Review of 'Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Very good.
I found the final two chapters to be especially excellent and moving.
Paperback, 425 pages
English language
Published Jan. 5, 2008 by Vintage Books.
3 stars
(38 reviews)
With his trademark compassion and erudition, Oliver Sacks, whom The New York Times has called "the poet Laureate of medicine," explores the place music occupies in the brain and how it affects the human condition. In Musicophilia, he examines the powers of music through the individual experiences of patients, musicians, and everyday people. Among them a surgeon who is struck by lightning and suddenly becomes obsessed with Chopin; people with "amusia," to whom a symphony sounds like the clattering of pots and pans; and a man whose memory spans only seven seconds - for everything but music. Dr. Sacks describes how music can animate people with Parkinson's disease who cannot otherwise move, give words to stroke patients who cannot otherwise speak, and calm and organize people who are deeply disoriented by Alzheimer's or schizophrenia.
Music can be inspiring, moving us to the heights or depths of emotion - and it …
With his trademark compassion and erudition, Oliver Sacks, whom The New York Times has called "the poet Laureate of medicine," explores the place music occupies in the brain and how it affects the human condition. In Musicophilia, he examines the powers of music through the individual experiences of patients, musicians, and everyday people. Among them a surgeon who is struck by lightning and suddenly becomes obsessed with Chopin; people with "amusia," to whom a symphony sounds like the clattering of pots and pans; and a man whose memory spans only seven seconds - for everything but music. Dr. Sacks describes how music can animate people with Parkinson's disease who cannot otherwise move, give words to stroke patients who cannot otherwise speak, and calm and organize people who are deeply disoriented by Alzheimer's or schizophrenia.
Music can be inspiring, moving us to the heights or depths of emotion - and it can also be our best medicine. In Musicophilia Oliver Sacks tells us why. (back cover)
Review of 'Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I enjoyed the first part of this, all about music and the brain, and how music makes us human and uniquely human. The second half was more just short chapters about different case studies of slightly different neurological problems which also involved music. They were interesting but just didn't seem to be leading anywhere. I would have wanted much more of the first half and much less of the second.
Review of 'Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain' on 'Goodreads'
from SciFriday review with Sacks
Subjects
- Music -- Psychological aspects.
- Music -- Physiological aspects.