Lobotomy: Surviving the Ramones (2012)

Add Lobotomy: Surviving the Ramones, a surprisingly readable, charmingly spaced-out memoir to the pantheon of dope-fiend literature, right up there with William S. Burroughs' Junky. The story of the Ramones' unlikely transformation from Forest Hills, Queens, ''lowlifes'' to America's premier punk-rock band pales in comparison to Dee Dee's own pathos-laden tale of raging chemical dependency and abject dysfunction. If Ramones fans once interpreted songs like ''Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue'' and ''I Wanna Be Sedated'' as ironic jokes, after reading Lobotomy they'll recognize them for what they more likely were — straight reporting. One quibble: Nowhere does Dee Dee Ramone discuss his, um, motivation for writing that enduring anthem to male prostitution, ''53rd & 3rd.'' Oh, well — maybe he's leaving that for another book. B+