Miracle and Wonder is something completely new. Given the extensive use of music, it could not be a regular book. Its incorporation of multiple interviewers and interviewees, archival audio, and previously-released as well as "live" musical performances make it unlike any other audio book I've heard. Editing it into multiple podcast episodes would have sacrificed coherence. It is also not a standard biography of Paul Simon's life--it is more a biography and exploration of musical genius. I have

This deserves 6 out of 5 stars. What a treat to listen to someone I have long admired and to have that admiration grow. Paul Simon is a treasure, and Malcolm Gladwell and his team do an awesome job teasing out details that fans and others will enjoy immensely.

As another reviewer noted, this is more like a long episode of a great podcast than it is a book. Not that I’m complaining. In the relatively short space of six hours, Gladwell and Headlam provide the listener with a surprisingly satisfying examination of Simon’s career in music. At first I was afraid that the format—with frequent interjections and analysis from Gladwell—would drown out the melody, so to speak. But Gladwell’s interrogatory, probing style complements Simon’s heady music wonderful...

This is a truly remarkable audio book. Gladwell said, in a recent interview, that topics and stories of certain people are best told in audio. He was right. 'Miracle and Wonder' will appeal to two groups in addition to Simon fans: First, those serious about music. The technical detail of Simon's writing and song construction is way beyond the pedestrian. Second, those interested in the major contributors to music and culture in the second half of the 20th Century. Simon has always given good int...

As a musician and songwriter since the 1960s, I have always admired Paul Simon. Not that one has to understand music theory to appreciate this fascinating book, but it certainly helps. I rate it as 6 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️A definite read for musicians. And an amazing insight into the mind of Simon.

This was a joyful listen. I enjoyed it tremendously. So much fun to hear Simon discuss his work and remember SO MUCH of the detail of writing it. He has an amazing memory and can tell you the name of every collaborator, every contributor, and every (conscious) influence of his music. Totally fascinating. Gladwell frames it beautifully, as he always does, and gets some great conversations going throughout.

This is only a pure audio experience. The story is about the author and his friend, Bruce, who sat down with Paul Simon for ten sessions, four hours each (a total of forty hours). They talked, played music, and sang while hanging out with him. Then they took the tapes of those sessions and cut them into a story while looking at the miracle of Paul's music and how it has been relevant over many generations. Paul Simon created fantastic music in the fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties,...

Miracle and Wonder is a fascinating audio exploration of creativity revealed through six months of conversations between Paul Simon and Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell is, of course, interested in how minds work, and Paul Simon serves as both metaphor and microcosm of larger concepts that Gladwell has written about so well in previous works, including genius, artist, and longevity. This is somewhat reminiscent of the Barack Obama-Bruce Springsteen Renegades collaboration as Gladwell prods Simon to ex...

I have listened to and loved Paul Simons music for a long time. I also admire Gladwell, so listening to this was a win win. This not only met my expectations but surpassed them mightily. Gladwell does a terrific job interviewing, talking with Simon. How he comes up with the ideas for his songs, so some history there as some are tied to events or tragedies that happened here and in the case of Graceland, South Africa. My hubby and I were fortunate to see Simon perform his Graceland at the Civic O...

I have to be honest, I didn’t listen to this audiobook because I was a Paul Simon fan. I didn’t even know who he was. I only have vague recollections of my parents mentioning Simon and Garfunkel when I was a kid. I decided to listen to this book because I’m a Malcolm Gladwell fan. But as Gladwell says at the beginning “If you don’t know a lot about Paul Simon, you’re in for a real treat.” He was right. This was an incredibly fascinating book! It’s more like a giant podcast, with conversations an...

4.5. If you have any love or admiration for Paul Simon's work, there is a lot to enjoy here. It's less of a book and more of a 6-hour audio documentary. Malcolm Gladwell did gild the lily a little too much, but it's still a wonderful experience for Paul Simon fans.

Wow, what an awesome production! And the premise - fabulous! Probably helps that Paul Simon is a very interesting and talented guy, and so is Malcolm Gladwell. I was happy to find this "book" in GoodReads - it is so much MORE than a book!!! Talking about music and including music as illustration was a brilliant idea. And, just free form interviews which later are assembled into this beautiful piece, well, it seems exactly like how Paul describes his own creative process for music. Bravo!!!

Unsurprisingly I came into this book already a fan of Paul Simon's work. After finishing it I am a fan of Paul Simon. The insight into the way he creates music is really something else. That alone would make this worth reading. But hearing the actual tunes and Paul Simon riffing or strumming during the interview make this a must read (or listen I guess). The editing is also excellent, as is to be expected from Malcolm Gladwell. Even though it meanders and jumps around, it never gets confusing or...

This is such a well crafted audiobook. Malcom Gladwell is so good at finding the perfect specific example to illustrate his points and in this medium that translates to him finding the perfect audio clip or bit of a song. There’s not a lot of huge revelations about Paul Simon’s life or career so if you are a fan you may have heard some of the stories before but the structure here gives them new life. What was most interesting to me though was the insight into the creative process for both Simon