Willie Nelson is an undeniable American legend of Country-Western music. But there has always been more to Willie than his music; he’s an actor, a writer, and an advocate for several causes. He has written a few books before, both non-fiction and fiction, including an autobiography. This book is “musings from the road,” and that’s quite accurate. The book is completely random and has the feel of thoughts quickly scribbled on to paper on a bus ride.
If you’re expecting perfect grammar and a formal writing style then I think you need to take a look at who the author is again. This isn’t a literary masterpiece. It is however unmistakably Willie Nelson, and if you’re a fan of Willie’s then this is a book that you will likely love. The words fall off the page as if Mr. Nelson himself were sitting across from you speaking them to you.
The first two pages are titled “Early Memories,” and it’s here that you’ll know exactly what you’re about to read. Willie begins his first paragraph with “I’m flashing back to my first memories.” The next three paragraphs begin with “The next memory is…” You have to love to Willie!
Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die contains Willie’s thoughts on just about everything. Jokes that pop into his mind are here, as are personal stories and commentary on social issues. There’s a lot to do with marijuana too, as you might expect from perhaps America’s most famous pot-advocate.
The book also features some illustrations by Willie’s son Micah Nelson, notes from Willie’s family and friends, and a forward from another Country singer/songwriter and author, Kinky Friedman. Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die is an entertaining read that is sure to delight the majority of Willie’s fans. The writing style and randomness may not be for everyone, and if you’re not a fan of Willie Nelson there isn’t much for you here outside of some laughs and good stories, but this is a book every fan of the country legend should have on their bookshelf.
Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die gets a three out of five: GOOD.
* A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
Vortainment 
About what I’d expect from old Willie. I actually love the man’s music more than his image (although that is as iconic as mount rushmore no doubt) so I would be interested to read this to learn more about his creative process and things of that nature more than how much dope he smoked… Kind of the same deal with the Keith Richards book I read last year.
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Don’t get me wrong, dope is a very small part of the book. I wouldn’t say its a look at the creative process, it’s mostly just random stories, thoughts, and jokes, but it’s far from being focused on smoking. It’s a good read.
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