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Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain Audiobook
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(3.00) - 14,785 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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.
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"Great read, especially for musicians, music majors and music teachers. It's more of a collection of stories dealing with music in specific medical conditions, specifically psychological, psychiatric, and physical brain issues and abnormalities. He doesn't get extremely in depth with most of the stories, so you don't need much of a medical background, although at times he does get pretty scientific. Overall, a great book about the powers of music for all of us."
— Erik (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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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 -
Oliver Sacks turns his formidable attention to music and the brain . . . He doesn’t stint on the science . . . but the underlying authority of Musicophilia lies in the warmth and easy command of the author’s voice.
— Mark Coleman, Los Angeles Times -
His work is luminous, original, and indispensable . . . Musicophilia is a Chopin mazurka recital of a book, fast, inventive and weirdly beautiful . . . Yet what is most awe-inspiring is his observational empathy.
— American Scholar -
Curious, cultured, caring, in his person Sacks justifies the medical profession and, one is tempted to say, the human race . . . Sacks is, in short, the ideal exponent of the view that responsiveness to music is intrinsic to our makeup. He is also the ideal guide to the territory he covers. Musicophilia allows readers to join Sacks where he is most alive, amid melodies and with his patients.
— Peter D. Kramer, The Washington Post -
Readers will be grateful that Sacks . . . is happy to revel in phenomena that he cannot yet explain.
— The New York Times Book Review -
“The persuasive essays about composers, patients, savants, and ordinary people . . . offer captivating variations on the central premise that human beings are ‘exquisitely tuned’ to the illuminating yet ultimately mysterious powers of music.
— Elle -
With the exception of Lewis Thomas, no physician has ever written better about his trade.
— Salon -
A gifted writer and a neurologist, Sacks spins one fascinating tale after another to show what happens when music and the brain mix it up.
— Newsweek
Musicophilia Listener Reviews
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" Lots of captivating stories and interesting trivia about music and the brain. Captivating writing. "
— Lois, 2/5/2014 -
" saya merupakan pelajar psikologi klinikal akan tetapi buku ini banyak membantu saya sebenarnya. Sangat bagus! "
— CikAnonymous, 12/31/2013 -
" I am really enjoying this book. It is music, psycology and anatomy and phisiology. It makes me feel smart. "
— Danni, 12/28/2013 -
" There's just so much interesting stuff in this book!!! I love Oliver Sacks!!!!! I especially love how he writes so compassionately about the people he sees. "
— Michelle, 12/14/2013 -
" I love music. I love the brain. It's a great, interesting read. "
— Cheryl, 12/11/2013 -
" some nice bits, but it felt too much like reading a list of medical files... i would have liked some kind of progression, or general analysis, instead of jumping from a case to another one. "
— Achab_, 9/29/2013 -
" As I continue to read this book, I find it more and more interesting. This man's thought processes as well as working with his patients gives him some fascinating insight to inner audio processes. "
— David, 9/25/2013 -
" An interesting book on the oddities of music and the human brain. Tells some fascinating stories about individuals that have odd musical abilities or disabilities that enhance or dramatcally interfere with their ability to live normal lives. A little dry at times, but interesting nonetheless. "
— Michael, 9/25/2013 -
" Didn't enjoy it as much as some of his other books "
— Prasanth, 9/9/2013 -
" Anyone who is interested in music and science this book is it.... I really liked it! "
— Afshin, 8/4/2013 -
" I've enjoyed many of Sack's books, and this is probably my least favorite. It seems a more a collection of anecdotes around the theme of music, rather than a cohesive whole. Interesting enough, but somehow dissatisfying. "
— Kaye, 7/18/2013 -
" Always a delight to read Mr. Sachs. This one has less of the crazy neurological aberrations of "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" but it is fascinating none the less. "
— Robin, 4/8/2013 -
" Music is an integral part of society. The very act of listening to music is powerful enough to transports, heals and molds our minds. At it's best Music serves as a bridge connecting our thoughts deeply to our emotions. "
— Andreita, 8/8/2012 -
" This is one of my favorite books and authors of all time. "
— Lisa, 6/6/2012 -
" I haven't actually finished reading this book, but I doubt I ever will. Too anecdotal, not enough substance. "
— Dor, 1/29/2012 -
" Very interesting stories and insight into the brain. I listened to audio book instead of reading. Although the stories were compelling I often found my attention wandering. "
— Leslie, 12/4/2011 -
" Dr. Sack's without a doubt has become one of my favorite authors. "
— Tina, 5/11/2011 -
" Interesting, as all his books, are but focused on a different topic than his other books-music. I generally enjoy his writing and was not disappointed. "
— Caitlin, 5/3/2011 -
" Wow.... it hurts my brain at times but it is really interesting! Just give yourself a lot of time to comprehend and read it! "
— Ali, 4/30/2011 -
" interesting but very technical. I liked 'Brain Rules' better, but I learned a lot! "
— Jonah, 4/27/2011 -
" It will make you a believer that music is essential to well-being! "
— Jessica, 4/25/2011 -
" Very enlightening stuff!! It shed some light on the possible ways in which my brain (or the brains of some of my friends) work. Best thing is -- really -- it affirmed the magical power of music. I always knew... <3 "
— Lorraine, 4/23/2011 -
" Occasionally too technical/off-topic, poor transitions, but overall enjoyable "
— Friedrich, 4/15/2011 -
" Oliver Sacks is always fascinating. I liked this book about bizarre music-related neuroses but it wasn't nearly as good as The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. "
— Erin, 4/12/2011 -
" Absolutely fascinating.<br/><br/>It was a little scary to start reading this book because the author wrote about all the things that could go wrong at the beginning. The middle and the end were considerably calmer for the nerves. "
— Julia, 4/3/2011 -
" Interesting material, but there is no large-scale structure: just a series of disjointed essays. If it were marketed as a series of essays, that would be great, but if you're expecting a coherent narrative you will be disappointed. "
— Jonathan, 3/30/2011
About Oliver Sacks
Oliver Sacks (1933–2015) was the author of more than a dozen books, including The Mind’s Eye, Musicophilia, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, and Awakenings, which inspired both the Oscar-nominated film and a play by Harold Pinter. The New York Times has referred to him as “the poet laureate of medicine,” and he was a frequent contributor to the New Yorker and the New York Review of Books. He lived in New York City, where he was professor of neurology at the NYU School of Medicine for many years.
About John Lee
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.