As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead, a number of new books are being published, telling the tale of this band and its adventures over thirty years of performing, and another twenty of post-Dead music. So Many Roads, by David Browne , takes an interesting approach: rather than try and be a thorough biography of the band, it examines eleven key dates in the band's history, using each one as a starting point to tell part of the Dead's story.