Incredibly raw. I'm in love the blunt honesty Elton has poured into telling the world a detailed overview of the man he is today. The eccentricities, addictions, outrageously lavish and at times ludicrous life choices are all fully embraced - showing the personal growth he has made (as a human, not just a grandiose celebrity). You get glimpses of the adversities he has faced, the painful childhood beginnings, naive teenage years, the blossoming artist, dizzying spiral of drugs, sex, and alcohol, and world icon. The personal relationships with his own team, his family, and the dozens of listed celebrities is like getting a history in pop-culture contained in a palm-sized binding that has captured a larger than life personality.

I was humbled by how upfront he was about his shortcomings, his admitted obvious temper, his numerous addictions, his cowardice and likelihood to pair it with frustration and anger and either wanting to or actually abandoning an event. His biopic captures his life almost as well as his own narrative (as it should seeing how long of a project it became).

Sir John has given so much back to the world (as detailed with his immense philanthropic adventures), but I consider this book a gift (and we all know how the man can shop) to the thousands of people who avidly collect his music, photographs throughout his entire career, and to those that were too young or too broke paying for college and grad school to see him perform.