{"product_id":"acid-for-the-children-a-memoir-flea-9781455530540","title":"Acid for the Children: A Memoir | Flea","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"font-family: inherit; color: #333; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003e\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"font-size: 1.1em; font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 20px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003eNew York Times Bestseller | A #1 LA Times Bestseller | A USA Today Bestseller | One of NPR's \"Favorite Books of 2019\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 20px;\"\u003eBook Overview\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eThe iconic bassist and co-founder of the Red-Hot Chili Peppers tells his fascinating origin story, complete with all the dizzying highs and the gutter lows you'd want from an LA street rat turned world famous rock star. In \u003cem\u003eAcid for the Children\u003c\/em\u003e, Flea takes readers on a deeply personal and revealing tour of his formative years, spanning from Australia to the New York City suburbs to, finally, Los Angeles. Through hilarious anecdotes, poetical meditations, and occasional flights of fantasy, Flea deftly chronicles the experiences that forged him as an artist, a musician, and a young man.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eHis dreamy, jazz-inflected prose makes the Los Angeles of the 1970s and 80s come to gritty, glorious life, including the potential for fun, danger, mayhem, or inspiration that lurked around every corner. It is here that young Flea, looking to escape a turbulent home, found family in a community of musicians, artists, and junkies who also lived on the fringe. He spent most of his time partying and committing petty crimes, but it was in music where he found a higher meaning, a place to channel his frustration, loneliness, and love—ultimately leading to the life-changing moment when he and his best friends and partners-in-mischief formed the Red Hot Chili Peppers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFlea (Michael Peter Balzary)\u003c\/strong\u003e is the renowned bassist and co-founder of the legendary rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Writing with absolute, unvarnished vulnerability, he debuts as a stunning new literary voice whose prose is as witty, entertaining, and wildly unpredictable as the author himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eCore Audience \u0026amp; Intended Use\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003cul style=\"padding-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMusic Historians \u0026amp; Fans:\u003c\/strong\u003e Readers interested in the raw social history of underground Los Angeles and the formative roots of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAlternative Literature Enthusiasts:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fans of experimental storytelling, stream-of-consciousness prose, and deeply revealing artistic memoirs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNonfiction Readers:\u003c\/strong\u003e Individuals seeking a tenderly evocative coming-of-age story exploring trauma, survival, and the redemptive power of jazz and bass guitar.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eProduct Specifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-top: 15px; font-size: 0.95em;\"\u003e\n      \u003ctbody\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left; width: 35%;\"\u003eFull Title\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eAcid for the Children: A Memoir\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eAuthor(s)\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eFlea (Michael Peter Balzary)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePublisher \u0026amp; Imprint\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eGrand Central Publishing\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePublication Date\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eNovember 3, 2020 (First Trade Paperback Edition)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eBinding Format\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eTrade Paperback (PB)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePrint Length\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003e400 Pages\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eLanguage\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eEnglish\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eISBN-13 \/ ISBN-10\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003e9781455530540 \/ 1455530540\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePrimary Genre (BISAC)\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eBIO004000 \/ BIOGRAPHY \u0026amp; AUTOBIOGRAPHY \/ Music\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eSub-Genres (BISAC)\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eBIOGRAPHY \u0026amp; AUTOBIOGRAPHY \/ Entertainment \u0026amp; Performing Arts; BIOGRAPHY \u0026amp; AUTOBIOGRAPHY \/ Personal Memoirs; SOC026000 \/ SOCIAL SCIENCE \/ Regional Studies\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eItem Condition\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003ePre-Owned \/ Very Good\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eDimensions \u0026amp; Weight\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003e5.40 x 1.15 x 8.20 inches | 11.2 oz (approx. 