The book resembles quite much "The man who took his wife for a hat" by the same author, but focuses very much on the role that music plays in our lives and in particular of lives of the patients featured in the book.
Consequently, the book alternates between discussing music in non-impaired, or average, life and describing 'case histories' in which music has been a coping or recovery strategy, or a relief amidst neurological injury or disease. The case histories feature quite often a musician or a person for whom music has had or has special importance.
Was it good?
As I have played the piano since I was three years old, and as a person for whom music is quite important, I quite enjoyed the book and its focus on music and musicality. However, as a person who is not very much into classical music, the focus on predominantly classical music at times started to annoy me. Though it probably was not the intention by the author, I sensed a slight non-implicit assumption in the text suggesting that classical music would be the 'highest' form of music or otherwise being as of particular value. This, however, probably is a over-interpretation from my part.
The main take-away for me?
Actually, my main take-aways from the book probably are quite idiosyncratic. Namely, some of my own personal experiences and properties which I don't really think twice about (e.g. absolute pitch, feeling very distinct character in different chords, playing melodies or compositions in my head) are not at all, at least according to the author, shared by most of the people, and constitute a particular way of perceiving music and sounds.
Thus, perhaps the more general take-away is something similar to what I had with "The man who took his wife for a hat": the world can be experienced and appreciated in quite different views by different people, none of which (or many of which) are not better or worse than others, just different. Thus, impairments, elevated abilities, or other peculiarities quite often do not really feel any special 'from inside' and therefore are impairments, elevated abilities etc. only in comparison to what is average in the general population.
Who should read the book?
Like with "The man who took his wife for a hat", I think that most people can enjoy and appreciate the book, but this time around I feel that people with some kind of a special relationship with music derive more value from the book because of personal, subjective resonance - at least I perceive this being so in my case.
The book on Amazon.com: Musicophilia
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