"A well-researched and highly opinionated history. . . . This book makes for provocative reading, but Kot is above all a music lover and that comes across nomatter which side of the issue you’re on.”

– The Boston Globe

“[Ripped] is the best kind of journalism, even-tempered and provocative, factual and soulful.”

– Christian Science Monitor

“Greg Kot tell us what happened . . . in his well-reported book about music in the Internet Age. . . . Kot understands that it’s always entertaining to detail the thrash and roar of a carnivorous dinosaur in its death throes, as small and clever mammals—in this case, music lovers—win the day.”

– The New York Times Book Review

“Thought-provoking . . . enlightening . . . [a] substantive examination of the chaotic music world.”

– San Francisco Chronicle

“If you’re looking for a big-picture guide to music, and how you interact with it, right-this second, Ripped is a good way to go.”

– Nylon magazine

“Mr. Kot, who writes in an engaging but highly anecdotal style, does a nimble job of showing how the Internet has lifted the careers of particular musicians.”

– Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

"Kot is a talented critic."

– Booklist

“Stands out for its sturdily constructed prose and command of up-to-date facts. . . . The book thankfully avoids the technology and industry gossip possibilities inherent in the subject and instead focuses on the sometimes unexpectedly wonderful mutations in the way that musicians and listeners think about popular music.”

– Publishers Weekly

“Clear, concise and entertaining account of the tectonic shift in the recording industry over the past decade . . . Indispensable for anyone who wants to understand popular music in the 21st century.”

– Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A perceptive, unblinking, and up-to-the-minute take on the seismic transformations of the recording industry in the digital age. . . Kot’s breezy, entertaining, journalistic style and sympathetic tone consistently draw in the reader. Essential for all those interested in the intersection of music and technology.”

– Library Journal

“A perceptive, unblinking, and up-to-the-minute take on the seismic transformations of the recording industry in the digital age. . . Kot’s breezy, entertaining, journalistic style and sympathetic tone consistently draw in the reader. Essential for all those interested in the intersection of music and technology.”

– Library Journal

“An interesting book [that] details the sea change that’s choking big music studios and middleman and creating a landscape where smaller bands proliferate and manage to sustain themselves without the backing of music moguls.”

– Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Informative and entertaining."

– Huffingtonpost.com