Some people claim that there's a biographer to blame in the preface of this book.

In a letter Jimmy asks the author to "Live your own life and stop trying to figure out mine." If you are interested in what makes Jimmy tick then this may be the book for you.

Part one goes way back to 1846 and covers Jimmy's ancestors from Nova Scotia and Norfolk Island. Eng follows the future Captain Buffet to Mississippi where he is a sailing ship captain and raises a family.

Everything you really want to know about Jimmy's grandfather, dad, mom, uncle, sisters and who he took to his high school prom is revealed.

Buffett fans know all the themes, the ocean, sailing, getting drunk and playing in dives in New Orleans. Interesting was his first trip to Key West in an old Packard with Jerry Jeff Walker. In Key West he finds a home and the characters for many of his songs.

Eng covers a lot of trivia, and rambling speculation about Jimmy's possible ancestors that we really don't want to know. Overall, as a Buffett fan, I enjoyed the book.