This is your brain on music : the science of a human obsession / Daniel J. Levitin.

Author/creator Levitin, Daniel J.
Format Book
Publication InfoNew York, N.Y. : Dutton, ©2006.
Descriptionvi, 314 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Subjects

Contents Introduction: I love music and I love science-- why would I want to mix the two? -- What is music?: from pitch to timbre -- Foot tapping: discerning rhythm, loudness, and harmony -- Behind the curtain: music and the mind machine -- Anticipation: what we expect from Liszt (and Ludacris) -- You know my name, look up the number: how we categorize music -- After dessert, Crick was still four seats away from me: music, emotion, and the reptilian brain -- What makes a musician?: expertise dissected -- My favorite things: why do we like the music we like? -- The music instinct: evolution's #1 hit.
Abstract Whether you listen to Bach or Bono, music has a significant role in your life--even if you never realized it. Why does music evoke such powerful moods? The answers are at last becoming clear, thanks to revolutionary neuroscience and the emerging field of evolutionary psychology. Both a cutting-edge study and a tribute to the beauty of music itself, this book unravels a host of mysteries that affect everything from pop culture to our understanding of human nature, including: Are our musical preferences shaped in utero? Is there a cutoff point for acquiring new tastes in music? What do PET scans and MRIs reveal about the brain's response to music? Is musical pleasure different from other kinds of pleasure? The author, a neuroscientist and former recording engineer, explores music across cultures, brain disorders and developmental levels to unlock deep secrets about how nature and nurture forge a uniquely human obsession.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (pages 271-300) and index.
LCCN 2006009055
ISBN0525949690 (hardcover)
ISBN9780525949695

Availability

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Music Music Stacks ML3830 .L38 2006 ✔ Available Place Hold