Inside the Most Creative Friendship in History
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I'm Caleb Bissinger. This is the Next Big Idea. Today on the show, what John Lennon and Paul McCartney can teach us about friendship and creativity. Last year, when the Economist reviewed John and Paul, A Love Story and Songs, which was written by my guest today, Ian Leslie.
It ran with a rather cheeky headline. Is there anything left to learn about the Beatles? it asked. The answer, it turns out, is a resounding yes. John and Paul is rich with stories that will thrill Beatles fans from the casual to the maniacal.
It contains forensic analysis of Lennon and McCartney's songwriting. That will delight not just music nerds, but anyone who's interested in the creative process. But where the book breaks new ground is in its psychologically astute portrait of the friendship between two lads from Liverpool who conjured songs that conquered the world. This is Ian's sweet spot. His past books, Born Liars, Conflicted and Curious,
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