This audiobook is so much better than an autobiography, it is Paul Simon in conversation. He gives us an insight into many of his songs over the decades of his career. The inspiration, the development, the musical sounds used, the recording and their impact on the audience.

A wonderful series of conversations plus some musical content, recorded and life. I very much enjoyed listening and did not want it to end.

This memoir will stick with me for awhile. I’ve long enjoyed Paul Simon’s music and my respect for his work only grew as I listened to tales from his life and insight into his creativity. After listening to this audiobook, my respect has only grown. It was interesting to hear about the various challenges he put into his work, his inspiration over the years, and various techniques used. Gladwell isn’t always the best interviewer imo but he takes hours of tangents and turn them into a largely flowing narrative. I appreciate Simon’s insight and kindness across decades of work, including occasional controversies like his work in South Africa and his split with Garfunkel. He never dives into the drama but expresses his thinking and choices in a way that generates understanding. The musical interludes make this a book that is best in audiobook format. I’d recommend this charming listen for anyone with an interest in music.

This isn’t a traditional memoir. Instead, it feels like sitting in on a fascinating conversation about music, songwriting, creativity, and a remarkable career. The interview format worked especially well for me, making it feel personal and engaging rather than a straightforward retelling of events.

I came away with a greater appreciation for Paul Simon’s creative process and the stories behind many of his songs. The audiobook format adds an extra layer of enjoyment, and I found myself wanting to keep listening.

A thoughtful and entertaining listen for music lovers and anyone interested in the creative process.

Thank you for NetGalley for the ARc.

I really enjoyed this book. Learning how songs evolved and also hearing the songs as you listen to the audiobook was delightful. Malcom asked just the right questions, enjoyed the open audio, made it feel genuine. From the early Paul Simon to the current, so interesting.

Perfection. No notes! Everyone who is a fan of Paul Simon MUST do the audio book of Miracle and Wonder. Thank you thank you thank you NetGalley for this audio book. I am a huge fan of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. But also of just Paul Simon. I could listen to his work at any moment. So many classics. This is an interview with Paul and others about the creation of his music. And while Paul is talking about a song or an album, he would sing. It was a mixture of memoir and a greatest hits album. I love when a memoir is read by the actual person and this book was just so interesting. It was not a tell all, no real juicy gossip. That is not what this is. Just a man with his guitar, taking a walk down memory lane. Thank you Paul Simon for all of your work and your insight. I will recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

While many popular musicians heavily rely on their early hits, Paul Simon’s catalogue has continued to grow in depth and quality. Based upon a series of interviews in his music studios, this audiobook covers Simon’s career- influences, experiences, places, etc. It was so interesting that I only hit pause to listen to full songs/albums on my music app.

As usual with Gladwell’s audios, this is an immersive experience. You’ll hear Simon’s songs and sounds that influenced his creativity skillfully intertwined with relevant bits from the interviews. I’ve grown to love audiobooks, and for me Gladwell’s are the very best. I found myself drawn into the moments.
Something that I particularly love about Gladwell is that he himself always seems to be coming from a place of miracle and wonder. He’s never crass or sarcastic, nor is he a phony chipper sort. His questions and manner are always to help build a broader understanding, and I prefer that quiet confidence to the brash boldness that’s so much more common in today’s media.

There are longer pauses between chapters than is typical in most audios, and I found myself enjoying it. Each chapter covers an era, and I found it nice to take a breath that the longer pause allows. Sound quality is excellent, and production overall is stellar. This was a very easy and enjoyable listen.

I think you’ll love this if you love Paul Simon, love music, or have an interest in the mind of a creative musician. I already want to listen to it again.

Thanks to Pushkin Industries via NetGalley for providing a digital audio copy in response to my request.

I went into this book simply enjoying Paul Simon, and I came away loving him. I really enjoyed learning about the challenges he faced throughout his career as an artist. It was inspiring to see how he never gave up and continually pushed himself to learn, grow, and evolve.

I listened to this as an audiobook, and I really appreciated the care and effort that went into making it such an engaging listening experience.

Listening to this audiobook on a recent road trip was an absolute treat. Malcolm Gladwell's conversations with Paul Simon offer far more than a biography—they're a fascinating look inside the mind of one of music's greatest songwriters. Simon's endless curiosity, willingness to keep evolving throughout his career, and thoughtful reflections on the stories behind his songs make this feel like an intimate, never-ending conversation. The music woven throughout the audiobook elevates the experience, making it the perfect format for this story. Whether you're a longtime Paul Simon fan or simply interested in creativity and the artistic process, this is a remarkable listen that left both my husband and me wishing it had gone on a little longer.

What an absolute gift this book is. Paul Simon is such a fascinating person and I could listen to him talk about any topic for hours. He is so thoughtful and intentional with his words and responses and provides incredibly detailed insight into his creative processes. This is a must-listen for any Paul Simon fan or music fan in general. The author, Malcolm Gladwell, does an amazing job as an interviewer and conversation partner. You can definitely tell that he has a huge amount of respect for Paul and that he did his research for this project. I love the way Paul's stories are presented here--with discussion and then often times with a listen, either performed live for the recording of this book or a playback of the original studio version of the song. It makes perfect sense that this is audiobook only. How else could the author capture the magic and mastery of Paul Simon?

I read (and listen) to biographies and autobiographies often and especially enjoy anything music-related. ‘Miracle and Wonder’ is easily one of the best I've encountered. The audio production pushes boundaries, challenges tradition and thinks outside the box. Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce Headlam present a holistic, and in-depth, picture of Paul Simon’s staggering body of work. The audio quality is such that you feel intimately involved in the conversation. Interviews with the main man, plus an interstellar cast of supporting characters, are interspersed with musical recordings and even some impromptu performances by Paul Simon. It's an incredibly interesting and insightful listen and one which I cannot recommend highly enough.

My only complaint about the audiobook "Miracle and Wonder, Conversations with Paul Simon," is that it is only 5 hours long. I would've enjoyed five more hours of this incredible narration between Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam, and songwriter Paul Simon.
30 hours of interviews; this audiobook is music, conversations, thoughts, and revelations. Malcolm or Bruce pose a question or a thought, Paul thoughtfully answers, then picks up his guitar and plays a sample of a song, shows how the music came to be, different verses he tried, or how he developed the beat to the song.
He speaks of Artie, Art Garfunkel, his best friend and musical partner, and how they perfected their music and made such incredible sounds. One of my revelations was that "Song Long, Frank Lloyd Wright" was written while they were apart; Artie at Columbia studying architecture. Now the line "Architects may come, and architects may go," makes sense.
He talks about writing "Graceland," and how he created his unique sound. His songs when he combined reggae with gospel, adding different techniques and instruments to get the sound so uniquely his.
The music, the words, the interviews, not only with Paul, but also people who worked with him....this is, honestly, one of the most incredible books I have ever enjoyed.