NATIONAL BESTSELLER • With the same trademark compassion and erudition he brought to The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks explores the place music occupies in the brain and how it affects the human condition.
“Powerful and compassionate. . . . A book that not only contributes to our understanding of the elusive magic of music but also illuminates the strange workings, and misfirings, of the human mind.”...

John Powell, a scientist and musician, answers questions about harmony, timbre, keys, chords, loudness, musical composition, and many more in this intriguing and original guide to acoustics.

Readers will meet along the way a diverse cast of composers, musicians and performers who all make music in different ways in a variety of different genres, from Bach to Billie Eilish, Mozart to Miriam Makeba. Why do we make music? Which instruments make up a classical orchestra? How does music affect our brains and emotions? These are just some of the fascinating questions addressed in this book, which looks at music's transnational and boundary-breaking...

"Music is an outlet for self-expression. It has the power to influence your feelings, connect you to others and break down barriers ... And believe it or not, it's science -- a LOT of science! The tunes that move us are a blend of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, plus passion and emotion. In this book, you'll find out when humans began making music, the early history of recording and playing back, how things we use every day like...