John Adams's memoir Hallelujah Junction, listed among the 100 Notable Books of 2008 by the New York Times, was featured on the year's final episode of Book Tour, NPR's online presentation of leading authors reading and discussing their work. The show, available at npr.org, makes available a reading from the book the composer gave in November 2008 at the Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, DC.

Adams's memoir, writes Book Tour host Neda Ulaby, "is about epiphany and struggle." She goes on:

In short, it's an artist's story. Composer John Adams is one of America's leading avant-garde composers, and as he proves in this compelling memoir, possibly one of the loveliest human beings you're likely to encounter between the covers of a book.

In her introduction to Adams's reading, Ulaby describes him as "a thoughtful man who reflects on topics like art and history, deeply yet wonderfully accessibly." What's more, she concludes, "The same could be said of his compositions. They're erudite, philosophical, but spun through with the play and polish of popular culture."

Listen to Adams read from Hallelujah Junction at npr.org.