Scott Ian digs telling stories. That in itself isn't so special. Lots of people tell stories. All the time. The only difference is that Ian is the leader of Anthrax, arguably one of the most important metal bands of all time. So you can imagine the kinds of stories this guy has.

You don't need to imagine any longer because he reveals all of them in his new autobiography. Born Scott Ian Rosenfeld in Queens, New York, and growing up with his mother and brother, as a young Jewish boy he spent his time finding air on a skateboard, checking out comic books, and being riveted by horror films. Then he heard a KISS song called "Rock and Roll All Nite," and everything changed.

Ian talks about everything from his adolescence to the band's last Worship Music album. He is funny, bright, both self-amused and self-deprecating and most importantly, honest. All those elements would eventually go into the music he'd create with Anthrax. Here is an illuminating passage revealing Ian's insights into himself and the world around him:

I grew up in Queens, New York, got good grades, and geeked out over comic books, horror, and sci-fi. Then I discovered rock and roll, and everything changed. In that respect I was like a lot of aspiring musicians, but I always had inextinguishable drive. From my early teens, I was motivated to find musicians to play with, write songs, get signed, play shows, and grow and grow and grow. I was persistent as hell, a tenacious prick if there ever was one. Every time an obstacle came up, I used my laser-beam focus to figure out how to get around it and move on. Keep moving forward.