics Anonymous testimonial, this is Cooper's autobiographythe story of Detroit's Vincent Damon Furnier, who formed the band Alice Cooper and changed his name. All the myths are debunked: no, he never killed a chicken on stage; yes, he is now a proud Christian; and no, his father is not Mr. Green Jeans from Captain Kangaroo. Cooper's battle with alcohol addiction is inspiring, although he replaced booze with a healthy addiction to golf (eighth step). Written with the Zimmermans, twin brothers who have coauthored 12 books, this is recommended for large public libraries collecting golf and highly recommended for any library collecting the history of rock' n' roll.Todd Spires, Bradley Univ., Peoria, IL

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