Paul Simon: The Life

Robert Hilburn's Paul Simon: The Life is an authorized biography of the musician. The controversial periods of Simon's life (e.g., Graceland-era exploitation claims) come across as too defensive to be fully reliable, but the rest is generally much better. I especially enjoyed the sections on his early musical career in NYC; Carole King was a friend and influence during this period, and wisely advised him early on to retain full publishing rights to his songs.