This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.73 (852 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0452288525 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 322 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-06-10 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Dre• That practice, rather than talent, is the driving force behind musical expertise• How those insidious little jingles (called earworms) get stuck in our headA Los Angeles Times Book Award finalist, This Is Your Brain on Music will attract readers of Oliver Sacks and David Byrne, as it is an unprecedented, eye-opening investigation into an obsession at the heart of human nature.. Taking on prominent thinkers who argue that music is nothing more than an evolutionary accident, Levitin poses that music is fundamental to our species, perhaps even more so than language. Drawing on the latest research and on musical examples ranging from Mozart to Duke Ellington to Van Halen, he reveals:• How composers produce some of the most pleasurable effects of listening to music by exploiting the way our brains make sense of the world• Why we are so emotionally attached to the music we listened to as teenagers, whether it was Fleetwood Mac, U2, or Dr. Levitin explores the connection between music—its performance, its composition, how we listen to it, why we enjoy it—and the human brain. In this groundbreaking union of art and
All rights reserved. (Aug.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. . Levitin is the ideal guide to this material: he enjoyed a successful career as a rock musician and studio producer before turning to cognitive neuroscience, earning a Ph.D. From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. Think of a song that resonates deep down in your being. and becoming a top researcher into how our brains interpret music. Now imagine sitting down with someone who was there when the song was recorded and can tell you how that series of sounds was committed to tape, and who can also explain why that particular combination of rhythms, timbres and pitches has lodged in your memory, making your pulse race and your heart swell every time you hear it. Though the book starts off a little dr
"Fascinating and valuable" according to Jack Cullen. This is a great book. I read it Fascinating and valuable This is a great book. I read it 3 times in the first week that I had it. It is gripping and interesting, and remarkably jargon-free. Some of my non-musical friends who borrowed it said that they did not enjoy it and that it was too complicated for them to understand. I have some music theory education which was helpful for understanding the book, but Levitin makes it possible for non-musicians to appreciate the book too. With that being said, it is not written for children. There is a long, complicated part of the book which focuses intensely on the neuroscience part. I found it interesting and easy enough to under. times in the first week that I had it. It is gripping and interesting, and remarkably jargon-free. Some of my non-musical friends who borrowed it said that they did not enjoy it and that it was too complicated for them to understand. I have some music theory education which was helpful for understanding the book, but Levitin makes it possible for non-musicians to appreciate the book too. With that being said, it is not written for children. There is a long, complicated part of the book which focuses intensely on the neuroscience part. I found it interesting and easy enough to under. Jenna Fair said A Musician's View on a Neuro-Musical Book. SummaryDaniel J. Levitin's "This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession" is an interesting read that exposes how the brain processes music. Levitin employs a variety of musical selections throughout his book and utilizes them to illustrate how different parts of the brain interact to produce what we interpret as music. As Levitin says, "music is organized sound," and he tries to expose the inner workings of this theory in his book.Book OrganizationThe book is organized into nine chapters with an introduction, two appendices, and an index. The first chapter, titled "What Is Music?," provides a basi. " this is a fun read for waiting rooms Amazon Customer Far less scholarly than Oliver Sack' "Musicophilia," this is a fun read for waiting rooms, the beach, or bus trips, to carry around in your purse or pack. Delightful descriptions of music and peoples' relationship to music One doesn't need to be any manner of expert to read and enjoy it. Also, it's repeatably dip-able, just any place. Quite enjoyable and very clear. Explains all that "mysterious stuff" about music, about which one could never quite get a clear picture.