Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain

A humane discourse on the fragility of our minds, of the bodies that give rise to them, and of the world they create for us. Oliver Sacks’ compassionate tales of people struggling to adapt to different neurological conditions have fundamentally changed the way we understand our own minds. In "Musicophilia," he examines the powers of music through the individual experiences of patients, musicians, and everyday people – those struck by affliction, unusual talent, and even, in one case, by lightning – to show not only that music occupies more areas of the brain than language does, but also that it can calm and organize, torment and heal. Always wise and compellingly readable, these stories alter our conception of who we are and how we function, and show us an essential part of what it is to be human. Fascinating music, as Sacks explains, "can pierce the heart directly," and this is the truth that he so brilliantly focuses upon – that music saves, consoles, and nourishes us. – Daily Mail, "Irresistible, astonishing and moving" – Spectator, "Deeply warm and sympathetic" – Guardian.