Musicophilia

Tales of Music and the Brain

By: Oliver Sacks

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

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. He 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.

©2007 Oliver Sacks (P)2007 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"[Sacks'] customary erudition and fellow-feeling ensure that, no matter how clinical the discussion becomes, it remains, like the music of Mozart, accessible and congenial." (Booklist)

“Dr. Sacks writes not just as a doctor and a scientist but also as a humanist with a philosophical and literary bent...[his] book not only contributes to our understanding of the elusive magic of music but also illuminates the strange workings, and misfirings, of the human mind.” (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)

"Sacks is an unparalleled chronicler of modern medicine, and fans of his work will find much to enjoy when he turns his prodigious talent for observation to music and its relationship to the brain." (Publishers Weekly)

The Best Of Sacks...

is when he removes himself (and his ego) from the narratives and simply brings neurological science to the laymen in clear, easy-to-understand terms and still does not dumb things down or oversimplify. This book is the best of Sacks. He explores all the things that can go right, and wrong, in the brain in regard to music, demonstrating that there are numerous areas of the brain dedicated to understanding and processing music, and thus, I believe, shows Pinker to be wrong when he said, "music is simply 'cheesecake for the brain' and has no evolutionary value..." He does this latter best when he demonstrates the direct link between language and music and how one probably evolved from the other--that is, that music serves as a very real form of communication, even without words.

I almost never comment on narrators--but this one was very good!

A a lot of stories

A lot of stories, which were interesting, but not a lot of science to explain all the interesting findings

A Great Gift you can give your loved ones

I have to admit that I just am fascinated by all of Oliver Sacks' stories. I actually used the concepts discussed in this book on my uncle who had Alzheimer's disease and was getting very disconnected from life. He had been a bluegrass mandolin player and responded very positively to playing "Will the Circle Be Unbroken". I bought the CD for him so that my aunt could play it for him. He could actually sing along with Maybelle Carter on "Wildwood Rose" and he named the singer. My aunt thanked me for giving this gift to him. And I thank Dr. Sacks for bringing these books to us. They are more than idle entertainment.

Soulful

Long. Sometimes sad. Yet full of hope. I now believe that music may be the very touch of God within us all.

Man's intimate relationship with music.

Our brain is possibly the most wondrous entity in our known universe. Neuroscientist and author Oliver Sacks believed that and was one of its finest explorers. He wrote more than a dozen books on a wide variety of neurological phenomena, disease, injuries, etc. "Musicophilia" is my first venture into his writing. It was a fascinating and illuminating journey, recommended for anyone with more than a passing interest in health and the human condition.
"Musicophilia" examines in some detail man's unique and intimate relationship with music. Sacks does this through numerous case studies of patients with various diseases, injuries, genetic differences, etc. of the brain. The results is an amazing variety of unique (some might say wondrous) acquired abilities and disabilities. It becomes quite obvious that the power of the human brain is almost hard to grasp, and that despite our huge scientific and medical advances, we are still in the infancy of brain understanding.
This book is well worth your time if the topic is of interest. Be forewarned, however, at times it can be like taking a drink from a firehose!

Just fascinating!

This is my first foray into Oliver Sacks' books, and the material is simply extraordinary. Not only is the subject matter fascinating, but the sheer variety of tales, many first hand, as well as the humanity of the writing makes the book completely engrossing. I'm off to check out The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat next. :D

Musicophillia

Unique and comprehensive insights into the connections between music and the brain including how music can improve life for those afflicted by a variety of later life challenges.

Recommended

What did you like best about Musicophilia? What did you like least?

The subject matter and insight into the ways humans work and how little we know about it is what intrigues me most. The repetitiveness of the episodes narrated is what can get boring.

Do you think Musicophilia needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. It is well self-contained.

eye-opening, excellent, so many ideas unheard of

I learned so much and I particularly found the comparison between William's syndrome and autism to be very fascinating.

perfect

one of the best audible books I have listened to. any musician will find this book aa wonderful read.