Despite his ambitions, and the involvement of several noted reggae session musicians, the album has been described as a "bomb", and has received negative reviews from music critics both upon release and in retrospect.

Philip Michael Thomas began working Living the Book of My Life while acting on the television series Miami Vice; he wrote and produced the record as part of his stated goal to become an "EGOT" winner.

[4] Working with Thomas on the album were a number of established reggae studio musicians, including percussionist Uziah Thompson, saxophonist Dean Fraser, and guitar player Geoffrey Chung; backing vocals were also provided by Betty Wright.

[5] Rolling Stone's Kurt Loder, writing in 1986, wrote that the album was "a humongous bomb", and described it as "a tepid gruel of treacly reggae, the lyrics a mind-puckering jambalaya of self-enthused psychobabble".

[6] Writing for Entertainment Weekly in 1996, Rich Brown included it on a list of "failed albums" by actors, singling out the song "Fish and Chips" as a low point.