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The Science of a Human Obsession
Dutton
August 2006
On Sale: August 3, 2006
320 pages
ISBN: 0525949690
EAN: 9780525949695
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
A fascinating exploration of the relationship between music and the mindβand the role of melodies in shaping our lives
Whether you load your iPod with Bach or Bono, music has a significant role in your lifeβeven if you never realized it. Why does music evoke such powerful moods? The answers are at last be- coming clear, thanks to revolutionary neuroscience and the emerging field of evolutionary psychology. Both a cutting-edge study and a tribute to the beauty of music itself, This Is Your Brain on Music unravels a host of mysteries that affect everything from pop culture to our understanding of human nature, including:
β’ Are our musical preferences shaped in utero?
β’ Is there a cutoff point for acquiring new tastes in music?
β’ What do PET scans and MRIs reveal about the brainβs response to music?
β’ Is musical pleasure different from other kinds of pleasure?
This Is Your Brain on Music explores cultures in which singing is considered an essential human function, patients who have a rare disorder that prevents them from making sense of music, and scientists studying why two people may not have the same definition of pitch. At every turn, this provocative work unlocks deep secrets about how nature and nurture forge a uniquely human obsession.
 Media BuzzFair Game with Faith Salie - July 22, 2008
News and Notes - April 4, 2007
Diane Rehm Show - NPR - August 3, 2006
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