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The World in Six Songs

How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The World in Six Songs by Daniel Levitin explores how music and song have shaped human culture and evolution. The book examines six themesβ€”friendship, joy, comfort, knowledge, religion, and loveβ€”and their connections to music. Levitin uses insights from anthropology, neuroscience, and musicology to show how songs have influenced human emotions and social interactions throughout history.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you have an interest in the fascinating intersection between music and human evolution. Daniel Levitin explores how six types of songs have shaped culture and society throughout history, blending insights from neuroscience, anthropology, and music theory. This book is ideal for those curious about the profound impact of music on human life and consciousness.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In an astonishing blend of art and science, Daniel Levitin describes how music played a pivotal role in the creation of human culture and society.

Dividing the sum total of human musical achievement, from Beethoven to The Beatles, Busta Rhymes to Bach, into just six fundamental forms, Levitin illuminates, through songs of friendship, joy, comfort, knowledge, religion, and love, how music has been instrumental in the evolution of language, thought, and culture. And how, far from being a bit of a song and dance, music is at the core of what it means to be human.

A one-time record producer, now a leading neuroscientist, Levitin has composed a catchy and startlingly ambitious narrative that weaves together Darwin and Dionne Warwick, memoir and biology, anthropology and a jukebox of anecdote to create nothing less than the soundtrack of civilisation.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The World in Six Songs by Daniel Levitin is praised for its engaging narrative and masterful storytelling that interlaces music with scientific insights. Readers find it exquisitely well-written and accessible, making complex scientific information enjoyable and approachable. The book is celebrated for providing fascinating explanations of how music impacts human emotions and behaviour.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241987810

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 July 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 257g

Pages: 368

About the Author

Daniel J. Levitin, PhD, is a neuroscientist, cognitive psychologist, and bestselling author. He trained at Stanford University Medical School, The University of California at Berkeley, and the University of Oregon. He is founding dean of Arts and Humanities at the Minerva Schools at KGI in San Francisco and Professor Emeritus of psychology and neuroscience at McGill University. He is the author of This Is Your Brain on Music, The World in Six Songs, The Organized Mind, and A Field Guide to Lies and Statistics. He divides his time between Montreal and California.

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