"Completely absorbing.... A comprehensive and hugely rewarding look at the Beatles' creativity." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The Beatles changed the lifestyles and fashions of youth throughout the world, and were cultural leaders of a generation. This book does what no other Beatles book has done before - offers a well-researched and plausible analysis of what was behind even their most obscure songs, and what their basic method of writing songs was - songs which captivated millions and still do today. It was an approach, the author suggests, which began when Paul moved into the Asher residence. This book is not about "the meaning" of the songs, but rather, their underlying subtext, and how they were written. It is an artistic biography of Paul McCartney, a theory of what his process was as an artist. The author argues that there was a consistent psychological subtext to Beatles songs, brought to the public in 1963 with their breakthrough "She Loves You." It continued all the way to the songs on the last album, including "Two Of Us." Details on social science research, psychological experiments in think-tanks, and behind-the scenes researchers cast a fascinating light on the possible subtexts of the Beatles song lyrics.

"Changing the lifestyles and appearance of youth throughout the world didn't just happen - we set out to do it. We knew what we were doing." - John Lennon

"It seemed to Western youth that the Beatles knew - that they had the key to current events and were somehow orchestrating them through their recordings." - Ian MacDonald, author of Revolution in the Head

This book is one journalist's theory of how The Beatles "knew."

Ilse Niccolini is a former editor of a trends and arts magazine in the San Francisco Bay Area, and has written for the Boston Herald and Associated Press.