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Musicophilia

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Musicophilia

By: Oliver Sacks
Narrated by: John Lee
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About this listen

Oliver Sacks’ compassionate tales of people struggling to adapt to different neurological conditions have fundamentally changed the way we think of 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 our brain than language does but also that it can torment, calm, organise and heal.

Always wise and compellingly listenable, 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.

©2018 Oliver Sacks (P)2010 Penguin Random House LLC Brain & Nervous System Creativity & Genius Essays Instruction & Technique Music Neuroscience & Neuropsychology Physical Illness & Disease Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Nonfiction Mental Health

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Critic reviews

"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. This book is filled with wonders." (Daily Telegraph)
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Utterly fascinating and totally interesting. Another masterpiece of knowledge, science and human life. Oliver Sacks never fails to entrance me. The narrator is great too - calm and soothing but with depth and emotion enough to show empathy to the stories of the people Sacks so eloquently writes about. Only one small issue some may find ‘jarring’ - the use of now dated terminology which was, at the time of writing, acceptable science vocabulary (E.g retarded, demented, ‘normal’ etc). Otherwise … expand your awareness of the variety of human psychology and with these neurological science insights!

Music is the food of life not just love!

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a very amusing read and very well researched and presented. Sacks at his best, as always

music to my ears

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It's a good book about neurological curiosities, that follows the trend of every other book Sacks wrote. I would strongly recommend that new listeners start with "The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat", as earlier in his writing career, Sacks had even more weird and wonderful stories. Some accounts get reprised here a bit, and it's a good follow-up.

A solid Oliver Sacks book

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Recommended to anyone, but especially for people who love music and are curious about the human brain.

Great listening

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That voice and the Oxbridge accent definitely persuaded me to say goodbye to Audible.What were you guys thinking!

That voice .

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As the title may suggest, I thought this was a book about the love of music. It’s not. It’s as much about music phobia as it is about musicophilia.

As a musician who adores music, I’m always keen to learn more. However, this audiobook is a depressing account of neurological disorders from patients, many of whom have no love nor affinity for music at all.

Several times I had to switch off this audiobook as it was disturbing, irritating or incessantly annoying. I like to finish what I start, but after a few of hours, I simply could not take anymore. I gave up on this audiobook and requested a full refund.

This may be a good book for neurosurgeons and medical students. But for a lovers of music, musicophiliacs like myself, this book is the opposite of pleasant.

Hallucinations & Epilepsy

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