This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession

In this groundbreaking union of art and science, rocker-turned-neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin explores the connection between music?its performance, its composition, how we listen to it, why we enjoy it?and the human brain. Drawing on the latest research and on musical examples ranging from Mozart to Duke Ellington to Van Halen, Levitin reveals:
? How composers produce some of the most pleasurable effects of listening to music by exploiting the way our brains make sense of the world
? Why we are so emotionally attached to the music we listened to as teenagers, whether it was Fleetwood Mac, U2, or Dr. Dre
? That practice, rather than talent, is the driving force behind musical expertise
? How those insidious little jingles (called earworms) get stuck in our heads

And, taking on prominent thinkers who argue that music is nothing more than an evolutionary accident, Levitin argues that music is fundamental to our species, perhaps even more so than language. This Is Your Brain on Music is an unprecedented, eye-opening investigation into an obsession at the heart of human nature. more

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Smarter Choice Format: Paperback, Publisher: Penguin... Neuroscientist and professional musician Levitin presents a fascinating exploration of the relationship between music...	23,489 reviews *smarter certified	$8.15	See it
This Is Your Brain on Music: The... Instruction and Study - Theory Music - Musician Daniel Levitin worked in the record industry for many years before...	Barnes & Noble	$16 $11.52 Coupon 1 coupon available Code:No Code Required Detail: Free Shipping on orders of $25 at Barnes & Noble Expires:Jun-30-2010 Restriction:see site for more details	See it
This Is Your Brain on Music: The... Pages: 322, Paperback, Plume/Penguin	Amazon 11,393 reviews	$10.88 Coupon 1 coupon available Code:No Code Required Detail: FREE Shipping on orders over $25 at Amazon. Expires:Dec-31-2010 Restriction:Some restrictions apply. See site for details.	See it
Format: Paperback, Publisher: Penguin... Instruction and Study - Theory Music - Musician Daniel Levitin worked in the record industry for many years before...	Barnes and Noble 20 reviews	$12.80	See it

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Recent Reviews

4/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Oct-17-2009; Fascinating, unclear at times; A skilled music composer or performer uses his/her experience and knowledge to elicit an emotional response in the listener. However, musicianship is a largely empirical craft -- a composer may know what sounds good from experience, but...; read full review | report as inappropriate

4/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Oct-04-2009; If You Really Want To Get Down To The Nitty AND The Gritty Of MUSIC...!; Here we have a musical scientist's delineation of music and how our brains process music. Levitan begins the book by sharing with the reader the point in his pre-adolescence when he bought a stereo (for $100.00), listened to it too...; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Sep-27-2009; An Enlightening and Entertaining Glimpse into Music Processing and Preferences; Daniel Levitin's "This Is Your Brain On Music" is a stimulating look into the way the brain processes music, from the anatomical structures that play a role in hearing and identifying music to the emotional responses that music stirs....; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Aug-10-2009; An enlightening perspective on the mystery of music and the mind!; This book provides an interesting glimpse into the world of music through the lens of cognitive neuroscience. Although the text sometimes veers into tangents here and there, the book is a fascinating read from cover to cover. Highly...; read full review | report as inappropriate

Selected Reviews

4/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Oct-17-2009; Fascinating, unclear at times; A skilled music composer or performer uses his/her experience and knowledge to elicit an emotional response in the listener. However, musicianship is a largely empirical craft -- a composer may know what sounds good from experience, but...; read full review | report as inappropriate

3/5: From: Amazon; Posted: May-11-2009; The X Factor; Well written and informative, but Mr. Levitin is apparently unable to recognize the X factor that is the indescribable, innate quality of an artist that cannot be taught; that does not need years of training to release--and is the reason...; read full review | report as inappropriate

1/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Jun-04-2009; If you make a mistake, be sure to repeat it; Several reviewers with considerable expert knowledge in the area have - it is fair to say - excoriated this book on this site. Levitin may be a clever experimentalist, and possibly a good music producer. That did not qualify him to...; read full review | report as inappropriate