Rating: 
Summary: I'd be hard pressed to say I enjoyed this book
Review: I realize part of this book's title was about the brain, but I never thought it would overshadow the main topic of music. It can easily be seen that the author has a fascination with the brain, but I have a problem with the how far he goes sometimes. He makes a textbook out of what I thought would be a very interesting book to read. He didn't write this for the layman. I must admit however that there are a few interesting things I was not aware of, but it was like wading knee deep in mud to get to a crytal clear lagoon.
Rating:
Summary: I'd be hard pressed to say I enjoyed this book
Review: I realize part of this book's title was about the brain, but I never thought it would overshadow the main topic of music. It can easily be seen that the author has a fascination with the brain, but I have a problem with the how far he goes sometimes. He makes a textbook out of what I thought would be a very interesting book to read. He didn't write this for the layman. I must admit however that there are a few interesting things I was not aware of, but it was like wading knee deep in mud to get to a crytal clear lagoon.
Rating: 
Summary: A tour de force by a superb author
Review: I've published 2 books and a few articles myself, and I'm a serious reader of fiction and non-fiction. My standards are high. Rarely have I seen such a long piece of science writing so consistently fascinating, expressed with such clarity and elegance. Additionally, Robert Jourdain has a comprehensive knowledge of his subject. He must have slaved over this work. The magnitude of the bibliography and notes sections shows this must be true. He has digested and integrated this vast amount of information so completely that he can present it in a way that will be very comfortable for the average reader, yet very satisfying for a reader already well-informed about this topic.The title is a bit misleading, as it refers only to the last chapter or two. The book is actually a comprehensive education about every aspect of music--its neurology, psychology, history, mathematics, esthetics, and so on. Some reviewers here have complained that Jourdain is a musical bigot, because he appears less interested in rock and roll, non-western music and twentieth century music than other forms. This criticism is possibly incorrect and definitely misleading. Jourdain's book will prepare any reader to derive more joy from any kind of music that reader happens to prefer. This goes on the top ten non-fiction books of my lifetime.
Rating:
Summary: Science In The Arts
Review: It is interesting to read the previous reviews of this book; so many people seem to have ignored the author's explicit caveats that he is mostly discussing Western cultivated music 1) because that is the music he is most familiar with, 2) because that is the music most researched with regard to his topic of brain response, and 3) because Westerners do not have adequate vocabulary or understanding of other musical endeavors, such as the polyrhythms of Western African music. He is very clear that some African music has a long tradition of developing rhythm in its performances, rhythm that Western art music has virtually ignored in favor of certain types of harmonic and structural inventions. Because he sets out his perspective so clearly, I don't find it fair to criticize the author for not providing what a reader might hope for in a book. The writing is well-constructed; the author uses everyday language to describe complex and scientific information. His use of the Pink Panther theme as an example for the various topics is a helpful one. He does provide a great level of detail about brain function, the science of sound, perceptual processes, and other expert facts that can overwhelm the reader. He also seems to get lost in the forest of science at the expense of the phenomenological experience of enjoying music. There is, in fact, little discussion of the ecstasy in the title. There is far more Brain than Music or Ecstasy in this volume. It is, nevertheless, a well-written book that serves as a condensation of past writings on the topic and an invitation for further explorations of human reactions to music.
Rating:
Summary: Science In The Arts
Review: It is interesting to read the previous reviews of this book; so many people seem to have ignored the author's explicit caveats that he is mostly discussing Western cultivated music 1) because that is the music he is most familiar with, 2) because that is the music most researched with regard to his topic of brain response, and 3) because Westerners do not have adequate vocabulary or understanding of other musical endeavors, such as the polyrhythms of Western African music. He is very clear that some African music has a long tradition of developing rhythm in its performances, rhythm that Western art music has virtually ignored in favor of certain types of harmonic and structural inventions. Because he sets out his perspective so clearly, I don't find it fair to criticize the author for not providing what a reader might hope for in a book. The writing is well-constructed; the author uses everyday language to describe complex and scientific information. His use of the Pink Panther theme as an example for the various topics is a helpful one. He does provide a great level of detail about brain function, the science of sound, perceptual processes, and other expert facts that can overwhelm the reader. He also seems to get lost in the forest of science at the expense of the phenomenological experience of enjoying music. There is, in fact, little discussion of the ecstasy in the title. There is far more Brain than Music or Ecstasy in this volume. It is, nevertheless, a well-written book that serves as a condensation of past writings on the topic and an invitation for further explorations of human reactions to music.
