Customer Reviews

The World Is Sound: Nada Brahma: Music and the Landscape of Consciousness

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I read this book a little while ago and it completely transformed the way I perceive the world around me. This book showed me the power that sound has. While the book is primarily concerned with the mysticism of sound, he also relates the world around us to sound, and shows us how reliable and accurate our ears are when compared to our eyes.
Joachim-Ernst Berendt also gives listening tests in some of the chapters to give the reader an opportunity to develop their sense of hearing, which he says is being underused in our predominantly visual western culture.

I am a private detective and ever since reading this book, I have always tried to use sound equipment and techniques on my investigations. Since reading this book I have completely re-evaluated and structured the approach and conduct of my work for the better. Can't recommend it enough.
James Pearson.

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Joachim-Ernst Berendt has a great gift for synthesizing informaion. This book is a must read for anyone interested in harmony and understanding our place in the universe as part of the great expression of spirit. It will also appeal to those who prefer more practical information as to how sound and music has transcended and unified while informing those who play as well as the listener. I just love this book! I'm a yoga teacher and a singer and this book really touched me on all levels.

I'm rating this book with just one star because the other reviews are too good, otherwise I may give it "two stars" but no more.
I bought this book because of the positive reviews and I was sorely disappointed. I was expecting a book about the metaphysics of sound. What I got was the superficial text of a rambling enthusiast. The variety of topics covered is interesting and the style is engaging... during the first couple of chapters. After that, Berendt needs a good editor. For example, several times we find quotations of the type (not verbatim): "Some author says that the molecules of hydrogen resonate with a major third interval: <<The molecules of hydrogen resonate with a major third interval>>" This kind of quotation adds nothing and explains less. I am still wondering what kind of analogy is it they were talking about. Besides, the second part of the book consists of a few miscellaneous articles on Zen, jazz, etc., unrelated to what should be the main topic of the book.
On the good side, it showed me some threads to follow... but nothing that can't be found elsewhere, I'm afraid.

Professor Joachim-Ernst Berendt was one of the few enlightened European Scholars, who studied Pythagorean Harmonik, Eastern philosphy and the nature of consciousness. He was able to not only create one of the most important monochord album sets Primordial Tones 1: The Tones of the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, and the Shiva-Shakti Soundin the new age music field, but also wrote one of the best books on music ever written!
If you are interested in the deeper meaning and purpose of music and if you are interested in spirituality, transformation and consciousness - this is a MUST HAVE.

For someone with a musicology background, this book is understandable. If you don't know what a major third is or what harmonic sequences are, then I can see where you might be mystified. I found the ideas presented in this book very profound. Mystical, moving, memorable--it's hard to begin to describe the experience of reading this book.

Many parts did not make sense or were poorly written. The author has a lot of good points, but moreso ideas and assumptions that are not backed up or explained.

My intimate partner is a spriritual practitioner of the Way of Adidam. He is also a musician and chanter. He finds this book both exciting and fascinating. I deals with subtle and cosmic aspects of music, sound and the manifest universe. He has wanted it for a long time. I am happy to have finally found it for him.