Will I love Surrender?

The first time I heard Two Hearts Beat As One by U2 was glorious! I was entranced by the driving drums and the bass line and inspired by Bono’s lyrics, which spoke to my burgeoning interest in how to be cool. And U2 was cool in the 80s. And Bono was one of the coolest musicians I looked up to back then.

His memoir goes deep into explaining where his bravado and “cool” come from. It was a darker and more complicated place than I expected. Having recently endured the death of my own mother, shortly before I read this… show more.

When Bono’s book Surrender: 40 Songs One Story was published, I had to read it.

Having loved his lyrics and melodies, I wanted to know if they sprang from real life. Where did he find meaning? What does he love? Who does he love? Surprisingly, his wife has remained his best friend and critic having shared his entire journey. 

Bono has always been a storyteller, and he poetically tells his life story from a boy in Dublin to a world renown musician and philanthropist. His desire to connect spirituality with real life flows through all his days.

Because I had… show more.

I'm not a U2 fan, but as a creativity coach, I was curious about this book because it is a memoir organized around 40 songs. From the first pages, I was swept up in a compelling, beautifully written, unexpectedly deep account of a fascinating creative career.

This book spans Bono's career from his early days, forming a band with Dublin school mates and flogging demos in London – to the highs and lows of being a part of an extraordinarily successful rock band – to his substantial contributions as an activist and philanthropist. He chronicles the decisions, tensions, and dynamics… show more.

As a fan of the band U2, I enjoyed learning about Bono and the band's background, how the band formed, and their rise to stardom.

What's particularly appealing about this book is that Bono doesn't sugarcoat anything and lets the reader be a fly on the wall for the story's events. He also includes plenty of self-deprecation and humor. In addition to being a fascinating read about the music, this book will appeal to those interested in father-son and mother-son relationships, as Bono lost his mother at a young age and struggled to have a good relationship with his father.

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