Rating:
Summary: A must to re-read!
Review: Jourdain's background as a musician and man of science allows him to cover a subject that pleases both right and left-brained readers. He logically unfolds the story of music from its simplest form as soundwave to the complex nature which allows music to "touch" our souls. I have fresh appreciation of music as a gift which no one, least of all musicians, should ever take for granted.
Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent Read
Review: Music, the Brain and Ecstasy by Robert Jourdain is an intriguing study into the way we perceive sound and how we understand music. Jourdain's book attempts to unlock the mysteries behind music and to understand why music is so meaningful, and to explain these concepts to those who are not experts in the field. Jourdain presents the subjects in a style which allows even unaccustomed readers to understand difficult subjects, and he does so by leading the reader through ten chapters, starting with the physiology of sound and ending up with the philosophy of why music gives us so much pleasure, and at times, pain. I found this book to be both informative and at times fascinating. Jourdain uses interesting examples to lead the reader through the concepts. One example was Blind Tom, the savant who was able to take any piece and play it from memory. Another was Rosemary Brown, who claimed to have psychically channeled dead composers to create new pieces. Although interesting, I believe that those new to music might find some of the technical descriptions tough to follow early on, mostly because Jourdain throws many new concepts at the reader at once. In addition, Jourdain at times seems to lump all popular music together when making his points; clearly Jourdain has a bias toward the classics. Jourdain makes some blanket statements regarding the simplicities of popular music versus the complexities of classical music. Although generally true, I am sure readers could identify cases just the opposite - for example, the intricacies of Appalachian harmonies, or cases of simple classical music. Even with these issues, I found Music, the Brain and Ecstasy to be an excellent read for anyone interested in the theory of sound and music.
Rating: 
Summary: What about emotions?
Review: Robert Jourdain shows that he is a man who knows much about the brain and its functions, but after reading his book, I was left wondering what this man really knows about music. Jourdain fails to discuss the memories and emotional significance people attach to certain songs or certain types of music. Music's emotional importance is very prevalent in our society and the fact that Jourdain overlooks this reflects badly on his credibility as an author. Jourdain doesn't seem to realize that the popular songs he so dislikes bring happiness and meaning to many people's lives. The lyrics, as well as the memories associated with them bring forth a stew of emotions that make people feel safe, nostalgic, or even comforted. That is something science cannot describe, although Jourdain tries very hard to accomplish that. Music has much to do with science, I agree, but the emotions music evokes has nothing to do with science and everything to do with your heart. Perhaps Jourdain does realize the emotional significance music holds, but just chose not to address it in this highly scientific book. Whichever the case, I think the author's crediblity and the reader's enjoyment would have been greatly heightened if he had taken into account the true emotions we experience with music.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent musicology and neuroscience. Amazing insights.
Review: Robert Jourdain writes effortlessly about the latest research in neuroscience and the most scholarly musicology, combining the two into fascinating insights about how we relate to music, and how music is itself shaped by our special abilities and limitations. An "Aha!" on almost every page.
Rating:
Summary: "Music, The Brain, And Ecstasy"="Science, Science, Science"
Review: Robert Jourdain's "Music, The Brain, And Ecstasy" is not a book to read for enjoyment, it is rather a book to read for information. It is a textbook containing the physics of sound waves, the biology of the brain, and the psychology of music. The word music does not even belong in the title. The word music implies enjoyment. Robert Jourdain provides no enjoyment in the book whatsoever. He overloads the reader with far too much information, even for someone as interested in science as me. Jourdain is also closed minded on the subject of music. He thinks that the only good music is classical music, and while he does not say this directly, its implication is very strong. Jourdain doesn't even mention any other styles of music other than classical. If a writer wants to discuss music, shouldn't he discuss the various styles of music? All in all, Robert Jourdain's misleading title and prejudice in music make for a very poor book.
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