This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession
Book Review: you will learn a lot if you pay attention
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm very surprised by how many negative reviews this book is getting. I just finished it, and I love it.
Are you considering reading it? Then, do!
I think the problem many people have is essentially that the book isn't written only for them. In other words, let's say you don't give a fig about jazz--say you couldn't tell the Bird from Benny Goodman. That's no problem: every time he uses an example from jazz to illustrate a point, he uses a famous rock example as well. If you don't get the jazz one, you'll probably get the Rolling Stones reference. I would think everyone could live with that.
Or, let's say you are not at all interested in knowing why Joni Mitchell prefers a certain bass player. You only want to read about the neurology. Or vice-versa: all that neurology stuff is boring; you want to know more about what Neil Young thinks about music.
Unfortunately, there's a little of everything in here. Good solid multi-disciplinary science (neurology, genetics, evolutionary biology); a nice thorough introduction to music theory (explaining terms like pitch, octave, scale, dissonance, beat, timbre); anecdotes from his personal musical experience (what Joni Mitchell told him about her favorite bass player, why he didn't get to take guitar lessons when he was a kid).
UN - fortunately?
Well, I loved this book. I learned a lot about music (in general, as well as specific genres), a little about neurology and evolution, a little about various musicians. I couldn't have been more pleased.
The only reason I can find that anyone didn't enjoy the book is that they didn't want to read about all that other stuff (whatever was not the thing they did want to read about). If you can overlook that, of if you look forward to all of it, I guarantee this book will prove an entertaining, enlightening experience.
The one caveat I have is that, if you really do not know anything about music, pay good attention in the opening chapters when he introduces concepts like chord and scale. Or, be prepared to go back and reference those chapters. I do not see how a detailed book about music could avoid this situation (he cannot talk about music without talking about rythyms, melodies and harmonies). But he does a very good job of introducing and explaining them.
So, enjoy!
Book Review: Great
Summary: 5 Stars
Book was purchased as a gift (a teacher) and they tell me it is most interesting. Thye plan tobuy several copies to give to students to understand the rythym of music.Book Review: i am not a musician
Summary: 3 Stars
and apparently this book is aimed at me, a member of the general public who, the author asserts, is an expert at listening to music, if not a musician. well, i am a biologist, so the neuroscience isn't new to me, and i have to say that i was hoping for deeper insights. in a nutshell, this would be a good book to browse at the library rather than to buy.
though perhaps to non-scientists the book is more interesting. i actually bought it for my boyfriend who, like the author, spent his adolescent years jamming (while i was reading). according to him, the author is trying a bit too hard to show off his music-cool, and he while the book is interesting, tales of adventure of wildlife biologists like alan rabinowitz are much more so . so, we'll stick with the three stars = browse before you buy.
Book Review: More research needed
Summary: 2 Stars
As a musician I find this topic fascinating. The book does cover many interesting points and brings up ideas about how and why we react to music in the ways that we do. However, the authors errors in analyzing some of the music examples and forms throughout the book are flawed and drive someone like me nuts. If the author isn't an educated musician he should have spent more time with musicians researching some of the technical details of the music he examined. The book might try too hard to be all things to all people, and satisfies none. Too technical for the non-scientist, not technical enough for scientists, to musical for non-musicians, not deep enough for musicians. Book Review: This is your Brain on Music
Summary: 5 Stars
This was a gift. The person who received thought it would be good reading.