0.70 lbs)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003c\/tbody\u003e\n    \u003c\/table\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eFrequently Asked Questions About Acid for the Children\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eDoes this book chronicle the massive commercial success and backstage stadium tours of the Red Hot Chili Peppers?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eNo, in a highly surprising artistic choice, the memoir completely avoids their multi-platinum rock star era. Instead, the book operates strictly as a pre-fame coming-of-age chronicle, concluding at the exact structural moment the Red Hot Chili Peppers are officially formed, keeping the focus entirely on his formative years, psychological development, and early street survival.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eWhat unique writing style and structural formatting choices did Flea utilize?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eThe book completely bypasses standard, ghost-written celebrity biography tropes. Flea penned the entire text himself, utilizing a highly stylized, poetic, and stream-of-consciousness narrative layout broken into short, rhythmic chapters, scattered free-verse poetry, personal lists of music that saved his life, and erratic structural fonts that mirror the internal syncopation of jazz music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eWhat is the main narrative hook and geographical setting driving the memoir?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eThe story maps out a chaotic childhood that moves from a strict upbringing in Australia and New York to the lawless, neon streets of 1970s Los Angeles. After his mother marries a volatile jazz musician, a young Flea is thrust into a bohemian household, eventually fleeing to the streets to run with a tight-knit counterculture pack of outcasts, skateboarders, petty thieves, and dynamic jazz musicians.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eWhich legendary creative partner features as the absolute emotional centerpiece of the book?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eThe book functions as a scrupulous, deeply emotional love letter to his creative brother and bandmate, Anthony Kiedis. Flea documents their legendary, immediate high school meeting, charting how two deeply damaged, fiercely independent street kids forged an unshakeable bond that protected them through drug addiction, domestic trauma, and petty crime long before they ever picked up instruments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eWho is the ideal target audience for this specific paperback edition?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eIt is a vital read for fans of experimental alternative literature, music historians, and anyone interested in the raw social history of underground Los Angeles. Because Flea writes with absolute, unvarnished vulnerability regarding his drug struggles, childhood neglect, and redemptive path through jazz trumpet and bass guitar, it transcends standard fan merchandise to stand as an exceptional literary achievement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003c!-- DISCLAIMER BDB --\u003e\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #f4f6f8; border-left: 3px solid #2c3e50;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eCondition Notice: Pre-Owned \/ Second-Hand Product\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAll books, box sets, and multi-volume collections\u003c\/strong\u003e offered by Bust-Down Books are sold in pre-owned, used, and second-hand condition, unless explicitly designated as new in the individual product listing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition Details \u0026amp; Grading:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cul style=\"padding-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\n        \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrevious Ownership:\u003c\/strong\u003e These items have been previously owned, handled, and read. As such, copies may exhibit typical signs of shelf wear, including but not limited to minor creasing, scuffing, edge wear, bent page corners, remainder marks, or spine softening. Paperback editions may show minor cover curling or crease lines.\u003c\/li\u003e\n        \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMarkings \u0026amp; Personalization:\u003c\/strong\u003e Items may occasionally contain inscriptions, library stamps, owner names, marginalia, or highlighting. Individual item descriptions reflect significant deviations from standard acceptable condition.\u003c\/li\u003e\n        \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSupplemental Materials:\u003c\/strong\u003e Secondary and digital components—such as publisher access codes, CD-ROMs, bonus inserts, registration keys, or workbook activity pages—are not guaranteed to be included, active, or unredeemed unless specifically stated in the product description.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFirst Sale Doctrine \u0026amp; Non-Affiliation Statement:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAll items sold on this platform are original, lawfully acquired copies being resold under the protection of the First Sale Doctrine (codified under U.S. copyright law, 17 U.S.C. § 109, and applicable international equivalents permitting the secondary resale of lawfully manufactured goods).\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eBust-Down Books, LTD. is an independent, secondary-market bookseller. