Musicophilia
Tales of Music and the Brain
by Oliver Sacks · first published 2007
58% recommend37% neutral5% critical
Why HN recommends it
Case-driven neurology of music, with many medical cases and explanations of how music shapes the brain; suits readers curious about music and cognition who want accessible, example-rich science.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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
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…moment you pay too much attention it slips away, like trying to look at a floater in your eye. I have absolute pitch, if it's on any way relevant. For more reading on this topic I throughly recommend Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks.
on “You hear a voice in your head when you're reading, right?” ↗I highly recommend everyone, who's interested in music influence on humans read "Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain" http://www.amazon.com/Musicophilia-Tales-Music-Revised-Expan... It's full of great examples of medical cases, explanations and interesting theories.
on “Songs in the key of life: What makes music emotional?” ↗A great book that touches on the subject is "Musicophilia" by the late Oliver Sacks. It goes deep into the neurology of conditions like acquired savant syndrome, though the core of the book is on music-related neurological anomlaies https://www.amazon.com/Musicophilia-Tales-Music-Revised-Expa...
on “Sudden savant syndrome, in which exceptional abilities emerge after brain injury” ↗You should read Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks. He writes about some of his patients experiencing synesthesia. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1297985.Musicophilia
on “Stellar Sonata” ↗There are a several similar examples in Oliver Sacks' Musicophilia. It provides some explanations, too.
on “The "Acquired" Savant- "Accidental" Genius” ↗…to nothing about musical theory (or playing music), this talk surprised me. It seems that our minds are simply wired to pick up patterns and to try to make order out of randomness. I was reminded of 'Musicophilia' by Oliver Sacks, that I think is worth checking out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musicophilia
on “Repetition Makes Music Beautiful [video]” ↗In case it's not already mentioned in TFA [1] "Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain" by Oliver Sacks is a fantastic read that will change how you think of music [2]. [1] substack is hostile to me [2] https://www.oliversacks.com/oliver-sacks-books/musicophilia-...
on “Books That Changed How I Hear Music” ↗…Chronicles - Colin Wilson - The Outsider - Stanislaw Lem - Cyberiad - Chaos Monkeys - Antonio Martinez - Ben Horowitz - What You Do Is Who You Are - Alice Flaherty - The Midnight Disease - Oliver Sacks - Musicophilia - Ken Binmore - Rational Decisions - Josh Kaufman - The Personal MBA
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023” ↗You might enjoy Oliver Sacks' book Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain. You're not alone in your experience.
on “Study finds solo music listening boosts social well-being” ↗Also Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks.
on “How Music Hijacks Our Perception of Time” ↗Musicophilia is also strange and wonderful, and very much worth reading.
on “Oliver Sacks on learning he has terminal cancer” ↗I read Oliver Sachs Musicophilia: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Musicophilia-Tales-Music-Oliver-Sack... In it he points out how some people with Alzheimers or other degenerative brain damage can use familiar music to co-ordinate a sort of…
on “The Quiet Ones” ↗Oliver Sacks had some case studies listed in his book "Musicophilia." One was a non-musician doctor who, after an injury, developed an obsession with Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu. He apparently bought a Steinway and learned the piece in a year with no instruction.
on “Some suddenly become accomplished artists or musicians with no previous training” ↗Musicophilia (too much psychiatry, not enuf music) b4 that Anathem (will read again after a few years) b4 that Halting State (cool)
on “Ask HN: What was the latest book you read? ” ↗There's a peculiar book out there by Oliver Sacks called "Musicophilia". He describes in it various cases of musical deafness including tone deafness and rhythm deafness. In reality true cases are quite rare, so I believe most people can develop their "ears" to be able to…
on “Why most people don't like jazz” ↗