Earlier this month I attended the Norman Mailer Center Gala at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York City. It was a star-studded evening with honorees Dr. Elie Wiesel, Indian novelist Arundhati Roy, prolific American journalist Gay Talese and the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards. As an added bonus, President Bill Clinton presented Richards with his award.

The evening was as fantastic as you would imagine. The goody bag was a huge canvas bag filled with books written by the honorees. A friend of mine had never read Night by Wiesel, and I immediately gave it to him to read. If you haven’t, please pick up a copy. It won’t take long to read, but will leave you with a lasting impression.

One book I wasn’t planning on reading anytime soon was Life, by Keith Richards and contributor James Fox. I don’t know all that much about the Rolling Stones, so it didn’t pique my interest at first. Then, I read the reviews and started to hear how good the book was from those around me. I bypassed the other books in the goody bag and cracked it open. I was glad I did. It held my attention from the start. It’s well written and fascinating to read about the life of the world-famous guitarist who helped shape a generation.

I was on the train to White Plains reading and the conductor, who appeared to be in his late 50s, noticed the book. Every time he walked by he sang a different Rolling Stones tune. If you’re looking for a good book and conversation starter, I recommend going out and getting the book, or downloading it on your tablet!

— Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher