Cart
Free Shipping in the UK
Proud to be B-Corp

The Musical Human Michael Spitzer

The Musical Human By Michael Spitzer

The Musical Human by Michael Spitzer


£8.00
New RRP £12.99
Condition - Very Good
Only 1 left

The Musical Human Summary

The Musical Human: A History of Life on Earth - A BBC Radio 4 'Book of the Week' by Michael Spitzer

A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK 'Full of delightful nuggets' Guardian online 'Entertaining, informative and philosphical ... An essential read' All About History 'Extraordinary range ... All the world and more is here' Evening Standard 165 million years ago saw the birth of rhythm. 66 million years ago came the first melody. 40 thousand years ago Homo sapiens created the first musical instrument. Today music fills our lives. How we have created, performed and listened to music throughout history has defined what our species is and how we understand who we are. Yet it is an overlooked part of our origin story. The Musical Human takes us on an exhilarating journey across the ages - from Bach to BTS and back - to explore the vibrant relationship between music and the human species. With insights from a wealth of disciplines, world-leading musicologist Michael Spitzer renders a global history of music on the widest possible canvas, from global history to our everyday lives, from insects to apes, humans to artificial intelligence. 'Michael Spitzer has pulled off the impossible: a Guns, Germs and Steel for music' Daniel Levitin 'A thrilling exploration of what music has meant and means to humankind' Ian Bostridge

The Musical Human Reviews

Entertaining, informative and philosophical ... An essential read * All About History Magazine *
Extraordinary range ... All the world and more is here -- Evening Standard * Julian Glover *
An ambitious and total history of music -- Charlotte Runcie * Daily Telegraph *
Full of delightful nuggets ... sends the reader back to a world of musical examples time and time again * Guardian *
Extraordinary ... Ranging from the Geissenkloesterle caves to K-Pop, from the lost music of the Aztecs to the role of song in hunter-gatherer societies, and drawing on a vast array of specialisations, from archaeoacoustics to ornithology, Spitzer utilises a breath-taking variety of sources ... The Musical Human will make you think differently about music, about its place in your life and about its importance to human life tout court -- Mathew Lyons * Literary Review *
Bold, compelling and ear-opening -- Michael Prodger * New Statesman *
A hugely ambitions work, but never daunting, and there's something thought-provoking on every page ... With scholarship, wit and passion, this book demonstrates that there is truly a soundtrack to human lives -- Catherine Bott, Classic FM
A thrilling exploration of what music has meant and means to humankind -- Ian Bostridge
Music changed my life. It changes my mood, my thoughts, my feelings and changes the way I move. Now I know why. This book has connected me to not only the language of love but the language of life. If you can just hum, whistle out of tune or shake a leg at a wedding then open the pages of this book and know why! A revelation -- Michael Cashman
Blurring the lines between musical theory, anthropology, biology and history, Spitzer posits that music is one of our most defining achievements, fundamental to the human experience -- Rhiannon Thomas * Radio Times *
An amazing book, tying together research in archaeology, anthropology, music history, and human origins to form a compelling and exciting account of the many ways music has developed across the world and across time. Michael Spitzer has pulled off the impossible: a Guns, Germs and Steel for music -- Daniel Levitin

About Michael Spitzer

Michael Spitzer is Professor of Music at the University of Liverpool. Previously he taught for twenty years at Durham University. An accomplished pianist, Spitzer is a world-leading authority on Beethoven, but he also writes widely on the philosophy and psychology of music. He lives just off Penny Lane with his wife and two daughters.

Additional information

GOR012569902
9781526602787
1526602784
The Musical Human: A History of Life on Earth - A BBC Radio 4 'Book of the Week' by Michael Spitzer
Used - Very Good
Paperback
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
2022-04-14
480
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - The Musical Human