For anyone interested in Blind Willie Johnson, I would recommend this book. Does it reveal all of the mysteries of Johnson's life? No, but that book does not exist. BWJ's only living relatives never met the man, and most others who may have been connected with him are long since deceased. Unless there are documents somewhere that have not been unearthed, or something in Mack McCormick's vast archives of unorganized notes, we're never going to know for sure.It's true that the style is more in that of a casual style - it is not an academic or scholarly tone. But the writer is not an academic or a scholar, nor is the book presented as a comprehensive discussion of BWJ's style, influences, or world. It is nothing more nor less than one person's attempt to find out more about BWJ's life and to get him honored by the Texas Historical Commission, as well as to fund a cenotaph for placement in the cemetery where BWJ is most likely interred.To denigrate or poorly rate the book because it is not what we want it to be, even though it does not purport to be those things, is not an accurate judgment. If you enjoy BWJ's music, and would find the story behind getting him some proper recognition to be intriguing, I recommend getting the book. I've often wished we knew more about the life of so many seminal artists from the pre-war period, and so can easily share the author's similar feelings. My only negative comment is that the book still has a number of typographical or grammatical errors. Not nearly enough to hurt readability, but enough that an additional revision should have been done on the text.