Metallica is the most successful hard-rock band of all time, having sold more than one hundred million albums worldwide. Receiving unique, unfettered access, acclaimed filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky followed Metallica over two and a half years as they faced monumental personal and professional challenges that threatened to destroy the band just as they returned to the studio to record their first album in four years.
Berlinger’s book about the experience reveals the stories behind the documentary Some Kind of Monster, capturing the energy, uncertainty, and ultimate triumph of both the filming and Metallica’s bid for survival. It weaves the on-screen stories together with what happened off-screen, revealing intimate details of the band’s struggle amid personnel changes, addiction, and controversy. In part because Berlinger was one of the only witnesses to the intensive group-therapy sessions and numerous band meetings, his account of his experience filming the band is the most honest and deeply probing book about Metallica---or any rock band---ever written.
This is the book both Metallica and film fans have dreamed of---a stark and honest look at one of rock’s most important bands through the eyes of one of the most provocative documentary filmmakers working today.
Metallica: This Monster Lives: The Inside Story of Some Kind of Monster Reviews:
Vividly detailed inside story 
2008-06-19 - This Monster Lives; the follow-up book to Joe Berlinger's film-documentary Some Kind Of Monster.
When I picked up the hardcover version I had no idea that this book (or the film) existed. Coming across This Monster Lives by accident was a blessing in disguise. Though I banged my head to `Master' in my teens, and `Fuel' is a permanent companion when I run, I'm not the kind of (Metallica) fan who is after every bits and pieces of the band's whereabouts and news.
Needless to say, when I read the book in June of 2008, I had no clue that those guys had been in such serious trouble years ago.
As for the book; I read through several reviews here on Amazon and find, that some readers warn about it being `self-servant' due to Joe Berlinger's extensive recap of past films he made and his own personal turmoil in connection.
I have to disagree.
All of the happenings, so vividly described in this book are based on raw emotions. Emotions between guys who, over the past 20 years, probably spent more time with each other than with their families, but had to learn the hard way that communication is a MUST if they want to continue to coexist. With voyeuristic eyes, Berlinger's camera watches Metallica for many, many months, capturing amazingly intimate moments between the band members and their affiliations.
Then to go back and write a book about `what happened' during the scenes that didn't make it into the film has to be a painstakingly difficult thing to do. I understand Berlinger for adding his own emotions and feeling brought on by the extensive work he underwent doing past documentaries. I imagine that when doing a documentary a person can only stay detached to his subjects for so long. Involvement on a higher level got to be inventible and Berlinger uses his past (professional and private) to relate to Metallica's situation. Therefore; the `plugs' some readers might be annoyed by didn't bother me one minute.
This Monster Lives is not easy to review. I read the book before I watched the film, so I was introduced to a bunch of information not included in the film - but in my opinion necessary to know - to fully grasp what Metallica went through, IF that is possible.
If I would go deeper and try to dissect the book and review it like I review fiction, I would have to also dissect `the boys' and I'm not willing to do that. My respect for the band is too great to just judge them by the things I read (and saw). The only thing I can do is rate this book for its literacy and add that This Monster Lives is not just for metal fans.
Well, maybe there is one more thing to it. It might sound inappropriate for a review, but I really don't care. To me this is important: I'd like to suggest this book to the parents of kids with metal in their bloodstream. Maybe after you read this it becomes clear that Metallica is not a blood thirsty monster that is screwing with your kid's head and you understand, and maybe even appreciate where this music is coming from. These guys are artists, very gifted and highly sensitive, and have been through hell and back. This book explains how love and devotion towards each other prevails addiction and misery.
Rock on!!
Rebecca Lerwill, author of Relocating Mia
Who is this book about? 
2007-12-19 - Caution to those who want to read about Metallica (you won't get to with this book). Like others I was disappointed when I started to read this book and found out that soooo much of it was about the director and not Metallica.
To be fair, I think I know what the author was trying to do. By correlating his experiences and struggles to what Metallica was going through; he tried to show that they have problems just like any normal "Joe". The problem is though, I was not expecting that and kept waiting for more about Metallica.
The book is well written and if you are a Berlinger AND Metallica fan, then you will fall in love with this book.
Too self-serving
2007-01-01 - The book let me down in a lot of ways. I guess it just wasn't what I had expected. I was hoping for an inside account of how Metallica wrote the lyrics and created the music in a collaborative effort inside their studios (which is the opposite of how they created their prior albums). Instead I got a book that was 50% of the author patting himself on the back of his previous projects and how Blair Witch 2 was a bomb. Honestly, I don't care. I wanted to hear stories about Metallica, not get a run down of your resume.
This marketing technique lives 
2005-05-07 - I enjoyed the book where it was talking about Metallica but I have to agree with other folks comments about the writers going on and on about their past documentaries as if by telling us we might run right out and buy their other movies. To be honest I skipped everything they wrote about past exploits and only read about the band once I saw how they kept patting themselves on the back. I'm a fan of the band not of your past doc's. Anyway as said by others it does give a little more insight to the movie when you watch it. 3 stars for the whole book for the back patting session that is endured.
story tellers
2005-04-27 - the book completes the story told in the film. film is part 1 and the book is part 2 of some kind of monster.
**I saw megadeth live on april 3rd, 2005. obviously the story goes on.
