Ben Greenman

"Genius" is thrown around a bit too loosely sometimes, but not here. Brian Wilson has a genius musical ear (only one, as it turns out). Yet his life has been hampered by mental illness, and exacerbated by poor choices not least of those selected to treat him. The remarkable thing about this book is the authenticity with which Ben Greenman, his ghost-writer, has captured his voice. The book is a beautiful exploration of this ego-less giant of the music world, how he reshaped music, and how it show more shaped his life. show less

This is an odd book for me - I don't normally read biographies, nor follow musician lives.... but its PRINCE, and PRINCE is amazing. Yes, every time I write PRINCE, its going to be in all caps.

This a great biography - instead of the more normal chronological order, this book uses Prince's own music styles as background to his life. Its not exactly in chronological order, the chapters are set to themes, for example Religion, or his name - but it is written more deeply than that, with show more references going back and forth, expanding on an idea or theme.

I am not the biggest PRINCE fan. I know his hits, but the b-sides and lesser known music, I am completely clueless on. The combining of PRINCE's music with his biography, while amazing, at the same time left me a bit clueless, especially when a song I didn't know was discussed. But that's okay - Ben Greenman wrote an amazing biography of PRINCE that actually captures PRINCE's genius and eccentricity. The book is also quite balanced, not skimping on PRINCE's faults, but rather explaining why they were there. Also, this is great tribute - the Author is a huge fan, and manages to get in a few bits about just how important PRINCE is to him. These moments add immensely to the book, turning it from a well written biography to something more poignant. show less

It is so rare to hear an honest, forthcoming, self-aware voice in this age of spin and image. Wilson speaks frankly on his struggles (weight, mental health, substance abuse, etc.) and his joys of music with unadorned assessments of albums, tours, and songs.

Well-narrated by: Fred Berman

Brian Wilson has not written your garden variety celebrity memoir. He is quite honest, courageously so, about describing his long struggle with mental illness; he also asserts that his musical accomplishments are due at least in art to his mental illness. This is a painful book to read, not because Wilson is settling scores or asking readers to feel his pain, but because he lays out his struggles and his triumphs so matter of factly. I hope many people read this book and I hope that doing so show more inspires them to act more compassionately toward those who are mentally ill. show less