This Is Your Brain on Music

The Science of a Human Obsession

By: Daniel J. Levitin

Narrated by: Edward Herrmann

In this groundbreaking union of art and science, rocker-turned-neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin explores the connection between music - its performance, its composition, how we listen to it, why we enjoy it - and the human brain. Drawing on the latest research and on musical examples ranging from Mozart to Duke Ellington to Van Halen, Levitin reveals:

How composers produce some of the most pleasurable effects of listening to music by exploiting the way our brains make sense of the world

Why we are so emotionally attached to the music we listened to as teenagers, whether it was Fleetwood Mac, U2, or Dr. Dre

That practice, rather than talent, is the driving force behind musical expertise

How those insidious little jingles (called earworms) get stuck in our heads

And, taking on prominent thinkers who argue that music is nothing more than an evolutionary accident, Levitin argues that music is fundamental to our species, perhaps even more so than language. This Is Your Brain on Music is an unprecedented, eye-opening investigation into an obsession at the heart of human nature.

©2007 Daniel J. Levitin (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc. and Books on Tape. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Levitin's snappy prose and relaxed style quickly win one over and will leave readers thinking about the contents of their iPods in an entirely new way." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Levitin is a deft and patient explainer of the basics for the non-scientist as well as the non-musician....By tracing music's deep ties to memory, Levitin helps quantify some of music's magic without breaking its spell." ( Los Angeles Times Book Review)

Well done could be even more science-based

I thought this book was very interesting and thought-provoking. I would have enjoyed it even more with injections of more medical or science-based studies and evidence. But it is very good, especially in audio book format since he has audio examples throughout, and these audio clips really bring his points to life. In short, this book is definitely worth listening to and/or reading especially if you like music, which so many of us do.

Superb! Highly recommend this audio book!

Not only does this cover a lot about the science of how we relate to music, it includes information that gave me a lot of general insight into our minds. This is a superb book, and I highly recommend it to people who want to increase their appreciation for music, and to people who make music.

very in depth and covers every aspect of the title

very awesome book but personally will have to read/listen to many times to grasp it all

and I need a heading too

Want the unabridged version. I have to keep typing until I reach 20 words before I can submit it ... ok. enough yet?

How the brain listens to music

I love the title but what does it mean? The title of this review is my answer to that question after listening to the book.

It is a most interesting unusual book about music at the intersection of emotions, the brain and cognitive behavioral science. It is a musical journey sort of like learning about your girlfriend by starting with her DNA.

There seem to be about 200 people in the Western world focus on this area of music and cognition. It is an eye-opener regarding the area that it focuses on. I.e. Animal and human music and its associated biology and sociology.

What it does not do is touch on spiritual development or physical health maintenance and or improvement. So it would seem from the section on music history the that the 200 focused in this area are unaware of classical African civilization, Kemet (Ancient Egypt) and the earliest music notation in Recorded history and its cosmological utilization.

Levitin, takes a most interesting look at the role of music in mans animal nature and the transition to his human nature. It would be interesting to see levitin in his next work or some other musicologist pick up this discussion at the intersection cognitive behaviorism advances like ACT and musical human transcendence technology focused on man's spiritual nature as in the Ausarian musical orientation.

A good read for folks focused in the areas mentioned above. A shocking read for those who just like to make, listen or dance to music. Lol 🎼👁👍🏿

super scientific and well written

I loved this book ,super scientific enjoyable and well written.I will definitely re-read it again

A bit heady, very interesting, point of debate

As a life-long music fan and a dance teacher for adults with disabilities, I have one point to dispute. I have seen many many many people on the autism spectrum who thoroughly enjoy and can produce and create incredible music and dance.
I don't know where the author got his information, but it doesn't ring true for what I have seen over the past 20 years. Music therapy is an amazing tool for children with autism precisely because so many of them love it! Maybe it starts with an attraction to the structure, but I don't believe that is where it ends.
I found it a little challenging to follow all the science parts, but overall I really enjoyed this deep dive into music and its role in our lives. I am excited to find out what happens next in this field.

Not for the novice musician...

I bought this book expecting a scientific view of how and why music works. This is one of those occasions where I would say "Be careful what you wish for because I may come true". I got exactly what I expected. Unfortunately, I was so unprepared and uneducated when it came to music that it lost me almost right away.

I would recommend this book for someone is very highly educated in music, is familiar with music terminology, and has a curiosity about the brain and our anatomy of the ear. It is very "heady" and detailed.

I imagine someone who fits the description above will very much enjoy this book and learn a lot from it.

I, on the other hand, found myself taking far too long to process some information. By the time I was able to process it, I had missed about two minutes of the audio book and had to go back.

Love the depth!

Thank you, Dr. Levitin - I purchased this book at the beginning of my journey into sound healing, and was lucky enough to meet you that year at AES 2007. Ten years later, the details you connect and enliven in our awareness..well, I can now use in my own dissertation. This book is great for the interested layman, and educated audio professional..and academic. Enjoy!!!

Decent book

It was interesting in spots and boring in others. I liked the brain research. There were many places that could have been better.