The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature

This is an enjoyable, very interesting and thought-provoking book by someone who knows music from both the commercial/industry and scientific sides. Levitin advances a number of ideas, based largely on science, but which really amount to conjecture -- he doesn't posit them, but he repeats them often enough that it is clear that he really believes them. I found a number of these ideas to be plausible but not necessarily convincing. This is not a criticism, but rather to say that I have other ideas and/or am not so sure that his conjectures are right. Indeed, some of these ideas seem downright simplistic.More of a criticism -- though this may be a criticism of me, not Levitin -- is that he extensively makes references to contemporary popular music and musicians to give examples of what he is writing. Being raised on classical music, I found most of these examples useless.I haven't read it, but, from what I have heard, another of Levitin's books, "This Is Your Brain on Music," sounds like a better and more scientifically based book. I intend to read it next.

This fascinating book explores the powerful force music has played in shaping our common humanity. It's evolution, with a backbeat. Author Levitin makes the case that six basic types of songs have existed throughout the course of human history, all over the world. Mankind, apparently, shares a soundtrack.The six broad categories of music are songs about friendship, joy, comfort, knowledge, religion and love. Each has a different function, but all serve to bind us together. They make us stronger as a species.Levitin, a musician and scientist, cites anthropologists, evolutionary biologists, neurosurgeons, psychologists, and many famous musicians in this book. He includes lyrics from a great range of songs, including "At Seventeen," "The Hokey Pokey," "I Walk the Line," "Twist and Shout," and "Log Blues" from Ren & Stimpy.Music can be so evocative. A snippet of song can take you back to the exact moment you heard it in childhood or high school or whenever. It's like there is a direct link that exists in the human brain between music and memory.This books tells us that Americans spend more money on music than they do on prescription drugs or sex, and the average American hears more than five hours of music per day. It's obviously important to us. After reading The World in Six Songs, you'll have a much better idea why.Here's the chapter list:1. Taking It from the Top or "The Hills Are Alive..."2. Friendship or "War (What Is It Good For)?"3. Joy or "Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut"4. Comfort or "Before There Was Prozac, There Was You"5. Knowledge or "I Need to Know"6. Religion or "People Get Ready"7. Love or "Bring `Em All In"

the book is autograph, and the autograph is authentic. he's one of my favorite authors, it was a great find.the condition of it is as you described it. I also like the packaging. thanks

I loved Levitin's first book "This is Your Brain on Music". The "name-dropper" claim from some reviewers was unfair, because scientists instinctively cite every idea that was not original to them (I would know, I am one). Levitin clearly loves his new career and wants to share his enthusiasm with a wider audience.However, this book is thin on content and full of annoyances that most readers will catch. For example, he waxes nostalgically about the anti-Viet Nam War music and how it influenced political life in the Sixties and later. However, Levitin was still playing with toys in the Sixties! His views of the impact of music on the Viet Nam War are second-hand sentimentality.He also tries to comment on religion without being offensive. He suggests religion was displaced by technology and then quickly changes topic. I am sure most of his colleagues believe that, but they need to get out more.Most of all, you realize quickly that very few people had much input when he researched this book. He quotes Sting constantly, probably because Sting was one of the few people that agreed to be interviewed.I do not want to trash the book completely. His idea that music influenced brain development in Homo sapiens is original and clever. There will probably prove to be some truth to it, but clearly the cart is (at least partially) in front of the horse.It is still a thoughtful and entertaining book, but it pales in comparison to Levitin's first book.

This book was one of the best I have ever read about song, the psychology of song, and the import of song in society and the development of civilization. The book is well-written, informative, thought-provoking and fun-to-read.I particularly enjoyed Daniel Levitin's use of current songs to exemplify the points he is making. I am now able to think about music, and song in particular, with an historical lens, a clearer view and a broadened perspective.I would also highly recommend Daniel Levitin's "This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsessession." It's another fascinating book to be savored.Can't wait for Daniel Levitin's next book.

I have not had a chance to read yet, but would like to comment only on the condition of the book. It was in perfect condition and as I am reading the other book by same author, I am hoping that this will be as enjoyable.

This is an entertaining read, very easy to get through, and plenty about it was endearing and appealing on a very approachable level - Levitin writes pretty readable stuff in trying to make the case for why humans have music, and what it means to us as thinking beings.I was left slightly disappointed, however, because it just wasn't convincing. The author aims to classify all music into one of six different types (for friendship, for information, for joy etc.) but the whole thing left me with so many questions and aware of so many holes in his arguments that.. as a non-fiction, as a scientific book, it just didn't have the authority. I wanted more facts, more 'we have proved that this type of song elicits this response via brain imaging', more factual content. What it ended up feeling like was an entertaining read with lots of appealing ideas, the author choosing to illustrate things with anecdotes (and lots of name-dropping!) and accompany this with "Perhaps this means X and Y because of Z" type statements. I just did not buy many of his arguments about genetic selection for musical skills for the reasons he gave, as there seemed little factual basis for these assertions. There was also too much deconstruction of art/music, which gets on my wick a bit.As a quirky and approachable popular psychology type book, however, it was an entertaining read, and if they don't expect too much rigour from it, readers will enjoy it.

Great product

fascinating ramble through musical history and present - well worth a read.

daughter loves it!