An entertaining look at the craft of songwriting, in the words of songwriters themselves: a collection of anecdotes and quotations from well-known songwriters, past and present, on their influences, work habits, and how they came to write particular songs now ingrained in the popular psyche. The book forms an effective oral history, featuring songwriters from Irving Berlin and Noel Coward to Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell; from Stephen Foster and Hank Williams to R.E.M., Nirvana, and the Smashing Pumpkins. It's a book to be enjoyed by songwriters and music fans alike.