Reggae, the Story of Jamaican Music (BBC, 2002) written by Lloyd Bradley, accompanies the excellent BBC television series recently seen on Bravo. With an easy to follow development of the music, the chatty, enjoyable style is accentuated by the photographs of Dennis Morris, many of which have never been seen before. The stunning photographs, both candid and casually posed, present a visually pleasing contrast between vibrant color photographs and classic black and whites. As Jamaica celebrates its 40th anniversary of independence, Bradley explores how the music of this tiny island has conquered the world. Through interviews with reggae legends, both those in front of and behind the mic, the book tracks the development of the music in Jamaica through its travels overseas with Jamaican musicians and immigrants. Enlightening comments highlight the music's journey from Dennis Alcapone discussing the "Art of Deejaying" to Sugar Minott remembering the late Crown Prince of Reggae, Dennis Brown. Bradley "pays tribute to musicians, performers, producers, deejays and fans" as he explores the "indomitable Jamaican spirit that has driven the development of the music." www.bbc.co.uk

Bob Marley, a Rebel Life, a Photobiography, 1973 - 1980 (Plexus Publishing Limited, 1999) offers a rounded portrait of Bob Marley, both the man and the performer, and is a sincere tribute to a friend. Dennis Morris was only 14 when he first photographed Bob Marley and the Wailers, thus beginning an eight-year friendship with the icon who had invited the eager fan backstage to take photos at London's Speakeasy Club. The pictures, along with Morris' personal reflections, offer an insight into Marley's life and music. In this lovely book, Morris, who has become one of the world's leading rock photographers, shares a personal profile of the man who became a "musical inspiration and spiritual avatar to millions" with photos that could only have been taken by someone with his subject's complete trust. www.plexusbooks.com

The pocket-sized presentation of the reissued Bob Marley, Spirit Dancer (W.W. Norton and Company, 1994) encourages a feeling of intimacy as the reader explores this photographic and textual meditation on the life of Bob Marley. Photographer Bruce Talamon met Marley just two years before his death, when the legend was undergoing a dramatic personal change, becoming a gentler and more philosophical version of himself. Marley granted Talamon unprecedented access, both on stage and off, which has resulted in a remarkable visual record enhanced by Roger Steffen's sensitive text. Talamon's non-intrusive style conveys the ordinary way that Marley actually lived his life as he presents the man who "had a purpose like no one [he had] ever seen before." Steffen's text, in combination with a forward by the late Timothy White, author of Catch a Fire, allows the reader to "separate the dancer from the dance." www.wwnorton.com

Refreshingly, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, Get Up! Stand Up! Diary of a Reggaeophile (CACE International, 2002) by Fikisha Cumbo, devotes chapters to reggae's Steppin' Razor, Peter Tosh. The works on Bob Marley, already prolific, will be enhanced by the uncensored interviews included in this volume, but it is a pleasure to be exposed to material on the equally impactful Peter McIntosh. Cumbo met the two musicians while studying for a graduate degree on "the Sociology of Musicians of the African Diaspora" and felt that the formal sociological interview format limited the artists' full expression. Instead, through mutual friendships, she continued to interact on a regular basis with the two legends, compiling both her own experiences and the tributes, comments and anecdotes of friends and associates into a candid, informal volume that confirms Bunny Wailer's own words, "They left us with a legacy that we will never forget." www.caceinternational.com

Another very personal tale is presented in My Reggae Journey: Music's Rough, Tough Road (1st Books Library, 2004) by Roydale Anderson, a reggae producer and distributor, whose lifelong musical journey began with his mother's old victrola and continued from the sound systems of the early 1950s on the beaches of St. Thomas, to the Bronx basement parties in the '60s, to Andy's Record Store in 1970, finally to present day New York. Anderson has always had the "music running through his veins" and through his work, has been privileged to work with some of the best Jamaican artists of the day as well as many well-known radio and retail personalities. My Reggae Journey is an easy-to-read, voyeuristic experience akin to reading someone's diary - full of personal details and tidbits of information from the writer. www.1stbooks.com

Another volume from 1st Books Library is Reggae Heritage, Jamaica's Music History, Culture & Politic (1st Books Library, 2003) by Lou Gooden. The author, through his own personal experience working with sound systems, studios and radio, has both a professional and educational background in the music, explores the culture and history of reggae in a very personal manner as he clarifies what he terms as the difference between "hearsay writers" who have obtained their information from others as opposed to those who have done their own "journalistic research." Gooden feels very strongly that the majority of what has been written about reggae has been misleading and is thus attempting to present his readers with "history, not fiction" as he introduces his subject, the culture and history of reggae heritage. www.1stbooks.com

The Cosmic Burrito, a Transcontinental Adventure of Discovery and Decadence (1st Books Library, 2001) by David Shiffman, is the story of two restless college graduates who decide to postpone their entrance into the "real world" by taking a cross-country trip in search of understanding, direction and the ultimate burrito. With one foot in the metaphysical world and the other in the gutter, they search for truth yet never abandon their less noble interests. Tosh (a diehard reggae fan) and Crosby (his college friend) meet an intriguing cast of characters in their travels, explore Rasta consciousness, attend Reggae on the River, and ultimately discover some things about both themselves and the universe. www.1stbooks.com

PowerKids Press presents an enlightening children's book, I Am a Rastafarian (PowerKids Press, 1999) by Jane Stuart. Written from a child's perspective - Samuel, who lives in New York - it is an informative yet simple primer on Rastafari that would benefit both Rastafari and non-Rastafari children in understanding the faith and in encouraging mutual respect. www.powerkidspress.com

Rastafari, from Outcasts to Culture Bearers (Oxford University Press, 2003) by Ennis Barrington Edmonds, charts the evolution of the relationship between Rastafari and the wider Jamaican society. Edmonds' well-designed framework outlines how "Rastafari symbols have permeated Jamaican society, ensuring the continued existence of the movement despite [an absence of the] formal structure" generally associated with religions. Edmonds further demonstrates how Rastafari artistic creativity has been a significant factor in the transition of the Rasta from the status of outcasts to the position of culture bearers. The volume is essential reading both for those interested in Rastafari as well as those interested in theoretical approaches to religious movements. www.oup.com