I read this loooong book because I wasn't really paying attention when the Beatles were around and I wanted to know what the big deal was. Spitz is a pretty good writer (although he's likely to drop in some unnecessary vulgarity once in a while), and I got a good education on the band members. Their life style was even more disgusting than I'd imagined, which is rather sad because I got the idea that three of them (Paul, Ringo and George) were likeable guys who might have actually accomplished something in life in other circumstances. John, on the other hand, was born a jerk and went downhill from there. He's probably the only person about whom it can be said that he deserved Yoko Ono.

The book was most interesting when it was describing the development and innovation of the songs. Being seriously challenged musically, I have no idea what makes one song "better" than another. But Spitz did a good job of describing the new things the Beatles were doing, and when I could I played each song after it was described and heard things I never noticed before.

I haven't become a fan. I certainly don't buy into the Beatles' worldview, or the worldview portrayed in much of their music, or the worldview of most of their fans. I do like a dozen or so of their songs. But essentially, in my opinion, they've received a great deal of adulation and attention over the years while contributing nothing of substance to the world.