What a Fool Believes: A Memoir

Yacht rock—the neologism for a style of soft rock from the late 1970s and early ’80s—has many big names, but none have made their presence felt across the genre more than McDonald. As a solo artist, member of the Doobie Brothers and backing vocalist on dozens of classics, McDonald’s uniquely soulful voice is practically a signature on a song. Steely Dan, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, and many others have utilized his vocal talents to take their songs up a notch. How this Midwest musician from modest beginnings became such a recognizable star is the subject of this autobiography. McDonald recruited actor/comedian Paul Reiser, who is also one of his friends, to be his coauthor, an unusual but winning choice. The narrative moves along at a steady rhythm while not getting too bogged down in the details. Having a talented monologist like Reiser help out with an autobiography is something that should happen more often in this genre.