Reviews

Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono

essjay2023's review

challenging hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

3.75

pferdina's review

adventurous informative reflective slow-paced

2.5

Memoir by Bono, the singer for the Irish band U2. I think U2 fans would love this, but I found it tedious. Parts were more interesting than others. I didn’t know that Bono and the other band members were so religious. Christianity runs through the whole book, it’s just part of Bono. I didn’t know how involved he has been in various causes: world debt relief, AIDS, poverty. I don’t know most of the 40 songs, so I pulled most of them up on YouTube and listened while I read about them. Bono describes what was going on at the time each song was written and how the band approached recording and performing. 

olemagnus_hoi's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

3.5

jgregg42's review

informative medium-paced

4.0

js24's review

5.0

This is a book so indelibly tied to the author that throughout I heard Bono's voice. His desire to prove to someone-himself?-that he matters is seen through these snapshots of his life, through the songs of U2, through his activism. I enjoyed reading a chapter every day. A great read.

oswindler's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

cogsofencouragement's review

5.0

Poetic. Reflective. Inspiring. Superb.

stephsbusinessbookshelf's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.0

jammasterjamie's review

5.0

It really doesn't get much more intimate than this. Bono is not only a great songwriter, but his prose is smooth and addictively written, and there were many pearls of wisdom that would be wonderful to glean even for those who aren't a fan of U2 - Bono's introspection is wonderfully delivered and I got a lot of value out of reading his view of the world in his own words.

Also, if you get the chance to see him on this book-tour before it ends, DO IT! A truly incredible night of stories and songs performed in a unique and emotionally uplifting and beautiful way. Very much like reading this book, but even better than the real thing.

brandibenson91's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0