A 2021 UK book on SMiLE, any of you read it?

[The Heartical Don]

Dear fellow SMiLE-devotees and Kokomo-aficionados -

The prestigious UK publishers Routledge released this book about SMiLE in 2021:

https://www.routledge.com/Reading-Smile-History-Myth-and-American-Identity-in-Brian-Wilson-and-Van/Carter/p/book/9780367622862#

From what I gathered here, it may be very interesting. And I will purchase a copy; I'd rather have the edition on papyrus, but that's not being sold at bargain price...

[terrei]

I have skimmed this book. It's not really for fans, and it barely qualifies as "non-fiction." I'm not sure who it was written for. Maybe someone seeking a master's degree in American history?

It is an extremely well-researched collection of essays by the author. The first chapter contains some interesting tidbits of information, particularly about Loren Schwartz and the mysticism "mumbo jumbo" that had fed Brian's acid-induced Christ complex circa '65-'67. The rest of the book is like... I don't know how to describe it. The words "overwrought", "grasping for straws", and "minimum word count" come to mind.

You'd be better off watching this video: https://youtu.be/NAh9oLs67Cw?t=64