The melodically sophisticated pop music of the Beach Boys mythologized the Southern California lifestyle as fun, fun, fun, but Brian Wilson—the group's composer, lead singer, and producer—was a troubled virtuoso heading for a wipeout. Descending into substance abuse and mental illness, Wilson succumbed to artistic stagnation and social withdrawal, deepened by a controversial therapeutic regimen; it was decades before he was able to crawl out of his abyss. In this thoughtful and candid memoir, Wilson reveals how he overcame his inner (and outer) demons to resume his musical career in an astonishing second act. Ben Greenman allows Wilson's voice to shine through, especially in the boyish wonder he still feels when making music.