▁identified ▁it ▁as ▁being ▁among ▁the ▁best ▁of ▁the ▁many ▁books ▁written ▁about ▁the ▁Beat les . ▁ ▁Background ▁and ▁development ▁Jonathan ▁G ould ▁had ▁studied ▁cultural ▁anth rop ology ▁at ▁Corn ell ▁University ▁in ▁I th aca , ▁New ▁York ▁but ▁had ▁never ▁considered ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁writing . ▁In ▁between ▁his ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁studio ▁drum mer , ▁he ▁wrote ▁a ▁sample ▁chapter , ▁covering ▁the ▁period ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁when ▁the ▁Beat les ▁signed ▁their ▁recording ▁contract ▁with ▁E MI . ▁At ▁a ▁dinner ▁party , ▁he ▁discussed ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁a ▁full ▁book ▁with ▁Jacob ▁Bra ck man , ▁the ▁cultural ▁critic ▁for ▁New ▁York er ▁magazine , ▁who ▁suggested ▁he ▁contact ▁William ▁Sh awn , ▁Bra ck man ' s ▁former ▁editor ▁and ▁subsequently ▁an ▁editor ▁at ▁F arr ar , ▁Stra us ▁and ▁Gir oux . ▁For ▁two ▁years ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁Sh awn ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁ment or ▁to ▁G ould ▁as ▁he ▁wrote ▁further ▁chap ters . ▁ ▁G ould ▁continued ▁with ▁a ▁new ▁editor , ▁Jonathan ▁Gl us man , ▁but ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁Sh awn ' s ▁guidance ▁and ▁dist ra ctions ▁in ▁his ▁private ▁life ▁h inder ed ▁his ▁progress ▁on ▁the ▁manuscript . ▁G ould ▁cred its ▁artist ▁Lisa ▁Cor in ne ▁Davis , ▁whom ▁he ▁met ▁on ▁a ▁blind ▁date ▁organized ▁by ▁a ▁friend , ▁with ▁providing ▁the ▁insp iration ▁for ▁him ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁book . ▁He