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 Sacks explores both the tragedy and triumph gained through and with music in the lives of those affected by disorders Mar 14, 2010
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, Revised and Expanded Edition
Review by R. Scott Weaver.
We have all experienced a time when a song won't leave our brain. We try to think of other songs or hum a different tune and yet the song imbeds itself into our head. That all too common human experience has been studied and the song has a name: an earworm. We learn about earworms and other strange, music-related syndromes in "Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain." Neurologist and professor Dr. Oliver Sacks presents a collection of case studies and clinical observations with music at the core. Sacks is best known for his book "Awakenings" later made into a movie featuring Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro. In "Musicophilia," we learn in minute detail how the wiring of the brain seems so conducive to music in both positive and negative ways. Sacks explores both the tragedy and triumph gained through and with music in the lives of those affected by disorders both familiar and bizarre. In one instance, we are introduced to an individual who literally cannot hear a melody. What would it be like to be in the word and yet not touched by music? We get a glimpse in the words of Dr. Sacks. From beginning to end, one cannot help but be fascinated by how music's touch is so powerful in humans. And those earworms? Imagine spending your life with only one song that won't leave you . . .
 Great story teller Mar 11, 2010
Loved this book. What a great story teller. Memorable. Inspiring. Mysterious. Intersecting neuroscience, music, and storytelling. Good index.
Humanity: The Musical Species Mar 01, 2010
In this absolutely fascinating book, renowned neurologist Oliver Sacks explores the musical side of the human brain. It seems, in fact, that we are uniquely hardwired to respond to music, which moves us, inspires us, and heals us in a way nothing else can. It activates the emotion, memory, movement, and at times even the visual centers of our brains. What's more, we're so "attuned" to it that our minds reproduce it with astonishing precision (sometimes very much against our own wishes!).
Of course, we often learn the most about the ordinary workings of the mind by studying those exceptional and extraordinary cases in which the mind behaves differently. Sacks sensitively relates numerous stories of patients who respond uniquely to music: a previously unmusical man who becomes a music-obsessed virtuoso after being struck by lightening; a patient with a memory of just a few seconds, except when it comes to music; people whose synesthesia makes music a "three dimensional" experience involving vision, smell, or taste; and many more. There are Parkinson's patients who become gracefully animated by song; dementia sufferers for whom music holds mnemonic power; aphasic patients who cannot talk but are quite able to sing; autistic savants; people gifted with absolute pitch; and those with amusia, a condition in which the individual hears music perfectly but can't "make sense" of it. Additionally, Sacks writes about Williams syndrome, a genetic condition causing severe mathematical and spatial deficiencies complemented by great gifts in social sensitivity, verbal communication, and above all, music.
Sacks' erudite yet accessible science writing is thoroughly engaging. His own love for music shines through in MUSICOPHILIA, which makes it even more of a joy to read. This book will hook you like a catchy pop song, and you won't be able to put it down.
Book sells itself Feb 05, 2010
Covers every last aspect of how music can effect the body. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in neurology as well as anyone who is a very passionate music lover.
Engaging read Feb 04, 2010
Musicophilia offers an inside look into the lives of people who experience music in atypical ways, from those who have heightened abilities and sensitivities to music to those with a partial or total lack of musical receptivity. Engaging stories about people with William's syndrome, Alzheimers, autism, synesthesia, amusia, etc., oftentimes in their own words, provide really unique insight into how we process and experience music and just how multi-faceted these processes and experiences really are. I give this book four stars instead of five only because the book is nearly 400 pages long, which makes it feel a bit like a marathon towards the end. But the various stories don't feel repetitive; on the contrary, they provide a very good overview of the varieties of musical experience. I am sure for others who have had experiences similar to those included in this book will find great relief in knowing that there are others who have experienced the same thing. I definitely won't be taking my own musicality and musical experiences for granted anytime soon. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in music. A very accessible and engaging read.
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