This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession

Levitin, Daniel J.

3.89

63,612 ratings by Goodreads

9780143142324: This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession

ISBN 10: 0143142321 ISBN 13: 9780143142324

Publisher: Penguin Group USA, 2007

A scientific exploration of the relationship between the mind and music draws on recent findings in the fields of neuroscience and evolutionary psychology to discuss such topics as the sources of musical tastes, the brain's discernible responses to music, and the cultural origins of musical senses. Simultaneous with paperback.

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Review:

Endlessly stimulating, a marvelous overview, and one which only a deeply musical neuroscientist could give. . . . An important book. (Oliver Sacks, M.D.)

Levitins snappy prose and relaxed style quickly win one over and will leave readers thinking about the contents of their iPods in an entirely new way. ("Publishers Weekly," starred review)

Levitinas snappy prose and relaxed style quickly win one over and will leave readers thinking about the contents of their iPods in an entirely new way. ("Publishers Weekly," starred review)

Levitin's snappy prose and relaxed style quickly win one over and will leave readers thinking about the contents of their iPods in an entirely new way. ("Publishers Weekly", starred review)

Why human beings make and enjoy music is, in Levitin's telling, a delicious story. (Salon.com)

Levitin is a deft and patient explainer of the basics for the non-scientist as well as the non-musician. . . . By tracing musicAEs deep ties to memory, Levitin helps quantify some of musicAEs magic without breaking its spell. ("Los Angeles Times Book Review")

Endlessly stimulating, a marvelous overview, and one which only a deeply musical neuroscientist could give. . . . An important book. (Oliver Sacks, M.D.)

LevitinAEs snappy prose and relaxed style quickly win one over and will leave readers thinking about the contents of their iPods in an entirely new way. ("Publishers Weekly", starred review)

Why human beings make and enjoy music is, in LevitinAEs telling, a delicious story. (Salon.com)
"Endlessly stimulating, a marvelous overview, and one which only a deeply musical neuroscientist could give....An important book."--Oliver Sacks, M.D.

"I loved reading that listening to music coordinates more disparate parts of the brain than almost anything else - and playing music uses even more! Despite illuminating a lot of what goes on, this book doesn't 'spoil' enjoyment--it only deepens the beautiful mystery that is music."--David Byrne, founder of Talking Heads and author of How Music Works

"Levitin is a deft and patient explainer of the basics for the non-scientist as well as the non-musician....By tracing music's deep ties to memory, Levitin helps quantify some of music's magic without breaking its spell."--Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Why human beings make and enjoy music is, in Levitin's telling, a delicious story."--Salon.com

"Dr. Levitin is an unusually deft interpreter full of striking scientific trivia."--The New York Times

"Every musician, at whatever level of skill, should read this book."--Howie Klein, former president, Sire and Reprise/Warner Brothers Records

"Levitin's lucid explanation of why music is important to us is essential reading for creative musicians and scholars. I've been waiting for years for a book like this."--Jon Appleton, composer and professor of Music, Dartmouth College and Stanford University, inventor of the Synclavier synthesizer

Book Description:

Ever wondered why you can identify your favourite song from hearing only the first two notes? Or why you can't get that annoying jingle out of your head? Daniel Levitin's breathtaking - and wholly accessible - book, now published in paperback, explains why.

'You'll never hear music in the same way again.' Classic FM Magazine

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