Music breeds duality. We enjoy the music we love-listening to it, talking about it, reading about it. But it's just as fun to passionately revel in mocking the music we hate. Fortunately, musicians make this two-lane path very easy to follow. Half the time they're creating timeless works of art that speak to the soul; the other half, they're recording ridiculous concept albums about robots.

I Love Rock 'n' Roll (Except When I Hate It) covers both sides: It celebrates the music world's flashes of genius, the creation of masterpieces, and the little-known stories...as well as the entertainingly bad ideas. Armed with a healthy dose of Brian Boone's humorous asides and lively commentary, you'll learn extremely important stuff like:

• How bands got their stupid names
• All alternative rock bands directly descend from Pixies
• The most metal facts of metal in the history of metal
• The secret lives of one-hit wonders
• The story behind "Layla," and other assorted love songs about George Harrison's wife
• What is quite possibly the worst song in rock history

Boone also reveals terribly useful information like chart trivia, the rules of music, lists, and many more origins, meanings, and stories about everyone's most loved and loathed musicians.