boomerdell's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
sellnow_hannah's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
5.0
Oliver Sacks is one of my favorite authors and this book is no exception. This is a compilation of fascinating stories of the various ways music impacts our brains including the brains of those with Parkinson’s, dementia, and other neurological processes. This book made me think being a music therapist would be a lovely and rewarding career.
bobbo49's review against another edition
4.0
Sacks' ability to capture the extraordinary complexities of brain function for us non-scientists is on display again here, as he dives deep into the cortical context of music. Like his other wonderful books, musicophilia explains his science through the very personal stories of patients (and some historical figures) who have been able to process music even when other brain aspects (sight, touch, etc) are lost, even through dementia. A thoroughly engaging and enlightening read.
bluenpink's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
andrew_russell's review against another edition
3.0
Sacks uses a mixture of case study and theoretical description to explain the neurological basis for the pleasure music can provide and the great loss that can be felt following injury or illness.
This provided more reading pleasure than the previous work by Sacks which I have read (The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat). Reason being, the mix between case study and theory was better. That said, it could have been better yet. The case studies that were given were too short to touch me emotionally to any great degree. Many of them were still rather similar in nature. I would have preferred either less case studies written with more detail, or no case studies and just the theory behind them. Sacks still struggles to satisfy the criteria for either a good theoretical science book, or a touching and emotional description of the effects of neurological illness.
Nevertheless, this was a pretty readable book and there is no doubt that it shone some light on the subject matter. It just wasn't particularly memorable for me.
This provided more reading pleasure than the previous work by Sacks which I have read (The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat). Reason being, the mix between case study and theory was better. That said, it could have been better yet. The case studies that were given were too short to touch me emotionally to any great degree. Many of them were still rather similar in nature. I would have preferred either less case studies written with more detail, or no case studies and just the theory behind them. Sacks still struggles to satisfy the criteria for either a good theoretical science book, or a touching and emotional description of the effects of neurological illness.
Nevertheless, this was a pretty readable book and there is no doubt that it shone some light on the subject matter. It just wasn't particularly memorable for me.