Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain 1st Edition

by Oliver Sacks (Author)

274 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-1400040810

ISBN-10: 1400040817

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Music can move us to the heights or depths of emotion. It can persuade us to buy something, or remind us of our first date. It can lift us out of depression when nothing else can. It can get us dancing to its beat. But the power of music goes much, much further. Indeed, music occupies more areas of our brain than language does—humans are a musical species.

Oliver Sacks’s compassionate, compelling tales of people struggling to adapt to different neurological conditions have fundamentally changed the way we think of our own brains, and of the human experience. In Musicophilia, he examines the powers of music through the individual experiences of patients, musicians, and everyday people—from a man who is struck by lightning and suddenly inspired to become a pianist at the age of forty-two, to an entire group of children with Williams syndrome, who are hypermusical from birth; from people with “amusia,” to whom a symphony sounds like the clattering of pots and pans, to a man whose memory spans only seven seconds—for everything but music.

Our exquisite sensitivity to music can sometimes go wrong: Sacks explores how catchy tunes can subject us to hours of mental replay, and how a surprising number of people acquire nonstop musical hallucinations that assault them night and day. Yet far more frequently, music goes right: 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 whose memories are ravaged by Alzheimer’s or amnesia.

Music is irresistible, haunting, and unforgettable, and in Musicophilia, Oliver Sacks tells us why.

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Product Details

Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Knopf; 1 edition (October 16, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400040817
ISBN-13: 978-1400040810
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.3 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (274 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #74,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #43 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Appreciation
- #61 in Books > Textbooks > Social Sciences > Psychology > Neuropsychology
- #76 in Books > Textbooks > Medicine & Health Sciences > Medicine > Clinical > Neurology

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Customer Reviews

274

4.3 out of 5 stars

5 star		60%
4 star		19%
3 star		13%
2 star		6%
1 star		2%

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

A grace note not to be questioned, but to be enjoyed

By Bobby Matherne on April 25, 2013

Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase

When Oliver Sacks talks, I listen. When he writes, he takes subjects and follows them to the very nerve-endings and synapses of the brain itself. He never writes without including some aspect of his amazing and diverse life, such as when he introduced the Island of the Colorblind by talking about his love for the cycads which were growing in the London Botanical Gardens. The island whose population were color blind also had these primitive cycad trees, whose existence dates back to Paleozoic times. I was amazed to discover that the subtropical sago palm which grows everywhere around New Orleans was not a true palm, but one of these ancient dinosaur age plants. When I read his books, my life changes — I can never look at a sago plant without admiration since that book. Nor can I think of cold and hot lights (fluorescence and tungsten bulbs) without thinking of his two uncles, one who pioneered in cold light, and the other a pioneer in hot lights, namely, his Uncle Tungsten of the eponymous book.

With this book, he has attacked music in the same way, delving deeply into his own experiences with music and deeply into what happens inside the minds and brains of many patients with various brain and nervous system anomalies which shed light on how our human body works vis-à-vis music. If you thought you understood music because you are a music lover, Sacks will open his bag of tricks and surprise and delight with novel aspects of music which few have heard of or discovered in their own lives, up until now. And once more he has changed my own life. This time, not in a pleasant way.

Did you ever notice a clock ticking in the room you were in? And once you've noticed the darn thing ticking how hard it is to get rid of the ticking?Read more ›

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To finish this book felt like a loss

By Emma on June 20, 2015

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

As always, Oliver Sacks both informs and elevates He teaches not by "dumbing-down," but by requiring the reader to become an active participant, engaged in the material which is also engaging. To finish this book felt like a loss.

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I'm not a musical person, but as a social ...

By Vicky Young on July 19, 2015

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

I'm not a musical person, but as a social scientist I found this book fascinating. I'm recommending it to others, especially the musically-talented members of the family. Sacks is a great-story teller and doctor.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Another amazing book by Oliver Sacks!

By Nuschler on May 8, 2014

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

If you love how this neurobiologist thinks ("Awakenings", "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat", "Hallucinations") You will just love this book.

Musicophilia...Love of music. He explains how our brains have evolved to love music...and then goes on to explain why some of us LOVE jazz, classics or hip hop and rap.

His books are NOT easy reading. This is post-graduate med school stuff. But anyone can grasp the central tenets.

Enjoy this book!

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She gave it rave reviews and I'm actually thinking of seeing if I can borrow it myself as it sounds like a good read

By Joey L. on November 13, 2014

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

I bought this as a gift for a music loving friend for her bachelorette party. She was surprised and excited as she had been wanting to read it for a while! She gave it rave reviews and I'm actually thinking of seeing if I can borrow it myself as it sounds like a good read.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Explains why some people are so talented

By Jane on January 25, 2014

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

Its more of a research book, and has explained to us why our kids are so talented with both music and math.
There is a lot of interesting things in this book which will make sense explaining a lot about certain talents which we had always wondered about.
I think the main reason that we have 2 copies of this book, as there is some Synesthesia in our family. We were very interested in the connection with musical talent, ability for learning other languages, and math, and if there was any connection.
Its not an easy read, but it sure explains a lot about talent and how people learn.
I am perhaps not explaining this too well, but look at the other comments for more detailed information.

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Five Stars

By tiagobmd on December 13, 2014

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

Very nice book.!

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Scientifically "meaty" but understandable

By J. K. Swoboda on August 5, 2014

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

I love this book and have re-read it several times.Scientifically "meaty" but understandable.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Listing experiences, what will be done with them... read on...

It is not clear to me yet, the first chapters is about what things go wrong according to life expeerience... Would be nic to see what this will be leading to...

Published 24 days ago by Martin Giling

Five Stars

love it!

Published 25 days ago by Anthony Riley

Five Stars

Loved it!

Published 1 month ago by Joseph Shrager

Four Stars

Interesting

Published 1 month ago by Robert Lastiri

this book seemed like the perfect pick

I am a pianist & a medical professional; this book seemed like the perfect pick. Sacks is a good author in the sense that he is thorough, clear and detailed. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Siva H.

Five Stars

Excellent

Published 2 months ago by Amazon Customer

I like the information

I like the information. Oliver Sacks is a teacher at heart. I am a willing student who enjoys all his work. I learned so much about how music effects our mind and body. Read more

Published 2 months ago by l. gabriella

Fascinating book

Fantastic book. It's the best Sacks book I've read. I found it so fascinating, I ordered three more copies (used but in great condition) to give to friends.

Published 2 months ago by K. Rockow

A book that showed to me a whole new meaning ...

A book that showed to me a whole new meaning to music. What it is inside your brain and why it also lives inside your heart.

Published 2 months ago by David Fernandes

get more

Love Mr Sacks' writings. He writes so we normies can understand the complexities of human beings, especially those who are SPECIAL.

Published 3 months ago by Amazon Customer