Review Detail

This book is a good starting place for readers who want a broad introduction to the job of being a dj. There are excellent time lines tracing the beginning of mixing music for crowds from record scratching to modern computer equipment. A handful of djs are featured, though not as many of the very popular djs of today as I expected. There's a decent overview of equipment and some success stories of djs who started young.

The reason I feel this is a book for basic beginners, or those just dabbling with the idea of being a dj, is that while a broad swath of information is touched upon, there aren't the kind of specifics a new dj needs to really understand what equipment to buy, the pros and cons of various brands and equipment choices, and the stepping stones it takes to move from wanting to be a dj to actually making it happen.

Overall, this is a thorough introduction to the genesis of mixing music, a handful of successful djs, and the styles of music djs might choose to produce. If readers are interested in learning more about any of those things, this is the book for them. If readers are interested in learning specifics about how to set up their own dj business, they may need to look for another book.