Cellini has taken a lot of heat since he wrote this book nearly six centuries ago for his self-aggrandizement and overall sensationalism regarding his life. But would you want to be remembered as a goldsmith whose most famous work is probably the salt cellar on the cover of this book? Or would you rather be remembered as a swashbuckling, womanizing, heroic, and “best artist after Michelangelo according to Michelangelo according to Cellini” type of guy? It’s a great read and a primary 16th-century source.