I’m a writer who conducts a lot of interviews with musicians, most weeks, at least one. I like doing it because talking to people directly about the art they create is where I’ve learned the most. More importantly, the best interviews have been where I’ve been the most prepared and the interview subjects have been the most forthcoming.

This is all mentioned because Tuesday marks the release of an excellent book called Innerviews: Music Without Borders. Innerviews is a book of new interviews and extended dialogues from the website innerviews.org, which is said to be “the web’s longest-running music magazine.” Started by journalist Anil Prasad in 1994, the book is a collection of 24 of his best or favorite interviews.

Those interviewed in the book are exclusively mature, veteran artists with long-term careers, including Ani DiFranco, Béla Fleck, Chuck D of Public Enemy, and Björk. That artists are able to look at their craft in retrospect gives the book a timeless quality where it won’t feel outdated anytime soon. There are no superficial questions here.

The book is a joy to read because Prasad had clearly done his homework when talking to these artists. It never feels like he just has 15 minutes to talk to someone because the musician has an afternoon of phone interviews lined up to talk about the new album or tour.

A particularly illuminating interview is the one with Chuck D, who talks about, among other things, how he loves electric guitar. While that shouldn’t be too surprising to Public Enemy fans (the group samples Slayer on their song “She Watch Channel Zero?!”), it’s not something that Chuck discusses often in the interviews he grants. He’s always been thoughtful and candid, but here he’s discussing something crucial to Public Enemy’s sound that is often ignored.

While it’s hard to envision a casual music fan picking up the book because they are curious about David Sylvain’s songwriting process, the book isn’t for that fan. It’s a welcome addition to the libraries of any self-proclaimed music nerd or snob. It’s a book that I’ve found myself going back to repeatedly as a reference and as a guide for interviews I’ve conducted. I don’t think I’ll be the only one.