Book cover of The Philosophy of Modern Song

Book description

The Philosophy of Modern Song is Bob Dylan’s first book of new writing since 2004’s Chronicles: Volume One—and since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016.

Dylan, who began working on the book in 2010, offers his extraordinary insight into the nature of popular music. He writes over sixty…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Philosophy of Modern Song as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Not surprisingly, Bob Dylan isn't interested in expectations. Instead, readers go into his mind and off-road as he riffs on 50 songs. Each song gets a retell of his own, which is a bit of a roller coaster ride of voice, almost like he's a medium and the song speaks to us from the dead. Sometimes he adds musical history that most readers will find interesting and surprising. Whether you find it delightful or annoying, sometimes both at the same time, if you stick with it, this book will change your brain.

If you love The Philosophy of Modern Song...

Book cover of The Rosewood Penny

The Rosewood Penny by J.S. Fields,

2023 Queer Indie Award Nominee!

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction.

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band they rob from the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive…

Want books like The Philosophy of Modern Song?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 10 books like The Philosophy of Modern Song.

Browse books like The Philosophy of Modern Song

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,343

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Philosophy of Modern Song, you might also like...

Book cover of Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman

Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman by Alexis Krasilovsky,

Kate from Jules et Jim meets I Love Dick.

A young woman filmmaker’s journey of self-discovery, set against a backdrop of the sexual liberation movement of the 1970s and 1980s. In Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman, we follow Ana Fried as she faces the ultimate…

Book cover of Malcolm Before X

Malcolm Before X by Patrick Parr,

Malcolm Before X is about finding a way to continue moving forward after everything has been taken from you. While in prison, Malcolm Little discovered the power of reading and found a way to transform his character and become a better man. This half-biography focuses on that transformation, especially his…