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, authorized by, or sponsored by the original authors, copyright holders, publishers, or trademark owners of the titles offered for sale. All registered trademarks, author names, book titles, and publisher imprints remain the sole property of their respective owners and are used strictly for nominative identification and descriptive purposes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@graph\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": [\"Product\", \"Book\"],\n      \"name\": \"Acid for the Children: A Memoir\",\n      \"author\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Person\",\n        \"name\": \"Flea (Michael Peter Balzary)\"\n      },\n      \"isbn\": \"9781455530540\",\n      \"sameAs\": \"1455530540\",\n      \"bookFormat\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/Paperback\",\n      \"numberOfPages\": 400,\n      \"publisher\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n        \"name\": \"Grand Central Publishing\"\n      },\n      \"datePublished\": \"2020-11-03\",\n      \"inLanguage\": \"en\",\n      \"image\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/2077\/7531\/files\/9781455530540.jpg?v=1777303950\",\n      \"url\": \"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/acid-for-the-children-a-memoir-flea-9781455530540\",\n      \"offers\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Offer\",\n        \"priceCurrency\": \"USD\",\n        \"price\": \"10.99\",\n        \"availability\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/InStock\",\n        \"itemCondition\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/UsedCondition\"\n      },\n      \"about\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n          \"name\": \"BIO004000 \/ BIOGRAPHY \u0026 AUTOBIOGRAPHY \/ Music\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n          \"name\": \"BIOGRAPHY \u0026 AUTOBIOGRAPHY \/ Entertainment \u0026 Performing Arts\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n          \"name\": \"BIOGRAPHY \u0026 AUTOBIOGRAPHY \/ Personal Memoirs\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n          \"name\": \"SOC026000 \/ SOCIAL SCIENCE \/ Regional Studies\"\n        }\n      ]\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n      \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"Does this book chronicle the massive commercial success and backstage stadium tours of the Red Hot Chili Peppers?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"No, in a highly surprising artistic choice, the memoir completely avoids their multi-platinum rock star era. Instead, the book operates strictly as a pre-fame coming-of-age chronicle, concluding at the exact structural moment the Red Hot Chili Peppers are officially formed, keeping the focus entirely on his formative years, psychological development, and early street survival.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What unique writing style and structural formatting choices did Flea utilize?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"The book completely bypasses standard, ghost-written celebrity biography tropes. Flea penned the entire text himself, utilizing a highly stylized, poetic, and stream-of-consciousness narrative layout broken into short, rhythmic chapters, scattered free-verse poetry, personal lists of music that saved his life, and erratic structural fonts that mirror the internal syncopation of jazz music.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What is the main narrative hook and geographical setting driving the memoir?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"The story maps out a chaotic childhood that moves from a strict upbringing in Australia and New York to the lawless, neon streets of 1970s Los Angeles. After his mother marries a volatile jazz musician, a young Flea is thrust into a bohemian household, eventually fleeing to the streets to run with a tight-knit counterculture pack of outcasts, skateboarders, petty thieves, and dynamic jazz musicians.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"Which legendary creative partner features as the absolute emotional centerpiece of the book?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"The book functions as a scrupulous, deeply emotional love letter to his creative brother and bandmate, Anthony Kiedis. Flea documents their legendary, immediate high school meeting, charting how two deeply damaged, fiercely independent street kids forged an unshakeable bond that protected them through drug addiction, domestic trauma, and petty crime long before they ever picked up instruments.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"Who is the ideal target audience for this specific paperback edition?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"It is a vital read for fans of experimental alternative literature, music historians, and anyone interested in the raw social history of underground Los Angeles. Because Flea writes with absolute, unvarnished vulnerability regarding his drug struggles, childhood neglect, and redemptive path through jazz trumpet and bass guitar, it transcends standard fan merchandise to stand as an exceptional literary achievement.\"\n          }\n        }\n      ]\n    }\n  ]\n}\n\u003c\/script\u003e","brand":"Bust-Down Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49854252974395,"sku":"1455530549","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/2077\/7531\/files\/9781455530540.jpg?v=1777303950","url":"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/acid-for-the-children-a-memoir-flea-9781455530540","provider":"Bust-Down Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}